Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Laughing, I hold out the box to him. He takes the corsage out, and I offer him my hand. Shivers spark over my skin as he gently slides the flowers into place on my wrist. “Wow.” I stare at the pretty arrangement. “It takes up a lot of real estate on my arm.”
“Too much?” he asks.
“No! God, no. I love it.” I wrap my arms around him. “Thank you.”
He gives me a quick squeeze. “You’re welcome.”
“I feel like my surprise for you is ruined now.” I grab his hand and tug him inside the house again.
The girls are crowded in the dining room, picking at the food.
“Whoa.” Hayden stops mid-chew and stares at Griff.
“Er-nah-gawd,” Darcy mumbles around a mouthful of ham and cheese.
Pride lifts my chin and I squeeze Griff’s hand.
Ella’s sitting at the head of the table, watching with an amused expression. She whistles at Griff. “Looking good, stud.”
He grunts at her—a sound somewhere between a greeting and annoyance.
“All right. Stop staring at my boyfriend.” I drag Griff into the kitchen.
He leans against the counter and tugs at the lapels of his jacket, then fusses with the cuffs of his shirt.
“You look good. That’s why they’re all staring,” I whisper in his ear.
One corner of his mouth tilts. “Do you think I look good?”
I slide my gaze over him again. “Oh, yes.”
He gives his left sleeve one final tug. “That’s all I care about.”
I hurry to the refrigerator and pull his boutonniere out. Carefully, I hand it over. Griff’s lips turn up. “Confirmed. We match.” He taps his lapel. “Pin it on me.”
With shaky hands, I clutch the small stem of the red rose carefully wrapped with purple ribbon. The tiny crown charm catches the light, winking as I pin the flower into place.
He glances down. “Perfect. Thank you.”
I lean up to kiss his cheek, but he turns his head, catching my lips. His arms slide around my waist, and his hand presses against the small of my back. I stumble closer, sighing into his mouth.
“Wooooo!” the girls scream.
“Get it, Molly!” Hayden shouts.
Pressing my palm to Griff’s chest, I pull away. Red smudges outline his lips, and I reach up to wipe my lipstick off for him.
“Sorry,” he whispers. “Couldn’t help myself.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“All right, girls!” Ella claps her hands. “Final lipstick check! Then you’re on your own.”
“Where’s your bag?” Griff asks me. “I’ll go put it in the car.”
“Uh, on my bed. I can go get it.”
“It’s okay.” He kisses my cheek. “Sounds like Ella’s planning to jet.” He brushes his thumb against my bottom lip. “And I smudged this a little.”
He casts a glance at the backyard, almost like he’d rather go outside and climb up the side of the house into my bedroom window than risk the girls twittering over him again.
I’m last in line for Ella to touch up my lips. “You two have fun tonight,” she whispers.
“Guh,” I mutter, trying to thank her without moving my lips.
When she’s finished, I give her a quick hug. “Thanks for helping us out.”
“Not a problem.”
“Pictures, please!” Remy shouts.
“Hey, will you take a picture with me?” I ask Ella.
“Sure.”
Remy must be in a good mood. He usually hates sitting still for pictures or being asked to take them. But today, he’s turned into a professional, firing off a slew of combinations and poses for us to follow.
“Just the girls.” He waves Griff and Ella to the side.
The five of us squeeze in tight and smile wide.
“Okay, Ella, join them,” Remy directs.
Ella flicks her gaze to the sky but allows all of us to pile on until she’s in the center of a big group hug.
Remy snaps a few more shots, then allows Griff to join me. I run over to Ella and hand her my phone. “Will you take a few? Just in case he cuts off Griff’s head or something.”
Laughing, she accepts the phone and waves me away.
Griff backs us up to the wide stairs of the front porch, and Remy spends more time than I’d expect framing the pictures.
“Go up a few steps, Molly,” Remy directs. “Take her hand, bonehead,” he says to Griff. “There ya go. Our very own Prince Charming.”
Griff ignores the taunting from my brother by focusing all his attention on me. “You do look like a princess tonight,” he whispers against my ear.
My heart flutters faster.
“All right. That’s enough,” Remy says.
Griff slaps Remy’s chest. “Let me take a pic of you two.”
“Get out of here,” Remy scoffs.
“Please?” I pull the pout I know my brother can’t resist.
“Fine.” He slings his arm over my shoulders and allows Griff to take a few pictures. “Remember what I said,” he says low against my ear.
“I will.”
“Let’s go!” Hayden shouts, her heels clacking over the sidewalk. “More photos to take at my mom’s.”
I cast a nervous glance at Griff, not sure how much more of all this pre-prom stuff he’s willing to tolerate. But he only smiles at me.