“I d-don’t find you repulsive,” I say. Quite the opposite actually.
“Then you should be good.” He tugs me toward the living room, but I pause to pick up my phone and put it in my clutch before we keep heading toward the front door. “You ready . . .babe?”
And goosebumps just broke over my skin. . .
He winks and, dear God in heaven,help me get through this night.
We move past the couch and because I’ve clearly lost all faculties, I call out, “Bye, Sherman.” The plant now has a permanent scarf around the base of his pot and a picture of my dead cat next to him. I think it’s cute that Halsey rolls with it and doesn’t mind the new additions.
Halsey pauses to glance at me with a humorous twitch to his lips. “Do you always say goodbye to him?”
I press my hand to my chest. “Of course. Don’t you?”
He peeks over his shoulder at the plant and then back at me. “No.”
“Well, looks like the nanny has become more of a mom. Maybe I need to take custody.”
“If he starts wilting when you’re gone, then maybe you will.”
I smirk and let Halsey guide me out the door. This man’s dry sense of humor. Interestingly, the nerves slip from my shoulders.
The job.
The stress of Perry.
The awkwardness.
It all slides away as Halsey takes my hand and leads me to his car.He really is a wonderful man.
Maybe this will be a fantastic night after all.
“Oh God, there he is,”I say as I spot Perry out of the corner of my eye.
The wedding was breathtaking. The venue is an old, renovated warehouse with the original brick painted white. All the ducts are exposed, giving more height to the ceiling, but they’ve been painted black and have scattered bulbed lights under them. The dim lighting and original hardwood floors give it a romantic feel.
Arlene and Marco easily spent around one hundred thousand dollars on flowers because rows and rows of pink peonies are draped everywhere. Down the wall, from the ceiling, gathered into vases surrounded by votive candles floating in water, and strung together in rows draped over every doorway.
Never in my life have I ever been to a wedding like this, so romantic, intimate, but also large with so many guests.
And of course, Marco had to meet Halsey right away, and when I say right away, I mean before the wedding. Slipping him in as a guest was no big deal. Guess it pays to be one of the best hockey players in the game.
Now that the ceremony is over, I sit on a stool in front of a high-top table while Halsey stands next to me. He slips his arm around my waist and leans in close to my ear, the move once again creating a wave of goosebumps. That’s how it’s been through the whole ceremony.
He’s put his arm over my shoulder, held my hand, and spoken closely to my ear as if it’s just the two of us in this room. He’s invaded my senses with his touch, his mouthwatering scent, and his whispers.
He’s pretended to be madly in love with me.
He’s protected me.
Paid attention to me.
He’s claimed me.
“Where’s Perry?” he asks, his lips almost touching my ear.
I compose myself and say, “Brown suit by the bar. Brown hair.”
Subtly, Halsey looks over my shoulder, and I know the minute he spots him because his hold on me tightens. It’s as if he’s warning all men in the building that I’m not to be touched, let alone looked at. “He’s headed over here.”
