What about you?

Part Two

Chapter Two

Kate had made just two steps into the ballroom when a hand circled her wrist and stopped her in her tracks. Then a voice, so close to her ear that the warmth of the breath sent shivers down her spine whispered, “ingenious hiding place for your phone! I’ll love remembering that in the future!”

Glancing down at the long masculine fingers, wrapped around her slim wrist, she froze, every nerve ending in her body hyper aware of this man and the implication of his words, she didn’t need to turn to know it was him, the observer. Suddenly she realised that he’d seen her tuck her phone into her garter, her dress hoiked up to her waist and was wholly embarrassed. The flush of heat that swept up her neck and to her face was purely embarrassment she swore, and nothing to do with misplaced attraction.

She had no place doing this, being here. Without glancing back, she shrugged her arm free of him and made her way back to the top table. Kate had only picked at her food, but this encounter made her find an appetite and she ate a bit more of her meal. The champagne was free flowing and suddenly with this predator in the room she was at risk. Throwing back her head she closed her eyes, unfortunately she was more in more danger from her own actions and her own response to him than she was to the man himself.

Mason Fitzgerald watched her walk away and knew that it couldn’t end then, she was the most intriguing woman he’d ever seen. Beautiful, elegant despite the ugliest and most ill fitting bridesmaid’s dress that he’d ever cast eyes on adorning her almost Amazonian figure.  Then there was the flash of those absolutely breathtaking legs that he’d seen as she’d retrieved a telephone. Shaking his head, he watched her enter the room. No, this woman was something special, and he had a feeling that things would never be the same again.

Swallowing some of the dry pale drink Kate’s fraught nerves seemed to settle slightly, that was until she saw the very same man move to one of the round tables and slide into a seat, his eyes never left her.

Toby, Stuart’s best friend from school stood and started the speeches, Roger first, talking of his beautiful daughter and the wonderful man she’d met. Thanking her mother for accepting them so readily into her fold, and then he looked down at her, “and thank you Kate for being part of this day.”

She smiled up at him a thank you, then as her eyes drifted back to the room, she met ‘his’ eyes, and he mouthed the word “Kate?” With a raised eyebrow, acknowledging her identity, and as though testing the sound of the word on his lips.

She groaned, this was getting complicated.

Once her brother and Toby had stopped swiping gibes at each other via their own speeches, the tables were cleared and the band struck up a chord. 

                “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the new Mr and Mrs Michaels!”

To a hail of applause the band started the first dance and Kate felt her jaw drop at the sight of her brother waltzing, actually dancing with his wife! He was a typical farmer, happiest in welly boots and waterproofs, but here he was light and graceful moving around the floor. It was both unexpected and a pleasant sight. Her little brother had grown up.

                “He’s had lessons!” she didn’t mistake the sound of Toby next to her, “and if I’m not mistaken, as soon as this song finishes, tradition dictates the best man dances with the Maid of Honour!”

                “Less of the Maid!” she nudged him in the ribs, “I might be twenty eight, but I’m far from over the hill!”

Leading her out to join the parents who were now dancing too, he grinned, “never said you were!”