Page 4 of Had to Be You

"I can’t face going to another wedding alone; I’ll die." Kennedy’s dramatic flair was matched only by Laura’s teenage nieces. "Please come with me. Please, please, please!"

"I have to get the rental ready. I have someone moving in tomorrow."

Laura had finally finished the apartment above the shop she owned, Snow White’s Snack Shack, and this season was going to be her first chance to rent it out. The summer tourist season was kicking off in Whisper Lake, and her plan had been to get as many reservations as possible. But yesterday, after only an hour of posting the property on Airbnb, the apartment was rented for three months.

Tomorrow evening, she was handing over the keys to her first guest, and the perfectionist she was needed everything to be, well, perfect, which it basically was. Now she was getting into her OCD tendencies and doing everything twice.

"I can help. I’ll clean or do whatever you need," Kennedy bargained.

Since the excuse was made up, her friend’s offer to help wasn’t really all that helpful, but she still found herself agreeing. "Fine."

"Yay! I’ll pick you up in an hour."

That was just enough time to finish up at the rental, rush home, and grab a quick shower. And finding something to wear wouldn’t be an issue. That was one of the only bonuses of attending so many marriage ceremonies: she had a closet filled with wedding-appropriate attire.

"Okay, that sounds good."

Her friend’s call disconnected, and the audiobook that Laura had been listening to began to play again. It was the newest release from the woman whose wedding she would be attending in an hour.

Olive St. Claire was a romance novelist who recently moved to Whisper Lake after meeting and falling in love with another new arrival to the small town, Officer Grady Caldwell.

Laura’s first hint that she was becoming jaded was that normally their love story would have been inspiring to her and not disheartening. She would have been excited to witness their promise of forever instead of dreading the fact that she had just agreed to attend the ceremony.

The past few years of online and IRL dating disasters had seriously taken a toll on Laura’s HEA optimism. One would have thought it would have been her two failed marriages that would have soured her on happily-ever-after. But no, even after those, she’d still held out hope that she’d find her person, they would get married, and she would have a family.

Her last birthday had been the final nail in the coffin to bury the hopeless romantic in her. When she’d blown out the thirty-five candles on her cake, she’d extinguished her inner optimist along with the birthday flames. The next day, she started researching fertility clinics, and as she got closer to her looming thirty-sixth, reality set in more. And the reality was that she was a strong, independent woman who didn’t need a man to have a family.

In first grade, when her class had been asked to draw a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up, she drew a woman with four babies. She’d always wanted to be a mom, and she wasn’t getting any younger.

But waiting for Mr. Right was taking too long, and at this rate, Laura had to face the fact that it might never happen. The only men Laura was attracted to were alpha-holes. Her lady parts had rose-colored glasses on when it came to red flags.

Laura pushed all thoughts of men and her past out of her head and let herself get lost listening to the audiobook from the author, whose wedding she was now going to be attending. The men she dated in real life were a shitshow, but her book boyfriends never let her down.

I couldn’t believe this was actually happening to me. I was alone with Viscount DeMarco. If anyone found out, my reputation would be ruined. I would bring shame to my family. But the danger of looming consequences paled in comparison to the thrill, the excitement, and the arousal of being so near the man I’d pined after for five long years.

All my life, I’ve done what was expected. I never stepped out of line or spoke out of turn. I had been bred to be the perfect lady. But tonight, for one night, I didn’t want to be a lady. I just wanted to be a woman. A wanton woman who followed her desires.

The viscount’s hand slid up my leg. My breath caught, and I found it difficult to inhale as his fingers brushed my inner thighs. I watched his hand disappear beneath my skirt. The scandalous sight only amplified the arousal whipping through me with hurricane force.

"Has anyone ever touched you here?"

His whispered voice was nearly as intoxicating as the currant wine he’d poured for me. My head spun as I shook my head.

My legs quivered as his fingers caressed my feminine folds. A tension coiled in my loins.

"Have you ever touched yourself here?" Viscount DeMarco’s voice...

"Tia!"

Laura gasped as she spun around and found her niece, Marissa, standing behind her. The rag that she’d been using to wipe down the shower stall flew out of her hand.

Marissa tilted her head to the side. "Why is your face all red?"

Laura pressed the back of her hand to her cheek and found that it was warm. The viscount had gotten her all flushed.

"It’s called manual labor." Laura used sarcasm to deflect the true reason for the blush on her cheeks.

Marissa rolled her eyes.

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