Conquest (The Four Groomsmen of the Wedpocalypse #1)

by Lilian Monroe

His name was synonymous with casual, no-strings-attached fun.

Amelia finally admitted to herself that she’d like to have a man look at her the way Emory did her sister.

“Leo St. James has a reputation.” “Ever since college,” Tori added. “His nickname was Pestilence,” Lauren explained, “because he gave our entire graduating class chlamydia.”

She was a woman incapable of hiding her feelings. Annoyance, anger, ecstasy—it was all written right there on her face. She couldn’t hide her thoughts if she tried.

Yes, it was loneliness seeping through her veins like poison. It was the old refrain in her mind, that familiar voice telling her that she was unlovable. She was a terrible kisser. She was a dead fish in bed, except when she tried too hard, which was apparently worse. She never did anything right when it came to men, so after a while, she’d cut them out of her life entirely.

“You’re sexy as hell in your own spreadsheet-loving, data-analyzing way.”

“I know I’m not some sexpot, okay? I’ll never be a bombshell, but I still think I deserve to find someone who cares about me.”

The more time he spent with Amelia, the more he admired her. She was intelligent, beautiful, driven, and so charmingly funny—especially when she didn’t intend to be. He’d remember the outrage on her face when she found out about the scavenger hunt prize for the rest of his days.

He was falling in love with Amelia Darcy.

any clues about the missing

She was the woman of his dreams, and he hadn’t even known he had dreams of a woman like her until she’d yanked on his collar at her sister’s wedding.

Amelia—his Amelia, his woman, his love—wrenched

Somehow, in a week, she’d fallen for this man.

“I love it when you touch me,” he told her, lips near her ear. “Your touch is so sweet, Amelia.”

No, Amelia realized with dawning horror, she didn’t want a man; she wanted Leo. She wanted this man to sit beside her and make her feel seen. She wanted him to take her to bed, to wake up next to her, to spend his life with her at his side.

He was hopelessly, desperately in love with her. She was everything he wanted in a woman, plus a whole host of things he hadn’t realized he needed. She was a mediocre singer and an incredible woman. She was fire and delight wrapped up in a silver-eyed package. She was the only woman he’d ever wanted to make his wife.

“You know you’re worth so much more than your bedroom skills, right? So much more, Leo.”

Whatever happened last night, the night before, or during any of the past seven days, the truth remained unchanged: Leo wasn’t good enough for Amelia. Never would be.

But he had no right to that touch. No right to ask Amelia to put the rest of her life on hold while he figured his shit out. She deserved a guy who could keep up with her.

“You like getting dirty with a guy like me?”

“One last time?” She pushed harder. “What are you talking about?”

You won’t have to waste your time with me.”

What I want is for you to stop acting like some shameless playboy. I want the real you, Leo. The man who was with me last night. The man I got to know all week.” He sat on the edge of the bed and spread his arms. “There’s only me, Amelia. Those two men are one and the same.”

“You don’t get to push me away and put on that stupid persona. Not with me, Leo. Not after everything we’ve shared.”

Last night, she’d thought they’d connected on a deeper level. There had been no spreadsheet, no pretense. They’d shared a physical and emotional intimacy that she’d never experienced before. To Amelia, that had been the start of something special—but maybe to Leo, it had been the end.

“I think he’s panicking because he cares about you,” Camilla proclaimed. Amelia groaned. “Don’t, Camilla. I can’t handle it right now.”

He’s gone, and I just need to deal with it. I fell too hard, too fast, and now it’s over. The end.”

“I once dated a guy for four years. We were a completely committed couple: holidays with each other’s families, vacation plans, planning to move in together, jokingly discussing baby names for our hypothetical kids…” She met Amelia’s gaze and gave her a grim smile. “Then one day, out of the blue…he ghosted me.”

His. Mother. He broke up with me through his mommy. That was almost worse than being ghosted.”

She missed Leo so much she ached with it.

I know I don’t deserve her. But she’s fucking incredible, and I’m never going to be with her again. I had less than a week with the woman of my dreams,

“She’s funny and clever and beautiful. She has this little smile that appears when she’s saying something funny, like she can’t quite contain herself from laughing at her own jokes. And she’s smart. She built her own business. She looks at numbers and sees patterns. She did a sudoku in like, five seconds. And she frowns all the damn time. Like everything is a problem she just needs to solve. All week I’d just stare at her face like an idiot, trying to watch the moment her expression would clear. If she figured out a problem, she’d get this tiny little victorious smile for a second,

“You love her.” Leo felt scraped raw. His throat was thick as he swallowed, then he jerked his chin down. “Yeah.” “Well, fuck,” Archer said,

“Emory is on his honeymoon with the woman of his dreams, who happens to be Amelia’s big sister. No, of course he doesn’t know about this. Amelia doesn’t even know about this.”

I want her with me all the time. I want her in my arms. I want her so damn bad, and I can’t have her.”

In order to be a better man, he had to start acting like it, even if he didn’t believe the change yet.

“I never had a fiancée. I lied about it from the start, because I didn’t want you to think I was some party animal who couldn’t hold down a relationship. But the truth is, that’s exactly what I was. I wanted you to respect me, and I wanted you to trust me, so I made up the story about being engaged. That day you walked into the bakery and saw me with Amelia was the first day I’d met her. I’m so sorry, Fred. Truly. And in light of everything that happened at the retreat this year, I understand if you need to fire me for my dishonesty.”

“I always knew you were lying about the fiancée. I mean, come on. Kitty Catelli from The Nymphomaniacs? I do have access to Google, you know.”

He still had a job. He still had this man’s respect. It didn’t fix everything, but at least his life wasn’t in complete shambles.

I’ve always thought you were really cute, but I figured you were too good for me.” Not again. Amelia stared. That was crazy talk. “That’s crazy talk.” Ben chuckled. “Come on. Beautiful, talented, clever, and runs her own business? What guy wouldn’t be intimidated?”

Leo stood in the restaurant doorway, shirt askew, hair mussed, eyes wild. He blew past the hostess and ignored the wide-eyed stare of the other patrons, eyes stuck on Amelia as he stomped across the restaurant toward her.

Leo dropped to his knees beside her and said two words on a gust of breath: “Marry me.”

“Amelia,” Leo said, voice raw. “I love you. I love you more than I thought was possible. I’m so sorry I pushed you away.

I fell in love with you. I fell in love with your eyes and your eyebrows—” “You fell in love with my eyebrows?” “And the way you laugh. Kissing you is a revelation. I’ve never felt the kind of connection I feel with you. You make me want to be a better man.

I have to tell you how much I need you. I love you, Amelia. I love you so much I’m in pain when I think about it. I love you so much that I wish I could tear my heart out and give it to you.

“I can’t marry you, Leo. Not when we don’t really know each other.”

“But,” Amelia continued, voice tentative, “I…I love you too. And you don’t need to change yourself for me, because I love you exactly the way you are.” “But you won’t marry me?” His voice was small and thin. Amelia’s lips curled into a smile. “Well, we’ve known each other two weeks. How about you wait two more and ask me then? And if I still say

no, you could wait two more. Give us time to think about it. Get to know all my horrible habits.” Happiness was a nuclear explosion in Leo’s chest. “I love your horrible habits.”

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “And I love you,” she answered. “You nutter.”

“He could tell you were in love with me the whole time.” “Oh, wow, I just got a call from NASA, and they said they can see your ego from outer space.”