Page 22 of How to Resist Prince Charming

“What?” Erica said, and—oh, dear God—she moved even closer, putting her ear against Lenna’s mouth and making Lenna lean against him even more.

Braxton’s chest shook with laughter.

“My name is Lenna,” Lenna tried again.

“Lenny?” Erica asked, lifting her face to frown.

“Len-nah!”

“Oh. Linda!” Erica cheered, laughing a nasally cackle that caused Lenna to jerk in surprise.

Braxton, who was keeping her captive by sandwiching her between him and Erica, felt the jolt and held his face tight as he tried to stop sniggering.

Erica repeated her question about knowing Braxton.

“He’s my dad’s boss,” Lenna explained. She tried to smile politely but she looked more like a cornered rabbit wanting to escape.

Erica grinned with teeth too large for her mouth. She looked at Braxton over Lenna’s shoulder. “Your dad’s Braxton’s boss, huh? That’s nice.”

Lenna tried to cut in. “No, he’s my dad’s—”

But Braxton’s hand tightened on her waist. He leaned forward and spoke into her ear. “Don’t even bother. Trust me, it’s not worth the effort. She won’t get it.”

Erica continued to chat about Braxton running into his boss’s daughter. “How wonderful,” she cackled. “Isn’t it lucky you guys ran into each other. I bet you have plenty to tell your boss come Monday, don’t you, Braxton?” She exhausted the subject to no end, snorting at her own jokes and drifting even closer to them.

Finally, Lenna leaned back against Braxton and muttered, “Help,” from the side of her mouth.

He chuckled and stepped back to give her space, which she gobbled up at once.

“Hey, I’m going to escort Lenna back to her friends,” he said to Erica, interrupting her in midsentence, the only way he’d discovered he could get a word in edgewise.

“Oh. Okay, then,” Erica said, smiling that huge-toothed smile. “It’s was nice to meet you, Jenna.”

“It’s Len—”

Braxton tugged her away.

“That was cruel and unusual punishment,” Lenna grumbled and testily jerked her elbow from his hold.

Stunned by the force in which she rebuffed him, Braxton pulled to a surprised halt. He looked down at her with instant worry but was relieved to see amusement lurking in her expression. Without thinking about it, he brushed her hair off her forehead and out of her eyes to see her face more clearly.

She looked so transfixed by the move, she didn’t attempt to stop him.

“I’m sorry, but I was desperate. I needed you to see what I’ve been suffering through all night so you’d have pity and rescue me.”

Lenna’s lips parted. Her green gaze couldn’t seem to leave his. “It worked.”

She took his hand, their fingers lacing once again, and she led him across the room to her group.

Lenna introduced him to three attractive girls. Trista, Robin and Audrey. They were about to take a round of Jäger Bombs. Before he could refuse, Braxton found a shot glass and another cup being shoved into his hands.

“Oh,” he said, surprised. “Umm…Thanks.” He glanced toward his group. Greg, Nadine, and Erica were still sitting at the table, chatting away without him. He turned back to Lenna. She had her own set of glasses and grinned as she lifted them in a toast.

“To blind dates,” she called, and dropped the shot of Jägermeister into the cup of Red Bull. “May we never have to go on another one again.” Then she downed the contents in one slug.

Shrugging, Braxton did the same. Her friends gathered curiously around him to ask him about himself. But before he could open his mouth, Lenna jumped in, telling them he still worked at ProTech. Since she obviously didn’t want them to know he was her father’s boss, he kept his mouth shut and let her tell her version.

She was in the middle of her tall tale when Erica appeared at his side and leaned up to talk in his ear.

---