Southern Seducer (North Carolina Highlands 1)

When she plays happily by herself on her playmat for twenty minutes at a pop, you’ll wish it would slow down again.

My heart still flutters at the memory of last night’s ceremony. Or maybe it’s the wine buzz that’s got my pulse skipping.

Or maybe it’s just Beau. Naked beside me in our bed, scruffy and relaxed and happy.

“Again?” he asks, eyes flicking over my face.

“What do you expect? You turn me on. A lot.”

Laughing, he leans over and kisses me.

“Oh!” he says, pulling back. “I had a thought just now.”

“You did? Congratulations.”

He furrows his brow in mock consternation. “I do have those every so often, you know.”

“I know.” I tuck a stray lock of hair away from his face. “Tell me.”

“Remember when you asked me why we never got together until we did? I’ve thought more about that. And I think the baby had a lot to do with it. I think she made you realize what’s important, and you made me realize the same. I mean, yeah, we could’ve definitely hooked up earlier. But I don’t think we would’ve been ready.”

“Maisie made us ready.”

“Yes.”

“I like that.”

“I like you.” He cups my breast in his hand.

Moaning, I lean in for a kiss when a voice in the hallway stops me cold.

“Helloooo!”

Beau startles. I shoot upright, making the throb in my head intensify.

“Is that your brother?” I whisper.

“Yeah. Samuel!” he shouts, getting out of bed. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“It’s five o’clock, you fool!” someone else replies. Sounds like Rhett. I smile. “Drinking time. And we weren’t gonna let y’all drink alone on the first day of your married life.”

Shoving his arms into a shirt, Beau murmurs, “Lucky us.”

I get dressed and brush my teeth.

When I emerge from the bedroom, I see our families gathered in the kitchen. Every single person, from Mama and Larry to Milly and Maisie, is crowded inside our house, most with cocktails in hand.

One person I didn’t expect? Emma.

She’s decanting a bottle of wine by the stove. Samuel is beside her, lifting bottles out of the cardboard box at his feet onto the counter.

Emma turns her head to look at him. He looks back, and she smiles. He blushes.

For a second—it’s so quick I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t watching—he puts a hand on the small of her back.

“You seeing this?” Beau asks, low, in my ear.

“Oh yeah,” I say. “Told you there was something going on there.”

“Enemies to lovers,” Milly says, sidling up beside me. “Makes for a good story, don’t you think?”

I nudge her with my elbow. “What’s your story gonna be?”

“Romeo and Juliet?” Beau answers.

“Really?” I ask her.

She just shrugs. “Maybe.”

Emma and Samuel pass glasses around. Someone calls for a toast. Beau, ever the good sport, raises his glass at the same moment he rests an arm over my shoulders.

“As much as I wanna hate y’all for crashing our day after,” he says, “I don’t because we’re hopping on a plane to Hawaii tomorrow for eight glorious days of solitude. Thank you, Mom and Lizzie, for watching Miss Maisie for us.”

“Happy to,” Mrs. B. says. She’s holding the baby, and she looks beyond blissed out.

Mom just beams.

“And thank you all for the best wedding weekend ever,” I say. “We’re lucky to have you in our lives.”

Maisie giggles.

Larry toasts to love.

Beau can’t keep his eyes off me.

We’re hungover and happy, surrounded by family and friends.

This life we’ve chosen, it’s a good one.