Page 64 of A Forever Love

Merida drapes a matching shawl over her shoulders as she strides toward the elevators. “You really do suck at giving compliments.”

I suppress my smile and quickly catch up to her in a few determined strides. My hand trembles slightly before I clench it into a fist, clutching the small velvet pouch in my pocket.

“I’ve got something for you. It’ll complement the dress perfectly.” My words come out rushed as a tightness grows in my chest. I reach for her wrist and gently place a small pouch in her outstretched hand. Merida gazes at me with a puzzled expression before untying the knot. She pulls out a delicate choker with a slender chain adorned with freshwater pearls and a small emerald at its center.

Her hands tremble as she holds the necklace. “I can’t take it, Carter. This belonged to your mom.”

“It’s just a loan for tonight.” I try to smile, hoping to erase her doubts and my own fears. Letting go of any of my mother’s possessions has been a challenge since her passing, but for Merida, it feels right. Mom would have loved her jewelry on my mittens.

The elevator doors open right on time, and I gently retrieve the necklace from her hand. “Turn around. Consider it compensation for my poor complimenting skills.”

As Merida remains still, I place my hands on her shoulders. A subtle shiver runs through her when my touch brands her bare skin, and tension grips every muscle in my body. I consciously steady my hands, determined not to let them tremble as I fasten the clasp beneath her loosely gathered hair.

“How does it look?” Mere lifts her gaze slowly.

“Splendidly hot and gloriously stunning.”

A smile pulls on her lips, warming my chest. “You listened.”

“To you? Always.”

“Then let’s show those men what an amazing couple we are.”

And isn’t that the best thing I’ve heard all week.

* * *

“You still sure about this?”

“Do you think they won’t buy it?” Her voice wavers with uncertainty and hesitation, and I want to kick myself for making her second-guess.

“Hell no. I believe you’ll have them wrapped around your finger in no time.” I envelop her cold hands in mine. “Remember how quickly you won over Jason Gibson and his wife?”

“Yes, everything is going to be okay.” She nods more than a few times, as if reassuring herself, before taking a deep breath.

“It’s not just going to be okay. It’s going to be fantastic. Let’s eat, drink, dance—”

“And dazzle the gossip queens of the award committee.” She grins softly, and I reach out to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, not entirely certain if it was meant to rest on her cheek.

“You won’t have to try too hard for that, mittens.”

True to my words, Merida and I are immediately surrounded by the members of the award committee and their wives, all eager to meet my girlfriend after Jason Gibson and his wife had circulated that we were the cutest couple in town.

“How did you two meet?” Jason asks after we’ve all grabbed champagne flutes.

Panic courses through me. Fuck. It didn’t even occur to me that Mere and I should have discussed and synchronized our stories. With anyone else, the first step would have been sharing details about our likes, dislikes, and the story of how we met. While I try to come up with a sensible response, Merida beats me to it.

“We met at a shooting range.”

“Really?” Sandra exclaims. “That’s the most unusual meet-cute I’ve heard.”

“So, Merida, does this mean you can shoot?” Shawn Hades raises an eyebrow.

“I can hold my own,” Mere responds cautiously, while an uncomfortable feeling develops in the pit of my stomach.

“Would it be too impolite of me to propose a friendly challenge, then?”

Before I can protest or rip out the man’s throat, Sandra shakes her head. “No way, Shawn. You’ve had enough to drink, and we stopped those challenges for a reason.” She then turns to Merida. “If we let them, these guys would turn the range into their private playground and never join us at the table.”

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