Page 112 of Party Favors

“By taking things this slow, you made me think you didn’t like me.”

He kissed my hand again. “I was trying not to scare or overwhelm you.”

So he had been treating me like a skittish horse, too.

Vella was right and we were both stupid.

“And now that we’ve both admitted that we like each other,” he said, “what does it look like moving forward?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you scared?”

“More excited than scared,” I confessed, and he grinned at me again.

“I can work with that.”

“I’m guessing we probably have more to talk about,” I said. “Someplace that isn’t your cousin’s in-laws’ home. Maybe you can come over to my place after the shower ends and we can have dinner together and figure things out.”

His eyes were intense and hungry. “Yes, there’s more that needs to be said. But after we finish talking, I’m going to kiss you until you forget what words are.”

My heart fluttered in anticipation. I’d been kissed by him twice now, so I knew it wouldn’t take me very long for him to get me to that point. “We should get back to the shower.” My voice was breathy and weird but he seemed to like it. “I have to go find out who won the pacifier contest.”

“I did.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I have all fifty pacifiers.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “What made you decide to dominate the game?”

With a wicked grin he said, “I heard there was a prize involved and I already know what I want.”

Then he brought my hand up to his lips again, but instead of a single kiss like he’d already given me, he began to kiss each knuckle. Each press of his warm lips to my skin made me feel like he was marking me his. He turned my hand over and kissed the inside of my wrist, smiling against the way my pulse hammered beneath his mouth.

Each kiss was like a promise of what was to come, and I wished we weren’t in a room full of so many other people.

But soon ... soon I would have him all to myself.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Max and I rejoined the shower, which was still going strong. No one seemed to notice or complain about smaller portions at lunch or the mismatched tables and chairs. Everyone seemed to be very happy and Jeanine’s idea to keep all of the champagne flutes topped off was an excellent one.

Everywhere I went, every person I spoke to, I could feel Max’s gaze on me. There was something slightly predatory and possessive about it that thrilled me, like he couldn’t wait to get me alone.

I helped with as much cleanup as I could in the kitchen, away from the guests. We wouldn’t be able to start breaking down everything else until most of the people had left.

And apparently the guests were having such a great time that nobody wanted to go. I was going to have to kick them out soon because the vendors were going to show up with their teams, expecting to pack everything back up.

Vella came over to offer me a glass of champagne but I shook my head. I wanted a clear head and to be totally present for Max later on.

“Why are you so giggly-looking?” she asked.

“I can’t stop smiling.”

“Yeah, you kind of look like the Joker.” Then she gasped. “Did you work things out with Max?”

“Yes, but we’re going to talk some more.”

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