The Design(78)

Grayson.

I froze and stared as he walked through the door. It’d been over two months since I’d last seen him but it felt like no time had passed at all. He looked just as handsome as he had when I’d left him at the airport. He was wearing a navy suit with polished brown shoes. A crisp white shirt lay beneath a fitted jacket that he filled out oh so well. His lips were spread into a wide, easy smile, and his dimples were just as appealing as they’d been two months ago.

I took a step forward to greet him, and then my eyes finally fell to his side, to the petite redhead touching his arm.

He brought a date to Brooklyn’s engagement party?

He brought a freaking date?!





Chapter Thirty-Six


I managed to pull it together as best as I could as Grayson strolled around the party with his date, introducing her to anyone he could find. I stood against the wall, watching them and trying to recall whether or not I knew any spells or hexes off the top of my head, before remembering I wasn't a witch. How hard could it be? Surely Brooklyn had a voodoo doll or some eye of newt lying around somewhere.

He finally looked my way and I froze. The petite redhead was trying to get his attention, pulling hard on his arm, but he held my gaze for a moment. I recognized the cool indifference in his eyes from my days at Cole Designs, but I wasn’t prepared to see it aimed at me.

I cocked a brow and raised my glass in a silent salute. Well played, *. He narrowed his eyes and turned back to his date. Adrenaline had flushed through me when our eyes locked, but when he turned away, I was left with the aftereffects. My hands were shaking and my mouth felt dry. If my champagne flute had been cheaper, I would have already shattered it into a million pieces.

“Cammie, are you almost ready to give your speech?” Brooklyn asked, coming to stand beside me. “I think most everyone is here, so we should get started.”

“Yes. Perfect. Great. Let’s do that speech now,” I said, scanning the room for any eligible bachelors I could pay to be my date for the night. There was a fourteen-year-old kid playing Nintendo DS on Brooklyn’s couch. Hmm… I could tell Grayson he’s a prodigy with that Benjamin Button disease so he ages backwards. Yeah, that could work.

“Cammie? Are you good? I saw that Grayson brought a date, and if you don’t want to do the speech, you can just—”

I laughed a twisted sort of laugh and then waved her off. “Oh, please. I totally have this,” I said, whipping out the folded piece of paper I’d used to jot down the important points of the speech. It’d been wedged between my boobs and was now a little damp, thanks to Grayson’s holy hotness making me sweat.

“Oh, um, alright then,” Brooklyn said, trying to decipher my erratic mood.

I ignored her and made eye contact with Summer so that I could give her the go-ahead to get started. Why not give the speech now? The sooner I said my spiel, the sooner I could get the hell out of there.

“Ladies, and gentlemen,” Summer yelled, clanking her champagne flute a little too hard. “If you’ll give us your attention, the maid of honor and the best man would each like to give a short speech in honor of the bride and groom to start off tonight’s party.”

Best man? I hadn’t realized he was giving a speech as well. I scanned the room, wondering which one of Jason’s friends he’d chosen for the coveted spot. Maybe Derek or another friend from Montana?

When Grayson stepped forward through the crowd, beelining in my direction, I had to force myself to close my gaping mouth.

Oh, hell freaking no. Jason made Grayson his best man? Bastard.

“Cammie?” Brooklyn murmured beneath her breath. “Say something.”

Everyone’s eyes had turned to me after Summer’s introduction and I’d yet to make a move. I cleared my throat and stared down at my sweaty notecards just as Grayson fell into place beside me. His suit jacket brushed my skin as he spun around to face the crowd and I almost reached out to push him two feet away from me. The scent of his aftershave hit me and I closed my eyes, trying to compose myself as best as possible.

“Right, so, hello,” I stammered, forcing my gaze up to meet the crowd. “I’m Cameron Heart, Brooklyn’s sister and I’ll be giving a speech… um, right now.”

My palms were sweating so badly that I was forced to wipe them on my dress.

“They know you’re giving a speech,” Grayson whispered.

I shot him a death stare, but he shrugged it off, offering a diplomatic smile to the crowd. Asshole. Asshole. Asshole.

“As some of you may know, Brooklyn and Jason had quite the whirlwind romance,” I began, smiling over to where Brooklyn and Jason were wrapped around one another, listening intently. “They were both content to work on their solo careers. They weren’t looking for someone to stand next to on stage, but their record label had a different plan for them.

“You see, I spoke with Brooklyn just after she and Jason met for the first time. It was an awkward encounter to say the least, but I knew she was enamored by him. Jason was a challenge for Brooklyn, something she wasn’t used to. As many of you know, she’s good at getting what she wants.”

I paused while the crowd laughed.

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Grayson whispered just loud enough for me to hear over the laughter. I tried to ignore him.