Page 81 of Wedding Crasher

Marla laughed. ‘And there’s the understatement of the year. Joan Rivers wouldn’t get a word in edgeways with her.’

‘Has she always been that way?’

‘Pretty much. She goes at everything full-throttle. We moved house a lot when I was a kid because she was always searching for something or someone new.’ Marla shrugged. ‘Bit exhausting, really.’

Gabe’s eyes were troubled as she reached for the PBJ sandwiches and handed him one.

‘Brynn seems … interesting?’

Marla snorted. ‘That’s one way to describe him. He’s okay I guess, in a freaky, homicidal kind of way.’ She laughed shakily and bit into her sandwich.

He eyed the one she’d slid onto his plate with trepidation. ‘I’m not so sure I’m going to like this.’

‘Be brave. Trust me. It’s the best sandwich in the world.’

After a couple of bites, he set it down with a frown. ‘I guess now would be a bad time to mention my peanut allergy.’

‘Holy shit! Gabe!’

He burst into laughter. ‘Just kidding, no need to dial 999.’ He looked at the PBJ sandwich again. ‘No, it’s … it’s interesting. Kind of salty but sweet at the same time.’

Marla nodded enthusiastically. ‘That’s the whole genius of PBJ.’

He leaned back on his elbows and stared at her. ‘In fact, Marla Jacobs, if you were a sandwich, I’d say you were a PBJ.’

The look in his eyes made her stomach flip. ‘Because?’

‘Well, for one, you’re American.’ He counted on his fingers and she nodded acceptance of the tag.

‘Secondly, you have strawberry hair.’

She screwed her face up, well aware that she was having what could definitely be classed as a bad hair day. ‘I’m not sure that’s really such a compliment …’

‘Thirdly, you have prickly, salty edges that make you unpredictable.’

‘I’m darnsurethat’s not a compliment.’

‘Wait. There’s one more.’

She braced herself.

He lay on his side propped up on one elbow, the mirror image of her pose opposite him. His fingertips brushed hers on the blanket as he held her gaze.

‘Number four. You’re utterly delicious.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Pow!

A nuclear lust bomb exploded behind her rib cage, sending slivers of awareness hurtling through her body in all directions. Her bare toes tingled, and goosebumps shot up all over her arms. It was too much of a sensory overload. Marla needed to put some space between them fast – or else she’d jump his bones right there and then.

She scrabbled to her feet and made a dash for the back door, not brave enough to look back. ‘I, er, I need the loo. Back in a sec.’

In the cool, safe sanctuary behind the locked bathroom door, Marla stared at her reflection incredulously. ‘What the hell are you playing at?’ she hissed at her pink-cheeked, sparkly-eyed evil twin in the mirror.

‘Having fun with a drop-dead gorgeous man. Itismy birthday, after all,’ her reflection wheedled right back. If reflections could stick their tongues out, Marla had no doubt that hers would have at that moment.

‘You’re drunk!’

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