Page 17 of The Marriage Deal
Laughter fills the room as I swipe my purse from the little second-hand table by the door Mom painted a pretty peach pink years ago. Throwing a wave over my head, I call, “Later.”
As I descend the porch steps, I note the sway of the colorful poppies in the breeze as I catch the sweet scent of flowering trees. Cherry season will soon be in full swing, and I for one, can’t wait.
The calm in my heart spirals into a whirlwind ofnot calmwhen the driver’s door to the black truck swings open and Briggs slides out to round the truck to the passenger side. I don’t have to look to know Mom and Dad have their nosey noses pressed to the window of the living room.
Briggs’ eyes roam slowly over me before his hard jaw pulses with a clench that does things to my belly. He says nothing as he pulls the passenger door open for me to enter, and I do my best not to flinch when he closes it behind me.
I can’t help but glance at my parents’ house, and exactly as expected, I see their faces in the window.
Briggs settles beside me. “You live with your parents?”
I swallow hard to clear my throat. “Yeah.”
He pulls away from the curb, heading into the heart of town.
9
MARRY ME
LILAH
The table feels far too intimate to just be discussing business. I can’t ignore the way my stomach twists when his eyes drop—not for the first time—to my chest. I can’t say the warm tingle of his eyes on me isn’t pleasurable, even as I remind myself that this is just business.
There is attraction between us even I can’t deny. But that’s no matter, I won’t allow it to go anywhere.
I’m not ready for a relationship of any sort after the mess of Michael. And this man, with his money and power and heartthrob eyes, would grind the remains of me to dust.
“I wasn’t sure you’d actually come out with me tonight.” He breaks the silence that settled after the awkward ordering and arrival of our drinks.
He’d ordered a beer and I’d ordered a smooth pinot gris for myself that I now hook the stem of andlift for a sip. His gaze drops to my lips as they connect with the glass, shadows dancing in his eyes, illuminated only by low light that spills from the fireplace beside our table.
A flush prickles my skin, but I can’t be sure if it’s in response to the wine, the heat of the fire, or the heavy warmth of his gaze.
I clear my throat softly. “Ahem. Why would you think that?”
“Just did.”
“I told you I’d meet you.”
He takes a swig of his beer, nodding contemplatively to himself. “I’m Sunset Falls’ most hated man.” When I raise one brow, he continues, “There’s a petition to run me out of town, Lilah.”
Wow.The response my body has to my name on his tongue is aggressively physical.
I shift in my seat, laughing nervously. “You saw that.”
Briggs leans into the table. It’s a small table, so that little movement devours a whole lot of space. My heart knocks in the cage of my chest.
“Hard not to see, Lilah. It’s pinned to the board in your parents’ café.”
“It’s a public board.” Words feel stuck in my throat. I lift my wine to wash them down.
“Mmm.” He nods once.
“It’s ridiculous and childish. They can’t run you out of town.”
“There are over one hundred signatures on that petition.” He sits back in his chair when the waitress appears with our food.
She was a couple years older than me in school. I can’t ignore the questions that shout from her eyes as she settles my plate of chicken alfredo in front of me. She wants to know what I’m doing here with, as Briggs said, the town’s most hated man.
