Page 61

“I spoke with Serena last night,” she says softly, her non sequitur startling me slightly.
Paint globs on her, and I grab a paper towel to wipe the excess away. “Oh, yeah? What’d she say?”
Her gaze stays focused on my subtle brush strokes, still biting her lip softly. “Until the wedding, the two of you aren’t really together.”
My brows raise of their own volition. “And how’d you get on that topic?”
“Can’t tell you that,” she shakes her head. “Client-planner confidentiality.”
“Right.”
“But, um, it got me thinking.”
My body tenses, not sure where she’s going with this. “About?”
“Us.”
I set the paintbrush down, the butterfly only half finished. “I thought you said there couldn’t be anus.”
“There can’t,” she rushes to say. “I mean, not formally. Obviously.” Her hand trembles in mine, and I grip her fingers until she stops. “But maybe we could… flirt. Until you and her are officially together.”
I stare at her for a moment, unsure how to respond, until her face does this wobbly kind of motion.
“That sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it?” she asks. “It seemed better in my head.”
“No, I want to flirt with you.” Wasn’t I just thinking earlier I’ll take her in any way she’s offering? And this is a hell of a lot more than I was expecting. “I guess I’m not sure exactly what that entails. What the rules are. How far to go.”
“I- I don’t know.” She bites at her lip. “I’ve never done this before.”
“Flirted? You mean like how you ripped me a new one at that bar the first night we met?”
She quirks her lips, the slightest hint of pink spreading across her cheeks. “I said I was sorry about that.”
“And I said I deserved it.”
She grins, glancing down to hide her face. “Can you imagine if I’d taken you up on your offer? I would have been a little more than just surprised the next day seeing you in that conference room.”
My dick springs to attention at her mention of coming back to my place, but I keep it at bay. A kid’s birthday party is not the time. “Do you ever do that with guys? A one night stand?”
“No,” she says, picking up the paintbrush herself to continue the butterfly. “I wait till at least a few dates in. But I’ve been so busy since starting my business, there’s been no time for dating.” She pauses, looking up at me. “What about you?”
I take the brush from her, slipping my fingers around her wrist to steady her hand. “You wouldn’t believe me if I said I was an angel, would you?”
“No,” she smirks.
“I haven’t slept with anyone since I met you.” Sure, I’ve had my fair share of hookups in the past, even a few short-lived girlfriends, but no one that’s ever had this kind of impact on me, no one I think about all the time, no one I wantmorewith… the way I do with her.
“You mean since you got engaged.”
“No, I mean since I met you.”
I watch her hazel eyes widen at my serious tone. Earlier today, I would have left it at that. But she said she wanted to flirt, so I’ll deliver what she asked for. “You’re the only one I want.”
I give her a moment to process my words, concentrating on finishing up the artwork on her hand, and nearly mess the whole thing up when I hear her say, “That’s what you said in my dream. That you want me.”
“Your dream?” I rack my brain, trying to remember. “The one from the day your parents showed up?”
She nods, glancing around at the partygoers, but no one’s paying us any attention. “Yes.”