On the back was her handwriting…
Why can’t the universe KILL this man? Like, WTF gives?
How does he keep getting away with this shit?
My grip tightened on the card—hard enough to crease it.
Okay… I hated this couple anyway and they didn’t need to be together, but… He’s still an ass for ruining my event.
I kissed him and felt a high I’ve never felt with any other man… Like, seriously. I think about him a lot more than I should (even though I HATE him), and I wonder…
I set aside my shot glasses and organized the cards by date, reading them all until I reached the last one.
Is it possible to have feelings for someone you despise? I won’t let him kiss me again.
I’ll push him out of my life once and for all after this time…
I exhaled slowly, taking in her words longer than I had any right to.
Thirty-One
PRESENT DAY
KATIE
There was no such thing as a “perfect wedding,” but the Brooks one was close to making me reconsider that concept.
Michelle’s veil floated behind her with every step. The smile on her face was contagious. Every set of eyes was on her.
Well, except Asher’s.
His were glued to me, but I refused to pay him any attention.
Still in wedding planner mode, I focused on the ceremony—making mental notes to send my team—but I honestly couldn’t think of any.
When Michelle and Chris kissed, applause filled the room, and the guests threw rice at them as they exited the ballroom and headed to the reception.
The bridal party followed, and I made sure to hang back a bit to stay out of Asher’s reach. He stood by the door, staring at me, and I headed for a different exit.
* * *
At the reception, I moved our nameplates so he would have to sit next to a different bridesmaid—at a completely different table, but he moved next to me anyway.
Then he glared at me, daring me to ignore him.
“Can’t you read?” I picked up the nameplate before finally facing him. “This isn’t your seat because your name is not Donny Benjamin.”
He didn’t move when I told him to go back to his seat. Instead, he leaned closer—close enough that his knee brushed mine under the table—and my body reacted before my brain could catch up.
“Thank God for that,” he said. “That name doesn’t fit me at all.”
“Your seat is back there, Mr. Brooks.” I nodded toward the table behind us. “As the planner, I sat you there for a reason, so?—”
“Yes, you can have feelings for someone you despise,” he interrupted me. “Take it from someone who’s experienced that for a while now.”
“I would ask what the hell you’re talking about, but I’m not trying to have a conversation with you.” I pointed at the other table. “That’s where you need to be before the end of their first dance and for the rest of the night.”
“I liked you after I crashed your third wedding, but I can see why you were wondering if I did after our encounter in Scottsdale…”
