Page 107 of Pucking Sweet

His eyes are doing that stupid smolder thing. “You know, if you weren’t freezing me out right now, I’d take you to a dark corner and impolitely ask you to smear that red lipstick all over my dick.”

My heart skips as I glance around, praying no one heard him. “Heavens, is this how you’re greeting all the guests tonight?”

“No, just you.”

“Well, thank you.”

“My pleasure. It could be yours too,” he adds with a wink.

“I’m a little busy at the moment, running this event, remember?”

“But you’re saying there’s a chance.” His gaze traces me up and down again. “At an event you’renotrunning, all bets are off. Yes?”

“Why are you still standing in front of me?”

He laughs, popping one of the mini quiches in his mouth. “I’ll go mingle now, yeah? Anyone in particular youwant me to fleece?”

“The ladies talking to Mars.” I point their way. “They’re all richer than god, and they like chatting with charming young men.”

“Say less.” He squares his shoulders, ready to pounce.

As he turns away, I can’t help myself. “Hey—have you seen Colton yet?”

Colton was signed up as one of my volunteers. I had him down to help run the silent auction table.

Lukas turns back, his smile falling. “Yeah, uhh…he texted that he’s not gonna make it. Family emergency, I think.”

Family emergency?Well, if that’s not the most rote excuse in the freaking book. Is he punishing me for daring to have feelings for Lukas? If he is, I think I’m gonna scream, then cry, then eat a pint of Neapolitan ice cream.

Worse, what if that’s how deeply I’ve hurt him? What if he can’t even bear to face me now? What if I’ve broken his heart and shattered his dreams, and he’s currently at home cursing the day he ever met me? I blink rapidly, fighting the sudden stinging in the corners of my eyes.

“Poppy…”

“No, that’s totally fine. It’s not like this was mandatory.”

“Pop, I really think it was an emergency.”

“Mhmm. Will you just excuse me for a second?” I step past him.

I amnotcrying over a boy right now. Blame my family drama, blame my anxiety, but I think all this pressure is finally starting to get to me. Lukas follows as I duck behind the catering curtain. We step through into the empty exhibit wing.

“Pop, come on, don’t make me chase you,” he calls. “Seriously, I have, like, zero tread on these damn tuxedo shoes.”

“I’m fine, Lukas. Just go mingle, please.”

“If you want Cole so badly, why haven’t you gone to him yet? Why are you making him sweat it out?”

I groan, turning to face him. “It’s not that simple.”

“Oh shit.” He grabs my arm. “Wait. Poppy, are you picking me?”

“No,” I cry, pulling my arm free. “I’m not picking either of you!”

His eyes narrow. “Why not?”

“Because I hardly know you! I hardly know Colton either, and he’salready saying he’ll follow me to the ends of the freaking earth. You don’t think that’s a little premature? Maybe even a little crazy?”

He shrugs. “Not really.”

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