I could almost breathe normally again. Despite the painful introduction, I was charmed by her. Most of the women I'd encountered would have either run off screaming in embarrassment or offering to perform CPR on my dick.
She bit her lip. "I was hoping it would make you smile. My mom always says laughter is the best medicine."
"She may be right. But didn't your mom ever kiss your boo-boos?"
"Well, sure, but..." She twisted her lips, and her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"
I managed a laugh. "Sorry. I thought I deserved to get in one good shot."
Damn, she was gorgeous with her face lit up with a combination of amusement and embarrassment. I glanced back at the path she'd taken. "So, you were trying to escape from someone?"
"More than you might think," she mumbled. She shifted in her seat to face me. "I guess I should thank you for scaring him off, although your methods were a bit unorthodox."
I offered her a noncommittal grunt.
"Do you want to know a secret?"
"I think I might like to know a lot of things about you," I admitted to her.
Her smile was beautiful. She propped her elbow on the back of the bench and rested her head on her palm. "I love weddings and seeing people commit their lives to each other. But the receptions. Ugh. I mean, sure, there should be a party afterward to celebrate. But," she sighed dramatically, "sometimes it feels like a meat fest."
She was telling me? "How so?"
She shrugged. "Oh, it never ends. I think every single man here has tried to hit on me, and if it's not them, it's their mother pointing out every attribute their son has in the hopes of a match. I was trying to escape a particularly enthusiastic subject, and let’s just say there’s a reason he’s single." She rolled her eyes, then moved them back to send a piercing look at me. "Oh, and there's always at least one guy who thinks he can score a quickie in the back room with a woman caught up in the romance of a wedding—or maybe in a quiet arboretum." One of her eyebrows arched as she looked at me.
I pretended not to catch on to her accusation. Of course, she'd been pretty accurate in her assessment, which I both hated and admired.
She slid closer to me. "They're not wrong, though. Weddings can be wonderful places to meet someone and start a relationship. Who knows where this will lead?" Her head tilted, and her eyes got that dewy look that happens when women get caught up in some romantic idea.
My nerves tightened, especially with her next words.
"We've already kissed. I mean, you felt that connection, right? Maybe we'll be here again next year as the bride and groom." She patted my shoulder. "Don't worry. Daddy has a lot of connections and will make sure it happens."
She wrapped her hand around my arm and nestled her head against my shoulder while my tongue glued itself to the roof of my mouth.
"How many kids do you think you'd like to have? I've always wanted four, I think. Even numbers work best. What do you think of the name Abigail for a girl?"
Whoa! I don't think my body could be any stiffer if I were a corpse frozen in a block of ice. I was trying to figure out how to remove myself when she sprung up and burst out laughing.
"Oh, you should see your face! You look like someone just told you that you only have twelve hours left to live. I'm kidding! Consider that payback for the lectures I'm going to have to listen to from
my dad when word gets out that someone was kissing me clandestinely, and trust me, word will get out. It always does. And I've been warned you don't do relationships, so that means that fun tidbit will also reach his ears."
I was still breathing hard from the little joke she'd pulled on me. I also couldn't remember the last time someone teased me, and this made twice in a brief period. Most people sensed better than to fuck with me.
Apparently, she wasn't most people. I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.
I managed a weak chuckle. "Yeah, well, it worked. I'm sorry if my questionable methods caused you trouble."
She shrugged. "Won't be the first time."
I was curious by her statement, but I knew it was better not to show too much interest. "You never lacked for a dance partner back there.” I tipped my head toward the exit. Too late I realized I tipped her off that I was watching her. I hurriedly added, “Did no one catch your attention?"
She blew out a long breath. "Oh, it was caught, all right. By several men in fact."
I wasn't ready to let her go. Her voice was pleasant and innocently seductive, however the hell she managed that combination.
"Sounds like a story there," I prompted.