Page 31 of Spark

“I wouldn’t mind the company.”

Did people who weren’t actually dating, who were casual, go to weddings together? But the thought of him going on his own and having to sit through that with everyone looking at him, thinking he was hurt, or angry, or in pain, while he watched his ex marry someone else—his brother—wasn’t something she could tolerate.

“As a friend?” she said.

He grinned. “Sure. Friends who fuck.”

Her face heated.

The grin got even wider. “So you will? You’ll come with me?”

“I’ll come with you,” she said, wondering if she’d lost her mind, but at the same time kind of looking forward to spending more time with Dex. Spending time with him was kind of becoming the highlight of her day, which was saying a lot when she loved her job so much that she couldn’t wait to get there every morning.

When Dex finally finished his meal, he paid and took her hand, leading her toward the door.

“Enjoy the rest of your date,” the server called as they passed by.

Hattie tensed, and Dex’s hand tightened around hers, like he was worried she’d try and pull free and run. She glanced back at the table they’d just been sitting at and the other couples seated around the room and bit her lip.

God, they’d just had a date, hadn’t they?

“Don’t freak out. Tonight is whatever the fuck we say it is,” Dex said.

Hattie relaxed instantly. Maybe it was a date? Maybe it wasn’t. But she realized, whatever it was, she’d loved every moment of it.

Chapter 9

“What’s with the cheesy-assed look on your face?” Joe asked Dex across the table in the breakroom.

Adam, who was usually on Hugh and Dex’s side when the nut across from him got going, chuckled. “Yes, I wonder,” he said and grinned.

“Fucking hell,” Dex muttered.

Joe took a sip of his coffee. “Look, brother, don’t sweat it. I’m all for this new you. Seriously. It’s cute. You’ve got this dreamy, kinda sappy look going on. It totally suits you.”

Dex scowled. “Sappy?”

“You know the look?” Joe said to Adam. “Remember when Hugh first met Shay? Christ, it was pitiful.” He turned back to Dex and grinned. “You look like that.”

Hugh grumbled something while he poured himself a coffee at the counter behind Joe.

Adam shook his head. “I remember you having a similar expression when you met Darcey.”

“Bullshit. I’m too fucking manly for sappy.”

“You were gone on her as soon as you laid eyes on her,” Hugh said. “You were fucking useless until she said she’d have you.”

Adam barked out a laugh.

“And you,” Hugh said to Adam, taking a seat at the table with them, “were the fucking worst.”

“Yeah,” Joe said and glanced at Dex. “Because our sister doesn’t have the impeccable taste Hugh and I have, we’re stuck with Adam here, lowering the tone of the whole family…but what can you do, right?”

Adam slugged Joe in the arm.

Like pretty much all their breaks, the time was spent giving each other shit. So far, he’d only been dragged into it a couple of times. Looked like his reprieve as the new guy—member of the family?—was over. A strange feeling washed through him, something unfamiliar. But shit…yeah, he kind of liked it.

It had been a long time since he’d felt truly happy, and these fucking idiots were part of the reason he did.