Page 49 of If You Claim Me

“Kissed you like that.” My jaw clenches. My cock aches. My disgust is at an all-time high. She’s not here because she wants to be. She’s not my fiancée because she enjoys my company. She’s here to save herself from a lifetime of struggle and to give Meems hope that I won’t end up sad and alone.

“I kissed you back, Connor.” She’s right in front of me, close enough to touch.

“You didn’t really have a choice, did you?” I say through gritted teeth.

“There’s always a choice.” She settles a palm on my chest, but I can’t handle the contact.

Everything is heightened, and all I want is to feel her lips on mine and her soft tongue. I want her moans and her sighs and the feel of her skin under my fingers. But that’s a level of complication neither of us needs, so I step back out of reach.

“I’m overstimulated,” I snap.

She raises both hands. “I’m sorry.”

I turn away so I can adjust my erection, which is bent at an uncomfortable angle. “I need a moment, and you being in here is the opposite of helpful.”

I’m met with silence.

I sigh. Why do I always have to be an asshole? Mildred doesn’t deserve my bad mood. It’s not her fault I’m painfully attracted to her and struggling to manage my fucking hormones. “I’m?—”

I turn around so I can explain myself, but she’s gone.

Her disappearance is an effective solution to my problem below the waist. But when I’m finally in control enough to return to the living room, the photographer is gone as well, and my fiancée is nowhere to be found.

CHAPTER 14

DRED

“Iwish my gran read these kinds of books.” Tally’s eyes are wide, and her cheeks are red.

“I bet Dallas’s granny would totally read steamy romance,” Hemi muses.

“My grammy only reads autobiographies,” Rix sighs.

“My grandma loves cozy mystery,” Hammer says. “And my mom only reads self-help books.”

“I have loved romance my entire life. I wanted to be Cinderella when I was a little girl,” Essie confides. “But my hair wasn’t the right color, plus her stepsister situation wasn’t all that great.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” I agree.

“No one would be surprised to hear that Callie’s favorite is Merida.” Lexi rubs her baby belly.

“Not even a little,” I laugh.

“I always loved Pocahontas and Mulan,” Meems says thoughtfully.

“That tracks.” I grin.

She winks.

She’s been all smiles since the girls arrived for “book club” an hour and a half ago. It’s a new thing I sprang on them post-engagement photoshoot. I used the fact that we have an actual library as an excuse. But honestly, how could I not when I’ve been granted access to my very own personal library? It has nothing to do with needing insulation from Connor and the second kiss I can’t stop thinking about.

All it took was an invitation, and a time and date, and here they are. I’m sure they thought they’d have a chance to dig into my reasons for this development in my relationship situation. However, Meems is the hostess with the most-est, so they haven’t had an opportunity. But they’re inadvertently getting to know the primary reason I’m here, in this gorgeous space, so there’s that.

We’ve already made a list of books to read for the next several months, most of them selected by Meems, and now we’ve moved on to other topics, with the girls carefully side-stepping the wedding.

“I have the coolest idea for the library gala!” Hammer slaps her knee.

“I’m all ears,” Hemi says.