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“This is good.”
“I’m glad you approve.” He carved off another bite for her.
“Peaches, huh? Are you married to that nickname?”
“What an appropriate choice of words. And yes.” He nodded. “I’m afraid it’s going to stick. From the hue of your cheeks to the choice of your drinks. Peaches.”
He was too much. Kind of like brunch and a Bellini at ten o’clock on a work day.
Trick opened the other box. The tantalizing smell of fresh pancakes wafted into the air. He poured maple syrup from the packet as Rylee moaned around her breakfast. He liked the sounds she made when she ate. It was the dominating reason he’d bought her brunch in the first place. Plus, it was nice to see her take a minute to enjoy something she clearly loved. He’d bet she didn’t do that often enough. Meanwhile, he’d made a lifestyle out of it.
“How long have you been planning weddings?” He offered her a bite of pancake, dripping with sweet, sticky syrup. She reached for the fork, but he shook his head. “Better let me do it. This syrup has a mind of its own.”
She admonished him with a look, but opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her. When a drop of maple syrup lingered at the corner of her mouth, he wiped it away with his thumb. His gaze locked with hers, he sucked the sugar off his thumb. Her blue eyes were unerring in their target—his mouth had piqued her interest.
He hadn’t come to Texas to seduce Rylee. Or any woman, for that matter. But the more he’d watched her from afar, the more intrigued he’d become. She was stubborn and strong, poised and confident. He’d begun to wonder if she ever undid that knot from her hair, or wore a pair of short, frayed denim shorts. Last night when she’d left him sitting at the steakhouse alone, he’d wondered what she wore to bed. Then this morning he’d found out that she was staying in the same damn hotel he was staying in.
Intrigued didn’t begin to describe how he felt whenever he was with her. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to experience moreofher. With the wedding a few days away, he was aware he was running out of time to impress her. Hence, the brunch delivery.
She gathered the perfect bite of avocado and crab, egg and English muffin and offered it to him. He took the fork as she answered his earlier question.
“Almost three years.” Her eyebrows knit. “Has it already been three years? It simultaneously feels like I’ve been doing this forever and like I just started.”
“Time’s funny like that. I feel like I’ve been doing what I do for so long I should be eighty years old by now.”
“How long have you been a social media influencer?”
His mouth screwed to the side. He didn’t care for that title. “I didn’t set out to influence anyone. I wanted to entertain them. My focus has changed in the last year.”
“How so?” She leaned in the slightest bit, her rocker inching forward. Her pretty blue eyes settled on him, giving off serious all-American girl vibes.
Until today he would have claimed not to have a type, but this curvy blonde was currently occupying the number one spot at the top of that list. He’d never wanted to film someone so badly in his life, but he didn’t want to lose the momentum of their friendly conversation.
“I’m serving up what the world needs most,” he answered. “Joy can be in short supply when something scary is happening. Lately the world is full of scary shit.”
“No kidding.” Her eyebrows bent, suggesting that her world was more than hearts and roses. At first blush, she came off like a perfectionist romantic. But he knew people. Everyone had hidden layers—she was no exception.
“We deserve to laugh. Deserve to be happy. And it’s far simpler than most people think. Look how happy you are right now, Peaches. Takeout and a Bellini. Simple.”
Her dimples indented her cheeks when she smiled. He still had no idea how in the hell he’d overlooked those. He leaned in, eager to hear what she would say next. Had she changed her mind about him? Or did she still view him as the bad boy with the bad reputation?
“Nothing is ever simple,” she said, answering the question in his head.
Four
What was Trick’s angle? Rylee couldn’t figure him out. Obviously, it was wise for him to stay on her good side. She had given him the offer of a lifetime, after all. Which reminded her, she needed to let Xavier and Ariana know about this arrangement. Ari had been worried about Trick’s antics, and Rylee had managed to come up with a palatable solution. It wasn’t like her to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, but she had run out of time.
He lifted his own Bellini and took a sip. “Damn. That is good.”
“Well, yeah.” She polished off the rest of her glass, already feeling better. She would call Ari today and straighten this out. No worries.
“Have you always been detail-oriented? Not much slides by you,” he said.
“Are you referring to yourself?”
His boyish, wicked grin was utterly charming. She’d bet he could’ve gone everywhere he pleased inside the Texas Cattleman’s Club, pass or no.
“Not always,” she told him. “Not until I found myself planning a wedding.”
