Crash: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance Read Free Page B

say that about Steve. He’s been decent, I guess. But his son… Luke. God. He’s a real ass.”
     
    “Too bad,” Mariana said. “But the hottest guys usually are.” She paused for a moment, thoughtful. Then she added, “Say, would you give him my number?”
     
    I rolled my eyes and entered a stall, locking the door behind me.
     
    “I gotta get back on the floor, girl,” Mariana called. “Slip him my digits when you get a chance, okay?”
     
    I heard the restroom door screech as it opened, and then it thudded shut. I leaned against the stall door and groaned. Did she really expect me to give him her phone number? I barely knew the guy. It seemed so tasteless.
     
    I left the stall and washed my hands. I hadn’t really needed to use the restroom at all. I just needed a few moments to collect my thoughts. Now they seemed more jumbled and disjointed than ever.
     
    Mariana was right about one thing. Luke was hot. He was gorgeous. Sexy. Masculine. It’s why I couldn’t find my voice when we first met, and why I stood frozen like an idiot instead of shaking his hand.
     
    But the guy was a total asshole. He’d called me a stuck-up bitch within seconds of meeting me. What kind of person would do such a thing? A bully, that’s what kind. And if there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it was a bully.
     
    I yanked a couple of paper towels from the dispenser and dried my hands before heading back to the table. Luke stood to let me into the booth, and I slid over toward my mother. Luke sat back down, hovering near the end of the seat as far away from me as he could manage. I sipped my iced tea and stared into the courtyard, watching the palm fronds sway in the breeze.
     
    “I thought we’d have the reception in Malibu,” my mother said. “What do you think, Katherine?”
     
    “Hmm?” I muttered.
     
    “I was asking what you thought about having the wedding reception in Malibu,” my mother repeated.
     
    “Like, in a hotel?” I asked.
     
    “No, on the beach,” Mom said.
     
    “That doesn’t sound very practical, Mom. All that sand, and wind, and insects… wouldn’t you rather have the reception indoors?”
     
    “Doesn’t it sound romantic to have the reception on the beach?” Mom asked with a wistful sigh. “The waves crashing, and the gulls calling. Pure romance.”
     
    “I think Katherine’s right, Luce,” Steve said. “Maybe we can have the ceremony on the beach and do the reception indoors.”
     
    “Oh, but I had ideas for a beach theme for the tables and everything,” Mom pouted.
     
    “We can still do the beach them at the reception, Mom,” I promised her. “The guests will be much happier if they can sit down at a sand-free table to eat.”
     
    “I guess you’re right,” Mom sighed resignedly.
     
    “We’ll figure something out,” I promised her.
     
    “How about bringing the beach indoors?” Luke interjected.
     
    “What do you mean?” Mom asked him.
     
    The food arrived at that exact moment, and Luke attempted to elaborate over the clatter of plates and murmurs of the wait staff as they unloaded trays onto the table.
     
    “Like you could have bowls of sand with candles and seashells in them as the centerpieces for the tables, and have the sound of ocean waves playing in the background,” he suggested. “Maybe have various ocean scenes playing on a big screen via projector.”
     
    “That’s a fabulous idea, Luke!” Mom gasped, clapping her hands together. “I love it! Can we do that, Steve?”
     
    “It sounds like a plan to me,” Steve said.
     
    “I can’t wait! This reception is going to be amazing!” Mom sighed happily as she began to dig into her salad.
     
    Luke didn’t look particularly pleased with himself. If he’d been gloating with a smug grin on his face, I don’t think I could have stood it. But he’d turned his attention to his carnitas, and I picked up one of my beef empanadas and took a bite.
     
    “Shit!” I blurted out as