Page 32 of Theirs to Tempt: The Marriage Claim

I arrived early, hoping to have a chance to relax for a few minutes before Piper showed up, but the asshole’s text shattered my peace.

I momentarily squeeze my eyes shut against the headache that I’ve had all day.

Last night, sleep was impossible again because his awful kiss kept looping in my mind.

Even the bath I took at midnight and a third glass of cheap merlot couldn’t help me unwind.

I tossed and turned and then ended up oversleeping this morning.

Even though Derek had driven me to work, I’d still been late.

I was never more grateful for Elena’s reliability and the fact a full pot of coffee was waiting for me.

Because of what happened last night and Lucian’s wild assertions that I would be moving in soon, I assumed I’d have a message from him when I woke up.

My phone screen was blank.

I spent every break glancing at the damn device.

But there was nothing.

The silence gnawed at me, and annoyance twisted into anxiety as the hours passed in silence.

And now, this?

Wear our dress.

A familiar burst of laughter pulls me from my emotional spiral.

Piper’s face lights up when she spots me.

“Sophie Langford, you gorgeous creature!” She pulls me into a fierce hug the second she reaches the table.

I can’t help but grin at her enthusiasm.

After we hug, we both settle back in, and her gaze drops to my left hand where the sapphire-flanked diamond catches the sun. Her eyes widen comically.

“What the hell?” She grabs my hand, turning it so the stone flashes. “Oh my God. What is this?”

Heat floods my face.

I open my mouth, but thankfully the server appears.

We order the happy-hour charcuterie board and two glasses of the house pinot noir at the discounted price, and he vanishes with a polite nod.

Piper leans forward the instant we’re alone, elbows on the table, chin propped on her hands. “Spill. All the tea.”

“It’s a long story.”

“I have nothing but time.”

The server returns faster than I expect with the wine and a promise the board is coming.

I take a slow sip, buying myself one more second.

Before I can help myself, the words tumble out—Dad’s debt and desperate poker gamble, Mom’s treatments, the proposal, and the way I was used as collateral.

Piper’s expression cycles through shock and outrage. “You can’t get out of it?” she asks when I finally pause.