February is the traditional month of love, when Cupid gets busy. So here is a timely short Valentine's treat. Curl up on the sofa, make a mug of something soothing, maybe have just a little chocolate nearby and take a break with one of our favourite writers, Rebecca Winters!

      The Bridesmaid’s Proposal

      Rebecca Winters

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      CHAPTER ONE

      “MIRROR, mirror, on the wall. Who’s been the biggest fool of all?

      “You have, Reese Bringhurst. But not after today!”

      Wavy black hair framed the oval of her face with her well-shaped nose and wide, passionate mouth, the kind the camera loved.

      Unfortunately, too many weeks of crying into her pillow every night had taken its toll. A little more base to cover the blotches of red, a touch more liner to accentuate the haunted China-blue eyes staring back at her, and her stage makeup was perfect.

      It ought to be.

      For two years she’d been applying it herself before leaving for the TV studio to play the minor role of Carly Shaw on a daytime soap. But today it was vital she do a flawless job. It was her wedding day on the set … and her swan song.

      When the writers of Laguna Nights found out she was leaving the show, they’d decided to marry her off to her romantic lead, Alex Kieris, who played the part of Fabio Andretti.

      Of course it meant the timid Carly would have to step out of character for the first time in her screen life and do something bold, like ask Fabio to marry her. But the writers didn’t worry about things like that.

      It would provide the perfect surprise ending for the innocent Carly, who, for a whole year, had fought against her attraction to the older, worldly Fabio because she believed he and the beautiful, cunning Melissa were in a relationship.

      According to Phyllis, the director of the show, Carly would be killed off in a tragic disappearance in the jungle surrounding Cancun on their behind-the-scenes honeymoon. Her body would never be found. That way they could bring back another Carly at a later date if they wanted to.

      For now it would be the fictional end of the fictional Carly. As for Fabio, the black-haired, black-eyed Adonis who’d received more fan mail in the last year than anyone else on the show, the writers would find him a new love interest to frustrate the out-of-control-manipulative Melissa.

      Reese got up abruptly from the stool of her dressing table. “It’s time for your real life to start. Say goodbye to Carly. In a little while, she’ll no longer exist.”

      And she would never see her costar again …

       Don’t think about him, Reese.

      She couldn’t afford to remember the dozens of times he’d kissed the daylights out of her while the cameras had been rolling.

      It was imperative she forget those torrid love scenes on the beach with the director orchestrating every gasp, move and sigh.

      But most of all, she had to stop dwelling on the many times off camera when she and Alex had talked quietly about life while they’d been waiting for their scenes to be taped.

      During those stolen moments, they would discuss their favorite books, music, art. He would give her glimpses into his childhood spent in Athens where he had been raised by his grandparents. Reese had wanted those conversations to go on forever.

      For those who didn’t know, Alex was of Greek origin. He had come to America after his grandparents died. At twenty-five he’d gained U.S. citizenship. Apparently he’d done all kinds of work, even some local television in New York before coming out to the West Coast.

      Though he acted the part of a flashy, cocky, self-important Italian on the screen, he wasn’t like that in real life. Quite the opposite in fact. He was very patient with her while she asked endless questions about Greece and its history.

      Many were the times she’d been so fascinated by what he said, she’d forgotten where they were until the director had suddenly called out, “Places, everyone!” To her chagrin, those precious moments would be gone.

      Alex would once again take on the persona of the seasoned charmer Fabio, who attempted to pursue Carly at every turn. For the last year on the show, it had been his mission in life to try to seduce the vulnerable, somewhat shy twenty-three-year-old with his experience and gorgeous male body.

      Then six months ago Reese’s aunt Lilian had passed away unexpectedly from an aneurysm. From that time on Alex had been aware of her grief and had encouraged her to talk to relieve the pain. He’d turned out to be a wonderful listener.

      So wonderful in fact that their talks had caused something to change for Reese. She couldn’t separate fantasy from reality. When the cameras were rolling and they got into those embraces where she would give in to Fabio before pushing him away, she might be kissing Fabio as the script dictated, but she found herself trying to reach the elusive Alex.

      He was the person to whom she responded. She wanted their on-screen relationship to continue after they called it a day at the studio.

      When she had realized what was happening, she had known it was time to leave the show. Without hesitation she had phoned her agent, who, after the proverbial weeping and wailing over a bad, bad career move, had taken care of the legalities.

      To her surprise it had sent a minor shock wave through the cast and crew. She was no superstar. Far from it. Yet she and Alex had been voted the favorite couple at the soap opera awards. That had brought up the show’s ratings.

      In front of everyone, Phyllis had flat out told her she couldn’t leave. Did she want more money? What? Phyllis hadn’t accepted it, and had urged her to think about it some more over the Christmas break.

      It was very flattering to be asked to reconsider her decision, but Reese was in love with Alex. Painfully in love. Seeing him again after being separated for the holidays, she could no longer stay with the show and be kissed by him week after week when she knew he had no interest in her off screen. Rumor had it he was in a committed relationship with an older woman. That didn’t surprise Reese.

      Certainly it would take a more mature, sophisticated woman than Reese to attract Alex and hold him. She would only be hurting herself to keep showing up for work wishing for something to happen between them when it couldn’t possibly come true.

      Though Alex was always congenial, both off and on camera, there was a remoteness about him at times. She knew he’d just come back from spending Christmas in Greece. No doubt the woman he loved lived there. If he’d been forced to endure a longdistance relationship, it would explain why his private life seemed to remain so mysterious.

      She stifled the sob in her throat and checked her watch. Nine a.m. Time to go.

      Dressed in her usual T-shirt and jeans, she left the Burbank condo her aunt had willed to her, and hurried down to the underground garage. It was only a couple of miles from there to Television Central in Los Angeles.

      Her last trip to the studio. Everything she did today would be for the last time.

      Before long she drove into the huge parking lot packed end to end with cars. After getting out of her aunt’s old car, she sprinted on long, shapely legs past three sets of guards on her way into the building.

      They called friendly greetings to her. As she turned and waved to each of them her ebony hair glistened in the rare January sun. The smog was almost nonexistent this morning, a good omen for what would be the most painful day of her life.

      Though she’d known the loss of her parents in her early teens, and more