Page 42 of The Secrets We Treasure

“I love you too,” Greer answered.

With that, Francie hurried away.

Greer tipped his head, a perplexed expression overtaking his handsome face. “She’s acting strange. I hope she’s okay.”

“Maybe the hubbub of the crowd is getting to her,” Treasure said casually.

“Yeah, maybe,” Greer answered, but his expression was unconvinced. A second later, he eyed her. “So, T. We’ve got some lost time to make up for.”

A smile curved her lips. “What do you have in mind?”

“Hmm …” He caught hold of her hand and pulled her into his arms. “We could take up right where we left off,” he murmured in a husky tone.

Her breath came faster as she rested her palms against the firmness of his muscles. “Good idea, but maybe we could do so in private … without an audience.” Her gaze darted around the room before resting back on him. “The public believes I’m engaged to another man.” Good grief, it was hard to concentrate when her body was practically trembling from being in his arms.

Amusement danced in his eyes, turning them a fascinating amber that reminded her of soft caramel. “Even more reason to stake my claim.”

“I’m not a piece of property,” she retorted.

He cocked a grin. “No, you’re not.” He took in a resolute breath. “Okay, let’s get out of here.”

Her jaw went slack. “But this is your party.” She glanced at the large stack of wrapped presents near the cake. “You haven’t even opened your gifts.” Come to think of it, she’d not gotten him a gift. She’d been so caught up in surprising him and taking care of her mom that she’d not thought about it.

“I’ll open them later. It’s my birthday. I have the prerogative to do anything I want,” he boasted.

She lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “Within reason.”

He chuckled. “There you go again … worried about following the rules.”

“Someone has to be the adult.”

A large smile filled his face. “See, that’s why we’re so good together. You keep me in line, and I keep you from becoming a bore.”

“Hey,” she protested. “I’m not a bore.” She was going to say more but then saw his mischievous expression. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“What?” he asked innocently.

“Razzing me.”

Laughter zinged in his eyes. “You always have been an easy target.”

She shook her head. “And you’ve always known which of my buttons to push.”

His eyes deepened with intensity as a slow smile stole over his lips. He leaned so close that his breath tickled her skin. “That’s the fun part.”

The air took on a charge of electricity that surged pure adrenaline through her. The attraction between them had always been off-the-charts. So much so that Treasure had questioned over the years if she’d built it up in her mind. Nope. She hadn’t.

“Let’s go,” he uttered.

“What about my piece of cake?”

His eyes widened with mirth. “I’m sure we can pack you a piece to go.”

“I’m just kidding. I don’t need any cake.” Just you, her mind added.

He released her waist and caught hold of her hand, threading his fingers through hers. As he was leading her through the maze of people, Treasure looked across the room. Laci was watching the two of them with what could only be described as an anguished expression. When she realized that Treasure had noticed her, she offered a strained smile.

Treasure smiled back, guilt churning her stomach. Had Madeline’s assertion been correct? Did Laci have a thing for Greer? A more likely scenario was that Laci was feeling left out because Treasure and Greer were pairing off. That’s how it had been when Greer and Treasure were together before, but the three of them weren’t teenagers anymore and had hopefully moved past being so childish and petty. Laci had gone to a great deal of trouble to host the party. Perhaps she was frustrated that the birthday boy was leaving. Or maybe she feared that Greer was still steeped in grief and not ready for another relationship.

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