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My eyes snagged on the ring on the Captain’s left hand as he rubbed it all over Melissa’s nearly bare back E, I thought I hated that I didn’t understand why people got married, and then acted like that But it certainly knocked my opinion of Melissa down even further There was no way she had er if I had seen it from several feet away Hell, she probably felt it on her back, he was rubbing her so hard with it

I nore the They were a major buzz-kill

I noticed with a little dis by led towards lasses in front of ood time"

I told him, and he stepped closer as I spoke I moved back a bit I hated when people tried to casually touch me, and he just seeh, a few minutes later, after he had downed his own shot, he reached out a hand, touching a strand of my hair I shrank back just a little "I love your hair" He was nearly shouting over the rowdy crowd "It looks so hot when you wear it down"

I turned away fro my current round of drinks Yes, it was official I was drunk I caught Stephan and Melvin sharing a look, and I knew exactly what itto tell Melvin to cut offcloser to hily "Don’t you dare I barely ever drink, and I really need to relax tonight This is the first tiet about Mr Beautiful"

Stephan had looked ready to argue until that last e sentence left h "Mr Beautiful?"

I nodded, and he laughed harder "Well, he is James Cavendish is too damned beautiful to be real He scares the shit outtaat that "Why?" he asked seriously

I shook my head "Not like that A different kind of scary I haven’t figured it out All I know for sure is, I need to stay the hell away from Mr Beautiful" I over-enunciated the last sentence so much that, even drunk, I noticed it

Stephan’s eyes widened as he looked at a spot above and behind erent tone Yes, I was definitely drunk "What? Is Mr Beautiful standing behind ?"

Stephan pursed his lips and I suddenly had an awful feeling that I’d hit that one right on the head I turned ht blue eyes "Hello, Mr Beautiful," I said in a quieter, but still obviously drunk, voice

CHAPTER FIVE

Mr Persistant

I spun allare at Stephan "Traitor," I said to hi ive out your nuht I just told him where No harm done"

I mouthed a few choice words at him I felt a hard cheek press to the hair near my ear and kneas Mr Beautiful himself "Mr Beautiful, huh?" he whispered in ht red with eh I have to say, it’s a new one"

"Hello, Mr Cavendish," I said stiffly, without turning

"I told you, call me James Or Mr Beautiful, if you prefer You can save the Mr Cavendish for e’re in private" It was the second ti Did I even want to knoondered No, I told nore everyone for awhile after that Except for Melvin Hinoringamiably atclose enough to ether He was so close that it le If I shifted even an inch backward, we’d be touching

I turned htly and saw that the co-pilot had been forced tobetween Stephan and James, an odd look on his face He didn’t knohat to make of the situation I didn’t really care what he et the picture that I was clearly not available

I lurched suddenly to my feet I had expected to be a little unsteady on ht I had to clutch the bar for several ain my balance

"Whoa, careful there, Buttercup," Stephan was saying toaround my waist for support, and I kneasn’t Stephan "Buttercup?" James asked him, his voice a a little sheepish "It’s an old nickname, from ere kids Bee will have to tell you the story sometime"

"I look forward to it Does she drink like this often?" Jae to his voice He was still just talking to Stephan About

"All the time," I said loudly

"This is the first time she’s had a drink since the month she turned twenty-one," Stephen said quietly "At least two years ago"

Jaain "You re to me," he warned softly "That’s two"

He’d said he’d put ht drunkenly

Oops, I’d said that out loud Luckily, only Ja even white teeth He hadn’t taken it as an insult He nodded at reed