Page 101 of Love Is Brewing

The dress stopped at her knees and she slipped her feet into a pair of black sexy pumps. All he could think of was getting this outfit off of her.

“You look stunning,” he said. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

“Don’t pick on me about avoiding. I just needed you to zip me,” she said. “And look at you. No jeans.”

“I don’t need my mother to ream my ass, but I’m not putting a suit on two days in a row.”

Not that this called for one.

He had on blue tailored pants, and a cream shirt with faint blue stripes in it tucked in. No belt, as it was not something he liked wearing.

Definitely not a tie!

“This is much sexier than a suit in my eyes,” she said.

He sat on the bed and put his brown shoes on. More like sneakers in his mind. The only way to get shoes on his feet.

“Then we can be sexy together,” he said, “because that dress is by far much better than any work wear you’ve got.”

“Lawyers are boring in their attire most times,” she said. “Especially in the courtroom. At least I am. I don’t want the jury focusing on me the wrong way. And before you complain again about me redirecting your question, New York City is still much livelier than Charlotte, but I felt somewhat comfortable here.”

“Somewhat?” she asked.

“More than Southern Pines for the fact when I was walking around no one stopped to talk to us. No one knew who we were. I’m sure West doesn’t have that luxury.”

“He has it more than you realize. Jamie is more recognized than us all and Laken had to get used to it.”

“Like me getting used to Southern Pines. I will admit I miss the quiet there. I hadn’t realized it until we were walking around. In Charlotte, the noise and action were just background to everything else going on in my life. But the quiet in Southern Pines has you focusing more on the real things.”

He thought about what Foster had said to him earlier. “Real things like what?” he asked pulling her close. “Like us?”

“Most definitely us,” she said. “Maybe not having the noise is what makes it so hard to filter out what is going on. At least for me.”

Which made a lot of sense.

More so when he realized it was as if that revelation just dawned on her.

“I’m used to filtering out the important things to see them better,” he said softly, his hand sliding down the side of her face.

She leaned into his palm.

“I’m glad one of us is. Maybe I can learn from you.”

He opened his mouth to confess his love for her, but Foster was knocking at the door telling him that West’s car just arrived.

Maybe it was for the best that he didn’t get to say it.

32

TWO STORIES

If Phoebe thought the dinner last night was an overload of the senses, it was nothing compared to the reception of Laken Carlisle and Jamie Wilde’s wedding with professional football players and other celebrities in the sports world.

Phones were checked at the door. Not surprising.

Only the photographer was allowed pictures.

She’d been told about the phone situation and decided to not bring hers at all. With her career, she wasn’t letting it in the hands of anyone, even if it couldn’t be unlocked.

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