Beauty and the Best Man

May the Best Man Win...the Maid of Honor?

Lassiter Media millionaire Matt Hollis never let a woman stand between him and his career. But now Matt’s best friend is marrying the Lassiter heiress—and her insufferable maid of honor has stolen Matt’s heart. Kayla Prince is way more than this skilled negotiator bargained for.

But Kayla’s conflicted. The man left her in the lurch for his L.A. gig; now he wants her back? Fool her once, shame on Matt, fool her twice...well, actually, this second chance feels like the real thing. But a fateful night is about to put that feeling to the ultimate test....

Beauty and the Best Man is a DYNASTIES: THE LASSITERS prequel. The story continues in The Black Sheep’s Inheritance by USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child, only from Desire!

Beauty and the Best Man

Maureen Child

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Mom, who loves reading romances as much as I love writing them!

MAUREEN CHILD

writes for the Desire line and can’t imagine a better job. Being able to indulge your love for romance, as well as being able to spin stories just the way you want them told is, in a word, perfect.

A seven-time finalist for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA® Award, Maureen is the author of more than one hundred romance novels. Her books regularly appear on the bestseller lists and have won several awards, including a Prism, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and a Golden Quill.

One of her books, The Soul Collector, was made into a CBS TV movie starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis. If you look closely, in the last five minutes of the movie, you’ll spot Maureen, who was an extra in the last scene.

Maureen believes that laughter goes hand in hand with love, so her stories are always filled with humor. The many letters she receives assures her that her readers love to laugh as much as she does.

Maureen Child is a native Californian, but has recently moved to the mountains of Utah. She loves a new adventure, though the thought of having to deal with snow for the first time is a little intimidating.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Extract

One

“You know I love you, right?” Kayla Prince looked at the person sitting opposite her at the Something Hot coffee shop in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming.

“I know.”

“And you know I would do anything for you.”

“Absolutely.”

“Then I beg you,” Kayla continued pitifully, “please, please, please don’t make me walk down the aisle at your wedding with that man.”

Kayla’s best friend, Angelica Lassiter, laughed and shook her blond hair back from her face. “Such drama.”

“Come on, Angie,” Kayla said, leaning back on the bench seat. “Be different. Be a trendsetter. Have the best man walk down the aisle with the flower girl.”

“Right, because that would look great.”

Desperation fueled Kayla’s next argument. “Then let me be the flower girl. Find a new maid of honor. I won’t be hurt.” She crossed her fingers over her heart. “Honestly.”

“There’s no getting out of this. You’re the maid of honor, Kayla. You’re my best friend.”

“We could have a fight,” she offered hopefully. “A big one. And make up after the wedding.”

“We never fight,” Angelica pointed out.

No, of course they didn’t, Kayla told herself miserably. Who could fight with Angie? She was beautiful and kind and funny and smart. And she was about to marry a man whose best friend just happened to be the one man who irritated Kayla beyond belief.

“All of this to avoid Matt?”

Scowling down at her coffee, Kayla tried to ignore the fact that she was being a gigantic coward—which she never was ordinarily. Since she was a kid, raised by a single mom to be wildly independent, Kayla had always believed in going after what she wanted. She had put herself through college in L.A., where she and Angelica had been roommates and eventually the best of friends. Kayla had studied art and loved it, but along the way had finally admitted that she was never going to be the great artist she dreamed of being. But she knew greatness when she saw it, and so she worked in a couple of small galleries, learning and gathering experience. If she couldn’t be an artist, she decided that she could at least be surrounded by art.

On school breaks and holidays, Kayla had visited Angie’s hometown of Cheyenne several times and had fallen in love with the city and the wide-open spaces of Wyoming. So, when she was offered a dream job at the Cheyenne Art Gallery, she’d left L.A. behind and grabbed at her chance. At the gallery, she was surrounded by art—sculptures, paintings, etchings. She was a part of the creative world and in a position to help promote the talented artists who entrusted her with their work.

Thanks to her relationship with Angie, she was also a private art advisor to the Lassiter collection. Cheyenne had become home over the past few years. She had a small cottage in town, a car that was paid for and a healthy social life that had even included a few interesting men. Until she had met Matt Hollis. Of course, after meeting Matt, none of those men had meant a damn thing.

“Matt’s been at Lassiter Media offices in California for nine months,” Angelica said. “Hasn’t that been long enough to get over whatever it is you’re mad at him about?”

Not even close.

A buzzing mixture of embarrassment, lust and pure fury sizzled inside Kayla as memories raced through her mind in a blur of color. Last year, when Angelica and Evan had become engaged, they’d decided that their friends needed to be friends, too. So to get the ball rolling, Angie had arranged a double date for the four of them.

Nightmare.

Matt Hollis was an arrogant know-it-all who had jumped all over Kayla’s last nerve by the end of that illustrious evening. He was gorgeous and smart and pretty much used to having women fall at his feet in a gooey puddle of hormonal need. When Kayla had managed to withstand the urge to hurl herself at his manly chest, Matt had taken that as a direct challenge.

For the next two months, every time they were together, Matt had found a way to touch her, be close to her. Even when they were arguing, which was most of the time, there was a sexual tension humming between them that wound tighter and tighter. Naturally, inevitably, that tension exploded one night after the four of them had gone dancing. By the time Evan and Angie had left to go home, Matt and Kayla had been ready to tear each other’s hair out.

Of course, she remembered, they’d ended up tearing each other’s clothes off instead, but Angie didn’t need to know that.

Just like she didn’t need to know that that one explosive night with Matt Hollis was still haunting Kayla’s dreams.

As was the fact that a few days later, he had left for the California offices of Lassiter Media where he had stayed for the past nine months. Now he was back for the wedding and to smooth out some local Lassiter Media business and Kayla really didn’t want to see him again. Well, she did, but she didn’t.

It was all very complex.

But she couldn’t very well say any of that to Angie. “He’s just not my favorite person, okay?”

“I’m getting that. But the wedding’s two weeks away now so can you just pretend you don’t hate his guts for now?” Angie lifted her coffee cup in a salute. “Once Evan and I are off on our honeymoon, Matt will go back to the L.A. office and you two can return to avoiding each other, okay?”

“I didn’t say I hate his guts,” Kayla muttered. This would be so much easier if she did hate him.

Instead, like a complete crazy person, she still wanted him. In spite of everything—including the fact that after their one unbelievable night together there had been...nothing. He hadn’t called. Probably hadn’t given her a second thought. Oh, she had known that he would be moving to California, but he hadn’t even bothered to say thanks for the good time. And now he was back. However briefly. For the sake of her pride, she was going to have to pretend that nothing had happened between them.

Oh, the next couple of weeks were going to be so much fun!

“Enough about Matt,” Kayla said abruptly, not wanting to give him any more of her time. “What’s going on with you and Evan?”

Angie shrugged. “Wedding stuff. You know. Counting down to the big day, so we’re both really busy.” She checked the slim, gold watch on her wrist, took a quick, last sip of coffee and set the cup down. “Evan’s great. We’re great. Look, I’m sorry, sweetie, but I have to run. I’ve got a meeting in twenty minutes and if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.”

Frowning slightly, Kayla said, “Okay, sure. Are you still coming to the showing tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. I know you’ve been working for weeks to set this up.” Angelica slid out of the booth, grabbed her brown leather bag and smiled. “We’ll be there. All of us.”

Kayla went still. “All?”

Angie winked at her. “Me, Evan and Matt.”

Kayla’s stomach did a quick, discomfiting twist that she really didn’t want to think about. “Why are you punishing me?”

“Because it’s so much fun!” Angie grinned and added, “Besides, after the showing, Evan wants to go and listen to a new band he heard about for the reception.”

“I thought you already chose the band.”

“I did.” Angie wrinkled her nose. “Evan wants something different.”

“Getting kind of last minute, isn’t it?”

“Really feels that way.” She checked her watch again and started walking. “Gotta go. See you later.”

Kayla watched her friend hurry from the diner and couldn’t help thinking that more and more often lately, her lunches with Angie were cut short by business. Angie had always been the heir apparent to Lassiter Media and had devoted herself to helping the company grow and expand. But ever since her father J.D. Lassiter’s health had taken a serious downturn a few months ago, Angie’s devotion had pretty much taken over her life. She’d been splitting her time between Cheyenne and the L.A. office for years, but lately, she’d spent more time in Wyoming in order to be closer to her father—along with putting the finishing touches on her wedding. In fact, Kayla thought, Angie was just too busy.

Not that Kayla had an issue with a woman loving her career or being good at it. She herself loved every minute of managing the gallery. But it seemed that lately Angie was letting her life slide by unnoticed. Heck, she and Evan were hardly ever together anymore and that worried Kayla. It worried her even more that Angie wasn’t worried about it. Used to be that Angie and Evan were inseparable, but those days had gone.

She didn’t want to see her friend lose the man she loved because she’d been seduced by her own success. Okay, not a very feminist attitude, but everyone was entitled to their own opinion, right?

Idly, she picked up her coffee, took another sip and stared out at downtown Cheyenne. The wind was howling, pedestrians were huddled into their coats and the sky looked ready to spill snow down onto a city that was more than ready for spring. But that was Wyoming weather for you. They could have snow clear into May and beyond.

“But oh, please don’t,” she murmured. Having to deal with Matt Hollis was more than enough. She didn’t need a blizzard on top of it.

Two

“You don’t need me with you to listen to the band,” Matt protested even while Evan laughed.

“This isn’t about the band,” Evan said after a minute or two. “You’ve been avoiding Kayla since you got back to Cheyenne.”

“Not avoiding, exactly,” Matt argued, stopping outside the art gallery where they were supposed to be meeting Angie and Kayla. He’d known that coming back to Wyoming meant seeing Kayla again. But he had planned to do it in his own time. And he hadn’t wanted anyone else around for this first meeting.

On the other hand, with Angelica and Evan both there, Kayla probably wouldn’t refuse to speak to him. Probably.

“I’ve been busy. Hell, you work for Lassiter Media, too,” Matt pointed out. “You know how crazy busy we are.”

“And yet,” his friend countered, “I manage to have a life.”

“Not so much lately, from what I’ve seen,” Matt mused, watching Evan’s expression. “You and Angie don’t get a lot of time together.”

Evan frowned a little. “She’s always been a fiend for work, but yeah. Since her dad’s health went bad, things have been more intense. And with us both spending more time in Cheyenne these days, she’s really focused.”

“And yet, you’re not giving her grief over it like you are me.”

Evan laughed and shook his head. “I don’t believe this.”

“What?” Matt asked. “What’re you talking about?”

“You’re actually stalling,” Evan said, clearly amazed. “I’ve never known you to back away from anything, but you really are leery about seeing Kayla again.” Shaking his head, he said, “Just what the hell happened between you two, anyway?”

Scowling, Matt shoved one hand through his hair and turned his face into the icy, gusting wind. “Long story and one I’m not interested in sharing, thanks.”

“Touchy.”

He glanced at Evan. “You have no idea.”

“You don’t have to like her, you know.” Evan hunched deeper into his black overcoat in an effort to fight off the chill of the wind. “Just be civil.”

Civil.

Matt swallowed the bark of sardonic laughter crowding the base of his throat. He wasn’t going to have trouble being civil to Kayla. The hard part was going to be keeping his hands off her.

For the past nine months, Matt had been in California, running the marketing division of Lassiter Media. He’d taken the promotion and the move to L.A. and considered it a plus that he could put some distance between himself and Kayla so that he could think clearly. If he’d stayed in Cheyenne, he never would have been able to sort out what he was thinking...feeling.

Kayla had blindsided him, plain and simple. There had been chemistry between them from the first and the one night they’d spent together had jolted him right down to his bones. Never before nor since Kayla had he experienced what he had that one spectacular night. She had turned his world inside out and rattled him enough that he’d needed space. Time.

And it hadn’t helped.

Hadn’t changed a damn thing.

He still wanted Kayla.

Matt followed Evan into the gallery and was immediately slapped with warmth and noise. Classical music—something slow and lovely—played undercurrent to the rush of conversation that rose and fell like waves crashing against the shore. Crowds of people, dressed in tuxes and bright, jewel-toned dresses roamed through the elegant space, admiring the paintings and photographs dotting the cream-colored walls. Sculptures in metal and wood and marble stood displayed on stylish pedestals under pinpoint lighting.

Matt saw it all, yet hardly noticed. He slipped out of his overcoat, draped it over his forearm and scanned the crowd, looking for one woman in particular. The woman who had been haunting his dreams for nine interminably long months. When he finally spotted her, Matt felt the oddest sensation—a strange mixture of both calm and excitement that churned through his bloodstream like a virus, quickly spreading until he could hardly breathe.

Her shoulder-length hair was a tumble of soft, light brown curls that tempted a man to spear his fingers through their silkiness. Even in a sea of artsy, trendy people wearing black, Kayla stood out. Black was a stark color that only accented her pale, creamy skin, her dress clung to curves he ached to explore again. When she turned, and their gazes locked across the room, he noted the brief reaction of shock and pleasure in her blue eyes before it faded away into a cool businesslike stare. A flush of color stained her cheeks but it wasn’t embarrassment or desire—it was anger.

Damned if he didn’t find that exciting.

“Hey,” Evan said, “I see Angelica over by that weird bird sculpture. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

“Sure.” Matt didn’t even see his friend leave. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Kayla.

People wandered in and out of the line of vision locking Kayla and him together, but nothing could shatter the connection alive and sizzling between them.

She felt it, too. He could see it in her eyes, in the firming of her luscious lips. Just as he could see that she wasn’t happy about what she was feeling. He had to bite back a satisfied smile. Good to know he wasn’t the only one being twisted into knots. Kayla wasn’t an easy woman to figure out.

It was one of the things he liked best about her.

Most of the women he’d been involved with over the years were all too simple to understand. They enjoyed being with him because he had access to the rich, the powerful, the famous. But Kayla was different. She looked at the world through eyes that searched out and found beauty in the most unlikely places. She wasn’t interested in society or the connections she could make through Matt.

She’d wanted him. And that had thrown him. Hard. Because he’d felt the same about her. From the first moment he’d met her, Matt had known that she was going to be different. That she had the ability to cut through his defenses and bring him to his knees. Not a place he was used to finding himself.

Memories raced through his mind, causing sensory overload. He remembered the arguments, the conversations, the incredible tension that had hummed through every moment that they’d spent together.

Mostly, though, he remembered the one night they’d had together. The frenzied need that had fueled their desperate coupling. The out of control desire that had swept away every clear thought.

Even recalling that night had his body going hard as stone and his brain fuzzing over until the only thing it could focus on was her. Nearly nine months away from her in a voluntary absence and she was as fresh in his mind as she had been the morning after their “encounter.”

That’s why he’d left. Why he’d had to go and put half a country between them. Love was not part of his game plan. He was focused on his career and didn’t have the time—or the inclination—to deviate from the plan that had been guiding him since college.

But damn he’d missed her.

She lifted her chin, tossed her hair back from her face and started walking toward him. The crowd seemed to part for her, as if in a series of orchestrated moves. She was damn near electrifying. Her hair, her eyes, the curve of her hips and the way those hips swayed invitingly when she walked.

Hell, everything about her screamed sexy, powerful woman—and that really did it for him in a big way.

The hard tap of her heels against the marble floor sounded out like tiny gunshots, even over the noise of the surrounding crush of people. She never stopped. Never hesitated. Until she came to a stop right in front of him.

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