What Matters Most: The Billionaire Bargains, Book 2 Read Free Page A

blushed a little and he hid his smile.
    “I just meant,” she said, lifting her chin. “That any wedding day should be memorable.”
    And her wedding day was going to be memorable because his best friend was an ass.
    “I thought we were talking about the wedding night.”
    She blushed deeper. “Well…that too.”
    And the fact that her wedding day, and night, were about to be ruined was kind of Tony’s fault.
    After all, he’d introduced them.
    Hell, he was the one who had offered Jeff a ride home from a party in college.
    He could have left the drunk dumb ass sitting in the kitchen with the half-eaten package of Oreos, but he’d taken pity on Jeff and insisted he climb into Tony’s Porsche.
    Where he’d puked all over the floor mats.
    Tony should have known then that Jeff was going to be trouble.
    But he hadn’t really been. He’d been a good friend. They’d had some great times. Jeff had been one of Tony’s biggest supporters when he’d started his own business five years before.
    Reese was the first time Tony had felt anything but affection for his friend.
    “Reese, do you have any idea—” Reese’s mother burst into the room and pulled up short when she saw Tony. “Tony. We’ve been looking all over for you.”
    Tony gritted his teeth. Dammit. Now what? Jeff was up front, the church was full. If Tony wanted Reese to know about her fiancé’s dalliance, he was going to have to tell her.
    And there was no way he was going to tell her.
    “Reese, I really think you need to have a word with Jeff before you walk down the aisle,” Tony said.
    But her mother stepped between them and turned Tony toward the door.
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “They have their whole lives to talk. There’s a church full of people waiting.” She pushed Tony hard enough that he actually took a step forward. “All we need is a best man up front.”
    Tony dug in his heels. “Reese, really. There’s something you need to know.”
    Reese looked concerned. “Mom, maybe I—”
    Mrs. Sutherland shoved Tony again and then turned to her daughter. “Reese, you are going to walk down that aisle, say I do and smile the entire time. You and Tony and Jeff can talk later. But the governor and his wife are out there, and I will not have any drama today.”
    Reese blew out a frustrated breath. She looked up at Tony. “We’ll talk later, okay? Right after it’s over.”
    Yep, they were going to talk. But it was going to be over a lot sooner than anyone was expecting.
    Tony gritted his teeth and turned on his heel. He might be used to sitting around and waiting for things to work out, but he was Tony Steele . If he needed something done, he would get it done.
    He didn’t bother to paste on a fake smile as he stalked up the aisle toward the groom. And Jeff’s fake smile slowly faded into a look of apprehension as Tony approached.
    Tony took his place next to his friend. He smoothed his tux jacket, straightened his tie and said, low enough for only Jeff to hear, “There’s always the part about if anyone objects and, buddy, I really object.”
    Jeff leaned and spoke out of the side of his mouth. “You wouldn’t do it in front of all of these people.”
    “Try me.” Tony kept his gaze on the flower girl who was walking up the aisle and dropping rose petals at an excruciatingly slow pace, clearly milking her moment in the spotlight. He forced himself to relax. It was going to be over soon.
    Jeff swallowed hard. “Why do you care so much?”
    Tony started to reply and then schooled his features, reminding himself that planting a fist in Jeff’s face and getting blood all over the expensive tuxes was an overreaction.
    He’d like to think that he would have been this upset with Jeff no matter who he’d cheated on. It wasn’t like he thought Jeff was an angel. Jeff was most definitely not an angel, and Tony had been a part of many of his most non-angelic moments. But Jeff wasn’t a cheater. Jeff wasn’t this kind of