Page 119 of Wedding Crasher

Okay. Small talk wasn’t going to work, but then in fairness he’d made that clear once this evening already.

‘So … why were you at the chapel, Gabe?’

‘I was looking for you.’

‘You were?’

He nodded. ‘I never said goodbye.’

Marla’s heart spluttered. No, no, no. Don’t say it now.

‘And I have something for you.’

He reached into his pocket and placed a white gift box with red ribbons on the bed next to Marla, and then glanced at his watch.

‘It’s five to midnight. You can open it in five minutes.’

Marla swallowed. So she had five little minutes to convince him to stay forever.

‘I have a gift for you, too.’ She licked her lips.

‘Really?’ He stepped closer, a wary flare of hope in his eyes.

She nodded. ‘Yup. You can have it in six minutes.’

Well, that should convince him to stay an extra minute, at least.

‘So what shall we do to pass the time?’ she asked.

She was completely into this game now. She had nothing to lose except him, and she wasn’t about to let that happen twice in her lifetime.

A small smile curved the corners of his mouth, and the guarded expression in his eyes cleared; he became as easy to read as A.B.C.

Or L.U.S.T., as seemed to be the case.

‘Witch.’ His hands found her waist and tugged her onto her feet.

‘Can I cast a spell over you to make you stay this time?’ she whispered.

His mouth was so close that she could have touched his lips with the tip of her tongue, but he didn’t kiss her. His beautiful eyes were full of questions.

‘Am I reading this wrong, Marla? Will you go back to hating me again tomorrow?’

‘I could never hate you.’ Her fingers curled around the neckline of his leather jacket in case he tried to move his warmth away from her.

‘You did a very good impression of it for a long time.’

‘I’m sorry. I was an idiot.’

Gabe nodded.

‘You’re not supposed to agree.’

He looked at his watch.

‘Thirty seconds.’

She closed her eyes as he reached out and held her face in his hands, his breath mingled with hers. Thank God. Her stomach twisted with pleasure in anticipation of his kiss.

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