Page 30 of The Bad Wedding Date

“Really, Lottie,” Mum began, “you should stop trying to argue the most basic of—”

“I think that’s probably enough,” Fraser interrupted, wearing a confident yet lazy smile. “Let’s not embarrass ourselves by tearing into someone else for sport or fun.”

Mum faltered, her body stilling as she looked down at him in both shock and awe. Nobody ever interrupted Laurie Grant, and nobody ever dared to be so passive-aggressive while wearing such a handsome smile.

“Of course.” She smiled tightly, unable to completely hide her sudden annoyance. “Now is not the time for family squabbles.”

“Tonight, or any night, really,” Fraser said. “Families are to be cherished. The good and the bad, don’t you agree?”

“Quite right.” Mum fiddled with her earring, a sign of her discomfort. “I’ll leave the two of you to enjoy your evening. A pleasure, Fraser.”

“Mrs Grant.” He nodded.

Fraser watched her go, as relaxed as always, while I waited for her to spin around on her heels, raise her finger, and get right in his face as she would have done with me had I been the one to humiliate her. Mum never let anyone disrespect her the way Fraser had just done so effortlessly. In a way that made it seem like leaving me alone had been her idea all along.

“Whatever that was, you have to teach me how to do it, right away,” I said, watching Mum walk away, fiddling with her hair.

“She’s… quite the woman.”

“Horrible, isn’t she?”

“I can’t dislike her entirely. She made you.”

I turned to look at him. “A total fluke. I think I was gifted to my parents by the gods by accident.”

He huffed out a barely-there laugh. “Was that okay? I know I pushed her buttons.”

“You were magnificent. I adored every second. Do my dreamy eyes not tell you enough?”

“Wasn’t sure if that was part of the act still or not.”

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out myself.”

His eyes dropped to my mouth.

He smelled too damn good, and I was two sips of wine away from poking out my tongue and trailing it over his neck to see if he tasted the same. We were close—so close—and all I had to do was lean forward an inch or two, and my lips would connect with his. Just one movement and I could feel the heat of his tongue against mine.

Fraser cleared his throat subtly, waking me from the daydream of his touch.

Pulling away, I smoothed down my dress. I really was my mother’s daughter.

“I need another drink,” I said, looking up into grey eyes.

As if by magic, a waiter walked by at that exact moment to offer Fraser and me a glass of champagne. We took four and laughed when the guy walked away, muttering under his breath.

Fraser soon got comfortable again, resting his arms on the table as he glanced around the room and made some small commentary about a woman in a magenta dress that looked like a clown’s costume. The way he tried to put me at ease so soon after my mother’s appearance made me realise that there was no one else I’d rather be here with than him. This magnificent stranger who’d given me a million to one shot at temporary happiness on a day when I thought I’d feel nothing but discomfort and misery.

“Fraser?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really glad you were the one to get on the same bus as me today.”

Fraser just stared again, and this time he didn’t try to hide the fact that his focus was on my mouth. I trailed my tongue across my bottom lip before sinking my teeth into it, and then something snapped in Fraser’s gaze, and he frowned, deep lines appearing in his brow.

“I have to take a call,” he said quickly.

“Now?”

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