Love and Other Surprises by Robin Wells Page A

was or wasn’t there. He might get out of here even sooner than he’d thought.
    Which would definitely be a relief, Matt thought, running a finger under his collar and swallowing some champagne.
    This whole setup made him uneasy. It reminded him too much of his own wedding seven years ago.
    Just thinking about it made him scowl. He’d only been a few years out of college, too young to know the difference between lust and love, and smitten with Elise’s cool, polished exterior. At the time, he’d mistaken her detached demeanor for serenity, her aloofness for poise, her expensive tastes for class. He’d thought she was the calm, collected type who shared his desire for a well-ordered life, and when she’d hinted at marriage, he’d taken the bait. Boy, had that been a mistake! Turned out all she wanted was money—and when he didn’t earn it fast enough to suit her, she’d found someone whose bank account was more to her liking.
    Well, she’d done him the biggest favor of his life by leaving. He only wished he’d had sense enough not to get involved with her in the first place. But he’d learned his lesson, and it was a mistake he intended not to repeat. No, indeed; never again would he fall into the marriage trap. Better to fly solo than to get his life all entangled with someone else’s.
    Thinking of entanglements brought Ali to mind. Matt took another sip of champagne and realized he’d unconsciously been scanning the room for her ever since he’d entered it. Regardless of what he might think of her, he had to admit that she’d looked ravishing tonight. He hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her during the ceremony—and who could blame him? That dress accented all the right spots, and her spots were definitely all right. Probably every man in the place had made the same observation.
    The thought made him clench his jaw. Where the heck
was
she? Matt set his half-full glass of champagne on a table and headed to the far side of the ballroom.
    He was only halfway across the room when he spotted her in the foyer, flanked by her fellow bridesmaids. All three girls were wearing identical pink dresses, but only Ali managed to make it look provocative.
    As he’d figured, he hadn’t been the only man to notice. Derrick Atchison and the other two male attendants were hovering around her as if she were a queen bee and they were her drones.
    Matt tightened his jaw and began working his way through the crowd toward her. He lost sight of her for a moment, and when he spotted her again, he stopped dead in his tracks.
    “Damn,” he muttered, watching Derrick lead her by the hand to the dance floor. Matt was suddenly aware that the music had shifted to a sultry love song. He felt his chest constrict as Derrick placed his hand on her waist and pulled her close—far closer, Matt was certain, than was necessary.
    Matt did a slow burn, his body tensing all over. Why was she even bothering to give the jerk the time of day? From their conversation earlier in the week, he knew she was aware of the creep’s reputation. He had half a mind to cut in on the cozy couple.
    Hey, slow down,
the other half of his mind warned him.
She’s not marrying the guy—she’s just dancing with him. What’s it to you?
    Matt watched Derrick lean down and whisper something in her ear. As they turned to the music, he caught a glimpse of Ali’s face as she looked up and laughed. You’d think the bum was a world-class comedian, the way she was carrying on.
    “Are you having fun?” asked a familiar voice.
    Matt turned to see the newlywed couple. “Lauren— you make a beautiful bride.” Smiling, Matt kissed her proffered cheek, then shook Justin’s hand and forced himself to exchange pleasantries, resisting the urge to turn around and keep an eye on the dance floor. He was relieved when the band struck up another tune and the couple excused themselves to head to the dance floor. When he turned around, Ali and Derrick had vanished.
    Matt