Page 20 of Indiscretion

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Ben and Lily’s wedding was the most beautiful ceremony I’d ever been to. There wasn’t a dry eye in the forest today. Even my partner had to wipe his eyes a few times. Though knowing him, he’d probably deny he had tears like he’d denied being jealous earlier.

Speaking of which, Mr. Grumpypants caught my eye from the other side of the dance floor and walked my direction.

I looked away, not wasting any more of my attention on a man who didn’t appreciate it. But when he arrived before me, he extended a hand. “Would you like to dance?”

I frowned. “There’s no obligation to ask me to dance just because I’m your partner in the wedding.”

“It’s no obligation.” He added, “Please?”

I rolled my eyes, yet placed my hand in his. Dawson led us to the dance floor and wrapped his arm around my back, pulling me close. I’d never admit it, but it felt damn good.

“I owe you an apology,” he said.

“Hmmm… Would that be for breaking my knuckles with your face, insulting my dog, or yelling at me when I was only trying to help? You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

He smiled. “All of it. But I was referring to what you did with Emily this afternoon.”

“Her name is Emily, huh?”

Dawson nodded.

“There was a mean girl at my high school who made fun of my winter boots for being Schmuggs and not Uggs. Her name was Emily, too.”

“Must run in the name.”

“Is she?” I asked. “A mean girl, I mean?”

Dawson let out a deep breath. “She wasn’t always.”

“How long were you two together?”

“Not long. Three months. But we were friends for years.”

“Can I ask what happened?”

“You could, but that assumes I know the answer. We were casually dating, not exclusive or anything. One day she asked me if I’d been out with anyone else. I was honest and said yes. She didn’t seem upset about it. A few days later, I walked into our office to find her getting railed by a friend of ours. On my goddamned desk.”

My eyes bulged. “That sucks. Is it that guy she’s here with today?”

“It is.”

“For what it’s worth, he looks like a douchey frat boy.”

Dawson’s lip twitched. “His name is fucking Tad.”

“I bet he saysbroa lot, and probably pronounces it more likebruh, too.Bruh, did you see that chick I went out with last night? She was smokin’.”

Dawson chuckled. “That’s pretty damn spot on. Though the ladies do love him, for some reason.”

“I suspect that’s only true when you’re unavailable.”

“Thank you. My ego was feeling as beat up as I look.”

“You said, ‘I walked intoouroffice’… Does that mean you work with her?”

Dawson nodded. “She’s my partner.”

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