Tease

“<…>Don’t you agree, Hutton?”“Yes,” I said, mostly just to get her to stop talking.

“I said that we’re engaged.”“You said what?”“I said that we were engaged. Well, I said that I was engaged to a hot billionaire, and then when Mimi asked who, I said you. You’re the only hot billionaire I know.”She thinks I’m hot.

Thunder boomed loudly from outside, and I jumped.“You okay?”“No.” I laughed, embarrassed. Without thinking, I made a quick joke. “Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”Hutton’s face went white.“I’m kidding,” I said, my face growing hot. “Because of what I told you earlier. Don’t worry, I won’t—”“You can if you want to.”“—actually crawl into your . . . huh?”“You can sleep in my bed. If you want to. I mean, if you’re scared.”What if I’m not scared and I just want to be close to you?

Our eyes met, and the silence grew a little tense. She looked so damn good, and I wanted her so badly.

Nothing worse than someone trying to be your therapist when you just needed a sympathetic ear.

Noticing I had a new voicemail message from a Manhattan area code, I listened to a velvet-voiced representative from Tiffany tell me I was all set for a private appointment with him at three p.m.I almost laughed out loud. Felicity was going to be so mad at me, but I didn’t care.Everything about this engagement was fake. It would be nice to have one thing that was real.

It’s a gesture of appreciation.”“Huttonnnnn,” I whined softly, adoring the way the ring sparkled. “A gesture of appreciation is a latte or a sandwich. This is a diamond ring. It’s too much.”

“You’re perfect,” he said, his voice low in my ear. “You’re fucking perfect.”

“It’s a combination of dessert and foot massage.”Was he serious? Simultaneous dessert and foot rub?How was I supposed to ration my feelings whilst eating warm cake and enjoying his strong, sexy hands on me? He was making it impossible to hold back the tide.

“If you could do anything else with your life, like if it had gone in another direction, where would you be?”Here, I thought. Right here with you.

“You can wear it or not wear it whenever you want. That ring is yours, Felicity.”She smiled. “Thanks.”I meant what I said, but as the elevator descended, I still felt an ache take root in my chest. It was true—the ring was hers.But it didn’t make her mine.

“I wish I had my magic powers back.”I laughed. “You’re enough without them.”“What would you wish for?”I’d wish for the guts to tell you I love you. Because I don’t need you to be perfect or magical. I just need you to stay with me.

Felicity was so good for me.Was it possible I could be good enough for her?

I put my cheek back on his chest, and he held me tight.“Everything is going to be okay,” he promised.It felt like a dream, but we were finally real.

I touched my heart and faced Hutton—my friend and my forever.The love of my life.