Page 71 of For the Promise

He fiddles with his glasses as he contemplates the floor of the room. “Um…”

He’s adorable when he’s flustered. I need to fluster him more often. Except he’s going to ghost me as soon as this wedding weekend is over. I scowl.

“I’m sorry.” He squeezes my hand. “I didn’t mean to call you a nerd.”

I don’t care if he calls me a nerd, but I roll with his apology. It’s better than thinking about how this man has been the sweetest, kindest man to me this weekend but it’s all a charade.

“How could you think I’m a nerd?” I challenge.

“Um…”

I bark out a laugh. “I got you.”

“You were making fun of me?” he grumbles.

“Not making fun of you. I love how comfortable you are in your skin. It’s a great trait.”

“But you laughed at me.”

“I didn’t laugh at you. I laughed at how I misled you. At how clever I am.”

His brow wrinkles. “You laughed at how clever you are?”

I open my mouth to respond but the person in front of me clears her throat. I frown at her. “What?”

She nods to the front of the room where Alan is standing with his groomsmen. He’s also glaring at us. Geez. Am I not allowed to have fun at his wedding? He’s the one who invited me.

I wave. His eyes narrow and he steps forward but the music begins and his best man pulls him back to his spot.

“You may not care for Alan,” Jaxon whispers to me, “but he still cares for you.”

“He doesn’t care about me. He wants my money. And for me to be miserable without him.”

The first bridesmaid glides down the aisle. I have to bite my lip when I see what she’s wearing.

The dress looks like a fight broke out between a corset and a cocktail napkin and bad taste won. The top is strapless with a sweetheart neckline, leaving little to the imagination. Especially when you add the sheer mesh panels with enough visible boning to warrant a PG-13 warning.

And the skirt? Flouncy, flirty, and dangerously short. One wrong breeze and the bridesmaids will be flashing half the wedding guests.

“If this is thebridesmaiddress, I’m scared to ask what the bride’s wearing.”

“Lingerie and a tiara?” Jaxon suggests and I have to slap a hand over my mouth before I bark out another laugh and earn the wrath of Alan once again.

“You’re trouble,” I mutter to him.

“There’s more to me than meets the eye.”

I am well aware. I have not only glimpsed beneath those nerdy clothes. I thought I reached the holy land when I did because holy mermaids swimming the sea! Someone’s been working out.

I’ve been inexplicably drawn to Jaxon since we first met. And since I’ve been getting to know him? I’m even more drawn to him.

I need to reinforce those steel walls around my heart before this weekend ends with me having a broken heart.

Chapter 23

“Someone should write a book with all the questions that are considered rude to ask.” ~ Jaxon

Jaxon

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