Be more awkward. Please try. Reach a new personal record.
“Charlotte.” He released a soft chuckle and tugged the end of my sweater in such a sweet, intimate move that my head spun.
I stared up at him, the rest of the room disappearing. He had the ability to do that. When he focused on me, it made me feel important, like I was the only thing that mattered. My heart thudded so hard against my ribs that it was a shock he couldn’t hear it. His thumb brushed against the bare skin of my stomach, and I sucked in a breath.
“I’d love to hang out with you and make playlists. Sure, I’m not a fan of being the bigger person when I could make your idiot brother do a dance routine, but it’s the right choice.”
“So we vow to not tell them that we won?” I asked. Hisfinger remained on my hip, moving left and right in small circles. How was that tiny little movement the most erotic thing I had ever felt? I couldn’t catch my breath.
“Correct.”
“Penny will know though.” I swallowed, swaying a little toward him. “She’ll check and be pissed they lost. She’s honest to a fault.”
“True.” He twisted his lips as he glanced over my shoulder. “We could… hm.”
I turned to see what the rest of the group was doing, and the motion caused me to put distance between us. But his grip on my hip tightened, almost like he didn’t want to stop touching me. I didn’t know what to do with this information, but that sensation of falling through ice increased. “Uh,” I muttered, unsure where my ability to speak full sentences went. I was an educated woman! I was a chatterbox, yet no words would come out.
He seemed so normal and unfazed. No erratic breathing or inability to speak. Just confident and sexy Hayden. Maybe I should poke his hip and see how he liked it? No. That was the wrong choice.
“What we could do,” he said, his lips curving up on one side in a smirk, “is create the playlist tonight and tomorrow at brunch, and we make a big deal about it. Like how selfish and amazing we are to do this even though we won.”
“Oh, I like that. They won’t enjoy knowing we have something over them.”
“Nope. That’ll annoy Christian for months.”
“Yes!” I grinned, forgetting about his touch. “And we aren’t working against the wedding either. So we comeacross as heroes, we still won and get bragging rights, and we save the wedding. That’s a real turkey.”
“Um, I’m sorry? A real turkey?”
“Oh.” I snorted. “Right, this is a newer Calhoun expression my dear father started as a joke, and I unfortunately adopted it. Kind of like how my dad textsneatin all caps every other day.”
“I’ve received my fair share ofneats from your dad in my lifetime. You’re going to have to explain the turkey comment though.”
“In bowling, when you get three strikes, you got a turkey. Whenever three good things happen, it’s a real turkey.”
“Calhouns are so strange. Wonderful, but strange.”
“It’s our family mission and vision.Be wonderful, be strange.”
He chuckled, the deep rich laugh hitting me right in the chest like an arrow. Between his glasses, the sound of his laugher, and the way his sweater fit him, he was a real turkey.
“Incoming.” He released his grip on me, his face almost falling in disappointment. Huh. That was… wonderful and strange to see.
“Look at the prize basket!”
Ah. That’s what he meant. Penny arrived carrying a huge basketful of crap. Christmas crap.
“Babe, you shouldn’t be carrying that.” Christian yanked it out of her hands.
“And why shouldn’t I be carrying this?” she said through clenched teeth.
My brother’s jaw tensed, irritation flaring behind his eyes. “Because you are to be my wife, and I take care of you.”
“Caveman doesn’t suit you.” Penny yanked the basket right out of his hands. “Let’s look through this. Oh my gosh, I am so excited!”
While winning the competition had made them act more normal, there still was evident strain. It assured me that Hayden and I had made the right choice in deciding to create the playlist. I wanted to ease any burden from them so the wedding would go on as planned. Even if that meant spending more time with Hayden alone.
“Babe, you are strong and beautiful and my favorite, but set the basket down at a table so we can go through it.” Christian’s tone didn’t match the words, but it worked.
