'No,' Laurel said, shaking her head, panic quickly setting in. 'This can't be happening. I have to get married today. There are guests and bridesmaids. I spent two months picking out the music. He cannot get cold feet thirty minutes before we walk down the aisle!' Laurel pushed past the stranger. 'Where is he? I want to talk to him.' She cursed beneath her breath as she headed to the door. They had an agreement! And he wasn't allowed to back out, especially at the last minute.
He grabbed her hand as she brushed past him, his touch firm and sure. 'He's not here. And you can't talk to him.'
'Why not?' she demanded as she yanked out of his grasp.
'Because he's on his way to jail,' he said.
Laurel spun around and faced him. 'Who are you? And why are you here?'
'I told you. Eddie sent me. My name is Sean Quinn. I'm a private investigator. And I'm…' He paused. 'I'm the one who sent your groom to jail.'
She gasped. 'Jail? You sent Edward to jail?' She wasn't sure what possessed her at the moment. Maybe it was all the stress of the last few months-planning the wedding, making sure everything was perfect, finally finding a suitable man who wanted to marry her. Laurel didn't expect a fairy-tale wedding, but she didn't expect this nightmare, either! She balled her fingers into a fist, cursed beneath her breath, and punched Sean Quinn squarely in the stomach.
The punch caught him by surprise and the air left his lungs in a loud whoosh. For a moment he didn't breathe. He just looked at her with shock. Then he took a ragged breath. 'Nice punch,' he said. 'I-I guess I deserved that.' He slowly straightened. 'But I expected a few tears, not a right jab.' He cleared his throat. 'I think after I explain, you might feel a little better.'
She leveled a withering gaze at him. 'The only thing that will make me feel better, Mr. Quinn, is if you disappear into thin air and Edward appears in your place.'
'That's not going to happen. Your fiance isn't who he pretends to be. His real name is Eddie 'The Cruiser' Perkins. He's a con man and he's wanted in eight states.'
'You must be mistaken. Edward is from a very good family in West Palm Beach. They're in international banking and investments. I met his parents.'
'They were probably actors he hired,' Sean said. 'That's his modus operandi, according to his sheet. He's very good at what he does. You shouldn't feel bad for being duped.'
'Duped?' Laurel said.
Sean Quinn gave her a weak smile. 'I-I didn't mean duped. I-I'm not saying that you're stupid.'
'Stupid?' She felt an edge of hysteria creep into her voice and she fought the urge to punch him again. 'You think I'm stupid?'
'No,' Sean countered. 'Not at all. I think you're-'
'Naive? Trusting? Gullible?'
He shook his head and swallowed hard. 'Like I said before. Beautiful.'
His gaze met hers and for a moment she couldn't breathe. He had the most amazing eyes, an odd mixture of gold and green, strangely intriguing, yet direct, honest. Since he'd walked into the room, she hadn't really bothered to take a good look at him. After all, this was her wedding day. She was supposed to have her mind on her groom.
Frustration welled up inside of her and she felt like screaming. This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. This wasn't the most romantic day of her life, but it did represent a milestone of sorts. From this day on, she was supposed to be in control of her life.
Laurel walked over to the window and fixed her gaze on the courtyard outside. 'The best laid plans…' she murmured. How could they have gone wrong? 'I can't believe this is happening.'
'I'm sorry,' Sean said, placing his hand on her shoulder. 'I-I really didn't mean to mess up your special day.'
All of a sudden, exhaustion overwhelmed her. She turned back to Sean. 'It's all right. It's not your fault.' A tear dribbled down her cheek and she angrily brushed it away. All this planning and now… nothing.
'Hey, don't cry,' he murmured. He gently rubbed her arms, as if to soothe her. But the moment he wrapped his arms around her, all thoughts of Edward and her ruined wedding fled from her mind. Instead, Laurel was taken by his kindness and his strength… and his incredibly muscular chest.
She sucked in a sharp breath, then stepped back. If she had any questions about the depth of her feelings for Edward, they were answered now. She hadn't loved him. He was out of her life barely ten minutes and she was in the arms of another man!
Laurel walked across the room, determined to observe Sean Quinn from a safe distance. His eyes weren't the only part of him that she found attractive. His hair was dark, almost black, and brushed the collar of his leather jacket. He was handsome, but there was something else, an air of indifference about him that made him seem aloof, untouchable.
'What was he arrested for?' Laurel asked. Sean cleared his throat. 'Ah… bigamy.'
Laurel gasped. 'Bigamy? He has a wife already?'
'Actually, he has nine. You'd have been number ten.'
Laurel groaned, a flush of humiliation warming her face. 'I guess this is what I deserve.' She smiled weakly. 'I should have suspected something was up. I wanted him to meet my friends, but he always had some excuse, some business meeting that he had to attend. And when I asked about his family, he changed the subject. And then he couldn't make the wedding rehearsal last night. He said he had a business meeting.'
'He was with another woman,' Sean said. 'But if it makes you feel better, he said he really did love you.'
Laurel laughed. Love. She was far too practical to believe in that particular emotion. She and Edward were compatible, and she'd thought he came from a good family, so she'd decided to accept his proposal when he'd asked. After all, it had fit right in with her own plans. She would marry Edward, collect her trust fund from her uncle, and make all her dreams come true. And now, everything was ruined.
Or was it?
'Tell me something,' Laurel said, lifting her gaze to Sean and sending him a smile. 'Are you married?'
He shook his head. 'No.'
'Do you have a girlfriend or a fiancee?'
He cleared his throat, an uneasy expression crossing his face. 'I better be going now. You have a lot to take care of. You probably can't return the wedding dress, but maybe your guests will let you keep the gifts-once they realize this wasn't really your fault.'
'What size jacket do you wear?' Laurel quickly turned and retrieved a garment bag from a hook on the back of the standing mirror. 'I'm pretty sure this will fit,' she murmured as she unzipped the bag and glanced down at his shoes. She could still salvage something from this mess. 'I doubt if we'd be so lucky that the shoes would fit, too. Edward had really big feet.'
'No way. I'm not getting all dressed up so I can tell your guests you're not getting married,' Sean said. 'I've done what I came here to do. I'm leaving.'
'I don't want you to tell the guests,' Laurel said. 'I do plan to get married this afternoon.'
'Eddie is in jail. I don't think they're going to let him out,' Sean replied.
'Oh, I'm not going to marry Edward. I'm going to marry you.'
Laurel waited, the silence in the room deafening. His jaw slowly dropped and he stared at her as if she'd just sprouted horns and a tail. Maybe the suggestion was a little rash, but she was desperate. 'Before you say no,' she murmured, 'I want you to listen to my proposal.'
He backed away from her, his hands up. 'I don't need you to propose, lady. I'm not walking down the aisle. Not with you, not with any woman.'
'And I have no intention of calling off my wedding. Now, as I see it, this is entirely your fault. You're the one responsible for Edward getting arrested and-'
'He was a damn bigamist!' Sean shouted. 'He was breaking the law. And you should be grateful I saved you from him.'
'I would be, if there wasn't so much riding on this wedding. There are guests and gifts and a huge reception planned. The embarrassment would be…' She let her words drift off. She felt a bit guilty for manipulating him, but the wedding
