Realizing I still held on to the box for dear life, I muttered, “Sorry,” and handed it to him.
He flicked it open. His gaze softened. He picked one up between two fingers, and when he turned it, he saw the small engraving. He didn’t say anything, just stared at them, then at me.
My heart plummeted. God, he hated them. I knew cufflinks were lame.
A smile tugged at his lips. “MM. Mountain Man?”
I nodded.
His eyes danced with raw affection. “These are perfect.”
“They are? I mean, I know they’re probably not as nice as?—”
His mouth covered mine, swallowing my self-conscious rant. “They’re fromyou,” he whispered. “They’re perfect. Thank you.”
I exhaled, feeling a little better because there was genuine gratitude in his eyes. “You’re welcome.”
As we stared at each other, it hit me that our fake romance was starting to feel a little too real. I mean, we behaved too much like a real couple even when we were alone. That was dangerous. Suddenly, I had to escape.
“Er… I’ll let you get dressed.”
He gave me a quizzical look as I all but sprinted out of the room.
Fifteen minutes later, I’d regained my composure and convinced myself that Lincoln and I shouldn't even think about getting back together. Sure, we talked. Sure, I forgave him. But that didn’t mean we should be together. He could break my heart all over again. Perhaps I wouldn’t survive a second time.
Lincoln arrived on my side of the door wearing a tux. The black fabric clung perfectly to his broad shoulders, tapered around his trim waist, and the crisp white shirt underneath contrasted beautifully with his tan skin. My heart swelled because he wore the cufflinks I’d given him.
“You clean up nice,” I said.
“Thank you.” He smiled as he walked toward me. “Ready to go?”
“Just about.” I reached up and automatically began to adjust his bow tie. My fingers brushed his jaw. The small contact seemed to ignite something between us. That wasn’t surprising. There was always heat lingering between us. His eyes dropped to my mouth.
Bad idea. Still, I wanted him to kiss me. However, if I let it happen, we might never leave this room. Mia would be disappointed if the makeup she worked so hard on got ruined.
Realizing I was dangerously close to falling under his spell again, I dropped my hands as if he’d burned me and took a step back. “There,” I said. “All set.”
His brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I replied too quickly.
His eyes narrowed. Before he could press further, I turned toward the door and grabbed my clutch. “Come on. It’s your party. We should get down there.”
For a moment, he didn’t move. I felt his gaze on me, lingering.
Then I heard his footsteps behind me. “After you, Miss Montgomery.”
I didn’t dare look back at him.
The path to the ballroom was lit with sconces and flickering lanterns. The building itself looked like something out of a classic film set with arched windows, columns, and double doors. Lincoln said the building was already here when he bought the island. It seemed the previous owner had been thinking about turning the place into a resort, too.
Music pulsed faintly from inside, a sultry jazz number that matched the Old Hollywood theme perfectly. When we reached the entrance, I dropped my hand from Lincoln’s. “You should go in first. You’re the man of the hour.”
“We’re going in together.”
“This is your night, Lincoln.”
His only response was an impatient frown as he wound an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Without a word, he pushed the doors open and carried me right in with him.
