Caught in the Frame Read Free

column, but EV preferred to tend the gossip vines on her own. Though she enjoyed feeding information to Chloe, EV had no desire to take up the post herself.
    “I’m toying with some ideas on how to sidestep suspicion, and I’m meeting him at his office later to discuss options.” Wesley’s office consisted of an artfully re-purposed storage pod occupying a corner of his backyard. Chloe didn’t frequent the space, keeping her distance, since she had no official affiliation with the Pine Cone besides the occasional editorial piece submitted under her real name.
    EV continued browsing through the wedding section of the castle’s website, noting the myriad of expensive-looking options for the discerning bride. Full service was an understatement: of course their five-star restaurant would provide catering, and a spectacular cake; the salon would cover hair, makeup, nails, etc. Above and beyond, the resort employed a full-time photographer, florist, seamstress—even an ice sculpture artist—not to mention, a staff of professional event planners who could make even the biggest Bridezilla’s dreams come true. EV guessed that if Lila had wanted acrobats to fly across the banquet hall pouring champagne, the Castle Ligean staff would find a way to accommodate the request.
    Letting a low whistle escape her lips, EV promised herself that if she did ever get hitched, she’d make it easy on everyone and skip the diamond-encrusted path through wedding hell. Vegas all the way, she vowed.
     
    * * *
     
    Sugar and Spice, the names much too mild for the antics of Chloe’s pair of Siamese kittens, wreaked pandemonium every time Nate walked into the house. They’d taken an instant liking to the man, who gave them warm snuggles and unending chin scratches. Now, the sound of something crashing to the floor—most likely something from a shelf the kittens knew was off limits—let Chloe know he had just stepped through the front door. Shaking her head over the possible loss of another tchotchke, Chloe didn’t move to greet him. Instead, she lounged on her bed, clad in a hot pink babydoll nightgown that threatened the line between sexy and slutty. Chloe had spent a solid hour wrapping her long, flowing blond hair in curlers to achieve a soft, windblown look. Her bright, almond-colored eyes were sheathed by long, thick lashes; her full lips coated in a shiny, but not sticky, gloss.
    “In here!” She called, as Nate searched the front rooms to no avail. When he wandered into the bedroom doorway and almost dropped a purring Sugar in surprise, Chloe knew how squarely she had hit her mark. As her eyes raked over his adorably-messy chestnut hair, to his strong, scruffy jaw, and down his sculpted, muscular body, she couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest woman on earth. She knew, after the ordeal they had endured in order to be with one another, that he felt the same.
    No words were necessary, but a strangled wow sighed from him before Nate sprang onto the bed and began kissing her breathless. Her hands tangled in his hair as she pulled him close, all other thoughts forgotten as she focused solely on the perfect man she couldn’t stop touching. An hour and a half later, when they emerged from the bedroom in search of sustenance, Chloe remembered she had news of great importance to impart.
    “There was a late night…well, technically an early morning development, and I’ve got news.” Chloe figured Nate would be willing to attend Lila’s wedding, but wasn’t sure if, with his work schedule, it was realistic for him to take an extended vacation. It hurt to think of him anywhere but by her side; they had wasted too much time being stubborn, and she didn’t relish the idea of being separated from him now. Not to mention that, even though they had been friends for years, it might be too early in their relationship to broach the subject of a lengthy vacation that included her mother.
    Having lived practically in each other’s pockets