Both Justin and Sebastian’s eyes go behind me as Poppy asks, “Does that mean you’ll start behaving like one?”
Breathing deeply, I paste on a smile and turn to face mymouse. Her hair is up in a sleek ponytail, and the sundress she’s wearing hugs her slender figure, accentuating her hips. She has no bra on, and the mounds of her breasts are peeking out enough at the top of her dress to make me want to uncover the rest.
“Now what would be the fun in that? Come on, sugar, let’s do this.” I grab her hand and bring it to my arm, stepping away from the others and the daggers Cici is shooting at me.
Poppy seems so prim and proper and, honestly, probably way too innocent for the likes of me. Dammit, I really should let this go, but I’m unaccustomed to losing and not quite sure I’m willing.
Sebastian and Lily take their place in front of Poppy and me. Justin and Lucy are behind us, followed by Cici and her dad, and lastly, Walker and Mia, who have graciously remained silent during the confrontation.
“What are the chances, huh? You know, if you’d told me your name, we could’ve avoided that,” I whisper to Poppy.
“If you were capable of actual conversation and not just cheesy pickup lines, it probably would’ve come up,” she whispers angrily.
Moments after the music starts, Sebastian and Lily begin walking.
“Something came up, that’s for sure. Guess what I went to bed thinking about last night?”
“Stop it.”
My shoulders shake as I chuckle silently. Riling her up is so much fun.
“I bet you had plenty of naughty thoughts. Tell me, have I starred in any of your fantasies?”
“Actually, you have—one where you got hit by a bus.”
This time, the laugh escapes, causing Poppy to aggressively “shh” me.
As we proceed down the aisle, I can feel her seething the entire way, which in turn glues a smile to my face. When we arrive at the front, she yanks her hand from my arm and stomps toward the bride’s side as I take my place next to Sebastian.
Eli gives me a warning look as Sebastian leans in to whisper, “You’re digging yourself deeper, man.”
“Nah, I’m having fun is all.”
“It’s your grave.”
That it is. Or it could be my bed. Either way, I won’t go lying down.
4
TRUCE
Poppy
Is it possible I’m still asleep and this is all a dream? If only. The sad reality is that I have to deal with this guy for the entire weekend. Even worse is that if he had an ounce of class and acted like a decent human being, I’d probably have been into him. He’s hot as hell, no doubt about that, but damn—when Suits opens his mouth, his words overshadow his looks.
I’ll have to tell Lily to introduce me to that Jordan guy right away. In the meantime, it’ll take all my willpower to stay calm and make it through the next day and a half.Shoot, I wonder if they did a seating chart for dinner. If so, I hope we’re at opposite ends. I’ll be finding out soon since we’re almost finished here. Until then—I’ve got this.
Annoyingly, Suitsdidstar in my fantasies last night. Damn him and his filthy mouth. And double damn him for how he makes me feel, because the biggest problem of all is that my body is a traitor and can’t be trusted, given its reaction to that filthiness.
I’ve held my own so far, thank God. And who knows, he maygive up soon, though it’s doubtful considering his profession. His persistence makes sense, that’s for sure. And coincidentally, so does the nickname I gave him.
I can’t believe none of this came up on the way here. I could have at least braced myself. Regrets won’t do any good, though, so I’ll grin and bear it for Cici’s sake. Starting now.
With a smile in place, Braden and I meet in the middle when it’s our turn to exit down the aisle. My hand finds the crook of his arm, and he covers it with his. The feel of his touch makes my heart flutter, annoyingly so.
“Listen, let’s rewind. How about you pretend I didn’t say any of those things that offended you so much, and I’ll pretend I don’t want in your pants.” I growl low, but he ignores me and continues, “We might as well attempt to get along, or it’s going to be a frustrating few days. What do you say, Poppy? Truce?”
He’s smooth when he wants to be, and hearing my name on his lips for the first time is… something I want to hear again.
