Page 109 of Filthy Twisted Devil

“I promise to be the best assistant you’ve ever had in just a few minutes. Just let me do this first, okay?”

I nuzzle against her neck, breathing in her scent. She softens against me the tiniest bit, her breasts pressing against me, even though the clipboard she’s still clutching keeps our bodies from completely coming together.

Eden sighs. “Luke, we have to⁠—”

I kiss the words off her lips before she can say more. She tosses the clipboard on a chair and wraps her arms around my neck. Her body bows softly against mine, her lips opening for me just the way they did last night. Fuck, it’s a thousand times better kissing her and feeling like she’s mine.

I’m about to lift her to wrap her legs around me when someone clears their throat. Eden and I jump apart like two thieves caught with the bags of cash in their hands. Nate stands at the door, holding a small pile of folding chairs and raising his brows.

“If you’re not too busy, maybe Luke could help us carry chairs.”

Eden’s face flushes an adorable pink. “Yes. Right, of course. Go help.”

I glare at Nate as I stride outside to the truck. “Did you really need my help that badly?”

He raises his brows. “Sorry I interrupted you kissing your fake girlfriend. It is still fake, right?”

I shove my hands in my pockets and look away. I don’t have an excuse. After spending last night with Eden, I got sloppy. I didn’t wait for the excuse of an audience and just kissed her because I wanted to.

Nate sighs and pats me on the back. “Whatever’s going on between you and Eden is your business. Just make sure that next time, you don’t get caught by someone who’ll have more to say about it than me.”

He doesn’t have to elaborate. I know he means that if Brinley found us, the whole wedding weekend might blow up.

Cat and Maura join us twenty minutes later. Maura looks serene and well-rested, while Cat has an uncharacteristic frown on her face.

“Don’t say hi too loudly,” Maura warns us. “Cat’s grumpy.”

“Cat doesn’t want to get any crap about it, either,” Cat mutters. “Cat hasn’t drunk in a year, and she forgot her limits, so she expects everyone to be polite and understanding.”

“Everyone will be very accommodating,” Nate promises her before glaring at all of us like we threatened to ring a gong right next to her ears.

Inside, Eden greets the girls warmly and assigns them tasks that let them sit down—lantern folding for Cat, and string light untangling for Maura. Beau and Brinley show up next, and are tasked with unboxing the vases Eden ordered for centerpieces.

Wade, Jasper, and Reed come in around 10:30, their clothes already dusty from finishing their morning chores. Eden adds them to the furniture hauling contingent, which now includes the round wooden tables for the reception dinner, which have to be assembled. They get moving without complaint, I assume because they’re used to physical labor and following instructions from their relatives.

Unsurprisingly, Ryan and Pippa are last to join us. Pippa strolls in looking chipper, while Ryan drags behind her, his shoulders slumped like he’s physically weighed down from his hangover.

“You look miserable,” I say.

“I am miserable,” Ryan moans. “I planned on sleeping in, but your evil girlfriend sicced her minions on us.”

“Nate woke us up,” Pippa explains. “I don’t think Eden sent him, though. His exact words were, ‘If I’m stuck hauling furniture, then so are you.’”

“Good! You’re here,” Eden chirps, walking up with her clipboard. “Pippa, you can go help Cat unpack the paper lanterns. Ryan, why don’t you help unload⁠—”

“If I have to carry any heavy objects, I’m liable to hurl,” Ryan says. “Sorry.”

Eden nods. “Fine. You can help Cat and Pippa, then.”

Ryan glares at me as Eden strides away. “Like I said. Evil girlfriend.”

I suppress a smile. I still get a twinge of pleasure, hearing him call Eden my girlfriend.

Once all the furniture is fully unloaded, Eden gathers the men—minus Ryan—to direct where it should go. She’s figured out a clever way to both hold the ceremony in the barn and the reception, by pre-setting the tables in an old row of stables. After the ceremony, the guests will be brought outside for a champagne sunset toast while the staff brings out the tables and rearranges the ceremony chairs. By the end of the day, her plan is to have the tables set up, covered with drop clothes, and hidden with a small wall of decorative hay bales.

While I’m moving chairs, I watch as Eden approaches the lantern folding station. She frowns down at Ryan’s five, lumpy-looking lanterns.

“Okay. So these are…not great,” Eden says, charitably.