then wishing she hadn’t because her gaze locked on his mouth and all she could think about was those deep drugging kisses and the not-so-sweet nothings he’d growled into her ear.
‘Try me.’
She dragged her gaze up and that was even worse because traces of heat and desire lingered in his eyes, reminding her of what she really was trying to forget. ‘You can’t. You will never have to experience the mortification I’m about to suffer,’ she said, knowing she was going to sound pathetic and wishing she’d just nodded and gone with Lily without saying anything. ‘I’m the only single girl here. Everyone else is married. I’ll have to stand there alone and everyone will be watching. Wait until you see the looks being cast my way—which will range from smug to pitying—and then you’ll see.’
Marcus tilted his head and looked at her intently, as if spotting a crack in her armour and trying to see through it. Not that he’d find anything even if he could, apart maybe from a horseshoe magnet with both its ends quivering in his direction.
‘You’re not the only single girl here,’ he said, rubbing his fingers along his jaw, and she couldn’t help watching, remembering how they’d felt inside her. ‘There’s Lily.’
‘She’s engaged,’ she said, wondering where the hell her inner strength and self-control were when she needed them. ‘Doesn’t count.’
‘Sadly, this is true,’ said Lily thoughtfully.
‘Then I’ll join you,’ he said.
Celia stared at him. What? No. She didn’t need him being all nice on top of the fabulous sex. That really would screw with her head. ‘Sorry?’
‘I’ll join you. Hustle you for the bouquet.’
‘You?’
‘Why not? I’m single. And, actually, technically so are you, Lily, despite being engaged. And while we’re at it why don’t we recruit Kit? That might make it a bit more of a battle.’
‘A novel idea,’ said Lily with a grin. ‘I’ll go and get him. So, are you coming?’
This she said to Celia, who thought that she already had. Deliciously. Twice. In the space of about five minutes. ‘Absolutely,’ she said, wishing she could give herself a good kick. ‘Give me a moment to put on my shoes.’ And find her underwear, regain her composure and exert some sort of control over her brain.
‘Great.’
Celia watched Lily lift her dress and rush off, and muttered, ‘You’re mad,’ in Marcus’ general direction.
‘Probably,’ he said, thrusting his hands in his pockets, at which point his jaw tightened and his dark eyes glittered. ‘You can thank me later if you like.’
Celia hmmed non-committally because she wasn’t sure if his plan was going to make things better or worse, stalked over to the bench and scoured the ground. ‘Where the hell are my knickers?’
‘In my pocket.’
‘Can I have them back, please?’
‘Not really much point.’
‘Why not?’
Colour slashed along his cheekbones as he gave her the kind of smile that suggested he was enjoying a memory. ‘There’s not much left of them.’
‘Oh.’
He tilted his head and his smile widened, becoming wicked. ‘Don’t you remember me ripping them off you?’
Celia bit her lip and felt her blush deepen. She’d been so lost in desire and desperation she hadn’t felt anything except the deep hammering urge to have him inside her. ‘I forget the details,’ she said a little huskily.
‘I don’t think I’ll ever forget any of the details. I think they’ll for ever be burned into my memory. That was hotter than I’d ever have imagined. You’re hotter than I’d ever have imagined.’
Celia really didn’t know what to say to that. ‘Thank you. And thank you for suggesting the bouquet thing,’ she added, deeming it wise to get off the subject of hotness and the circumstances surrounding it.
‘You’re welcome. But you should know my motives aren’t entirely altruistic.’
‘No?’
Marcus shook his head and looked down at her, his eyes burning
‘Try me.’
She dragged her gaze up and that was even worse because traces of heat and desire lingered in his eyes, reminding her of what she really was trying to forget. ‘You can’t. You will never have to experience the mortification I’m about to suffer,’ she said, knowing she was going to sound pathetic and wishing she’d just nodded and gone with Lily without saying anything. ‘I’m the only single girl here. Everyone else is married. I’ll have to stand there alone and everyone will be watching. Wait until you see the looks being cast my way—which will range from smug to pitying—and then you’ll see.’
Marcus tilted his head and looked at her intently, as if spotting a crack in her armour and trying to see through it. Not that he’d find anything even if he could, apart maybe from a horseshoe magnet with both its ends quivering in his direction.
‘You’re not the only single girl here,’ he said, rubbing his fingers along his jaw, and she couldn’t help watching, remembering how they’d felt inside her. ‘There’s Lily.’
‘She’s engaged,’ she said, wondering where the hell her inner strength and self-control were when she needed them. ‘Doesn’t count.’
‘Sadly, this is true,’ said Lily thoughtfully.
‘Then I’ll join you,’ he said.
Celia stared at him. What? No. She didn’t need him being all nice on top of the fabulous sex. That really would screw with her head. ‘Sorry?’
‘I’ll join you. Hustle you for the bouquet.’
‘You?’
‘Why not? I’m single. And, actually, technically so are you, Lily, despite being engaged. And while we’re at it why don’t we recruit Kit? That might make it a bit more of a battle.’
‘A novel idea,’ said Lily with a grin. ‘I’ll go and get him. So, are you coming?’
This she said to Celia, who thought that she already had. Deliciously. Twice. In the space of about five minutes. ‘Absolutely,’ she said, wishing she could give herself a good kick. ‘Give me a moment to put on my shoes.’ And find her underwear, regain her composure and exert some sort of control over her brain.
‘Great.’
Celia watched Lily lift her dress and rush off, and muttered, ‘You’re mad,’ in Marcus’ general direction.
‘Probably,’ he said, thrusting his hands in his pockets, at which point his jaw tightened and his dark eyes glittered. ‘You can thank me later if you like.’
Celia hmmed non-committally because she wasn’t sure if his plan was going to make things better or worse, stalked over to the bench and scoured the ground. ‘Where the hell are my knickers?’
‘In my pocket.’
‘Can I have them back, please?’
‘Not really much point.’
‘Why not?’
Colour slashed along his cheekbones as he gave her the kind of smile that suggested he was enjoying a memory. ‘There’s not much left of them.’
‘Oh.’
He tilted his head and his smile widened, becoming wicked. ‘Don’t you remember me ripping them off you?’
Celia bit her lip and felt her blush deepen. She’d been so lost in desire and desperation she hadn’t felt anything except the deep hammering urge to have him inside her. ‘I forget the details,’ she said a little huskily.
‘I don’t think I’ll ever forget any of the details. I think they’ll for ever be burned into my memory. That was hotter than I’d ever have imagined. You’re hotter than I’d ever have imagined.’
Celia really didn’t know what to say to that. ‘Thank you. And thank you for suggesting the bouquet thing,’ she added, deeming it wise to get off the subject of hotness and the circumstances surrounding it.
‘You’re welcome. But you should know my motives aren’t entirely altruistic.’
‘No?’
Marcus shook his head and looked down at her, his eyes burning
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