Not the Marrying Kind(48)

Instead, he glanced at his watch, wondering how much longer it would take Poppy to arrive. He had the distinct urge to celebrate this deal with the one person who knew how much it meant to him.

His wife.

A title he was fast becoming attached to. And rather than the urge to bolt as fast as his jet could fuel up, the idea of being married to her on a more permanent basis was growing on him.

…



As Poppy glanced around the room, filled with Californian and Nevadan movers and shakers, A-listers, and a few B-grade movie stars beneath a fairy-light star-studded blue velvet sky, she knew she’d done good.

She’d gone all out for this party and it showed, from the ice-carved hearts to the fifteen-piece big band, the silver and navy color scheme, to the Michelin-starred hors d’oeuvres.

People would be talking about Lou Robinson’s divorce party for a long time to come.

In turn, Sara’s business would boom. Once she let her sis in on the secret, of course.

Plenty of time for that. For now, she’d continue building clientele, Beck would become the biggest name in high-end construction America had ever seen, and they’d continue to grow closer. And that was really what had her floating tonight. Sure, a successful party was important, but not half as important as realizing the guy she’d married had opened her eyes to a world of possibilities.

Namely, it was okay to risk your heart for a guy…if he was the right one. And that was exactly what she was on the verge of doing, if she hadn’t already done it.

She’d fallen a little bit in love with her husband last weekend on that mountaintop, a feeling that had only intensified since. Seven days was a long time to miss someone, and the only thing that had stopped her from leaving Red Rock Canyon and heading to Vegas was her own stupid insecurities.

What if he didn’t feel the same way?

What if the ring he’d given her had been exactly as he said, a thank-you gift?

What if she laid it all on the line, only to end up as devastated as her sister?

Then she’d arrived last night and he’d gone a long way to alleviate her doubts.

Rather than celebrating his deal’s success with a lavish dinner surrounded by his colleagues as she’d expected, he’d switched off his phone and they’d holed up in his penthouse, feasting on gourmet pizza and each other. And they’d talked some more, sharing their respective childhoods, strengthening the fragile emotional bond they’d established last weekend, until she could’ve quite happily stayed in his arms forever.

She’d still be there, too, locked in his embrace, if she hadn’t had to work like a maniac today to confirm every party detail so she had to do nothing tonight but mingle like a guest. Ashlee was supposed to run interference for the party, being the staff’s go-to person, but her BFF had pulled out early this morning citing a migraine. Odd, considering her friend rarely had a headache. But Poppy hadn’t had time to ponder Ashlee’s excuse, considering she’d run around all day ensuring this party rocked.

Thankfully it did, and as the big band launched into a Sinatra medley, she sighed with contentment. In another few hours she would secure twenty grand for Divorce Diva Daily and have enough new business to keep busy. When not lusting after her husband.

“Great party.” Speak of the devil. Beck slid his arms around her waist from behind.

She tilted her face up to receive his kiss. “Thanks. I hear this diva chick is hot property in the party planning biz.”

“She’s hot property, period,” he said, nuzzling her neck until her skin pebbled. He held her tighter, and her butt encountered evidence of how hot he found her.

“Hold that thought,” she said, wriggling against him, empowered when he groaned.

“Stop, you’re killing me.”

“Not yet, but the night is young.” She winked and turned in the circle of his arms, draping her arms around his neck. “I’m glad Lou chose a love theme for this party. Shows he’s not some bitter cynic.”

“Yeah, gotta hand it to him, the big guy’s a romantic schmuck.”

She laughed at his mock wince. “Makes me think there’s hope for the rest of us.” Hope for them. And that was what she wanted to tell Beck later. Poppy was done pretending this marriage meant nothing beyond business. Time to make their relationship real.

She waited for him to disengage, to pull away on the pretext of greeting a long-lost buddy. Instead, his hold on her waist tightened as he met her stare dead-on. “Yeah, who would’ve thought, a confirmed cynic like me could have his mind changed by an incredible woman?”

Poppy’s heart leaped. “Are you saying—”