He’s mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.

She smiled, pretending she wasn’t secretly freaking out about how much she’d come to like him. He helped when needed, supported her, and had been there from the beginning with a gorgeous smile and a sense of humor that made her feel as if everything in her life would be okay.

And now, here, surrounded by people he didn’t know at a wedding where he was supposed to act loving and endearing to her family, he acted naturally, going so far as to convince her he meant all the complimentary things he said. It was enough to shove a girl headfirst into love.

She swallowed a sigh, knowing she cared for him a lot more than she should. Again, she felt terrible for taking advantage of his nurturing personality. All he’d wanted after his breakup with Christine and a departure from his job was time to heal, and Justine came barreling into his life asking for favors.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She sighed. “Yeah. You’re just so great. I want you to know I appreciate you so much.” I think I love you. She wanted badly to tell him how she felt, but what if she did and messed up their friendship? She didn’t want to lose him just because she had no self-control.

He smiled, the curve of his lips not hidden by that soft beard and mustache. “Well, I’m pretty sure you’re going to show me your appreciation later, aren’t you?” He leaned close and kissed her on the lips, sending tingles down her spine. “You promised.”

She shivered. “I never break a promise. And I am sooo going to appreciate all of you.” She kissed his cheek and patted his strong chest.

He leaned closer and growled, “Stop it before I embarrass myself in front of your family.”

She bit back a grin. “A shower and a grower. My favorite kind of man.”

He laughed and hugged her before putting a bit of distance between them. In her tight-fitting dress, she could feel everything easily, and Xavier definitely liked holding her close.

She tried not to keep looking at him, but she failed, meeting his gaze each time. “Why do you keep staring at me?”

“Because you’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

Stop saying stuff like that! “Xavier.”

“Besides, you keep looking at me. Relax, Justine. I swear I won’t embarrass you.”

“What?” She gaped at him. “I never thought that. I just…” She felt her cheeks heat. “You’re the best looking guy here.”

His slow smile warmed her all over. “Even better than Dr. Douche?”

She laughed, as he’d no doubt intended, and relaxed. “Dr. who?”

“Oh, now there’s a conversation we could have. Dr. Who versus the evil that is this wedding. Look there! It’s Mitch, obviously an Auton. Oh, and I think I see a few Daleks pretending to be tables over by the wall.”

“What’s an Auton? What’s a Dalek?”

He stared at her, agog. “I just… I think we need to break up. Autons were introduced to the show a long time ago, but a Dalek? Everyone knows what they are! Have you no shame, woman? That’s it. When we get home, after you appreciate me, we’re watching a marathon of Dr. Who.”