The Right Choice(4)
Author: Carly Phillips

“Go for it,” Mike said.

She chuckled aloud, determined to ignore the feelings he aroused. Seated together, Carly noticed a slight resemblance between the brothers. Both had light brown hair, though Peter’s had been recently cut and lacked the sun-kissed streaks of gold. They possessed similar profiles, but Mike’s tanned skin glowed from time spent in the rugged outdoors. Peter possessed a refined polish, a veneer he’d worked hard to achieve. She appreciated both men’s handsome looks… and refused to compare any further.

“Can we make it quick?” Peter asked. “I’ve got a brief to finish and file by nine tomorrow morning.”

“Pete…”

“Sure,” Carly said, cutting Mike off. He hadn’t been around often enough to understand the demands of his brother’s job. Having grown up the daughter of a prominent attorney, Carly did. “Humor me for a little while,” she said and began to pull items from her bag.

Calendar, lists and pictures soon decorated the table. Despite Peter’s token protests, Carly knew he realized that a few hours tonight would save them both a lot of aggravation in the future.

“See what I have to put up with?” Peter asked. She recognized the tinge of humor in his voice.

Mike glanced at Carly. “Life’s rough, Pete. Next time a beautiful woman wants my undivided attention for a few hours, remind me to complain.”

“Even if she wants to domesticate you?” Peter held up a glossy photo of a bride and groom.

The brothers shared a laugh, allowing Carly to see the bond that existed between them. One she hadn’t truly believed in before now.

“In that case,” Mike said, “I’d be on the first plane out of here.”

Carly’s stomach contracted painfully, a spasm she attributed to an aching emptiness and a sudden need… for food.

* * *

Mike yawned, glad the wedding plans were finally winding down.

“That’s two P.M. Friday at the tuxedo place and ten A.M. Saturday at the florist?” Pete asked.

Carly glanced down at her appointment book and nodded. “No excuses, no delays.” She pointedly raised her eyes and looked at her fiancé.

“As long as no surprises come up.”

“They won’t.”

Mike closed the pizza box. Despite the presence of his brother and Carly, he’d eaten alone. For the better part of two hours, Carly and Peter had bargained their way through last minute wedding arrangements. If the couple sitting before him was to be believed, the perfect wedding involved little sentiment and a lot of details. The Carly Wexler he’d seen mooning over her favorite wedding band hours earlier had displayed more emotion than the one here tonight.

What had happened to the glimpse he’d gotten of the softhearted romantic? Around his brother, she was nowhere to be found.

“You’ll be there or I’ll compromise my principles and have my father cover your caseload himself.” An angelic smile lit her features.

“Father?” Mike couldn’t help but interrupt.

His brother glanced over. “Senior partner,” he muttered. A match made in professional heaven. Mike nearly choked on a mouthful of soda.

Peter turned to Carly. “I’ll be there,” he promised.

“Then we’re all set.” She snapped her leather-bound diary closed.

“Definitely for the tuxedos, possibly for the flowers,” Pete said in an obvious last-minute attempt to maneuver the plans to his advantage.

She lifted one eyebrow. Mike held his breath.

“Done,” she said.

A woman who apparently knew when to accept compromise gracefully.

Peter stood. Carly followed, rising from her seat on the floor. She stretched her arms above her head. Her round br**sts lifted enticingly beneath the body-hugging material of her tank top. Mike’s groin hardened, thrusting against the rough denim of his jeans. He swallowed a groan. A long night was about to get much longer.

“Time to let you get back to your work,” she said to Peter.

His brother smiled. “A woman after my own heart.” He placed one hand on the small of her back.

To his shock, Mike bit back a protest at the intimate contact. Throughout the evening, other than to ask Mike an occasional wedding-related question, Carly had ignored him. Having been the sole focus of her attention twice today, he couldn’t help feeling slighted.

“Good job, you two,” Mike said.

Startled, she whirled around and met his gaze. She brushed at her bangs. Her wide-eyed vulnerability hit him hard.

“Mike.”

His name on her lips sounded incredibly right… despite the fact that his brother stood by her side.

“Good night.” She ducked her head, brushing past him without another glance.

The vanilla scent he’d noticed earlier wrapped around him like a warm friend. “See you.”

While Peter walked Carly to the door, Mike flipped channels on the television with the remote control. Their muffled voices and Carly’s soft laugh drifted inside, commanding his attention. He swore and raised the volume a notch higher. Whether or not Peter kissed Carly was none of his concern. What those full lips would feel like was also none of his business.

With a guttural curse he’d picked up abroad, Mike shut the television, rose and headed into the guest room. Better to face his nightmares than to eavesdrop on the two lovers saying good night.

TWO

Mike glanced around in disbelief. The tuxedo store couldn’t possibly hold more than five people comfortably. Yet there had to be at least fifteen customers vying for the attention of two harassed salesmen. “I don’t believe this,” he muttered.

“I do.”

Mike stood in the crowded store, too close to Carly, surrounded by her tantalizing scent. Whoever coined the term best man hadn’t had him in mind. At this rate, his goal of getting in and out looked bleak. And though he’d enjoy a morning in her company, he didn’t need the temptation. His brother wouldn’t appreciate Mike’s interest in his future wife.

“Looks like everyone wants to be a June bride,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “Did you get a good look around you? The girls can’t be out of their teens and half of these guys have barely begun to shave. This is prom season, too.” Folding her hands in her lap, she took a seat in a vacant chair in the corner.

Mike leaned against the wall beside her. “Since Peter’s meeting us and he’s typically late, I guess we’ll have to wait anyway.”

“True.”