The Inconvenient Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

all. She gathered herself together, recollected thesolemnity of the occasion and dutifully stared straight ahead. Behind her one of the twins sighed. Rip gave a little hop. Crash gurgled. Finn and Izzy sucked in their breaths.
    The judge looked at her over the top of his glasses. She smiled back at him. He cocked his head and looked at her expectantly.
    Beside her, Dominic cleared his throat. She glanced over at him. He gave her a speaking look, the sort she was sure he gave underlings right before he put them through the paper shredder.
    Sierra gave him one right back.
    A muscle in his jaw twitched. His fingers strangled hers. He nudged her clunky boot with his polished black dress shoe. “Well, damn it, do you?” he muttered through his teeth.
    Sierra blinked. “Do I what?”
    â€œTake him for your lawful wedded husband, young lady?” the judge said impatiently.
    Sierra suddenly realized they’d been waiting for her. “Oh!” she said, then gave them all a blinding smile. “Sure. Why not?”

CHAPTER TWO
    S URE . W HY NOT ?
    As if it were that easy.
    It wasn’t—as Dominic well knew. He’d tried it once twelve years ago, and had regretted it ever since.
    He’d had nightmares for years about that disastrous day—that sunny June morning in the Bahamas when he’d been left at the altar in front of two hundred avidly curious onlookers.
    He knew he could never do it again. Knew he couldn’t face a huge production, a mob of people, a bride he had to count on, a wedding he had to wait for.
    Well, he hadn’t had to wait for this one.
    He’d accomplished the whole thing, start to finish, engagement to ceremony, in a matter of hours.
    And now he was married.
    To a purple-haired woman with raccoon eye-shadow eyes.
    What had he done?
    The words reverberated in his head almost as insistently as Sierra’s bright, “Sure. Why not?” But he glanced at his watch and knew he didn’t really have time to think about it now.
    Finn kissed the bride. “How about we take you out for a champagne toast?”
    â€œSure,” Izzy seconded. “It’s the least we can do on such short notice.”
    â€œGreat!” Sierra said brightly.
    But Dominic shook his head. “Thanks, but we can’t. Another time. We’ve got to meet my father for dinner.”
    And with a quick handshake and a few more words of thanks, he spirited Sierra away.
    â€œWhat do you mean, we’re meeting your father?” she protested as he steered her toward the elevator. “Your father’s in town and you didn’t even invite him?”
    â€œYou think he’d have stood there with his mouth shut, then wished us well?”
    Sierra opened her mouth, then shut it again.
    Dominic nodded grimly. He’d made his point. She’d met his father when her sister had married his brother. She’d had a glimpse of Douglas then. Not much, but he was fairly sure his trying to commandeer the wedding party and drive them to the reception in his Lincoln Town Car instead of the cars they’d arranged had made an impression.
    They rode down in the elevator in silence. Sierra staring at the doors, Dominic at the top of her purple head.
    What had he done?
    He’d got married, that was all. Exactly what the old man had wanted.
    But to Sierra Kelly, of all people!
    Sierra Kelly with her purple hair and her Day-Glo spandex, with her clunky boots and ribbed black leggings. Yes, but, as he well knew, that wasn’t all she had. She also had mile-long legs and kissable lips and a wicked teasing tongue. She made his blood sizzle and the windows steam.
    He’d met a million more suitable women, but he’d never met one who’d set him on fire—except Sierra. He’d never met one he’d wanted to go to bed with more.
    Or again.
    He could have taken or left any one of the others. But not her.
    They’d made wild passionate desperate love