Her breath catches as I kiss her more deeply, reveling in the way she feels against me for another full minute before stepping back. "You made me forget where I am again, darling. Such a saucy little thing."
She smacks the front of my jacket. "Saucy would beyou, mister.”
There’s a twinkle in her eye that ignites my soul. Layne is into me and wants this just as much as I do. Which means I now have two important goals this weekend.
Win the Gillis business.
And, much more importantly, win Layne’s heart.
5
LAYNE
This can't be happening.
My grouchy boss who had been behaving like a robot for the first month I was working for him has turned into an unbelievably attentive date.
I'm delighted, but it's kind of weird. Not to mention that my knees are still trembling from that incredible kiss as we navigate the buffet and make endless chitchat with people we’re pretending to vaguely remember.
Finally, we run into the bride-to-be near the dessert table.
Here goes nothing.
I shake her hand warmly. "Congratulations, Angela. You picked a stunning hotel for this weekend."
She smiles with a slightly desperate look in her eyes, as if mentally scanning her list of contacts to figure out who the heck I am.
I laugh lightly for a second, then lean in to whisper. “I'm married to Mack." My head tilts toward him as he shakes her fiancé Steven’s hand.
"Mack used to be married to Sheena, your late aunt who passed away six years ago. He's also an old friend of your dad's."
Her eyes brighten, buying it. "So lovely of you both to come."
"Well, we weren't sure if we should, since we haven't seen everyone in so long. But then Astor and Ryland caught wind that we had been invited and insisted we accept."
Angela giggles. “You don't happen to know what color their hair is this week, do you?"
I laugh with her. "Nope, no idea."
"Steven and I have a bet on it," she whispers. "He thinks they'll go with something garish like acid green or orange. I think they're going to choose something quieter, to blend in a bit better."
"How much is the bet for?"
"Loser runs and unloads the dishwasher for a week."
I squeeze her hand. "I hope you win."
We chat about the decor and the perfect weather for a few minutes, then Mack takes my arm and leads me away to make room for the next people who want to wish the happy couple well.
Some guests are doing round two of the buffet, but Mack and I head back to our observation spot by the patio doors. I keep looking around for these famous cousins. I know that Astor and Ryland are on the edges of the family circle. Maybe they're intentionally coming late so they don't have to mingle with people they don't know for too long.
Mack's hand tightens around my waist as he looks down at me. I'm definitely not imagining the way his gaze skims over my cleavage, then lower.
"I love that your dress is flowery," he murmurs quietly. "It's so sweet."
"The stylist said that summer weddings always have a floral theme."
He chuckles. "You never know. What if it had been…pirate themed?"