and helped you along the way. None of us want to miss out on Katherine and Eric’s wedding.”
I glanced around the room at the hopeful faces. They were all nodding and way too eager to be involved. Screw what Eric wanted. The people wanted a wedding from what appeared to be the town’s most beloved couple, and by God, I wasn’t going to be the one to stand in the way.
I looked around the room some more, trying to find someone that had the knowledge and skills to handle this. I caught sight of someone in the other room and stepped closer to see who was there. It was a couple, laughing as they ate their dinner. My nostrils flared and my anger spiked. What the fuck was Anna doing with Carter Roy? Were they on a date? She was too good for someone like him. She was sweet and thoughtful while he was a pompous jackass that used his charm and good looks to lead women on. He was actually a lot like me….
I grinned as an idea struck. It was the perfect way to get her away from Carter and get this crowd under control. “Uh…everybody just sit tight for a moment. I need a word with the person that’s running the event planning.”
I walked into the other room and strode right up to their table. I grinned at Anna as she looked up at me with hatred in her eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
I grinned down at her, noticing how beautiful she looked tonight. Her dark brown hair was pulled up out of her face and those baby blues were shining bright. Although, it was in anger and not out of lust. I had imagined what her eyes would look like if I fucked her now, years later when we were more experienced than fumbling teenagers. Sadly, I wouldn’t be getting that tonight.
“I have a room full of people that are here to plan the wedding for Kat and Eric.”
“So?”
“So, as Eric’s secretary, I need you to organize everyone.”
She smiled sweetly at me. “And as Eric’s secretary, I only answer to him. Now, I’m on a date, so you can leave.”
My eyes flicked to Carter’s, brimming with challenge. “Hey, Corduroy.”
He smiled at me, obviously not irritated with the old nickname. “Nice to see you too, Robert. That’s a nice suit. What did that cost? Your morals?”
I laughed, not caring about the jab because I knew what it took to earn the right to wear this suit. Once upon a time, Carter and I were rivals in school, always trying to outdo each other. Both of us had decided to go into law, but Carter ended up becoming a cop, whereas I became a blood-sucking lawyer. I wasn’t sure what was worse, having a respectable job that made no money, or making a shit-ton of money, but have nobody respect you because of your job.
“Get lost, Corduroy. Nobody likes you anyway.”
“Robert!” Anna gasped. “Stop being such a dick.”
I glanced back at her and leaned down so only she could hear me. “I got you that job with my brother, and I didn’t have to. There were other candidates that were more qualified, but I chose you. Now, Eric needs help with this, so please put aside your hatred for me and help out your boss.”
She glared at me, but stood up from her chair. “Carter, give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”
She tossed down her napkin on the table and stormed into the other room. I turned to Carter with a smirk. “I would just head out now if I were you. After she’s done, I’ll need to go over a few details with her. It could take all night.”
He leaned back in his seat and laced his fingers behind his head. “I’ve got all night, Bob. Oh, sorry, does that sound too hillbilly for a big city lawyer?”
“Why are you here with her anyway? She’s not your type.”
“You mean beautiful, smart, witty…I happen to like everything about Anna, including the way her ass fills out those jeans.”
I clenched my jaw and my fists to keep from pummeling the guy. She wasn’t mine. She hadn’t been for thirteen years. And it didn’t matter that I never wanted to let her go. I had. And now she wasn’t mine anymore. We lived in different worlds, and like it or not, this asshole was right. She was more likely to be with a guy like him than a