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I’m halfway toward her, before I remember I absolutely cannot do what we both want me to.
This is a business arrangement.
With my best friend’s little sister.
I jerk to a halt. “Let me control the kiss. It’s better for both of us.”
Slowly, she nods. “Ok. Right. That’s settled.” She’s trying hard to meet my eyes and failing miserably. “Let’s go home.”
“No,” I say abruptly. “I need to catch up on all the work I didn’t get done before you were shadowing me. You should go home and type up your notes from the day. Or have a bachelorette night out with Sarah. I don’t care. Just don’t be late for the wedding tomorrow.”
I open the door and wait for her to leave.
She bites her lip. “Luke...”
I wait. Dare her to face the elephant in the room.
But she doesn’t. As brave as Hazel is, she chickens out. “Fine. See you tomorrow.”
And then she walks past me, without looking back.
I close the door, hoping I haven’t just scared Hazel into leaving me at the altar.
17
HAZEL
Fifteen minutes before the start of the wedding I’m getting ready in a fancy hotel room with Sarah and freaking out.
My hair has been twisted up and pinned in a way that I could never replicate and threaded through with real freshwater pearls and tiny white flowers. My makeup is flawless. I look as vibrant and polished as a movie star. I’m standing there in my white bustier, white silk panties, and nude nylons. All that’s left is the dress.
But I can’t put it on. It’s lying on the bed in front of me and I can’t. Put. It. On.
“I can’t do this,” I burst out. “This whole plan is ridiculous. Why didn’t you talk me out of this?”
“I tried,” Sarah pointed out. “You were dead set on it a week ago. What changed?”
I scrub a hand over my face. “He kissed me.”
“What?”
“We were practicing for the wedding. So we’d look like a real couple, you know? But it got out of hand and UGH.” I collapse in a chair, glaring across the room at my wedding dress.
I already knew what Luke looked like naked. The last thing I needed to know was what he looked like when he wanted someone.
Wantedme.
I think of the look in his eyes after that third kiss. So intense and passionate he was almost angry with it.
I shiver.
How the hell am I supposed to live withthatfor six months?
“I can’t do it, Sarah,” I say, my voice quiet. “I need you to go outside and tell them...tell them...”
“No,” Sarah says bluntly.
My eyes jerk up to hers.
