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“We’ll take two of each,” Cagan said, pulling out his wallet.
I gaped at him. “You really are procrastinating. Or planning to pass out in a sugar coma until the computer system is back up.”
“Both.” He stuffed the change into the tip jar.
“Enjoy.” The woman handed us a paper bag which I greedily took.
“Are you up for a stroll in those shoes?”
I cut my eyes over to him. “I sleep in heels.”
He snickered. “Very well then.” He reached for the bag and I held it out of his grasp.
“What’s your poison?”
“I’ll have a red velvet, please.”
I unwrapped the dessert on a stick and passed it to him. “Good, because I’m going with birthday cake. I don’t know why you bothered with carrot.” I wrinkled my nose.
We wandered for a few minutes, snacking and walking through the throngs of people on the sidewalk.
“Out with it,” he said. “You’re skipping work and eating sugar. I’ve never known you to do either.” He paused to level me with a look.
It was true. I didn’t do either very often.Lately, you’ve been putting off a whole lot of work to run to that motel.My heart rate picked up and my skin got tingly just thinking about Cal's big body against mine.
So that part of me wasn’t completely broken. I just reacted to him. No one else.
I licked a piece of icing off the stick. “Undue stress.”
“Wrong. You always have that.”
“Would you consider marrying me in the next week?”
He choked on the bite of cake he’d just taken. “I beg your pardon?”
“Is it that horrible a thought?” I feigned offense at his reaction.
He cleared his throat a couple of times. “No. No. Just a bit of a shock.”
“It could be perfect,” I said, warming to the thought. “We’re friends. Our families are from the same echelon. And you aren’t so bad to look at.” My father would be furious if I skipped out on Alex, but the Roqueford name had all the prestige he was looking for. In fact, they weremoreimportant than the Davenports. And as far as business, it might be a good diversification for both families.
He tossed his empty stick in a nearby trash bin. “As tempting as your offer is”—he shook his head a little as if in disbelief—“and incredibly uncanny in timing, I can’t accept your proposal.”
Dang it.
“Not even to help out an old friend?” I asked extra sweetly. “We could get a divorce in a few years if you like.” My father would have a fit over that, but it was a risk I was willing to take if it kept me away from Alex Davenport.
“What’s brought this on?”
I sat down on a bench. “My father arranged a marriage for me.”
Cagan’s lips parted. “Bloody hell. That’s . . . unfortunate.” He touched my knee. “I take it you don’t care for the bloke.”
That was putting it politely. I hadn’t really given Alex a chance, but I went with my instincts. And they didn’t care for him one bit.
“No.”
“And these nuptials are when?”
