But I can’t help it. I turn to the mirror and survey my reflection, relieved to see that at least I don’t look like garbage. In fact, with my dark red lips, my hair half-up and half-down, and my cute new dress, I look quite pretty.
So ha, Luke. Joke’s on you. Look at what you’re missing out on.
Oh God. I need to get a grip. This is bad. This is really bad.
My pulse begins to climb again and I clutch the edge of the sink, aware that I need to remain in control. I cannot have a panic attack right now.
Sliding my glasses off, I lean over and splash cold water on my face. It jolts me out of my head and back into my body. I count to ten while inhaling and exhaling, then I do it again.
Okay. Okay, maybe this isn’t so bad. In fact, maybe it’s kind of funny.
I mean, not right now. Right now it’s mortifying. But after the wedding, when I’m back home and the whole thing is behind us, we can all have a good laugh at the crazy coincidence. And hopefully, after tonight, I won’t even have to see him again until the wedding day. I just have to get through tonight.
Yes. Everything will be fine.
I smooth my hair down and check my makeup, pushing my glasses back up my nose. With another deep breath, I open the bathroom door. Luke is hovering in the hallway and my heart catapults into my throat when I see him.
No. This will not be fine!
He glances over his shoulder then nudges me down the hall, into the shadows.
Jesus. Does he think we are going for round two or something? Not that I wouldn’t consider it, because it’s all I’ve been thinking about since the plane, but… here? Now?
I trail my eyes over his knitted sweater and jeans. He looks so different out of his shirt and tie—even better, if that’s possible. My gaze catches on his lips and heat races up my body. I can’t believe that mouth was on me. I shove the thought away before I lunge at him.
He looks at me hard, keeping his voice low. “Did you tell them?”
“Well, hello to you too.”
He shakes his head, glancing down the hall, then back to me again. “Seriously, Harriet,” he hisses. “Did you tell them what happened?”
“No!” I hiss back, not bothering to keep the irritation out of my voice. Then I remember what I told Alex and the others at the bar. “Well, I told Alex that something happened on the plane, but I didn’t mention your name or anything. I didn’t even know you were—”
“Okay.” His posture relaxes. “Okay, good.”
“Butthislooks a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?” I gesture down the hallway and glare at him.
“Shit, yes,” he mutters. “I just had to check.”
There’s a sound in the living room and without stopping to think, I yank open the door to Henry’s room and hurl myself inside, my heart pounding.
This is insane. Why is he here? And what the fuck am I supposed to do now?
8
This whole Harriet 2.0 thing was a ridiculous idea. I can’t believe I let Steph talk me into it.
I scrub at my lips in the bathroom mirror, willing the lipstick to disappear, but it’s one of those long-lasting, color-stay ones that won’t budge.
Dinner was awful. Five minutes into it Alex suggested that since Luke is the best man, he and I could work on the wedding tasks together, at which point I blurted out that I was feeling unwell and had to go lie down. She was obviously disappointed and now I feel terrible.
But I couldn’t just sit there, opposite him, pretending nothing had happened. I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t tasted the soft curve of his lips, felt the silky hardness of him in my hand, heard the way he moanedOhhh fuckwhen he couldn’t hold back any longer. I couldn’t stop thinking about his fingers, working their way up my thighs, slipping between my legs, touching me eagerly.
And I couldn’t pretend that I was okay with the way he behaved when he saw me. He wasn’t the least bit happy, while all I wanted to do was drag him up the hallway and do it again.
So I hid in my room like a coward until I heard Luke leave, and Alex and Michael go to bed. Now I’m in the bathroom, trying to get this stupid lipstick off my mouth, my mind working overtime.
I amnotcut out for doing outrageous things; just look at how spectacularly this has backfired. Theonetime I do something wild and it comes back to bite me in the ass. It’s karma, that’s what it is. Of all the men in all the world I could have shagged, how did it end up that I slept with Michael’sbrother? And not just that—he’s the best man at their wedding, whichI now have to organize with him.
