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accessories, and her hair hung straight to her chin in a pageboy cut.
    “You scared the shit out of me!” Mariah hissed.
    “Sorry, but this is the first time you’ve been alone since the countdown started.”
    Embarrassed to the tips of her toes, Mariah pulled the towel tighter around herself. “Have you been spying on us?”
    Davina made a face. “Please. I’m not a voyeur. I came to find out if you’re having a good time. I’ve been monitoring the aura around you two, and the readings are promising.”
    Through the door they could hear Tucker singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”, and Mariah laughed softly in spite of herself.
    “Yes,” she said, actually glad to share this with someone. “I’m having the time of my life.”
    Davina bit her lip and squealed. “I’m so happy for you! I haven’t had an HEA in forever. Stupid Gertie keeps lording her Cupid of the Month Award over me and it’s getting old. Now, did you read the pamphlet I gave you?”
    “Not yet. Why?”
    “You should read it. If you want whatever’s going on between you and Tucker to continue—oh crap.” Davina looked at something off-screen and blanched. “Oh no.” She returned her attention to Mariah. “Look, I have to go.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I can’t explain right now,” Davina said. “Just read the darned pamphlet. It’s all there. I’ll talk to you soon.”
    The TV blacked out and Mariah stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. What the hell was an HEA? Considering Davina’s reference to a Cupid of the Month Award, Mariah figured HEA probably meant Happily Ever After. Did that mean Tucker was supposed to be her Prince Charming? And, for the sake of argument, if he was and they rode into the sunset together on a white horse, could she live with the fact that he’d been magically coerced into loving her?
    Unsure what to do, she went about her bathroom business. She could ask questions all day long but wouldn’t get any answers until she got the pamphlet from the shop and read it. When she returned to the bedroom, Tucker was hanging up the phone.
    “I just ordered some more food,” he said, still in bed. “It’s a blatant attempt to get you to stay longer, but if you’re as hungry as I am, you won’t be able to resist.”
    Unshaven, his thick hair tousled, he looked so sexy with the bedcovers covering only the lower half of his naked body that Mariah didn’t hesitate before getting back into bed with him. With a big grin, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
    “After breakfast we can take a bath together, huh? Then do some shopping maybe. I have to buy a wedding gift and I could use some help.”
    “The wedding itself isn’t enough?” she asked.
    “Nah. They gotta have something to open, don’t they? What? What is that? You’re frowning.” He kissed her, a small frown on his face too.
    “No, it’s just that I do have to make the cake. Remember?”
    “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” He put a hand on her hip and stroked her gently. “Well, if you help me, I’ll help you. How’s that?”
    She gave him a dubious look. “ You help me ?”
    “Sure. I can actually wield a pastry bag pretty well.”
    “I’m impressed you even know what a pastry bag is.”
    “Tony’s mom Claudia is really into gingerbread houses. I mean really into it. She even has a website dedicated to her creations. Anyway, when I was a kid we lived on the same street and every year she’d coerce me and Tony into helping. I pretended it was a pain, but I actually really liked it.”
    “With experience like that, I guess you’re hired.”
    His eyes lit with excitement. “Awesome. What’s my wage?”
    “Your wage?” she said with a laugh. “Well, obviously you don’t need money…”
    “No. Got plenty of that,” he said. Then he glanced down at her mouth and grinned. “But I’ll tell you what I do need.”
    “What?”
    “More kisses.” He stole a quick one. “From you.” He