Laurel walked over to the window and fixed her gaze on the courtyard outside. "The best laid plans…" she murmured. How could they have gone wrong? "I can't believe this is happening."

"I'm sorry," Sean said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I-I really didn't mean to mess up your special day."

All of a sudden, exhaustion overwhelmed her. She turned back to Sean. "It's all right. It's not your fault." A tear dribbled down her cheek and she angrily brushed it away. All this planning and now… nothing.

"Hey, don't cry," he murmured. He gently rubbed her arms, as if to soothe her. But the moment he wrapped his arms around her, all thoughts of Edward and her ruined wedding fled from her mind. Instead, Laurel was taken by his kindness and his strength… and his incredibly muscular chest.

She sucked in a sharp breath, then stepped back. If she had any questions about the depth of her feelings for Edward, they were answered now. She hadn't loved him. He was out of her life barely ten minutes and she was in the arms of another man!

Laurel walked across the room, determined to observe Sean Quinn from a safe distance. His eyes weren't the only part of him that she found attractive. His hair was dark, almost black, and brushed the collar of his leather jacket. He was handsome, but there was something else, an air of indifference about him that made him seem aloof, untouchable.

"What was he arrested for?" Laurel asked. Sean cleared his throat. "Ah… bigamy."

Laurel gasped. "Bigamy? He has a wife already?"

"Actually, he has nine. You'd have been number ten."

Laurel groaned, a flush of humiliation warming her face. "I guess this is what I deserve." She smiled weakly. "I should have suspected something was up. I wanted him to meet my friends, but he always had some excuse, some business meeting that he had to attend. And when I asked about his family, he changed the subject. And then he couldn't make the wedding rehearsal last night. He said he had a business meeting."