Free Sweet Dreams (A Sugar Rush Novel) by Nina Lane Page A

advantage. Wear the two-inch pumps, though. The three-inch ones are sexier, but if you trip and twist your ankle, the whole effect will be ruined. And I’m sorry to say, my dear, but you can’t afford to ruin another effect.”
    “Tell me about it.” Polly smoothed the dress over her hips. “You’re sure this dress isn’t too short?”
    “Pols, it comes halfway down your thighs.” Mia fluffed Polly’s hair around her shoulders. “God, you are such an old lady sometimes.”
    And she was so tired of being an old lady at twenty-three years of age.
    She looked at herself in the mirror. Still the same Polly Lockhart, just all dressed up and beautified. Except that this Polly Lockhart was about to have dinner with the astonishingly handsome, if arrogant, CEO and heir of The Sugar Rush Candy Company.
    Panic fluttered in her belly, and she stumbled back.
    Mia grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong?”
    “He’s . . . um, he’s really rich.”
    “I know, right?” Mia patted her shoulder and went over to examine the bouquet of flowers and candy. “You can order lobster and champagne without blinking an eye. Heck, he probably had the lobster flown in from the Arctic Circle. Can I have this?”
    She held up a box of multi-flavored Licorice Twirls.
    “Go ahead.” Polly studied her reflection again and yanked at her skirt. “I don’t know anything about rich people.”
    “Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Her friend groaned. “What happened to we are the world ? It’s dinner, Polly. Rich people eat like the rest of us, just better food. Enjoy it. Or if you don’t want to, I’ll go in your place.”
    “No!”
    “See? You really do want to go.” Mia smiled with satisfaction as she opened the candy box. “So have fun . Kiss him again, but this time please be sober. Maybe do more. In fact, definitely do more.”
    “He’s totally out of my league.”
    “Oh no, girlfriend.” Mia shook her head so hard her long blond hair whipped around her shoulders. “We don’t do that shit. No man, not even Mr. Richie Rich Hottie Pants, is out of your league. If anything, he should be lining up to play on your field. Though I would suggest you do a bit of mowing before he goes up to bat.”
    Polly laughed. “What do you know about my landscape?”
    “Pols, I’ve known you since we were ten.” Mia wagged a purple Licorice Twirl at her. “You didn’t let me pluck your eyebrows until we were in college, and when I told you about the Brazilian wax, you gave me a lecture about the anthropological history of hair removal.”
    “Well, I was taking a women’s studies class at the time.”
    “Really.” Mia narrowed her eyes. “Are things at least neat down there?”
    “Things are always neat down there, thank you. Why are you so interested anyway?”
    “I’m just saying you need to be prepared,” Mia said. “And you need to stop overthinking this. Have a good time, okay? Live a little. These are delicious, by the way.”
    She took another bite of the licorice and gave Polly a quick hug before heading out the door. Polly put on the two-inch pumps and looked at herself again in the mirror. She nodded firmly.
    Despite their very different lives and his rather domineering attitude, she liked Luke Stone. He’d been nice to her when she was making a fool out of herself, and he’d been adamant about not taking advantage of her. Not to mention he hadn’t been fazed by the fact that she’d upchucked on his shoes.
    And he’d actually worked in the Sugar Rush factory and knew how to do all the hands-on stuff, instead of just being ushered into an executive position. He was also clearly protective of his business and family. Fiercely so.
    Really, what were the chances of Luke Stone and Polly Lockhart meeting at the Troll’s House? And then again at Sugar Rush?
    Though Polly wasn’t convinced everything happened for a reason— explain cancer, universe —she had to admit that Luke Stone had come into her life right when she needed