shook her head and sighed, then met her friend’s gaze.
“I’m coming to terms with the fact I’m going to be his wife. I get it. What I am seriously wondering, though, is how I’m going to survive the next year wondering if his body under the suit is as hard and defined as I think it is.” She waved her hands. “And those dimples—I swear when he smiles they have the same effect as a stun gun…or an exclamation mark in punctuation.”
A strange look crossed Kayla’s face.
Toni frowned at her friend. “Unless you’re choking on that green pepper, know that I’m serious. I mean we’re supposed to have this fake—but perfect marriage so we don’t embarrass our families. In the meantime, I’m standing in a kitchen planning the ultimate barbeque to impress this guy. I’m even dressed preppy so he finds me attractive. I broke down and actually have eyeliner on.”
Kayla made a strange muffled sound. “Oh boy!”
“I know right—who knew I’d rock khaki shorts with a button down blouse for a guy?” She whimpered and stared at the array of vegetables. “I have 300 salad recipes from casual to high end cuisine and I’m standing here stressing out over a salad to go with steak? What if I make something he doesn’t like?”
“We should change the subject,” Kayla encouraged.
Toni released an exasperated sigh. “You wanted me to talk. I’m talking. My husband-to-be is hotter than Hell—in summer!”
She was losing her mind and her calm. Time to focus. This was a prison sentence, not a judicial dating site. She was screwed and considering the circumstances—not literally.
“I never thought I’d actually be attracted to him—now I’m terrified he has allergies and I’ll send him into anaphylactic shock and kill him—and because Judge Masters is as much of an ass as our fathers, he might actually nail me on murder one.”
Kayla covered her mouth and shook her head. “Toni! Shut up! Now —no more talking.”
“I maybe could, but I don’t even know if he likes pecans or almonds—or has an allergy to nuts in general.” She whimpered and remembered the sparkle in his blue eyes when they stood in his office. “I’m so afraid of falling for him.”
Kayla shook her hands out in front of her. “Shut-up, pretend you’re mute.”
Toni didn’t understand Kayla’s behavior. “For Christ sake, is he standing behind me or something?”
Kayla closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. This was bad. She’d always wondered what the seventh layer of hell felt like—something told her—she was about to find out.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m home.”
She knew the sexy baritone better than her own heartbeat, the one that currently beat rapidly out of control. “Oh! Hell, no!”
Kayla peered over her fingertips. “Most definitely.”
A strange whimpering sound filled the room and it took about thirty seconds too to realize the sound had come from her. “Love a duck!”
Richard rounded the island across from where she stood. “Considering the circumstances, I’m letting that one go.”
“Good idea or I’ll be late to your family dinner due to quality time with father Giordano.”
She darted a quick look to Andrew who grinned and shook his head. “I let him in since I knew you and Kayla were busy.”
“Oh,” Toni smiled and focused her attention on Richard. “Well, welcome.” Her stomach fluttered with butterflies.
“Uhhh, Kayla.” Andrew hesitated. “I packed those boxes in the SUV. You should look. You’re the better packer than me…maybe we can get more stuff in.”
“Sounds great! I can offer suggestions,” her best friend in the world exclaimed and practically ran out of the kitchen.
“Ah, bless the rats,” Toni mumbled. She was now officially alone with Richard.
“Let me guess, the rollercoaster you’re on is called sinking ship ?”
Toni met Richard’s sapphire gaze. “Would I be horrific if I said yes?”
“Definitely human and blatantly
“I’m coming to terms with the fact I’m going to be his wife. I get it. What I am seriously wondering, though, is how I’m going to survive the next year wondering if his body under the suit is as hard and defined as I think it is.” She waved her hands. “And those dimples—I swear when he smiles they have the same effect as a stun gun…or an exclamation mark in punctuation.”
A strange look crossed Kayla’s face.
Toni frowned at her friend. “Unless you’re choking on that green pepper, know that I’m serious. I mean we’re supposed to have this fake—but perfect marriage so we don’t embarrass our families. In the meantime, I’m standing in a kitchen planning the ultimate barbeque to impress this guy. I’m even dressed preppy so he finds me attractive. I broke down and actually have eyeliner on.”
Kayla made a strange muffled sound. “Oh boy!”
“I know right—who knew I’d rock khaki shorts with a button down blouse for a guy?” She whimpered and stared at the array of vegetables. “I have 300 salad recipes from casual to high end cuisine and I’m standing here stressing out over a salad to go with steak? What if I make something he doesn’t like?”
“We should change the subject,” Kayla encouraged.
Toni released an exasperated sigh. “You wanted me to talk. I’m talking. My husband-to-be is hotter than Hell—in summer!”
She was losing her mind and her calm. Time to focus. This was a prison sentence, not a judicial dating site. She was screwed and considering the circumstances—not literally.
“I never thought I’d actually be attracted to him—now I’m terrified he has allergies and I’ll send him into anaphylactic shock and kill him—and because Judge Masters is as much of an ass as our fathers, he might actually nail me on murder one.”
Kayla covered her mouth and shook her head. “Toni! Shut up! Now —no more talking.”
“I maybe could, but I don’t even know if he likes pecans or almonds—or has an allergy to nuts in general.” She whimpered and remembered the sparkle in his blue eyes when they stood in his office. “I’m so afraid of falling for him.”
Kayla shook her hands out in front of her. “Shut-up, pretend you’re mute.”
Toni didn’t understand Kayla’s behavior. “For Christ sake, is he standing behind me or something?”
Kayla closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. This was bad. She’d always wondered what the seventh layer of hell felt like—something told her—she was about to find out.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m home.”
She knew the sexy baritone better than her own heartbeat, the one that currently beat rapidly out of control. “Oh! Hell, no!”
Kayla peered over her fingertips. “Most definitely.”
A strange whimpering sound filled the room and it took about thirty seconds too to realize the sound had come from her. “Love a duck!”
Richard rounded the island across from where she stood. “Considering the circumstances, I’m letting that one go.”
“Good idea or I’ll be late to your family dinner due to quality time with father Giordano.”
She darted a quick look to Andrew who grinned and shook his head. “I let him in since I knew you and Kayla were busy.”
“Oh,” Toni smiled and focused her attention on Richard. “Well, welcome.” Her stomach fluttered with butterflies.
“Uhhh, Kayla.” Andrew hesitated. “I packed those boxes in the SUV. You should look. You’re the better packer than me…maybe we can get more stuff in.”
“Sounds great! I can offer suggestions,” her best friend in the world exclaimed and practically ran out of the kitchen.
“Ah, bless the rats,” Toni mumbled. She was now officially alone with Richard.
“Let me guess, the rollercoaster you’re on is called sinking ship ?”
Toni met Richard’s sapphire gaze. “Would I be horrific if I said yes?”
“Definitely human and blatantly
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