Page 76 of The Best I Never Had

“She doesn’t want to be your mistress, Cami,” I say, turning my attention back to the reduction.

Camila rolls her eyes, but Thea barks out a laugh, and I think I could be content with only making Thea laugh for the rest of my life.

“Sorry, but he’s right. Should have made your move a few days ago,” she says.

A low growl rumbles in my throat, and I tug her to my side.

Cami groans. “I hate being the only one who knows about this. Y’all are disgusting and Mira doesn’t like gossip.”

“Do you need to talk now?” Thea asks. “I offered to run into town to grab the wedding bands from the jeweler.”

Camila hops off the counter. “No worries. Just find me when you get back.”

After Camila leaves, Thea grabs her purse from the counter. Before she can reach the door, I snake my arm around her waist.

“You’re leaving already?” I ask. “We haven’t made the buttercream yet.”

She lifts her brow at me. “You already told me that’s a one-person job.”

I drop my mouth to the place where her shoulder and neck meet. “What about my moral support?”

She laughs but tilts her head to give me better access. “Poor baby, having to make a batch of buttercream without someone to build up your ego.”

I twirl her to face me, loving the way her hands land on my chest like they belong there. “Stay.”

She nibbles on her lip. “I wish I could, but I promised I’d get the rings before the spa trip with your mom. We’re supposed to meet her at four.”

It’s only 12:30 PM. It’ll take about thirty minutes to make the Swiss meringue buttercream, plus a twenty-minute trip into town. Plenty of time to get the rings, even lunch, and still be back before she needs to meet Addy and my mom.

“We can make it work. Keep me company, and then we can go into town together and be back well before four.”

“I don’t know,” she says as her fingertips absentmindedly drift over the fabric of my shirt. “I should probably just get them and get back.”

I bend my knees to catch her gaze. “Imagine it. A couple hours of us hanging out with no worries about who may see us.”

“That does sound nice.”

“Then say you’ll stay,” I say.

She drops her head to my shoulder. I want to gather her even closer, to keep her there forever.

“Okay, but we need to be more careful. The wedding’s so close. We can’t get caught now. No more stolen moments in closets or staring at each other from across the room. And good lord, no more touching underneath the table.”

I laugh, and she shushes me, placing both hands over my mouth as I tighten my arms around her waist.

“Fine, but I’d like to set the expectation up front that I’m going to kiss you as many times as possible today while we’re away from my family,” I say, the words muffled by her hands.

The sexiest smirk slides over her lips. “You better.”

Chapter 23

THEA

We fucked up.

I can hardly see through the sheets of rain pounding the windshield. Thunder booms so loudly that it shakes my poor little car. My tires fight to hold on to the road as it weaves around the mountains.

“Thea, we have to pull over,” Owen says, clutching the “oh shit” handle on the ceiling like Hell’s trying to suck us through a portal and his grip’s the only thing preventing our demise.