Page 70 of The Plus One Professional

“Simon?” I repeated at full volume.

“Shh.” She waved her hands in front of her.

“Sorry,” I whispered. “No, I haven’t seen him. Why?”

“Well, he’s missing.”

“Missing?” That wasn’t like him. He might have consistently ghosted me over the twenty-plus years I’d known him, but if he said he was going to be somewhere, he was. And this was his wedding.

“Russel and Chris lost him around eight last night, and no one has heard from him since. I thought maybe he had gone to see you and—” Her phone rang, interrupting her. She hurriedly dug it out of her purse and held it to her ear. “Matthew?!”

I couldn’t hear what Mr. Prescott was saying, but the relief on Mrs. Prescott’s face told me that Simon was no longer MIA.

“Oh, thank god. Okay. Yes. Alright. No, she has no idea. Okay. Bye.” Mrs. Prescott hung up the phone. “Crisis averted. He’s been found.”

“Is he okay?”

Mrs. Prescott nodded. “He’s fine. Matthew said he waltzed into the groom’s suite a minute ago like nothing had happened.”

“Where was he?”

“Apparently, he just had a case of cold feet and needed to walk it off.”

“Walk it off?” Walking? That also didn’t sound like Simon. But then again, it had been four years since I’d spent any significant time with him.

She shrugged. “Matthew said Simon claimed he was out all night walking.”

“Wasn’t Devin worried when he didn’t come back to the room?”

“They’re in separate rooms for the night before the wedding. Tradition, and all that.”

“Oh, okay.”

She took my hands in hers. “Pleasedon’t tell Devin about this.”

“No, of course not. I would never.” I shook my head.

“I’m sure you’ve dealt with this a lot in your business.”

Grooms disappearing? There had been a handful, and it had never ended well. Even if they did make it down the aisle, the marriage usually didn’t last.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you, but you’re off duty. Just enjoy yourself. I’m going to go check on our bride.”

Right. I was off duty. I turned and headed back to my seat. As I walked toward our row, as if sensing my presence, Cole lifted his head. All the anxiety I’d felt evaporated the moment our eyes met. His gaze darkened, and his lips curled at the edges. For a wholesome guy, he definitely had a bad-boy edge that I had not expected. With the full power of his predatory grin directed at me, my knees went weak.

Thankfully, I had enough strength to make it to my seat. As I lowered onto my chair, his arm wrapped around my back, and his hand rested on my hip. It was very telling body language. It showed ownership. My inner romantic swooned, but I poured a bucket of cold water over her. This was just for the weekend.

If this was how I reacted after being in his presence for thirty minutes, I’d been right to keep my distance from him today. If I’d spent the day with him, I’d be having fantasies of him standing at the altar and me walking down the aisle. Which, actually…

Cole leaned close to me, the warmth of his breath fanning my neck as he whispered against my ear, “Everything okay?”

I nodded, and he kissed my bare shoulder. When his lips touched my skin, my eyelids automatically shut as a wave of tingles washed over me. Yeah. I was definitely going to need to keep my distance.

28

COLE

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