The Wedding Band Read Free Page A

but his body didn’t budge. She could have been hauling on a Cadillac.
    â€œZach”—­his rumbling drawl again—­“my ma’s been a fan from day one. Mind if I bring her backstage?”
    â€œNot at all. We’d love to meet her.”
    Dakota nodded, then scorched Chris with a last searing look before letting Em drag him away.
    â€œHoney pie, you watch out for him. He’s a player.”
    Chris managed a shaky laugh. “Takes one to know one.”
    â€œDamn right. But even I’m not in his league. The dude sweats sex. If I can feel it, women must fall like timber.”
    Yes, and if the media had it right, he’d felled forests.
    â€œNot this woman.” Chris had enough celebrities in her life. With few exceptions, they were self-­centered, thin-­skinned, narcissistic attention whores.
    And Dakota Rain, Hollywood’s biggest box office star, was the ultimate celebrity. So what if his gaze burned straight through her dress? There was a reason the man got paid millions just to squint.
    Zach looped an arm around her shoulders. “The smart money says if he turns on the charm, he’ll have you flat on your back before you can whistle Dixie.”
    She laid a hand on her heart. “Gee Dad, I love our father-­daughter talks.”
    He chucked her chin. “I know you don’t need me to tell you about the birds and the bees. But, sweetie, the king of the jungle just got your scent. Trust me, he’ll be back.”
    â€œW HAT THE FUCK, Em?”
    â€œThe fuck is, you were drooling on your shoes.”
    â€œDid you see her?” Supermodel tall, with bombshell curves, yards of chestnut waves, and a face to make Da Vinci weep.
    â€œYeah, I saw her. I saw you eye-­fuck her right under her father’s nose.”
    Kota started to deny it. Then, “She eye-­fucked me back.”
    â€œHers was more of an eye-­fondle. Obviously, she’s not the slut you are.”
    Points in her favor. “How come I’ve never seen her before?”
    â€œBecause she doesn’t tour much anymore.” Em kept them moving, maneuvering between tables, dodging potential waylayers. “Sasha saw her sing with Zach in Vegas a ­couple years ago. She brought the house down. Then she dropped off the radar.”
    â€œTo do what?”
    â€œMaybe she had a baby. Or a nervous breakdown. Anyway, Sasha was over the moon when Zach said she was coming today.”
    Kota was stuck on the baby. “She’s married?” He’d been too discombobulated to check for a ring.
    â€œI don’t know her whole story. Sasha only mentioned her to Mercer this morning. He went ballistic, of course. No time for a background check, blah blah. So watch yourself, she might be a terrorist.”
    â€œI should frisk her.”
    â€œI’m sure you will. Do me a favor, though, and get through the reception first. Spare your parents the spectacle that would surely ensue.”
    Good point. His track record with weddings wasn’t the best. They tended to get messy when, say, a bridesmaid’s father caught him with his pants down and broke a chair over his head.
    â€œI’ll save it for the after-­party,” he decided. “You’re coming, right?”
    â€œHalf an hour, tops. Then”—­toothy grin—­“I’m on vacation.”
    What was he thinking, giving her the week off?
    â€œForget vacation,” he said. “I need your help with the getaway.” An elaborate scheme involving look-­alikes conspicuously exiting the party to jet to Italy in his Cessna, while the newlyweds tiptoed to a friend’s Gulfstream for a paparazzi-­free honeymoon on Kota’s private island.
    â€œYou don’t need me,” Em said. “Mercer’s all over it. I’d just get in the way.” She steered him toward the head table. “Now let’s get this show on the road. I need you on