Chapter One (scene)

The things a guy put up with for his friends, Sam Daniels thought wryly, as he stepped out of the fitting room in Divine Events, leaving the monkey suit and the rest of his best man trappings behind. At least until tomorrow's ceremony. Tonight was the rehearsal dinner and thank goodness the bride and groom had opted for casual clothing.

He swiped a hand over his eyes but the bleariness remained. Well what did he expect after taking a late night flight out of San Francisco, a place he'd only been for one day. Before coming home, he'd been on a prolonged trip, as he usually was in his job as a corporate pilot for Connectivity Industries, a large computer company at home and abroad. His most recent stint had been taking the CFO and some underlings to Paris, which entailed a stay at the Ritz and assorted other perks. Man he loved his job. After growing up in a hell hole in San Francisco, he'd promised himself he'd get out and stay out. And he had. Sam had a condo in a high rise in the Embarcadero with a view of the Bay Bridge. Overlooking the city reminded him of how far he'd come. Thanks to his hard work, he'd landed a job that took him all over the world, and paid extremely well. The luxuries associated with his career weren't bad either.

The only downside was jetlag and Sam suffered the bone-weary feeling now. He was in no mood for his newest obligation, but as best man, Sam was duty bound to do right by his good friend, a guy he'd met in flight school. Bill had decided to give up flying and settle down with his soon-to-be wife. Sam snorted, disappointed with his friend's choice, but determined to respect it nonetheless.

Like Sam's mother, Bill's fiancée didn't want a man who wasn't home, one who traveled for a living. Sam just hoped that unlike his old man, Bill didn't wither into a shell of a human being as a result. Sam shrugged. Bill was a grown man and knew what he was getting himself into. But no woman would get Sam tied up in knots, in matrimony or in anything else besides a sizzling hot affair.

And it had been too damn long since he'd indulged in one of those. Mostly because women claimed they could handle one night, just like they claimed they could cope with his lifestyle. Then before he blinked, they were trying to change him. To convince him what he really wanted was to leave the friendly skies behind in favor of hearth and home.

Like hell.

Yet despite his personal feelings on the subject, he'd rearranged his schedule in order to hit Chicago a few days before the wedding, but he wanted out of this place now. All the flowers and white accessories screamed wedding and Sam shuddered. He tucked his tee-shirt into his jeans and strode through the hall and into reception area. Only the sun could reflect brighter than all these damn mirrors surrounding him until he set foot in the entryway and was mesmerized.

She was blonde and he'd always been a sucker for blondes. She wore silk, a fabric that reminded him of a woman's skin and turned him on. And her fingers glided over a red book in a delicate, erotic way, adding to the intensity that had begun throbbing through his body. And he hadn't even seen her face.

Not that it mattered. If she was in Divine Events, she was either about to be married, a maid of honor or bridesmaid, which in Sam's book usually meant she was waiting to catch the bouquet and be next in line to tie the knot. At least that's what his sisters and their friends claimed and Sam refused to be trapped. He shook his head and laughed.

That's all it took. She looked up, wide-eyed, and met his gaze. Stunned and obviously embarrassed judging by her pink cheeks, she slid the book off her lap and back onto the table.