Page 45 of Four-ever Single

“I feel like I should suggest someplace fancy that we never go to, but—”

“You really want tacos and guacamole, so you want to go to Tipsy Taquito instead?” I offered.

“God, are we that predictable?” She covered her face with her hands.

“Yes, but it’s adorable,” I assured her, following them outside and getting into Jones’ truck.

Tipsy Taquito wasn’t as busy on Monday nights as the rest of the week, likely because everyone gravitated to the pub on the other side of town that had a Monday night special on wings and beer. We placed our orders and then grabbed a booth toward the back.

“So, have you guys thought about where you want to go for your honeymoon?” Capshaw asked before popping a tortilla chip into his mouth.

“Oh, ummm...” I stammered, not sure how to answer that because we hadn’t discussed it yet. We had been so focused on getting the wedding situated that I hadn’t even thought about what came after.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Jones answered for me.

“You’ll need to go to Italy at some point to collect your grandmother’s things, right?” Kensy asked, leaning forward against the table.

“Yeah, but I won’t have access to anything until after we’ve been married for six months.”

“Well, I don’t want to plan everything for you,” Kensy said nervously, looking at Capshaw. “But what if you did your honeymoon in Italy? It would be so romantic, and you’d be there anyway for your grandma’s stuff. You could plan it for right after the six-month mark.”

“That’s true, but I don’t want to cheat Jones if he had something else in mind for after the wedding.”

I turned to him only to find the cutest smile on his face as he looked back at me.

“You already know my plans for right after the wedding, Bella. Anything after that is whatever you want.”

A smirk crossed his face as he challenged me, my skin flushing quickly in response.

“Well, it looks like we are wide open,” I said awkwardly, turning back to face Kensy and Capshaw.

Jones leaned in, his breath hot on my ear as he reached for a chip from the bowl. “Just like your legs will be,” he said, low enough that only I could hear.

Kensy started talking about her ideas for possible local trips we could take in addition to a delayed honeymoon in Italy, but I was too distracted by Jones's fingers as they brushed against my thigh under the booth.

I got up and excused myself as I headed to the bathroom to compose myself. This man was going to make my mind mush before we even had a chance to get married. I stood in front of the sink, studying myself in the mirror, thankful that no one else was in there so I could have just a few minutes to myself.

I was thankful to have such good friends in my life to help me through all of this, as well as one of the nicest guys in the world who was agreeing to marry me for all the wrong reasons. But on top of that, I finally felt like I was coming into my own skin. My parents may not have approved of what I was doing career-wise, but that didn’t matter anymore. After seeing Jones’ reaction to the photo earlier and the way his grip on me tightened as his desire spiked—that made me feel on top of the world and unstoppable.

Knowing that I had already spent too much time in the bathroom for the others not to get concerned, I splashed some water on my cheeks and then patted them dry with a paper towel. Maybe a cold shower when I got home would help.

I opened the door and started down the hall when a guy standing off to the side startled me.

“You’re that girl from the lingerie photos, aren’t you?” he asked, pushing off the wall and coming into the light.

His green eyes gave me chills as they roamed over my body as if trying to confirm it was me.

“Excuse me, I’m trying to get past,” I said, putting as much assertiveness in my voice as I could muster. I was used to blowing guys off, but something was different about him, and I felt this sudden urge to panic.

I tried to step around him, but he moved first, blocking my path.

“You are. You’re Bella Sanchez.”

My blood ran cold as I stared into his eyes, chills spreading over my skin.

“I need to get going. My fiance is waiting for me.” I raised my voice but knew it was pointless; we were too far away for anyone to hear.

“I really love your work,” he continued, ignoring my request to leave. “Dark Vibes is lucky to have such a beautiful girl in their catalog. I especially liked the full-page spread of you with the waterproof vibrator in the tub. Even through the bubbles, I could still see your nipples when I zoomed in enough. That’s why it’s important to have a good photographer. The quality is always superb with your photos.”

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