In the morning, I wake to snoring. Lots of really loud, really obnoxious snoring. Always with the fucking snoring.

I throw the pillow over Leo’s head and hold it there. Not enough to harm him, just enough to suffocate him a little. He snorts and rolls over, and I’m greeted by his glorious morning erection. Katherine’s initial assessment of Leo was correct—he does look like Thor. The walking embodiment. And Leo was right, too. He does have a magical hammer. A long thick shaft, silky soft skin, and a rosy tip. I swallow hard and resist the urge to touch it. Though I want to—I really, really want to—I’m sore after last night’s love-making. And I think I have sand where there just shouldn’t be sand. Why the hell did I let him talk me into sex in the ocean?

I sigh, and ignore my protesting muscles, the way my entire body aches from misuse. Leo wasn’t kidding about having stamina enough to last all night. I’m pretty sure we saw the sun come up.

I throw the sheet off me and slide across the bed, but a thick arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back toward him. “I have to get up.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I need to pee, and then we need to get ready for brunch.”

“Fine, go pee but no brunch. Fuck brunch. I just want to stay here and eat you.”

“Leo,” I say, turning in his arms.

“Oh no. I know that tone of voice.”

“I’m just ... you and I are ... well, we’re a terrible idea.”

“We weren’t a terrible idea last night.” He slides his hand over the curve of my hip, down my thigh, and back up again, then he trails it over my lower abdomen and between my legs. All bets are off, all conversation ceases, and Leo and I find new ground. One where our bodies do all the talking and our mouths are oddly quiet.

***

When we do eventually make it out of my bungalow, we’re a good twenty-five minutes late for brunch. Leo can’t keep his hands to himself. I suppose it’s a little late to worry that everyone will know because ... hello, embarrassing sexcapade in front of the whole wedding. We both grab a plate and hit the line for the buffet, which of course means it’s open season where our mothers are concerned.

“Good morning,” Mrs. Nass says.

“Morning.” Leo kisses her on the cheek. I cringe a little when I think about where that mouth was a half an hour ago.

“Good morning, Mrs. Nass,” I say, almost asphyxiating when she squeezes me too tightly. I then hug my own mother, because it would be awkward not to. “Mom.”

“Poppy, you’re looking positively radiant this morning.” Mrs. Nass gives me the kind of smile I reserve for Magnolia cupcakes.

“Alright, ease up, Mother,” Leo says, snaking an arm around my waist. “Yes, Poppy and I had sex all night, and twice this morning.”

I groan, my mother chuckles, and Mrs. Nass slaps her son’s forearm playfully. “That’s quite enough, young man.”

“Well, it was what you wanted to know, wasn’t it?”

“Perhaps in much less specific detail,” she says.

“Come now, Mother. You know you love to hear all the juicy details. Then you can tell your friends about it. I know how you ladies behave at high tea.”

Mrs. Nass laughs, and even my own mother seems to find Leo hilarious. I shake my head and concentrate on the buffet. I take several pieces of fresh fruit, a muffin, and a slice of toast, then I head toward the bridal party table and set my plate down opposite Claire.

She smirks at me. “Morning.”

I fight my smile as I stare down at my plate. “Morning, Mrs. Vanderbilt.”

“Oh no, you’re not getting off that easily,” she says.

Leo sets his plate beside mine and flops down in the chair next to me. “That’s what I said this morning, but she came in thirty seconds flat anyway.”

Claire practically squeals. “Oh my God, this is so exciting. You have to tell me everything now.”

Jasper chooses that moment to sit beside Leo. He gives his brother a wry grin. “You dog. You know I’m broken-hearted that the prettiest woman I danced with last night wound up in your bed.”

“Actually, he was in mine,” I say, stabbing a forkful of cantaloupe and popping it in my mouth.

“And your couch, your bathroom, your back deck, the pool, the ocean—”

“Eww, remind me not to go swimming today,” Claire says.

“So, looks like Jasper will be joining us in making an honest living from now on.” Chase, who’s been awfully quiet since we sat down, throws his napkin on his empty plate. “How’s it feel to be going to work for dear old dad, huh?”

Jasper cringes. “Like I just sold my soul to the devil.”

“So, what was this? Some kind of revenge fuck for you?” Chase says, and his glare is directed right at me.

Leo stills. I take a deep breath and smile at my ex.

“No, Chase,” I say. “Though it may be hard for you to believe, not everything is about you.”

“Right, well I know it’s not the case for Leo. I mean, his apartment was at stake.”

“Dude, shut the fuck up,” Leo says, punching Chase in the arm.

I glance at Chase and then Leo, and finally to Jasper. They share the same guilty expression. I narrow my eyes and a strangled laugh escapes me. “Why would you go to work for your father, and what do you mean Leo gets to keep his apartment?” I glance at Leo. “Were you moving?”

“No, I’m not moving.”

“Only because he nailed you.” Chase leans back in his chair and wraps an arm around Claire.

“What?” I glare at them both.

“Chase, shut the fuck up,” Leo sneers.

“Not cool, man,” Jasper says.

I turn to Leo, demanding answers I know he has no intention to give. My stomach roils, and a wave of nausea rolls over me. “You bet on whether or not I was a sure thing?”

He grabs my hand. “Poppy, it wasn’t—”

“I was a bet to you?” I yank free from his grasp and stand, tears pricking my eyes, I swallow around the lump in my throat.

“Pop Tart, come on. It wasn’t like that.”

“Then why don’t you tell me what it was like?”

“I ...” he says and peters off, and that’s all the explanation I’m going to get, it seems.

“What was it like?” I demand. Several eyes turn toward us. I glance at Claire, Chase, Jasper, and Leo. “Did you know? Did everyone know? Was I just a joke to all of you?”

“I didn’t know,” Claire insists. “I would never be privy to this. I would never let Chase get away with this.”

Chase turns to his wife with a raised brow and scoffs. “Let me get away with it?”

“Come on, Pop Tart. Sit down. You’re reading too much into this.”

Jasper chimes in, “Poppy, it wasn’t—”

“I should have known.” I stare down at Leo, all cool, calm, and collected, and I laugh without humor. “I should have known better than to sleep with you. This is my fault. You fuck a man whore, you only have yourself to blame when you feel like trash afterward. Guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less, right?”

“Poppy—”

“Don’t,” I say, holding up my hands to ward him away.

“Poppy, it’s not what you think,” Jasper says, and I shake my head and turn from all of them. I don’t mean to run away like a little girl, but I do because I refuse to let that jackass see me cry. I run back to my bungalow and slam the door. Then I kick it, several times. God, I am such an idiot. How could I let myself get swept up in Nass the Ass? And as if ruining Claire’s cake, and having very public sex with Leo wasn’t enough, I’ve now become the woman who steals the bride’s thunder at her fucking post-wedding brunch.

From the other side, Leo says, “Let me in.”

“No.”

“Just let me explain. It’s not as bad as you think.”

“Not as bad as I think?” I turn and yank the door open, because yelling at him face-to-face is so much more satisfying. “You bet your apartment that you could get me to sleep with you.”

“Actually, I bet my apartment I’d have you naked beneath me before the weekend was out, but sleeping works too.”

“Not helping.”

“It wasn’t real. It’s just something Jas and I do.” 

“So what you said to me last night before the fireworks—that was all just so you could win some stupid bet?” His guilty expression is all the answer I need. “You make me sick.”

I cover the sob that escapes my throat. How could I have been so fucking stupid? How could I have trusted him, trusted that he actually felt something for me? I should have known better. I should have never allowed this to happen. “I’m just a joke to you, is that it? One big fucking joke to all of you. Poor Poppy—she’s so pathetic.”

Leo flinches. I don’t know what it means, but it doesn’t look good.

I shove him hard. He stumbles back a few paces. “Get out.”

“Poppy—”

“No, shut your mouth. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies.” I lower my voice and imitate the Leo who was inside me this morning, “Oh baby, you feel so fucking good. God, I love the way you feel in my arms.” I choke back tears. “Do you have any idea how humiliated I am? This was all a game to you, but you hurt me.”

“God damn it, woman.” He rakes a hand through his hair as if he’s the one who has a right to be agitated. “It’s not what you think.”

“Oh, really? Then what’s it like?”

“I ... I don’t ...” he peters off and I just shake my head.

“God, you can’t even lie to me properly. Rot in hell, Leo.” I slam the door in his face and lock the deadbolt, then I throw all of my belongings into my suitcase. I can’t stay here, not with everyone around. I can’t have all of the guests knowing that I was a pity fuck, or worse—I was a bet, a dare. Nothing he said to me over this weekend can be trusted because Leo Nass can’t be trusted.

When I’m all packed, I stare at the bed we made love on. No, the bed he lied to me on. Because why would a man like Leo Nass ever want someone like me? The crazy cat lady. The control freak.

I wish I’d never agreed to come to this wedding. I wish I’d never laid eyes on Leo Nass.

With my suitcases in tow, I head to the hotel to check out but the woman on the front desk tells me that there will be no more planes leaving today on account of the weather, and since they’re charging me for my room regardless, I slink back to my bungalow with my tail between my legs.

Later, when the heat is stifling, and the air is still, I open the shutters and step out onto the deck as the rain begins to pour. It’s probably not the smartest move, but I lie on the wet sunbed and let the water wash me clean.

As my tears dry up, I forgive myself for being idiot enough to fall for Leo Nass.

I will never fall prey to men like him again.