Derek put his hands on his hips, irritated to be awakened, and not amused that this woman had come to Steveâs room for an eleventh-hour fling before the wedding. âSince Steve gave me his room for the night,â he asserted, âmaybe you should tell me who you are.â
The woman shoved her hair out of her eyes, and her chest moved up and down in the pink thing that resembled a corset. She seemed very close to spilling over the underwire cups, and Derek felt his body start to respond again. She was definitely one incredibly sexy female.
âIâm J-Janine Murphy, Steveâs fiancée.â
Derek abruptly reined in his libido. Staring at his friendâs bride-to-be, he realized that this was about the most awkward predicament heâd ever landed in. And, he thought wryly, par for the course of his life latelyâin a hotel room with a gorgeous half-naked woman, and she was totally off-limits. Derek let out a harsh laugh.
âWhatâs so funny?â she asked, frantically looking around the room for something to cover herself with.
Derek pursed his mouth. âWell, nowâ¦Janineâ¦this is a bit awkward.â Picking up her coat, he slowly walked toward her, using the gesture of courtesy to help shield his arousal. âIâm Derek Stillman. Your best man.â
Dear Reader,
Even though every woman dreams of her wedding day, last-minute jitters are completely normal, right? Well, meet jittery virginal bride-to-be Janine Murphy. Worried about compatibility with her groom, Janine dons risqué lingerie to force the issue of consummation with him on the eve of their wedding. She talks her way into her fiancéâs room at the resort where the wedding is to take place, but winds up in bed with a gorgeous stranger instead! And if you thought things couldnât get more awkward, thereâs this pesky little quarantineâ¦
I hope you have as much fun reading this WRONG BED romp as I had writing it! Those of you who have read my Harlequin Love & Laughter romantic comedies will be reunited with an old friend in this story. And please watch for my sequel to About Last Night⦠in Temptationâs upcoming SWEET TALKINâ GUYS miniseries. #769 It Takes a Rebel will be available in March 2000.
Meanwhile, write and let me know if Iâm keeping you entertained: P.O. Box 2395, Alpharetta, GA 30023. If youâve missed any of my former titles, see below for details how to order. Thanks for reading!
Fondly,
Stephanie Bond
âPINEAPPLE JUICE,â Janine Murphy said, holding back her sisterâs light brown hair to scrutinize the two hickeys on her neck. Or was it one? She blinked, trying to focus through the effects of a half bottle of wine on an empty stomachâthe piece of her own bachelorette party cake didnât really count. Two hours ago sheâd eaten the exclamation points at the end of GOOD LUCK, JANINE!! But after reflecting on her and Steveâs relationship most of the evening, she was beginning to think question marks would have been more appropriate.
âDrinking pineapple juice will make hickeys go away?â Marie met her gaze in the dresser mirror, her eyebrows high.
Janine nodded and the movement sent showers of sparks behind her eyes. She wet her lips and spoke carefully around her thickened tongue. âThe vitamin D helps the broken blood vessels heal.â
Marie screwed up her face. âWhen you put it that way, itâs kind of gross.â
âGood,â Janine said, letting Marieâs hair fall back in place. âBecause it looks kind of gross. Youâre not in high school anymore. Besides, hickeys can be dangerous.â
Her sister laughed. âWhat can I say? Gregâs an animal.â
Envy surged in Janineâs chest. Sheâd been living vicariously through Marieâs sensual escapades for years, listening to her adventures in between offering homeopathic treatments for bladder infections from too much friction, skin rashes from flavored body potions and strained muscles from unnatural positions. âWell, you better tell Greg to stay away from your jugular with those Mick Jagger lips of his.â
âAlways the doctor,â Marie said with a wry smile.
âPhysicanâs assâ¦â She stopped and they giggled at her words. âPhysicianâs assistant,â she corrected primly, then fell back on her bed where they were sitting amidst stacks of gifts. Marie fell back too, toppling boxes, and they broke into gales of laughter.
Janine sighed and toyed with her empty wineglass. âThanks for arranging the party, sis. It was fun.â
âYouâre welcome,â Marie said. âBut donât lie. These kinds of things are always a roaring bore for the guest of honor.â
She laughedâher older sister was nothing if not honest. Instead of basking in the glow of the spotlight, Janine had spent the evening nursing a bottle of zinfandel, listening to a roomful of women talk about their fabulous sex lives. Someone had started a round robin of, âWhat was your most memorable encounter?â and when her turn came, sheâd recounted a fantasy as if it had actually happened. Sheâd felt a little guilty about lying, but somehow, the middle of a raucous bachelorette party didnât strike her as the best place to divulge the fact that she was a virgin. Not even Marie knew.