Enemies were almost easier to handle than her attraction with the head of the Morgan family. She sipped her drink again. "I don't do friendships much with strange men I meet at parties who I’ll never see again."
He brushed his arm against her. "Take a chance. I'll get us out of this party early, and we can go get dinner."
The door would be lovely. Colt kissed his new bride's cheek, and the woman's smile grew. Her lips tingled near Peter. If she left with him, she'd be in worse trouble. She gulped her drink. "Okay. I came to make an appearance. If you can get us out in five minutes, I'm in for dinner."
"Consider it done."
That was the opposite of what she had intended to say. Peter walked away to go speak to Colt. She squared her shoulders and sipped her drink. None of these people knew her. She was safe in a crowd. She swallowed. Alone with a man like Peter, she might act out of character.
A woman with long, black hair and a body meant for a super model almost knocked the practically empty drink out of Belle's hand. She flipped her messy mop of hair away from the glamazon.
The woman pouted and then glared. "Watch where you are going."
Belle clutched her drink stem. "You ran into me."
She'd have definitely been the poster child for the in-crowd of high school. The woman posed with one leg out to her side, like a ballerina about to take off.
"Are you going home with Peter Morgan?"
No. Sex was not on the agenda, but this stranger had no business in her life. She finished her drink with her last gulp. She pressed her lips together and intended not to say a word, but women like the one whose eyes made her feel judged rubbed Belle the wrong way.
"Jealous it's not you?"
A wide, knowing smile flashed. This woman knew Peter, well.
Belle hugged her stomach as the woman retorted, "I can take that train ride away from you with a snap of my fingers, and we both know it."
Peter put his arm around Colt's shoulder in the other room. She turned and glanced at the gorgeous woman that stood in front of her. It was silly that someone with his dark eyes, money, and strong shoulders saw her as anything remotely interesting. This woman had no right to judge, though.
"Are you here to threaten me to stay away from him?"
Her bright red lips pouted as her fake chest popped out. "No, he is no longer mine. I am here to give you a warning. He will sleep with you and never call again."
On that they both had the same belief, though she had no idea why Peter Morgan had spent more than a minute with her. She gazed at him as he now laughed at something Colt said. Their arms touched like they were friends.
Belle then rolled her eyes at this olive-skinned woman. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Besides, he's not your type."
The reasons didn't have to insult her. She pressed her lips together. "What is my type?"
"Someone you can boss around. You've too much iron in how you stand."
Her fingers clenched. The nights in Miami were hot, humid, and heavy, but clearly the air took away people's brains.
"And who are you to know anything about me?"
"I'm Jennifer Gonzales. I'm Victoria's best friend."
That did not compute. Her one evening with Victoria in the past, and Colt's years of speaking of her, made Victoria seem angelic. Peter was the clear agenda here. Belle placed her glass on the table beside her. She tapped her shoe against the floor and then snapped her finger.
"I can't imagine anyone like you with Colt. He's always preferred Victoria, even as children. Is that why you are going home with Peter?"
“Is he yours then?”
“No.”
"Then we’re done talking.”
“I want to tell you...”
“Boundaries exist for a reason." This woman was clearly not happy and had butted into her choices long enough. At least Belle's body temperature cooled off. She shook her head. "This conversation is over."
Victoria came barreling toward them and stepped in front of Jennifer. She then wrapped her arms around her and said, "Belle, I wanted to say thank you for coming."
Jennifer's face contorted. Belle stared at Vicki and smiled.
This was all too much.
Belle told them both, "I'm tired."
Vicki scratched her head. "Really? Peter said you're both off to get dinner."
Her voice squeaked. Heat spiked inside her. "He did?"
Jennifer threw her arms to her side and sashayed to another dark-haired man. Both Belle and Vicki stared at her in silence for a full minute.
Victoria then stepped in front of her. "Yeah. My brother and Jennifer were a thing, and I don't know if she's let go. Don't let whatever happened interfere with my brother. I'm hoping you both hit it off."
At least his sister hadn't approved of whatever happened with Jennifer. Belle's estimation increased of the woman she was supposed to despise on principle. Tingles grew all over her body, again. There was no way the American royalty type mixed with her blood. Victoria was likely saying that to cover how she ruined her almost happy marriage to her old partner.
Instead she pointed toward the patio and Jennifer. "Ignore her."
"She said she was your friend and that I should stay away from your brother. Do you think the same?"
"My opinion on my brother's life doesn't matter." Victoria crossed her arms and then nodded. "Though Jennifer and Peter are like oil and water. Don't take whatever she said to heart."
If Peter had chosen the gorgeous model type, then there was zero way she should spend time with him. Instead Belle simply said, "If you say so."
Peter was close. She could feel his presence as her heart sped faster.
Chapter Four
Peter grabbed his jacket and fixed his tie in the mirror next to his brother. Belle's face now had a flush on it, and it wasn't because of anything he had said. His sister wouldn't have upset her. He rubbed his chin as he slipped outside. He’d find out what happened.
One month with someone like Belle would be interesting. He nodded at the men, who parted for him, as he walked toward Belle. The white Christmas lights that surrounded the tropical garden made his brother's backyard seem more intimate. He immediately offered Belle his arm.
She stared at him with her crystal clear brown eyes and then gazed at his arm. She lifted her chin and stepped away.
The denial stung. His sister, Vicki, hugged him. "See you both tomorrow at the rehearsal dinner. I'm so excited."
Belle gulped her drink and lowered her gaze. Every small movement she made snapped in his brain. His attention to her details shocked him. He followed her gaze across the patio that stopped at Jennifer. Something must have happened while he was in the other room. He pressed his lips together and wondered if Belle was jealous.
He hugged his sister and said, "Call me if you need anything."
Belle's eyes grew bigger the moment he touched her shoulder.
His sister winked at him. "I need you to be happy."
“Don’t worry about me. Today is about you.”