Page 15 of An Inevitable Marriage

Rafe, being the asshole he was, paid no attention to my piss-poor mood and grinned like he’d just had his dick sucked.

I wanted to punch him in the face.

“Rafe, I swear to all things that are holy, if you don’t—”

“All right, all right.” He held up a hand. “You know, you’re awfully tense for someone who just got laid.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to screw off, but he was faster than me.

“I think I have a solution to your pro—”

Two taps against the door interrupted him mid-sentence.

“What in the actual fuck?” I muttered.

Annoyed, I shook my head and started to make my way back to the foyer. I didn’t get very far. In fact, I didn’t even leave the kitchen. Rafe smacked the back of his hand against my chest and all but shoved me backward.

“I’ll get it. You wait here.”

He didn’t give me time to protest, simply hurried to the front. And if the bastard thought I’d stay and wait like a good dog, he’d better think again.

With my already sunshiny mood taking a turn for the worse, I stomped after him. I was ready to rip him a new one, too, until I sawher.

My throat went dry, and suddenly, my body couldn’t do something as simple as breathing.

Who is she?

I swallowed, then swallowed again, trying in vain to relieve myself of the damn cactus in my windpipe.

Gorgeous. The word popped into my brain, but it was all wrong. She wasn’t gorgeous. She was whatever trumped that. Beauty so utterly breathtaking.

A slip of a thing, too. She couldn’t have been more than five foot four, five five at most, and yet she stood out like the focus point of a room. Like a beacon of light you couldn’t help but be drawn to.

I was fully aware I was staring at her, but I couldn’t look away. As if sensing my gaze on her, she stopped talking to Rafe and turned her attention to me.

Our eyes met, and holy shit…I’d never seen eyes like that. It knocked what little breath I had left straight from my lungs.

And the longer she stared, the more new, unfamiliar feelings swirled through my veins.

What the hell was she doing to me?

I couldn’t ask. Recognition dawned on her face. Her dark brows shot up, and she pursed her lips in a way that had me wondering if she was sucking on something sour.

Tearing her gaze from mine, she focused on my friend again. “Is this a joke? He’s the guy you want me to marry?”

Marry me?“What is she talking about?”

Rafe didn’t answer. The bastard didn’t even look at me. He just kept his gaze on the gorgeous creature who clearly had an issue withme.

I wanted to be offended, I really did. But watching her frown deepen and how she spoke animatedly and passionately held me captive. And when she lowered her voice, I couldn’t help but step closer.

Her gaze shot to me briefly before my friend had all her attention again. I suddenly had the urge to shove him out of the way just to be the only person she looked at.

The only one she talked to.

Speaking of talking…

I was fixated on her mouth. Her lips were plump and red. They were my new favorite thing, and…they were moving.