Page 97 of Love Arranged

I shouldn’t say yes. If I were anything like my uncle or cousins, I would stick to my original answer and tell him no, but then I think about what that would look like for him should I refuse to help him out.

Manny is a good guy. He goes out of his way to check on me even when I don’t do the same, and he’s decent at blackjack and poker after I taught him a few tricks. Even though we are complete opposites, I like his company, and the thought of upsetting him enough to risk losing it makes my throat tighten.

Maybe Lily was right, because the thought of being alone is more than tiring.

It’sunsettling.

When I first moved to Lake Wisteria, I never cared about making friends, but now I’m thinking about what could happen should I upset the only real one I have.

Not a risk I’m willing to take.

Selfishness has always been my default setting, but tonight I am choosing to put someone else first while receiving nothing but their company in return. All because Lily is right and Iamtired of being alone.

And I have no idea what to do with that new piece of information about myself.

22

LILY

When Lorenzo walks into Night Cap wearing a shirt that surely can’t be his, I burst out laughing, earning the attention from other tables nearby. I can’t help my reaction, but his bold outfit is too much to bear.

I look over at Manny to find him dressed in one that looks a little too tight on his bulkier frame. Jane seems to appreciate it because I find her ogling his arms, which look more defined thanks to what I assume must be Lorenzo’s shirt.

Part of me wants to bring up the suspected shirt swap in conversation, but I’m not sure if Jane is aware of it, so I keep quiet.

Instead I jump out of my seat and throw my arms around him. “Love the outfit, baby.”

His hands find the curve of my ass and stay there,claiming me in front of the entire bar full of twenty- and thirty-somethings. “Make another comment about it and I’ll find a better way to keep your mouth busy.”

A pleasant warmth rolls through me at the unspoken promise.

For the love of God, can you control yourself?

Nope.

“What if I like the sound of that?” I brush my thumb across his bottom lip.

“You’re trouble.” His lashes flutter as his eyes start to close.

Fake. Fake. Fake, I chant, like that can stop me from feeling all warm at the obvious sign of his arousal.

At least his reaction to my touch makes me feel slightly less guilty about mine.

When I pull my hand away from his face, his eyes snap open, and like that, we’re back to playing our roles.

Manny takes the empty chair beside Jane, and Lorenzo picks the one to my left.

I give them a little privacy as I look over at myboyfriend, whose gaze is already focused solely on me. “So…strawberries?”

“Lily,” he warns in a voice that should be reserved for the bedroom, because the indecent things it does to my body are not meant for public consumption.

“What? I’m commenting on the pattern.”

“I warned you.” He reaches across the wood table, laces our fingers together, and gives me a squeeze.

Regardless of how many times he holds my hand, it always feels like the very first time—with my heart skipping and my skin prickling with awareness.

“I’m pretty sure I have a dress with a similar pattern somewhere in my closet.”