Page 34 of I Love You, I Hate You
Owen was seized with the desire to say something completely stupid, likeI could spend the rest of my life learning about you, but he caught himself just in time. “Good thing I like a challenge,” he said instead, and she smiled against his neck.
“I feel like I should protest being categorized as a challenge.”
“And I feel like you should recognize a compliment when you get one,” he rejoined.
Victoria snorted and he tucked her against him more closely. “You’re pretty challenging yourself, you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said, and he could practically feel her eyes roll.
“Are you always this exhausting?”
“Always,” he said, grinning.
Victoria lifted her head and looked him in the eye. He couldn’t remember her ever looking at him like this, soft and serious. “Thank you. For bringing me along.”
“You’re glad you came?” His throat was thick and he had to clear it a few times.
“Yeah, I am.” Victoria said. She licked her lips, eyes darting to his mouth. He wondered if she could feel his heart pounding through his suit. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you. You’re a hell of a dancer,” he said, steering them into much safer waters.
The heaviness of a moment ago lifted. “Well I’m certainly better than you,” she laughed.
“That’s not exactly hard.”
“No, it really isn’t,” she said. Impulsively he brushed a kiss to her temple, and when she didn’t pull away he swept his thumb back and forth across the delicate bump of her lower spine. She ducked her head to his shoulder again and they swayed in place, her hand coming to rest just above his heart with his own hand covering it. Slowly Owen dipped his head down until his lips met the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Victoria shivered and goosebumps broke out across her skin. She made a quiet noise in her throat and he wanted to curse the DJ when the next song began and it was “Shout” instead of another slow song.
Victoria pulled away reluctantly and silence hung awkwardly between them. They kept veering towards “acting like we’re legitimately dating” and Owen couldn’t tell how genuine it was on her part. He generally favored blunt conversations about feelings, but he had a gut feeling that would make Victoria bolt. “I’ll go get us drinks,” he offered, rubbing the back of his neck, and she nodded.
He was waiting for the bartender to finish pouring their drinks—red wine for him, a martini for her—when the groom shouldered in next to him. “Good to see you, man,” Andy said with a genial clap on his back. “A white wine for me and a Scotch for the Mrs.,” he added to the bartender. “Did my eyes deceive me or are you here with Victoria? When you said you were bringing someone I’d never have guessed it was her. Are you guys together?”
Owen shrugged, and when Andy raised his eyebrows he sighed. “It’s a long story. She wanted to come but she’d missed the RSVP deadline, so I thought I’d . . . help her out.”
“Help. Yeah. Definitely looks like you’rehelpingher out there.”
“Shut up,” Owen grumbled.
Andy grinned. “When did that start?”
“Not exactly sure.”
Now Andy cocked his head. “That sounds intriguing.”
“It sounds like it’s none of your damn business. Don’t you have a brand new wife to get back to?” Owen asked, cracking a grin.
“Who do you think sent me over here to get the details? We’re a nosy-ass family.”
Owen shook his head and clinked his glass with his friend’s. “Congrats, you know. I’m really happy for you both.”
A misty look came over Andy’s dark brown eyes as he found Cassie in the crowd, sitting next to Victoria at a table near the dance floor. “I’m pretty damn lucky, aren’t I?”
Owen followed his gaze and once again his heart thumped painfully against his ribcage. “Yeah. You are,” he agreed.
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