“Indeed.” Ignoring the subtle threat, I smile reassuringly at Pippa, hoping she is reading the situation accurately and not taken by his so-called charm like her father was.
“When I set my sights on something, there’s no stopping me. I always get what I want,” Benedict says.
I shift closer to Pippa, instinctually angling myself slightly in front of her. “If we’re talking about cars, toys, property. Then I completely understand. If we’re talking about anything else,anyoneelse, that’ll be a matter for us to take up privately.”
“Is that so?”
“A promise is a promise and I always keep mine.” My tone reflexively lowers dangerously, possessively on the last part.
We’re squared off and I exercise restraint, because I’d like to do everyone a favor, pick up this lout by his tux tails and toss him on the lawn.
My fists clench.
His eyes darken.
My jaw ticks.
“What’s this ballyhoo? Let’s all remember that we’re gentlemen,” Mr. Thompson says, waddling over.
Mrs. Thompson clears her throat and then whispers, “Dear, I believe Chase here is defending our daughter’s honor.”
I nod. “Freddie would’ve done the same.”
“My son is no stranger to brush-ups and brawls,” my father mutters.
Benedict seems to snap closer to reality than the privileged fantasyland he lives in and sees that I’m more than a formidable opponent.
Straightening to my full height, I nod if only to confirm whatever thoughts are creeping through his depraved mind.
“Pippa?” I ask, gesturing to the dance floor. My gaze locks on hers, offering gentle assurance. I’m caught in their big, brown depths before I drop my eyes to her bow-shaped lips, waiting for her to argue. When it doesn’t come, I add, “May I have the pleasure of the first dance?”
As if torn between running away because likely she’s also heard Freddie’s stories about Benedict and dancing with the guy she did her level best to avoid throughout dinner, she shuffles toward me and doesn’t look back as we step onto the dance floor.
Freddie’s wedding isn’t for a while, but he already named me his best man and I’m certain Pippa will be in the bridal party. Wearing my charmingest smile, I say, “Just think, it’ll be good practice for the wedding.”
Pippa blanches. Her big, beautiful eyes bulge cartoon-like.
A moment too late, I realize she wasn’t privy to my thoughts about Freddie’s wedding, meaning it wasn’t clear that I was referring to his and Aimme’s special day...not ours.
Although I did hear her comment about having a crush on me when we were in high school, so you never know what the future may hold. But I won’t let Benedict Moss be part of it.
11
PIPPA
As if drenching the front of my dress and then having to recount humiliating stories from high school at Marlow’s insistence weren’t enough, Chase has to be here, too. Let’s take a rough count of how painfully awkward the last two hours and fifteen minutes have been:
Chase heard me confess my crush on him
We were seated at the same dinner table with our parents
