He dtopped my hand to put his hands on his hips. “She can’t be both?”
It wasn’t smart, but I refrained from telling him that. “Regardless, you’ll need to do better at selling our cover story.”
“I didn’t hear you come up with anything better.”
I shrugged. “She’s not my employee.”
“No, but you could’ve said something when you realized she was listening in on our conversation.”
I would have if I’d remembered she was there, but of course, I wasn’t gonna tell him that. But he must’ve seen something on my face because his eyes narrowed. “You forgot she was there as well.”
“I had my back to her! You were looking right at her.”
“I was focusing on you, okay? As is polite when in conversation.”
I flashed a grin at him. “So you’re saying that you were so enthralled that you couldn’t take your eyes offme?”
His cheeks flushed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I was merely giving you polite attention. The appropriate amount, I mean. Nothing more than that.”
My grin only widened. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”
“Ugh.” He all but stomped his right foot. “You’re insufferable, and so is your ego.”
“Both my ego and I are fine, but thank you.”
Aye, he was so cute when he was angry. His cheeks had gone that perfect shade of pink that made me want to kiss him senseless, and his blue eyes were practically sparking with indignation. He’d puffed up like an offended cat, all bristling energy and wounded pride, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning like an idiot. The way he held himself—shoulders squared, chin lifted defiantly—should have been intimidating, but on Charles, it looked adorable. Like a kitten trying to act fierce.
“Let’s go,” he said, not reaching for my hand again, so I did. He hesitated, and my eyes narrowed. He took it after all, and I nodded, satisfied that he’d chosen safety over his pride.
“Where are we going?” I checked. “You never cleared that up.”
“Home is fine.”
“I would feel better if we set up my presence a little stronger. I want people to see us together. Everyone needs to know you have a boyfriend.”
Was that true? Eh, partly. But the other part was that I knew that once we were inside, I’d have no more excuses to touch him, and I wasn’t ready to give up that perk yet.
“Oh.” Charles bit his lip. “I could give you a tour of Charming.”
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
He gave me a look that made me wonder if he saw straight through my excuse, but if he did, he didn’t say so.
“So, we call this section Wedding Row,” Charles said, gesturing at his bakery and the shops on either side. “Solstice owns the flower shop, Dolly the bridal store, and Zane is a photographer who does a lot of weddings. Then there’s Brexon and Jace, who design wedding invitations, thank you cards, and anything else you need. They also help you find wedding favors or special decorations. And last, there’s Laura, our wedding planner. She has an office in Brexon and Jace’s shop.”
I blinked, processing all that. “Did you plan it like that?”
“No. Dolly’s store has been here forever, so when Zane wanted a physical spot to settle, he bought the building next to hers. Then Solstice came with her flower shop, and it became a thing. We all refer clients to each other and do a lot of promotion and advertising together, so it’s worked out well for all of us.”
“Smart. And you said Solstice is your best friend, right? The one you didn’t want to lie to?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
“Okay, so why don’t we stop by her shop so you can introduce me?”
“Introduce you as what?”
“Tell her the truth, but make sure she understands she can’t tell anyone else.”
