Say You're Mine - Layla Hagen Page 0,53
glorious.
The guys gave us the side-eye, and I was enjoying it immensely.
“You’re not feeling guilty?” Brayden teased.
“Not at all. It’s not like we can put up the decorations before the tent is ready. And you don’t need us helping with the tent. Too many cooks in a kitchen and all that.” My voice dripped with sass.
Donna and Jana nodded approvingly.
After finishing our ice cream while watching the men work, we brought the boxes from the truck. The tent still wasn’t ready, but if we didn’t start putting up the decorations, we wouldn’t be ready in time for the party. Esther joined us too, mostly giving us directions.
The decorations consisted of strings of lights, green balloons, and some props for pictures. There was also a cute photo booth that needed to be built up from scratch. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I’d shamelessly relied on my brothers for this type of stuff my whole life. They’d helped me assemble my IKEA furniture when I moved into my first apartment in Philly, then again when I came to New York. Assembly instructions read like gibberish to me, but this one was mostly about folding paper. I peeked around, assessing if I could rope anyone into helping me, but everyone was busy.
Come on, Isabelle, you can do this.
Ten minutes later, I was sweating bullets, and I was pretty sure I’d folded the paper in the wrong direction.
“You look like you need help,” Brayden whispered from my right, startling me. I’d been so focused on the instructions that I hadn’t heard him walk up.
“Yeah, I think I misunderstood a few steps,” I whispered back.
He glanced between the instructions and the papers I’d already folded. The corners of his mouth tilted up.
I pointed at him. “Don’t make fun of me.”
He kissed the side of my neck quickly before straightening up again and looking at me intently. “Or what?”
“Or... you’ll be sorry.”
I didn’t sound too threatening, but to my defense, when he trained those gorgeous eyes on me like this, I was lucky I could gather my wits at all. I deserved points for that.
“Am I now? How about I throw you over my shoulder and take you out of here? Then I can show you exactly how not sorry I am.”
“Now what kind of excuse would be acceptable for you to get away with that?”
“You don’t know my family yet. We don’t need an excuse for that in the Clarke family.”
He leaned forward a few inches, and the smell of his cologne just took my breath away.
“Is this the country guy inside you?”
“Hell yes.”
Smiling, I winked at him. “I like it. And you’re welcome to show me that side of you in a lot of detail. As soon as we finish this photo booth.”
I focused on the instructions again but was acutely aware of Brayden moving right behind me, bringing his mouth to my ear.
“That will take no time at all. And then I’ll have my way with you.”
Goose bumps formed on my arms. My God, his voice was so deliciously sexy.
We both worked on the booth, and under his guidance, I managed not to screw up the rest of it. He’d been right, it was easy to set up. But after we finished it, Esther asked me to hang the balloons all around the perimeter while she and Brayden went about hanging the strings of lights.
I finished twenty minutes later and went inside the house for a drink. My throat was dry and raspy.
Esther was in the kitchen, and she poured me a glass of mineral water, adding a slice of cucumber and two slices of orange inside.
“Why do we need the tent at all?” I asked after gulping down the drink. “The weather is so beautiful.”
“Oh, we’ve had a couple of years where it turned from sun to rain in less than an hour, and we had to move the party indoors. It’s safer if we just put up the tent.”
“You’re right. I didn’t think about that.”
Esther came around to me, putting an arm around my shoulders, smiling at me. “Thanks for bringing my boy home. I’ve missed having him here. He can be so stubborn.”
“What’s that, Mom?” Brayden’s voice boomed from behind us. “You’re bad-mouthing me too?”
Esther let go of me as we both turned around.
“No, your mom was giving me valuable insights,” I said, holding my chin high.
Brayden pinned me with his gaze, smiling wickedly. “Mom, I want to show Isabelle around before the party. Do you need me