She didn’t look like any bride he’d ever seen, despite the ivory colour. She looked like a temple goddess with that sexy scarf wrapped around her pale throat, then swathed around her simply stunning red hair.

Mike’s feelings for Natalie had been controllable when she’d been dressed like a legal-aid lawyer. Suddenly, nothing was controllable. Not his desire. Or his anger.

She’d done this on purpose. Transformed herself in secret to catch him unawares. Perhaps to make him look a fool. She was a witch, like all women.

But she’d made a big mistake, taking him on.

He never made a fool of himself over a woman.

If she thought she could turn him on, then spurn him, she was in for a big surprise. If anyone did the turning-on and the spurning here, it would be him.

Natalie’s step faltered when Mike smiled at her. She much preferred his shock of a moment before. That had been most gratifying.

His smile, however, was unnerving. Because it was the wickedest, sexiest smile she’d ever encountered.

Not a large smile. Just a small lifting of the corner of his mouth, accompanied by a look that most women only dreamt about. His dark gaze smouldered as it travelled slowly down her body, then up again, bringing a dryness to Natalie’s throat and a swirling lightness to her head.

She swallowed, then carefully continued her journey across the terrace to where the ceremony would take place, forcing herself to project a cool façade, even whilst waves of heat rippled through her tensely held body.

Thank the Lord the bodice of her gown was heavily lined and boned, otherwise her scorchingly erect nipples would have betrayed her.

The photographer, she noted, was busy taking pictures, both of herself and the three men waiting for her. Holly had been right about them. They all looked great. But Natalie’s eyes were only for Mike, who looked simply incredible. Still not handsome in the traditional sense, but sophisticated and suave and, yes, too sexy for words.

Natalie swallowed again.

‘I see you’ve been hiding your light under a bushel,’ Mike murmured as he held out his hand to her, his eyes locking with hers.

‘I did tell you that I could look prettier,’ she returned, struggling to keep her cool as she placed her hand in his.

How big it was, his fingers dwarfing her own, his palm feeling large and hard against her own soft, slightly clammy skin.

‘Honey, pretty is not the word for you today,’ he said with another of those sexy smiles. ‘As you very well know…’

She might have rebuked him for calling her honey if she’d been capable of speaking. Instead, she just stared up at Mike, her heart pounding behind her ribs as she realised that she’d achieved her objective.

He wanted her. Really wanted her. She could see it in his eyes.