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wondered if it was me they were laughing about. “I’m not in a drought.”
    “Self-imposed drought,” Gabby assured me, nodding.
    I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew they had good intentions, but I always found it striking that when single friends found their soul mate, they felt it was their duty to find you yours, and Lily seemed to be the worst of them all in her pursuit.
    “So…” Lily glanced quickly between Gabby and Brandy before her eyes settled on me. “Did I do okay for a weekend of fun?” Lily couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
    “You obviously have fantastic taste in men. All of you do.” I looked at each of them. “But I’m not really in the right mind-set to start a relationship. And we’re here to celebrate Gabby and Jason, not find me someone to date.”
    “This weekend is going to be all about fun,” Gabby reminded me. “It’s not like you ever have to see them again, and it does kind of provide a bit of entertainment for me. I’m not going to lie. But just remember. F.U.N. That’s all we’re talking.”
    “I’m not sure I can really do that kind of fun. I thought I could, but it’s just not in me. Second of all, while both are super attractive, I can’t just chew them up and spit them out. They’re not meat.”
    “Who’s not meat?” Derek’s voice surprised me from behind, and my cheeks flamed red.
    Gabby’s grin grew wider, and I let out a deep sigh and owned it once I realized none of my friends were going to save me.
    “You and Eric. You’re not meat,” I said, not turning to see Derek’s reaction. Rather, I tilted my head toward the vaulted ceiling and stared intently at the chandelier. It was turning into a great distraction.
    Not missing a beat, Derek knelt down next to my chair and stared just as intently at the ceiling. His arrogance should have turned me off, but instead it steadily built a fire in my belly.
    “Seems to be recreated antler, if that’s what you’re wondering,” he said, resting his elbow on his knee. “Fascinating.”
    His close proximity did little to diminish my hopes that the hard cider and champagne were responsible for my erratic feelings for this man. I swore the air between us was charged, but I knew that wasn’t possible.
    “Quite,” I agreed, feeling all eyes on me, including Derek’s.
    “You know, Eric and I have a wager going.”
    My heart stopped, my jaw dropped, and my eyes fell to his. I couldn’t have heard him correctly.
    “Pardon?”
    His eyes seared a heat into me that literally took my breath away. I watched my friends stand up and leave me.
    Alone.
    With a man who finally took my breath away.
    His voice lowered into a seductive tone as I got caught up watching his lips move.
    “We have a bet going about which one of us you’ll fall for.”
    The nerve. I’d never mistaken arrogance for charm before, but with Derek I was skating on a slippery rink. Worried I might come sliding into a messy finish, I regained my composure and readied for battle.
    “Are you serious?” I wanted to be insulted, but I was far from it. If I was being honest with myself, I was almost flattered, but I wouldn’t let that show.
    He nodded and a wry grin spread across his delectable mouth. I noticed he missed a morning of shaving, and I liked the scruffiness along his jawline.
    “And you think you’ll be the one?” I asked, scowling.
    Derek shook his head and stood up slowly.
    “On the contrary. I think Eric has it in the bag.” He turned and walked away, leaving me completely bewildered and once more…breathless.

 
    Chapter Six
     
     
    I sat snuggly tucked in between Esquire Eric and rugged Derek as the sleigh bounced along the snowy path at a steady pace. Bodie had curled up on my feet in an extra horse blanket, and Gabby and Jason sat across from us. Another fuzzy blanket had been stretched across the three of us.
    Only one word completely encapsulated how I felt right now.
    Awkward.
    I often thought of myself as a free