The Wedding (Editing)

1: The Neighbour

Daphne

'Is your flat on fire?'

Harry looked like he might've convulsed right there and then. His dark hair was in a tousle, far from it's usual calm and sleek style. I had never seen him in a t-shirt before and the one he wore in that moment left little to my imagination.

'No,' he said, panic and thunder storms swirling in his blue eyes.

'So, why are you here?'

'Can I come in?'

I moved aside, and he walked in barefoot. He looked like he had a rough couple of days. He clearly had not shaved in while, his t-shirt was concerning and there were no shoes on his feet.

The man's mother probably fainted at least once a week because of him.

I left the door slightly ajar. This gave my husky, Az, total and complete clearance to pounce once it seemed like Harry did anything other than state his purpose.

My furry child followed close behind as if he knew it was out of place for another human to be in my apartment after nine pm. I had barely had anyone over since Dean, which Az was very aware of. Harry eyed my movie night set up with a hint of what I'd describe as awe. If a man of his size could possibly be impressed by anything, especially home made popcorn and doggy treats.

'I won't take up much of your time,' Harry crossed his arms, causing his t-shirt to get a tad smaller.

He looked like the love child of Henry Cavil and Chris Evans.

Az growled. It was my fault for not teaching him patience. When I looked at him, I caught his death stare directed at Harry. I had put on a diabolical movie about dogs before Harry's arrival and Az had been loving it. Maybe a little bit too much

Harry took a cautious step towards the door before he cleared his throat. I didn't blame him. Az looked like he could kill you but was actually a cinnamon roll that warmed up to strangers faster than the normal dog.

'Is your schedule clear next  Saturday?' Harry asked and I thought nothing of it as I pondered on the mental picture that I had of the coming week and only had a board meeting on Monday if  my older brother, Donatello (Don), didn't come up with some ideas to purposely stress me out.

'Something like that,' I eyed him.

There was everything wrong with his next question because Harry and I weren't friends. We weren't strangers either. We lived opposite each other after all and on many occasions he had knocked on my door to ask for sugar or butter or on the weird occasions, my hairdryer. Understandably so, he had great hair.

'Will you be my date to my brother's wedding?' He repeated and my tummy sank.

That only happened when I was shocked and nervous. In that moment, I was both. I moved to the couch where Az was already giving me sad eyes. He needed to watch his movie and be fed treats like the good boy that he was.

Harry looked at Az before following suit and rubbing Az's head in the process. I played the movie and settled into a comfortable silence with them. Az's excitement made him exhausted and by the end of the movie, he dawdled to his bed and was knocked out immediately.

So much for protecting me. I put my dark curls in a ponytail with the scrunchie on my wrist.

Harry was clearing the coffee table when I returned, forbidding me from doing anything. He acted like he knew his way around while conveniently asking for directions to do the dishes. I watched, not necessarily inspecting the dishes. His arms were a better view. I didn't realize that a man doing domestic work was devastatingly sexy till I watched from my spot by the island.

He faced me once  the sink was clear, and his face held a sort of determination that I could not place. He caged me in, placing his hands on the island and leaning in so closely that I almost dragged him to the couch.

'I'll do anything you want,' he whispered, referring to the elephant in the room.

'It's a wedding,' I pointed out as I tried to bury my mortification as much as possible.

'Yes?'

'And your family will be there?'

'My brother is the groom,' he raised a brow in question like he wasn't asking me to follow him to a wedding.

'Another reason why I shouldn't go.'

He exhaled and looked in the direction of my floor to ceiling window, pondering his next words.

'Trash for the next year?' He offered.

'My house manager handles that,' I folded my arms.

'A house manager?'

'She's on my mum's payroll,' I clarified.

He cleared his throat like I was an absolute lunatic and moved on with other offers which I declined.

'Sex?'

My eyes dropped to the bulge in his pants then back to his eyes.

'Don't worry, it's big enough,' he whispered and I rolled my eyes causing him to laugh.

He had gotten relatively close, and his arms now brushed my sides. I needed air. That fact alone worried me. Harry was devastating but he was also Harry. The dude who never wrote a grocery list and ended up asking me for pantry staples that no one really ran out of.

'The Rhode,' I stated.

'What about it?'

What about it?!

The Rhode is a magnificent building in Paris. It was stories tall and in a good neighborhood. It was also up for sale and my father wanted it. The Carters had been the sole patrons for years courtesy of a great grandfather getting married to the only daughter and child of a French Noble man.

'I want it.'

'Why?' Harry asked.

'Real Estate is what I do,' I shifted my weight from one to the other. 'It keeps my lights on.'

That and my trust fund.

I had empty chairs but I didn't trust my body around Harry. I needed him out of my apartment before I scarred Az by having sex on the kitchen island or the living room.

He looked at the city again, eyes wild with wonder and lost in thought.

'My father will have to see your portfolio first,' he decided.

'Not a problem.'

'I'll send the details.' He began to back  up.

'Sure.'

'Can I throw sex in there?'

'No.'

He gave me a small smile. 'Got it.'

Our goodbyes were normal like I hadn't undressed him with my eyes and done wondrous things to him in my mind.

Once I texted my brother about our new possible contract. I slept like a baby pumped with milk and exhausted from crying because I had done what the assholes on my father's board had been trying to for months.

I got The Rhode in my brother's portfolio and mine. I wasn't going to let it go even if it meant attending something as horrific as a wedding.