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Alexandra: Fine. But he better not cause a scene.
I want to reply with “you know he will,” but I don’t. Instead, I slip my phone into my bag on the floorboard.
Tiller glances over at me, one hand draped over the wheel, the other flipping his cell phone around like he can’t stand to not be doing something with his hands, even when driving.
By the look in his eyes, if River wasn’t in the back seat, it’d be up my dress for sure.
I blush. “Stop it.”
He laughs softly. “I didn’t do anything.” But then he lifts his index and middle finger to his bottom lip, tapping them against his lip seductively, a wicked grin present.
What a jerk.
The memory of the other night flashes in my mind, the way he got me off in the chair, the way his body slumped against mine in the shop, and the way he stripped my dress off me and washed it because it had him on it.
“Who were you texting?” he asks, curiously nodding to the floor where my phones at.
“Alexandra.” I look behind me when I don’t hear any noise for a few minutes but the faint sounds of River’s iPad in her lap. She’s sound asleep. Car rides seem to do that to her, but a six-hour car ride was sure to knock her out at some point. It’s hour three when she’s finally passed out and drooling. “She’s upset I brought you.”
He nods. “Does that mean I don’t have to go?”
“Nope. You’re my boyfriend this weekend.”
He cringes at the word again, but still smiles and shakes his head. “I still can’t believe I agreed to this.”
I smile, reaching for my water. “I can. Secretly you’ve always wanted to be my boyfriend.”
He doesn’t answer me, and I don’t push for him to because there are just some things I know I’m not going to get out of him and a title is one of them.
But then I wonder and ask, “Are you sure you want to go?”
His eyes snap to mine. “You said I had to.” He glares. “Did I not have to?”
I deflect and ask, “Is the only reason you’re going because you want. . .” I pause and sneak a peek at River. Thankfully sleeping. I keep my voice soft when I ask, “Because you want to you know. . . seduce me?”
He smiles and mouths, “You mean,fuck you? Because I’m already fucking seduced.”
I nod, my heart jumping into my throat.
Staring out the windshield, there’s amusement to his tone when he laughs out, “Wanting to fuck you is only 99 percent of why I agreed.”
A heaviness centers in my chest. “What’s the other 1 percent?”
His eyes travel over my face, searching my expression. “I didn’t want you going alone.”
We arrive at Muir Beach around three in the afternoon the day before the wedding and Tiller’s looking for alcohol and something to calm his nerves. He’s never been one for formal events and usually, almost always, skips out on all the awards banquets for his events. I can’t say I blame him.
“Do Belle live here?” River asks, holding Tiller’s hand, and her lilac blanket in the other.
“No, honey. She doesn’t,” I say, then turn to Tiller who’s rolling his eyes. “We have to share a room. There are only seven rooms.”
Do you notice the way his eyes light up? I bet you do.
Inside, Alexandra is waiting, tapping her foot like we’re so late it’s unacceptable. We’re only an hour late. I think, and then I remember I never gave her a specific time I’d be here.
“It’s about time,” Alexandra says, rolling her eyes and handing me a packet and what looks like a bottle of hair dye. “The rehearsal dinner is tonight in the conservatory.”
“Um, what’s this?” I hold up the dye, ready to open the bottle and squirt it in her eyes for even suggesting I change for her.