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She glanced at Marshall and thanked her lucky stars for all the interruptions. It had stopped her from almost admitting to how much he affected her and that would have been a bad move.
MARSHALL COULDN’T GET ENOUGH OF WATCHING Juniper nibble at her nails or her lip.
Both had his dick rock hard behind his suit jacket and thank fuck for that. She rotated between the two regularly. From the short amount of time together between yesterday and this morning, he deduced she did it when something weighed on her mind and she thought better of saying it aloud.
The more she talked the more he wanted to listen. He’d never seen someone ramble on so much and it fascinated the hell out of him.
What he couldn’t determine was what surprised him more, that she’d picked up on the lie about a bride or her ability to read him when no one else could.
She was wrong about herself. She could read people better than she thought. He’d do good to remember that.
He didn’t know how he was going to survive the next thirteen days and keep his hands and dick to himself.
Suddenly the image of Juniper in white and walking down the aisle filled his mind. And the night they would share together. Peeling off lace and silk to reveal all that creamy skin and curves he knew he’d find she kept hidden beneath jeans and flowy tops.
She would make a beautiful bride. All that golden hair, bright eyes, and lovely outlook. He hated to burden her with his troubles so he kept quiet, watched, and marveled at how so many in this city loved the woman sitting across from him. Which surprised him, given the size of this place.
Juniper turned in her chair and waved as a woman with long sable hair as she crossed the bakery with a pup wearing some sort of vest in tow. He wasn’t a pet kind of guy, but the little bugger looked cute. He had to admit, he liked the way Juniper’s face lit up at the sight of the woman and her hyper pup.
Juniper laughed as the woman stooped to embrace Juniper in a hug and he marveled at how everyone greeted this woman with so much enthusiasm.
“Ivy, this is another client, Marshall Blackwood. He’s here all the way from Texas to have his wedding planned by us.”
Marshall stood and extended a hand to the woman. “Hello. Nice to meet you.”
“Hey, welcome to our neck of the woods. Speaking from experience, you’re going to love everything Juniper sets up for you. Me and mine did!”
Marshall nodded. “I already agree. And who is this?”
Marshall bent and gave the happy pup a pet behind the ears and got a tail wag in appreciation.
“This is little—not so little—Ollie. He likes you.”
As he watched a guy with Fire Chief emblazoned across a red cap and the front of his thick jacket walked up to them and wrapped his arm around Juniper’s former client. The guy gave a nod and then promptly stuck his hand out.
“Aspen, welcome. I see Juniper has already introduced you to the best donuts in town.”
“Thank you.”
Big city blood ran through his veins and truth be told, Marshall thought LA wouldn’t be much different than Houston, but this street felt like a small town all on its own. It seemed everyone knew everybody.
“Hey, listen, if you’re in town this evening maybe your soon-to-be-bride would like to come over tonight. We’re throwing a big backyard party.”
Ivy turned to Juniper.
“Where are my manners? Yes! You have to come. Grab Callie and if Marshall and his soon-to-be-bride would like to come, we’ll make a huge night of it before we get started on your gran’s big luau party.”
He watched Juniper's face grow intrigued and he gritted his back teeth when she turned her attention on him.
Should he come clean now or later? If she found out he lied to her about a bride, would she quit?
His phone buzzed and he nearly got down on his knees and thanked his lucky stars right then and there.
“Excuse me.”
“Of course.”
He pulled the phone from his jacket pocket.
