Me: No, just really busy. Juls stopped in and showed off her massive engagement ring and now I’m behind on some baking. What’s up?

I press send, pleased with myself for not berating him with questions about previous lovers and office sex romps. I’m about to place my phone down when his name flashes on my screen with an incoming call. Damn it. I can’t just ignore him again; he knows I’m not too busy to text. I swipe the screen.

“Not feeling the text messaging today?” I ask through a smile that I inwardly curse myself for having. He hasn’t even spoken yet and I’m glowing.

“Not when I can hear your voice instead. How are you today, love? Any new favorite songs?” The sound of crunching comes through the phone and I suspect that he’s received my special delivery just for him.

“Maybe. And I’m okay. I’m just still in shock over the engagement news.” I swallow the lump in my throat. Christ, cheer the f**k up, Dylan. This hot man has chosen you over all other women in line to play with. He chose you. “So, are you coming out to celebrate with us tonight? I have a few nicknames I’d like to throw at you once I get all kinds of tipsy.” The timer on the oven sounds and I walk over to it, clamping my phone between my ear and my shoulder to retrieve the cake.

He laughs softly and I can picture my favorite smile lines next to his eyes. “Yeah but probably not till late. I have some stuff I need to take care of first.” He pauses and the sound of crunching fills the receiver again. “Should I be concerned that you’re going to get shit faced without me there? Because a part of me is concerned. Actually, isn’t there some rule that says you can’t get drunk without me?”

I laugh and poke the center of the cake with a knife, pulling it out clean. The idea of seeing him in a few short hours has blanketed all of my stupid girl concerns and I’m now my usual drunk on Reese self. I wouldn’t even need alcohol tonight. “First of all, I’m not going to get drunk. If I did, I would completely blow my chances of riding you later on because I would pass out.” I turn the oven off and grab a mixing bowl for the frosting. “And secondly, my friends know how to handle me and know when to cut me off. I think you forget that I’m twenty-six and not twenty-one. I’ve been doing this for a few years you know.”

He grunts and I automatically roll my eyes into the phone. “None of what you just said gives me any comfort. I’ll just make sure to get my shit done quickly so I can cut you off myself.”

My hand not holding the phone goes to my hip. “If you storm into that bar and throw me over your shoulder like some caveman, Carroll, we will be having words when I sober up.”

“Hmm, thanks for the idea, Sparks.”

“Reese.” The sound of the dial tone blares in my ear and I stuff my phone back into my pocket. Oh for Christ’s sake. He would do something embarrassing like that. I can just see myself getting hauled out of there tonight with my face stuck in his ass again. Well, two can play at that game. If he’s going to manhandle me in front of my friends then I’ll just have to make sure I’m wearing something to make him lose his shit. That’s my only defense really, causing him to stumble at the sight of me and giving me hopefully enough time to run away from him. But did I even have an outfit that could pull that off?

“Joey, we’re closing up early so we can go shopping.” I begin throwing the ingredients for the icing together into a bowl. I register his elated response and focus on my task at hand. Finish making the frosting, ice the cake, and blow Reese’s f**king mind. I grin mischievously at myself. He has no idea who he’s messing with.

**

After perusing the racks at La Bella for over an hour, I finally settled on a sleeveless coral dress with a deep v neck and exposed back. It wasn’t too clingy, allowing me for movement and hiding the lines of my white garter with matching bra and panties. But it was short, really f**king short. I had decided on the garter immediately after our phone call ended, that and the fact that I would be picking out some sort of dress for the evening. Reese looked at me differently when I wore dresses. He still had that raw animalistic stare that could melt the panties right off me, but there was also this sweetness behind it, a gentleness that I saw when I’d worn them around him. He looked at me like I was delicate and I liked that.

Joey had gotten his car back from the shop and drove us to meet Juls at The Tavern, not failing to remind me that we both looked better in his ride than in mine. All this Sam hate. I was already two rum and cokes in when Ian and Billy showed up, my heart pounding at the anticipation of Reese’s arrival.

“I would just like to say Ian that you did an amaaazziinngg job on the ring. Like f**king brilliant, dude. You’re like the lord of the rings now. Ooohhh, you’re Frodo.” Yup. I am definitely in the nickname giving stage of my night. I bop around on my stool, tapping my hands lightly on the bar in rhythm with the song playing overhead.

“Wow, how many drinks have you had?” he asks as Juls wiggles in his lap. She can’t stop looking at her ring and it’s absolutely adorable. I’m certain she’s shown it to me fifty times since we’ve arrived as if I haven’t seen it already.

“Psst, like none,” I reply. “So have you two thought of a honeymoon spot?”

“Fiji!” Juls yells and Ian barks a laugh.

“I don’t really care, just as long as I get my sexy wife in a bikini and then quickly out of it,” he says and I feel my face flush. “I can’t f**king wait to marry you.” He speaks so low, I almost didn’t hear him. But I did. Tears fill my eyes and I meet Juls’ rapidly blinking teary-eyed stare.