Page 28 of Heart Breaker

I reach for the fabric, my fingers brushing the back of her neck as I start to fasten the buttons. I don’t miss the way her shoulders tighten or the way her breath catches. A faint ripple of goosebumps rise over her smooth skin.

I take my time with them, more deliberately than necessary, my hands steady even if my focus isn’t entirely where it should be. When I finish the last one, my hands pause, and our eyes meet in the mirror again and hold.

There’s a beat where neither of us moves, where the room feels quieter than it should. I’m aware of everything—the space between us, how she smells like freshly picked peaches in the summer, the fact that I’m only an inch away from her but it still feels too far.

“Will there be anyone there today?” she asks, breaking the spell between us. “At the courthouse, I mean?”

I shake my head. “Just us.”

She nods once, as if absorbing that detail. “Does anyone know about our wedding besides Victoria?”

“My brothers do,” I say. “And their wives, Landyn and Madeline. I arranged for us to all have dinner afterward at Wave and Wharf. They’ll meet us there. Figured you’d want Madeline with you.”

Something in her expression eases at that. “Yeah. Thank you.” She pauses. “That sounds nice.”

“Good, I’m glad,” I say, hesitating for a moment before adding, “There’s one more thing.”

She turns around to face me, eyes narrowing like she’s already wary. “What?”

“The press will likely be there,” I say. “Victoria tipped them off that we’ll be dining together. It shouldn’t be too bad, but just wanted to warn you.”

She exhales, but she seems to be okay with it. “Thanks.”

“So,” I continue, keeping my tone even, “we should talk about boundaries, what we’re comfortable with. How do you feel about… public displays of affection?”

Her brows lift. “What exactly are you imagining?”

“Nothing extreme,” I grin, loving the blush that has crept over her skin. “Holding your hand. Pulling you in close.”

“That’s fine,” she says easily. “I can handle that.”

My eyes flick down to her mouth and her ridiculously perfect, full lips. “Maybe more than that,” I add.

Her head tilts slightly. “Like what?”

“A kiss.”

Her lips part, but she doesn’t reply at first. She just watches me, cheeks turning even brighter pink.

“I hadn’t really thought about that.”

I have. More than I should. It’s practically all I’ve been able to think about since the day I met her—since drinks with her, Madeline and Jesse at Remix last year.

“The first time I kiss you shouldn’t be in front of the press,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “If we leave it until then, it’s going to look exactly like what it is.”

Her eyes flicker between mine, searching. “And what’s that?”

“A first kiss,” I say simply.

A beat passes between us as I try to gauge her reaction, but her steady expression gives nothing away.

“I don’t think we can afford that,” I continue. “Not if this is supposed to hold up under scrutiny.”

She studies me for a second, then lets out a small breath. “You really think anyone’s going to notice?”

“Victoria thinks so,” I say. “And she knows what she’s doing.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”