Read The Borrowed Boyfriend Online
Authors: Ginny Baird
Brad spewed his retort, immediately picking up on Hunter’s cue. “You think you know a man.” He motioned between Hunter and Jill. “All this time…? My girl and my very best friend? You and she…?” It was like he couldn’t force himself to say it. “Unbelievable!” he finally yelped with a moan.
Jill stared at Brad in a panic before catching a glimpse of Cassandra rapidly fastening her seatbelt and zooming away. She’d gotten a scoop all right: a big one. Who knew how soon this story would be rushed to print? Yet none of the details had been ironed out. Jill didn’t even know whether she and Hunter could make this charade work! And there he’d gone and spilled the whole can of beans to the entire world. Things couldn’t go any more global than
Tempo Beat
. Surely, Hunter knew that. “Well, I hope you’re proud of yourself,” she said in a scolding tone.
Rather than appearing admonished, Hunter smiled, one side of his mouth rising higher than the other. “I thought we put on a pretty good show.”
Brad nodded in agreement and shook his fingers as if fighting off flames. “Hot, hot.”
Jill flushed in spite of herself.
“You did all right too,” Hunter said, giving Brad’s shoulder a nudge. “Really convincing.”
Jill’s mind was still spinning from the rapid turn of events. “When you two boys are done congratulating yourselves,” she hissed at them, “maybe you can explain how bringing Cassandra in on this makes things any better?”
“Far better that she works for us, than against us,” Brad explained.
“My thinking exactly,” Hunter said. “You know, Jill,” he told her, apparently seriously, “you’ve held up pretty well over the years. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble at all fitting the bill.” He stepped toward her, playacting like he wanted to scoop her back into his arms.
“Oh, no you don’t, big boy.” She reached out a hand to stop him, placing her palm to his chest. His heart thumped beneath it. “You and I have some talking to do.” Before this fake fiancé number could proceed any further, Jill needed a couple of answers. Like about why Hunter had agreed to it in the first place? Brad’s story about Hunter suddenly morphing into a gentleman seemed to be holding less and less water. Particularly in light of that flaming hot kiss. The current rumors about Hunter were obviously true. No man could kiss like that who hadn’t been around the block a time or two. Jill was just mortified that she’d given in to it. She clung to the hope that Hunter hadn’t noticed and had taken her response in the vein it was supposedly given, as an outward sign to Cassandra of her new involvement with Hunter.
Brad gave a slight bow. “This is where the jilted ex excuses himself.”
Jill grabbed for his arm as he turned back toward the clubhouse. “Brad! Don’t go!”
“Three’s a crowd, haven’t you heard?” After walking a few paces, he peered over his shoulder to give Jill and Hunter an evaluating look. “You two really do make a great couple, by the way. Utterly charming.” Jill seethed as he added, “Don’t neglect to send me an invite!”
Jill massaged her forehead for a beat, then caught Hunter watching her. “You want to talk?” he said. “I’ll talk. Shall we find a spot in the shade?”
That’s when Jill looked past him to spy Cassandra’s car slowly trolling back through the parking lot, her driver’s side window lowered and a smart phone angled outside it.
“Film at eleven,” Hunter quipped.
*~* End of Excerpt *~*
My Best Friend’s Bride
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