Page 164 of Stolen Moments

Holy fuck. I’m screwed. I don’t think I’m going to make it. She doesn’t even realize how gorgeous and sexy she is when … when she does anything. That’s how unassumingly stunning she is.

“Mason.”

My eyes find hers, giving her my full attention.

“What kind of burrito did you order?” she asks again.

“Ch—” My throat constricts, so I clear it. “Chicken.”

What the fuck, man? Get your shit together.

Biting her thick bottom lip, she fights a smile. Thankfully, she overlooks my bumbling and continues with the small talk. “Their chicken is good.”

With her help, I pull my head out of my ass.

Ass?Okay, fine. The gutter.

“Yeah. I was impressed by the food at Jace and Rylann’s rehearsal dinner.”

“It’s Rylann’s favorite spot. She introduced me to it when I first moved here, but over the summer, I went with her and Scarlett for lunch and I fell in love with it too. The owners are the nicest people. Did you know we designed their logo and website? Rylann loves going around town and getting businesses to change their graphics—”

“What about you? What do you like to do?” I interrupt.

She would talk about work all night if I let her. She loves her job and working with my sister-in-law.

“Well, you know, I liked doing corporate events, but…”

“But what?”

“Promise not to judge?”

“Why would I judge?”

She glares at me, and it’s adorable. I want to kiss that sassy look right off her face.

Instead, I throw my hands up in surrender. “I promise.”

“Well, helping Rylann plan the wedding was really fun. Growing up, my mother always threw these fancy parties and I always wondered what I would do differently. So maybe… I don’t know. I was thinking planning another wedding could be fun. You know, in my spare time, obviously,” she rambles.

She’s so fucking cute when she gets nervous.

“Then that’s what you should do.”

I unwrap my burrito and take a huge bite. The flavor hits my tongue, and I hum. It’s spicy and savory, and while it’s delicious, nothing tastes better than the woman next to me. The woman that consumes my every thought.

“Really?”

I shrug, wiping my mouth. “You should do whatever makes you happy. If that means planning weddings, do it. If it includes what you do now, great. If not, well, you can cross that bridge when you get to it.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, her eyes glassy.

“For what?”

“For listening and not judging me. For letting me figure it out on my own without pushing me towards something you think would be better.”

Her words hit me in the gut like a punch. That little bit of information says so much about her relationship with her parents. How they pushed her to be what they wanted her to be, instead of who she wants to be.

“Baby doll, you can do anything and everything you want, and I will stand by your side, supporting you. As long as you are happy—that’s all that matters to me. So if you want to startanother business, run a marathon, or climb Mount Everest, I will be there right beside you.”

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