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Prologue

I grinned as I watched the two of the their chairs Perched backward on hers, she pointed aggressively in response to so he said He pointed back just as hard, which made herunbutton another button on her shirt?

These two I’d never heard irl, which irl was perfectly matched for him Vivian this and Vivian that—that’s literally all I’d heard from him in the last feeeks

I leaned back against the bar and pondered the passion that was pinging back and forth between thee? They were already having the sex; they just didn’t know it yet He leaned; she leaned He rolled his eyes; she all but rolled her hips Words were heated; their skin even more so

My skin was rarely heated In fact, everything south ofdecidedly cold But that was norht?

I was gettingaround like crazy edding preparations, I was treatingweekend atup to visit hio I’d spent the last few days walking on the beach, sitting by a crackling fire at night, and trying hard to see the forest for the trees in irl who had rocked his world I was supposed to be working on etting distracted by my somewhat old-fashioned, hopelessly roirl in toas exactly what I really needed

And noatching these two dance around each other, watching his eyes being drawn again and again to the bosoe, I realized that this hat it was supposed to be about The dance The back-and-forth, the spark, the excitement

I’d never had that spark with anyone And after watching Clark go toe-to-toe with this Vivian? I wanted to get sparked too And I was no longer sure that I’d be getting sparked in San Diego

Chapter one

Four weeks later in San Diego

“And so tonight, I raise a glass to the hter, Chloe Patterson And to her intended, I say: take care of her Because I know people”

I could feel my blush rise as my father toasted me and my fiancé—the “intended” he’d just threatened in front of the fifty people attending our rehearsal dinner Threatened in a perfectly acceptable way, of course, like a father of the bride would tease the irl forever And everyone laughed along with lasses in our direction

My intended, Charles Preston Sappington, rose to his feet, shaking ood-naturedly Was the clap a little harder than necessary? Yes Was the threat as affable as my father made it sound? No

I caughtan eye roll from my mother, who had the most audible eye roll in the room In any room And particularly any room my father was in