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“So, um, my friends, Gabby and Dane, are getting married next Saturday.”
She tore her gaze away from Amelie and she nodded as if she knew what he was going to say. “I don’t have anything on my agenda that day. I can watch her. What time is the wedding?”
“It starts at two.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, startling her. “I was hoping you’d come with. As my date.”
Her eyes widened, the shock wasn’t hard to miss.
* * *
She was dreaming.A very intense dream that would turn into a nightmare soon. Because this couldn’t be real. Corey was not asking her out. To a wedding of all places.
His hand was warm. Solid and strong. A touch of nerves if the slight trembling she felt meant anything. Or was that her hand? Definitely hers. Corey didn’t get nervous. He was always sure and decisive in everything he did and said.
Which made her wonder how he slipped up with his words. Asking her out. It had to be a mistake.
“Genevieve?” He said her name in a whisper, as if afraid to speak. “You’re not saying anything.”
“You want me to go with you to watch Amelie? Like a nanny or something?” That had to be it. Because he didn’t like her like that. He couldn’t. The sexual tension that always swirled between them was ignored. They pretended it didn’t exist because it was for the best. Dating would make everything harder. Ruin it all.
He scooted closer, his knee touching hers, his grip getting stronger. “As my date is what I said. Amelie will be with, yeah, but I’m not asking for her. I’m asking for me.”
She didn’t mishear him. He was asking her out on a date. To a wedding! That made it so much more than a date. A person didn’t ask just anybody to a wedding.
She bit her bottom lip.
“Why me?”
She wanted to retract her question when he frowned and responded.
“Why not?”
Ugh. That wassonot what she wanted to hear. It meant nothing to him. She meant nothing to him. She loved the idiot and he only wanted her to help with Amelie despite what he said—it being for him.
“Well, for starters, Detective Stileano hates me, and I’m sure her fiancé never wants to see me.”
“I already asked them and they didn’t mind.”
“You what?” She jerked, yet he refused to let go of her hand.
He looked embarrassed he admitted that. “I know there’s…history with them that makes it a sore subject, and I wanted to make sure they didn’t mind. They don’t. As I’ve said before, it’s water under the bridge. It happened, let’s move on.”
Maybe for him it was, but she couldn’t imagine it was for anyone else.
“If you don’t want to go, say so. It’s not a big deal.”
But the pain in his eyes said otherwise. That this was a huge deal. That he wanted her to go with him.
But he couldn’t. She meant nothing to him other than for Amelie’s sake. He didn’t love her like she loved him.
“I can go with you, but I don’t…”
He frowned when she didn’t finish. “You don’t what?”
“I don’t want to make anything weird.” She glanced at Amelie, who sat in her bouncy seat watching the cartoons she loved. “I don’t want to lose Amelie.”Or you.
He pulled on her hand, forcing her closer. She bumped into his chest, having to put her free hand on his shoulder. Before she could say anything, his other hand was wrapping around her neck and his lips were on hers.
Sweet, delectable lips. Hard and insistent. Bruising, yet in a delicate way. Telling her he was holding back turbulent emotions that wanted to let loose. She opened for him, not wanting to stop the rush of emotions. She held the same ones inside.
