| Bridezilla and A Date for the Wedding |
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler, 2010
A Date for the Wedding
She rounded on him the moment he closed the door. “So,
what do we have to talk about that’s so private we couldn’t
discuss it at the table?”
Holden folded his arms across his broad chest and
glowered at her. “How about the real reason you asked me
to come to this wedding with you?”
Sabrina felt her mouth go dry at the words. Dammit, he
had figured out what she was up to. Well, she wasn’t
going to admit anything.
She smoothed her hands down her silky slip-dress. “I don’
t know what you’re talking about.”
“Like hell you don’t. You didn’t bring me here because
you wanted to keep your matchmaking relatives at bay.
You brought me only to make your ex-boyfriend jealous. I
don’t like being lied to or used, Sabrina.”
She rounded on him the moment he closed the door. “So,
what do we have to talk about that’s so private we couldn’t
discuss it at the table?”
Holden folded his arms across his broad chest and
glowered at her. “How about the real reason you asked me
to come to this wedding with you?”
Sabrina felt her mouth go dry at the words. Dammit, he
had figured out what she was up to. Well, she wasn’t
going to admit anything.
She smoothed her hands down her silky slip-dress. “I don’
t know what you’re talking about.”
“Like hell you don’t. You didn’t bring me here because
you wanted to keep your matchmaking relatives at bay.
You brought me only to make your ex-boyfriend jealous. I
don’t like being lied to or used, Sabrina.”
She ignored the flush of color rushing to her cheeks as she lifted her chin. “That’s not true.”
“No? Then why did you spend the entire night ignoring me and almost falling over yourself
to get a glimpse of him? The only time you even looked my way was when you thought he was
watching. It was pathetic.”
Her color deepened. Oh God, she hadn’t been that obvious, had she? “I did no such thing.”
He snorted. “Yeah, right. Apparently everyone here knew what you were up to except me. I
kept wondering why you were so distracted, but now I know. You made me look like a damn
fool in there, Sabrina.”
“I didn’t mean...” she began, only to stop herself when she saw the dark look on Holden’s
face. What difference did it make if she went ahead and admitted everything? He already
knew anyway. At the very least, she owed him an explanation. She still had to work with him,
five days a week. “I never meant to embarrass you, Holden. It’s just that Todd was going to be
here with his new girlfriend and I didn’t want to show up without a date.”
“So you picked me to be the lucky guy. Thanks.”
She groaned inwardly. When he said it like that, it made what she did sound even more
manipulative. “I needed to show up with a guy who was good looking and successful if I
wanted to make him jealous, so yes, I picked you.”
His lips curled. “I’m so flattered.”
Sabrina bristled at the sneer in his voice. “Look, I told you why I did what I did. I don’t know
what more you want me to say.”
“How about giving me an apology?”
She frowned. “That’s what I just spent the last two minutes doing.”
He lifted a brow. “Really? To me, it sounded more like you were trying to justify what you
did.”
“Then you weren’t listening,” she snapped. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to the
reception.”
She would have brushed past him, but he caught her arm. “Not until you learn some
manners.”
Sabrina had no idea what he meant by that and she got even more confused when he led her
over to the conference table. “What are you doing?”
He swung around to face her, a determined glint in his eyes. She hadn’t realized until that
moment just how tall he really was, but he towered over her.
“I told you. I’m going to teach you some manners,” he said softly. “Then I’m going to make
sure you think twice before using some poor unsuspecting guy the next time you want to
make an ex-boyfriend jealous.”
Before she could ask what he meant, Holden sat down on one of the straight-backed chairs
and dragged her over his knee. The breath came out of her in a rush and Sabrina
automatically tried to push herself upright, but a firm hand on her back held her in place.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, craning her neck to look at him. “Let me
up right now!”
“Not until you learn your lesson,” he ground out. “This is something someone should have
done a long time ago.”
She opened her mouth to once again demand he release her, but all that came out was a yelp
of surprise as Holden lifted his hand and smacked her upturned bottom.
The bastard was actually spanking her!
“No? Then why did you spend the entire night ignoring me and almost falling over yourself
to get a glimpse of him? The only time you even looked my way was when you thought he was
watching. It was pathetic.”
Her color deepened. Oh God, she hadn’t been that obvious, had she? “I did no such thing.”
He snorted. “Yeah, right. Apparently everyone here knew what you were up to except me. I
kept wondering why you were so distracted, but now I know. You made me look like a damn
fool in there, Sabrina.”
“I didn’t mean...” she began, only to stop herself when she saw the dark look on Holden’s
face. What difference did it make if she went ahead and admitted everything? He already
knew anyway. At the very least, she owed him an explanation. She still had to work with him,
five days a week. “I never meant to embarrass you, Holden. It’s just that Todd was going to be
here with his new girlfriend and I didn’t want to show up without a date.”
“So you picked me to be the lucky guy. Thanks.”
She groaned inwardly. When he said it like that, it made what she did sound even more
manipulative. “I needed to show up with a guy who was good looking and successful if I
wanted to make him jealous, so yes, I picked you.”
His lips curled. “I’m so flattered.”
Sabrina bristled at the sneer in his voice. “Look, I told you why I did what I did. I don’t know
what more you want me to say.”
“How about giving me an apology?”
She frowned. “That’s what I just spent the last two minutes doing.”
He lifted a brow. “Really? To me, it sounded more like you were trying to justify what you
did.”
“Then you weren’t listening,” she snapped. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to the
reception.”
She would have brushed past him, but he caught her arm. “Not until you learn some
manners.”
Sabrina had no idea what he meant by that and she got even more confused when he led her
over to the conference table. “What are you doing?”
He swung around to face her, a determined glint in his eyes. She hadn’t realized until that
moment just how tall he really was, but he towered over her.
“I told you. I’m going to teach you some manners,” he said softly. “Then I’m going to make
sure you think twice before using some poor unsuspecting guy the next time you want to
make an ex-boyfriend jealous.”
Before she could ask what he meant, Holden sat down on one of the straight-backed chairs
and dragged her over his knee. The breath came out of her in a rush and Sabrina
automatically tried to push herself upright, but a firm hand on her back held her in place.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, craning her neck to look at him. “Let me
up right now!”
“Not until you learn your lesson,” he ground out. “This is something someone should have
done a long time ago.”
She opened her mouth to once again demand he release her, but all that came out was a yelp
of surprise as Holden lifted his hand and smacked her upturned bottom.
The bastard was actually spanking her!
