Page 50 of The Love Trick

It’s adorable, and I can’t help but feel jealous.

Everyone around me thinks that I’m closing in on my happily ever after, and it’s not even remotely the truth. In fact, it’s far from the truth. I’m so freaking far from my happy ending that Blaze being here as my fake boyfriend only serves as a reminder of howaloneI really am.

“It’s time to throw the bouquet!” Aurora yells and pumps her fist. “Come on, ladies!”

“Go ahead.” Blaze urges me forward. “Just dodge it if it comes to you.”

“Yeah, okay.” I roll my eyes at his comment, and he grins. I join the other women, a group of about twenty. I stare down at my sandals for the countdown, and only when she tosses it do I look up.

And it comes straight for me.

Just as I’m about to step back, everything seemingly in slow motion, I realize I can’t let those flowers hit the ground… It would upset Aurora… So…

I catch them.

And everyone goes nuts, cheering for me—forus. I make my way toward Blaze, whose eyes are on me. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do. I hold the bouquet up in a littlelook at thisgesture. But he doesn’t smile. His eyes are filled with something else.

Admiration.

I glance over my shoulder to see what he’s looking at, but there’s no one else there. Taking a deep breath, I make it to him, pressing the pretty white and purple flowers to his chest. “I caught it.”

“Yeah, you did.” His tone is deep and husky. So much so that I tilt my head up to meet his eyes. “Was that planned?”

I shake my head, butterflies fluttering as his hand lands over mine. “No. It wasn’t planned—not by me, anyway.” I feel eyes on us, and as I peer past him, I see my whole family watching our exchange. “Everyone is looking at us.” He purses his lips and traces his fingers along my jaw, threading them into my hair.

“What’re you doing?” I whisper.

He doesn’t answer.

Well, not with his voice.

In seconds, his lips are on mine. I don’t even process what’s happening before my mind goes blank, and I find myself melting into the kiss.

I dropthe flowers to wrap my arms around his neck as our kiss deepens, his grip tightening as I part my lips for him. All the dreams, hopes, and desires I had for him in college pour out into our kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth, igniting a fire within me that I never knew existed.

I cling to him in disbelief, my heart pounding so hard that I fear it might burst from my chest. I nip at his lower lip, desperate for more. He tastes like citrus and mint, a heady combination that only adds to the intoxication of his touch. His fingers trail down my spine, sending shivers through me as he pulls me closer.

This kiss is charged and explosive, and I forget we’re in a room full of people. All I can concentrate on is Blaze. His warmth, his taste, his strong fingers in my hair. His arm around my waist. His entire body pressed against mine. There’s no air between us.

It’smagical.

And it feels all wrong when he pulls away.

We broke the rules.

My mouth falls open with the realization, and I peer around us, but most of the family is back on the dance floor now. No one’s paying us much mind anymore.

“I’m…” Blaze’s voice trails off as he picks up the flowers and hands them to me. “I didn’t mean… I was just trying to react the way…”

I nod, trying to brush it off—like I didn’t just have the best freaking kiss of my entire life. I squeeze the bouquet and stare at him,waitingfor him to say that he wants this to be real. My heart beats wildly in my chest.

Tell me you’re in love with me. Please.

“I shouldn’t have broken the rules,” he finally says, looking down at his feet. “It just felt like the right thing to do with everyone watching us. Most guys would’ve given their girl a kiss.”

“Like a peck on the lips,” I say flatly, disappointment hitting me like a freight train. “You just made out with me.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

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