Page 113 of The Proposal Pact
“Oh, my dear Sophie, I’m so glad you agreed to come over for dinner! I can’t tell you how sorry I am for how I behaved last time. I wanted to come and beg for your forgiveness a million times, but Julie told me to give you some time. Did it work? Maybe I should’vejust gone with my gut. You know, I’ve wanted another daughter for so long, I’m terrified of messing it up. Again,” she rambles, fast.
“Mom!” Julie chuckles. “Maybe let them come inside for starters?”
“Oh, yes, yes.” Lily steps aside, ushering us in. “I’ve asked around and made all of your favorite dishes tonight.”
“You have?” My eyebrows hit my hairline.
“Oh yes! I hope I did them right.”
“I-I’m sure they’ll be delicious, Lily. Thank you.” My throat clogs with emotion as we move farther into the house.
In my world, only people who loved me have cooked for me like that. And I can’t have Lily Lovinski love me. This whole thing is already getting too complicated.
Maybe Clover was right, and we should’ve declined this dinner invitation after all. I grip his hand harder.
“I thought this was a family dinner,” Clover grumbles, watching the very full living room we just entered.
“It is,” Fanny gives him a look that says,try to deny it, I dare you.
“Jesus Christ,” Clover throws his arms up. “Can there be at least one normal dinner night in this house? And what are you doing here, fucker?” he asks Luke who’s casually sitting on the couch with my best friend, who smiles too wide for it to be real. Oh no, it’s a smile of a traitor!
What a little…I send a glare her way. She never told me she’d be here.
Besides those two and Fanny, Jenny, Nina, and Willa are also here.
“I’m your fifth cousin from the third uncle on Mom’s side, not by blood. Thank God.”
“You’re the growing pain in my ass, that’s what you are.”
“Good luck getting rid of me.” Luke gives him the most shit-eating grin that makes me giggle.
“What?” I feign innocence when Clover throws a glaremyway. “Your friends are funny.”
“Heard that, asshole. We’re funny. Wait till we tell you all of Cal’s embarrassing stories tonight.” Griffin waggles his eyebrows.
“Mm-hmm, fucking unicorns with rainbows over their heads,” he tells them, making Luke and Griff dissolve in a fit of laughter before he pulls me in close, leans into me, and whispers, “Funny, huh? I’ll show your ass funny later tonight.”
I tilt my head up, biting my lip. “You should know better than to tease me with a good time, Shrek.”
“Fuck.” He lets out a low growl, his lips finding mine in a kiss right away. Without a single care who sees it or how appropriate it is in his family home. Not that I’m thinking all that much when his lips are on mine. “Let’s go home. Now. Screw this dinner.”
I laugh against his mouth. “Not a chance. I’m here for these stories.”
Suddenly, we become very aware of the silence around us, yet no one’s left the room.
“What?” Clover barks at them, and they quickly go back to whatever it was they were doing or talking about, pretending like they weren’t watching us just now.
“Um, is it always like this? Or am I missing something?” I whisper to him.
“If you mean whether they’re always such lunatics, then the answer is yes, most definitely. Now, can we leave before we catch this disease? I promise to make it worth your while.” That salacious smile spreads across his handsome face. The one that always makes my knees weak and I almost…almost agree—because clearly, I have no self-control around the man. It’s basically the summary of the last week.
But I push my finger against his hard chest. “Keep that panty-melting smile of yours away from me, Shrek! We’re not leaving yet.”
“But I need to kiss you.”
“You just did.”
“No, I haven’t.” His eyes darken at the thought of what kisses he means, and I trap the whimper that wants to escape.
