Two Nights with His Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

that she was marrying a billionaire,she probably considered the money she paid for the ranch a pittance.
    The current started picking up, the raft rocking from front to back as it rolled over submerged rocks, and Wyatt was grateful for the break in the conversation. Thinking about losing the ranch made his chest hurt—and that wasn’t even the memory that upset him most. “All right, ladies. Get ready to paddle hard.”
    Water sprayedover the sides of the raft as they picked up speed. They laughed and worked hard to avoid rocks, and Wyatt grinned to see how much fun they were having. This was why he’d started his company in the first place, introducing people to the landscape he loved and the sports he thrived on.
    A few hours and several rapids later, he spotted a familiar landmark. “Lunch Island, dead ahead. Who’s readyto eat?”
    “Me!” they shouted in unison.
    “Good.” He pointed at the small island splitting the river. “Aim for that and paddle.”
    They all clambered out when the water was shallow enough to stand in, and they shocked him by grabbing the rope around the edge of the raft and applying a little elbow grease to drag the thing onto the sandy shore. He would’ve expected soap stars to worry about breakinga nail or complain about not having a nubile pool boy fanning them with a palm frond. He must not have hidden his surprise too well because he caught Nancylynn smirking.
    “We work sixteen-hour days, He-Man. In high heels and microminis. We can carry an inflatable raft.”
    “I never doubted you’re as hard as nails, She-Ra.”
    She glanced away and let go of the raft.
    He took sandwiches, fruit andbags of chips out of the waterproof pack he’d strapped inside the raft. “I’m afraid it’s not gourmet, but there’s lots of it. I’ve got goat’s cheese with red grapes, plain old cheddar, or hummus with sundried tomato. Who wants what?”
    The women stared at him. “No bagels with cream cheese?” Nancy asked.
    “Well, damn. I tried to think of what you L.A. ladies might like. I guess I should’ve guessedbagels.”
    They nearly took his arms off, grabbing sandwiches and shoving them into their mouths with greedy bites. He chuckled. “So I chose well?”
    “Oh my God,” Polly said, her eyes rolling back in her head and her mouth full of hummus. “This is so much better than craft services.”
    Whatever that was.
    Nancy covered her mouth as she chewed and swallowed. “On set, they barely feed us. Bagels andcream cheese in the morning, and then they put out a plate of cookies in the afternoon. Those disappear in about three seconds.”
    “We’re the second-class citizens of TV.” Ruby wiped her mouth. “I did a guest appearance on a prime-time drama, and their food was amazing .”
    “Well,” Wyatt said, “I brought plenty, so eat all you want.”
    Nancy finished her sandwich in record time, yanked the life jacketoff and threw it onto the ground before tugging at the zipper of her wetsuit. The one-piece bathing suit he’d given her clung in all the right places, and he silently cursed himself. As a girl, she’d had a haunting beauty, as if she were never completely present. She’d probably been so damn hungry that she’d struggled to focus, but she’d come off as being distant and otherworldly. People alwayscommented on it, calling her ethereal instead of starving.
    She’d filled out a little during her years in Hollywood, but she would probably always carry the lean, malnourished-in-childhood look. Fortunately for her, that look seemed to be in for TV actresses. It wasn’t a look he usually went for—he’d always had a thing for curves and dimples, women who looked like they baked the world’s best applepie and enjoyed eating it smothered with vanilla ice cream.
    She’s getting married, you idiot.
    Not that he wanted something with her. He was simply fighting the temptation of the forbidden. She was engaged to someone else—and Wyatt never, ever flirted with