“Poppy, my big sister, tried to make the best of things for me. Both she and Noli, my younger sister, put on a good front, butI couldn’t help but think of what a waste it was that we were spending time and money on a silly dance when we literally didn’t know how we’d keep a roof over our heads after paying off my grandma’s remaining bills.”
I blink against the memory. There have been some lean times when the three of us have had to band together to get through. And, here I am, working with the same father who abandoned us. I feel like a traitor. Then again, it’s good work. And it’s helped me support my sisters, even if they don’t know it.
I give my head a small shake and glance up to find Anton staring down at me with a look of admiration in his blue eyes. Heat rushes into my cheeks.
“You amaze me, you know,” he says softly.
I shrug off his praise. “I’m no one special.”
“You are to me.” He takes my hand and places it over his heart. I can feel it hammering through his shirt. He tucks both of his arms around my waist, and we sway back and forth as the music transitions to something upbeat. The teens start jumping and dancing around us. Anton bends closer to me so I can hear him. “For what it’s worth, I will not be ditching you for another girl tonight.”
I close my eyes, relishing the warmth of his breath against my cheek. I blink, and his face is so close to mine I could turn my head and kiss him. There’s a small scar near the right corner of his mouth that I’m dying to feel under my lips.
“That’s a relief.” My words come out in a hoarse whisper. I’m attempting to be playful, but the wobble in my voice gives me away, so I tell him the truth. “Because I like you a lot more than I liked that guy in high school.”
His gaze drops to my lips again. “I like you a lot more than I like anyone.” He lists forward, and my eyelids flutter, but instead of feeling his mouth against mine, I feel his breath along the shell of my ear.
“I want nothing more than to kiss you right now, but it would cause a major scene. I don’t want an audience of teenagers who’ll be all too happy to interrupt me.”
I suck in a breath, my heart a wild horse, thundering around the arid plains.
“When I kiss you—and yes, I saidwhen, Sammy Rose.Not if. Because this is happening, right?” He pauses, waiting for my acquiescence.
I think I just fell in love with him a little bit. I nod, and his lips brush against my ear. My whole body trembles.
“Good,” he whispers. “When I kiss you, I’d like to take my time with it. Sound like a plan?”
My heart hammers as I squeak out another truth. “The best plan I’ve heard in a while.”
8
Heartbreak Ahead
Anton - Now
Itug at my neckline. My bowtie feels impossibly tight. This entire day has me off kilter. From seeing Rose outside the hotel this morning to being pounced on at the golf outing.
That was no big deal. Poor Paisley Gladwell. I’ve offered to pose for a photo with her, sign her River Foxes gear, whatever. But my lawyers and the powers-that-be tell me that’s not a good idea. Apparently, with crazed fans like that, you give them an inch and they take a mile. I mostly feel sorry for her. I don’t understand why someone would be obsessed with me. But what do I know? She’s not the first woman to throw herself at me—literally. Too bad the one woman who I’d actually welcome that sort of behavior from turned me down five years ago.
My gaze sweeps across the ballroom and lands on Rose. The fundraiser gala is in full swing. After our dinner, which was several hundred dollars a plate, the tables were cleared and moved off to the side to create an ample-sized dance floor. There’s a renowned deejay who’s making sure everyone is loose and dancing.
I am neither of those things. I feel stuck and stiff. Like my whole body is merely going through the motions of this event. All I can focus on is Rose.
The dress she’s wearing should be criminal. It’s a deep shade of red, and it wraps around her curves like it was painted on. It’s got long sleeves but a deep V neckline and an open back. Her short hair is swept off her face on one side with an oversized clip that’s sparkling in the dimmed lights of the ballroom. She looks like asweet candied apple, and even though I know she’s poisonous, I can’t help but crave her.
She’s kept her distance from me since this morning, and logically speaking, I should appreciate that, but it’s even more torturous to watch her from afar. My Rose Radar has been beeping incessantly in my head, like one of those winter storm warning bulletins that flash across the bottom of the TV to warn of impending dangerous conditions. Instead of blinding snow and ice, my brain has been cycling through a ticker of warnings regarding Rose:Heartbreak ahead! Steer clear! Maintain adequate distance to avoid further hurt! Ignore her eyes. Ignore her smile. Don’t think about her quick wit. Dwell on her at your own risk!
Beep. Beep.Beeeeeep.
I wish there was a remote I could use to click off my brain—and my heart, for that matter.
I’m standing at the bar, nursing a non-alcoholic beer, when a couple joins me. She’s got long brown hair that falls in curls down her back, and he’s got broad shoulders and a square jawline. I nod at them, but I do a double-take when my gaze connects with the woman’s. I’d recognize the Kasper eyes anywhere.
“Anton Bates, right?”
I set my drink down and hold out my hand. “That’s me.”
She shakes my outstretched palm. “I’m Noli. And this is my husband, Collin.”
