Series: Enchanted Bridal #4
Publication date: March 16th, 2018
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Dressing up as a bride once a week is all fun and games until you come face to face with your ex.
Penny Blake loves her job with Enchanted Bridal. She gets to model wedding gowns and help brides plan for their big day. And yet... she's wanting a little more. Besides wishing for her own happily ever after, she has big dreams of making her own contribution to the business in the form of her own glam squad. Her bosses all think it's a great idea, but right now she's needed in other ways--like helping out with the groomsmen.
Was there any greater form of torture than having to help your sister plan her wedding?
That's what Spencer Buchanan is facing and although he goes into it with a bit of an attitude, running into the girl who got away--three times!--suddenly made this whole wedding planning thing a lot more bearable. Moving back home was never part of his plan, but once Spencer sees Penny again, all bets are off. And having her help him with his fittings on his tux turn into his favorite pastime ever!
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Excerpt
It was one thing to fantasize about touching Spencer.
It was quite another to actually be doing it.
I love my job.
"How does the jacket feel?" she forced herself to ask as she continued to smooth imaginary wrinkles. "Is it too tight? Too loose? Can you move comfortably?"
Spencer's expression was serious as he took in his reflection. Stepping back, she let him move his arms and shoulders to get the feel of the suit jacket. It looked good on him. Really good on him. But then again, Penny had a feeling that anything would look good on him. He was tall and lean, she noticed, with just the right amount of muscle--he'd filled out in all the best ways in the last ten years. And as much as she hated to admit it, he was just...
Perfect, she inwardly sighed.
"It feels all right," he said, his voice deep and just a little gruff. "Can we try the next size up? I think it's just a little snug in the shoulders."
"No problem," she replied softly as she went to pull another jacket from the rack. After taking all of his measurements--neck, sleeve, waist, outseam, and shoulders--she had been fairly confident that she picked the right size for him. But if he wasn't one-hundred percent comfortable, who was she to argue?
Stepping over to him, she helped him remove the jacket he had on before handing him the next one. He was mesmerizing to watch. Some guys could come in and try on jackets and it would register zero on her radar, but watching Spencer Buchanan try on a jacket was borderline porn for her right now.
Quickly, she turned away, hung up the jacket and placed it to the side in case he wanted it back for comparison. She seriously needed to compose herself before going any further. If she could, she would have stepped outside to fan herself or grab something cold to drink because it suddenly felt very warm in the shop.
Pull yourself together!
Stepping back up on the platform with him, she began her tasks of smoothing and gently tugging and adjusting and helping him get the true feel of the garment. She wanted to smack herself because she knew she was being a little excessive in the touching department but... she couldn't seem to help herself.
"How about this one?" she asked, smiling at him in the mirror and hoping he didn't hear the slight tremor in her voice. "Is this one more comfortable?"
"This one definitely feels more comfortable," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm not crazy about these trousers, though."
Her heart kicked a little and she felt a slight flutter in her belly at those words. It was one thing to be able to touch his back, his arms, his shoulders... but to be kneeling down and running her hands over his legs and waist? Well... it had been a little awkward when she was measuring him a few minutes ago and she wasn't sure she'd survive it a second time.
Clearing her throat, she forced herself to focus. "All of your measurements will go to our warehouse and everything will be custom-tailored for you. The inventory we have here is just the basics, so they won't necessarily fit you like this."
He nodded but didn't really look at her; he was still studying his reflection. "I think the measurements on the outseam weren't quite right. I'd like to try a pair of different shoes and then measure again if that's all right with you."
Um... yes please, she thought and immediately wanted to smack herself. Honestly she had no idea if any of this was the norm for getting a tuxedo fitting--she'd never had to do quite so much before, but right now she couldn't find the will to stop any of it.
"No problem," Penny replied. "Would you like to go pick out another pair?"
For a few minutes, Spencer walked around and tried on shoes while Penny made notes in his file. When he stepped back onto the platform, she was ready with her measuring tape. Standing to his left, she carefully kneeled--not an easy feat in her navy pencil skirt and heels. Doing her best to stay balanced, she carefully measured the outseam with minimal amounts of running her hand along his muscled calf. Standing slowly, she went and did the same on the right.
This time when she went to stand, Spencer stopped her.
"Isn't it customary to measure the inseam as well?"
Oh. Right. The inseam.
"Um... yes. Yes. You're right. Sorry about that," she nervously stammered. "I'm not fully familiar with all the procedures." With a steadying breath, she moved until she was in front of him. "Can you... um... just widen your stance a little?"
His gaze was a little intense as he looked down at her. Doing as she requested, he asked, "Like this?"
Was it wrong that she could barely remember how to speak because she was eye level with... well... what was a rather impressive part of him?
"That's fine," she murmured and did her best to hold the tape measure at the top of his inseam as she ran her other hand down his leg. By the time she got that measurement and did his other leg, she was practically sweating.
Mentally, she was about to congratulate herself on doing the job without embarrassing herself, but as she went to straighten, she lost her balance and cried out as she felt herself about to fall. "Oh!"
Spencer quickly swooped down and banded an arm around her waist to catch her and pulled her to her feet. Chest to chest, her heart racing, Penny looked up at him and knew she was blushing.
"You okay?" he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.
She couldn't speak. Up close, he was even more handsome than she wanted to admit. His jaw was rough with a day's worth of stubble. His lips looked incredibly soft, and when she looked into his eyes, she noticed just a hint of gold in those clear blue depths. Swallowing hard, she nodded.
But he didn't release her right away. And Penny certainly didn't feel any rush to move.
It was kind of the perfect moment, she thought. She had no idea what was going on outside, but inside, it was just the two of them and she felt like her heart was beating just a little too hard. Hopefully Spencer would think she was just nervous from almost falling and not from having her hands all over his inseam!
One minute passed, then two--at least that's what it felt like--when she finally took a step back. His grip didn't release easily and it was a thrill to think that he was as reluctant to let her go as she was to move away. "Um... thanks," she said softly, before walking over to the desk to mark down his measurements. "So... I think that's everything. I have all of your measurements noted and on file. Martin will have them here for you whenever Brett comes in with the rest of the groomsmen."
Her voice was slightly high-pitched and shaky but... dammit, he made her nervous. Normally, Penny was extremely confident--especially at her job. And yet the last thirty minutes with Spencer had reduced her to a quivering mass of hormones!
Again.
There. She said it. She was nervous being around him and beyond turned on.
It was quite another to actually be doing it.
I love my job.
"How does the jacket feel?" she forced herself to ask as she continued to smooth imaginary wrinkles. "Is it too tight? Too loose? Can you move comfortably?"
Spencer's expression was serious as he took in his reflection. Stepping back, she let him move his arms and shoulders to get the feel of the suit jacket. It looked good on him. Really good on him. But then again, Penny had a feeling that anything would look good on him. He was tall and lean, she noticed, with just the right amount of muscle--he'd filled out in all the best ways in the last ten years. And as much as she hated to admit it, he was just...
Perfect, she inwardly sighed.
"It feels all right," he said, his voice deep and just a little gruff. "Can we try the next size up? I think it's just a little snug in the shoulders."
"No problem," she replied softly as she went to pull another jacket from the rack. After taking all of his measurements--neck, sleeve, waist, outseam, and shoulders--she had been fairly confident that she picked the right size for him. But if he wasn't one-hundred percent comfortable, who was she to argue?
Stepping over to him, she helped him remove the jacket he had on before handing him the next one. He was mesmerizing to watch. Some guys could come in and try on jackets and it would register zero on her radar, but watching Spencer Buchanan try on a jacket was borderline porn for her right now.
Quickly, she turned away, hung up the jacket and placed it to the side in case he wanted it back for comparison. She seriously needed to compose herself before going any further. If she could, she would have stepped outside to fan herself or grab something cold to drink because it suddenly felt very warm in the shop.
Pull yourself together!
Stepping back up on the platform with him, she began her tasks of smoothing and gently tugging and adjusting and helping him get the true feel of the garment. She wanted to smack herself because she knew she was being a little excessive in the touching department but... she couldn't seem to help herself.
"How about this one?" she asked, smiling at him in the mirror and hoping he didn't hear the slight tremor in her voice. "Is this one more comfortable?"
"This one definitely feels more comfortable," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm not crazy about these trousers, though."
Her heart kicked a little and she felt a slight flutter in her belly at those words. It was one thing to be able to touch his back, his arms, his shoulders... but to be kneeling down and running her hands over his legs and waist? Well... it had been a little awkward when she was measuring him a few minutes ago and she wasn't sure she'd survive it a second time.
Clearing her throat, she forced herself to focus. "All of your measurements will go to our warehouse and everything will be custom-tailored for you. The inventory we have here is just the basics, so they won't necessarily fit you like this."
He nodded but didn't really look at her; he was still studying his reflection. "I think the measurements on the outseam weren't quite right. I'd like to try a pair of different shoes and then measure again if that's all right with you."
Um... yes please, she thought and immediately wanted to smack herself. Honestly she had no idea if any of this was the norm for getting a tuxedo fitting--she'd never had to do quite so much before, but right now she couldn't find the will to stop any of it.
"No problem," Penny replied. "Would you like to go pick out another pair?"
For a few minutes, Spencer walked around and tried on shoes while Penny made notes in his file. When he stepped back onto the platform, she was ready with her measuring tape. Standing to his left, she carefully kneeled--not an easy feat in her navy pencil skirt and heels. Doing her best to stay balanced, she carefully measured the outseam with minimal amounts of running her hand along his muscled calf. Standing slowly, she went and did the same on the right.
This time when she went to stand, Spencer stopped her.
"Isn't it customary to measure the inseam as well?"
Oh. Right. The inseam.
"Um... yes. Yes. You're right. Sorry about that," she nervously stammered. "I'm not fully familiar with all the procedures." With a steadying breath, she moved until she was in front of him. "Can you... um... just widen your stance a little?"
His gaze was a little intense as he looked down at her. Doing as she requested, he asked, "Like this?"
Was it wrong that she could barely remember how to speak because she was eye level with... well... what was a rather impressive part of him?
"That's fine," she murmured and did her best to hold the tape measure at the top of his inseam as she ran her other hand down his leg. By the time she got that measurement and did his other leg, she was practically sweating.
Mentally, she was about to congratulate herself on doing the job without embarrassing herself, but as she went to straighten, she lost her balance and cried out as she felt herself about to fall. "Oh!"
Spencer quickly swooped down and banded an arm around her waist to catch her and pulled her to her feet. Chest to chest, her heart racing, Penny looked up at him and knew she was blushing.
"You okay?" he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.
She couldn't speak. Up close, he was even more handsome than she wanted to admit. His jaw was rough with a day's worth of stubble. His lips looked incredibly soft, and when she looked into his eyes, she noticed just a hint of gold in those clear blue depths. Swallowing hard, she nodded.
But he didn't release her right away. And Penny certainly didn't feel any rush to move.
It was kind of the perfect moment, she thought. She had no idea what was going on outside, but inside, it was just the two of them and she felt like her heart was beating just a little too hard. Hopefully Spencer would think she was just nervous from almost falling and not from having her hands all over his inseam!
One minute passed, then two--at least that's what it felt like--when she finally took a step back. His grip didn't release easily and it was a thrill to think that he was as reluctant to let her go as she was to move away. "Um... thanks," she said softly, before walking over to the desk to mark down his measurements. "So... I think that's everything. I have all of your measurements noted and on file. Martin will have them here for you whenever Brett comes in with the rest of the groomsmen."
Her voice was slightly high-pitched and shaky but... dammit, he made her nervous. Normally, Penny was extremely confident--especially at her job. And yet the last thirty minutes with Spencer had reduced her to a quivering mass of hormones!
Again.
There. She said it. She was nervous being around him and beyond turned on.
Rest of the Series
The Wedding Season by Samantha Chase (Enchanted Brides #1)
Friday Night Brides by Samantha Chase (Enchanted Brides #2)
The Bridal Squad by Samantha Chase (Enchanted Brides #3)
About the Author:
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene... oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
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