“Maddie’s up for auction,” Owen reminded him. “That’s the other reason I’m here. To make sure the only man winning a date with my wife is me.”
Wife. Man, it was still so surreal. His twin brother was married. Owen was a husband. Jake couldn’t wrap his head around it. Like him, Owen had always been the quintessential bachelor—up until four months ago, anyway. But, surreal or not, he didn’t disapprove of O’s marriage to Maddie. If anything, he wanted to kick his twin for taking so long to see what was right in front of him.
“What about you?” Jake couldn’t rein in his snide tone as he looked at Lexie. “Why aren’t you up for auction?”
“Believe me, my parents tried to get me up there.” She shook her head, looking frustrated. “But I stood my ground, and my little sister ended up volunteering, so the folks are happy.” Her gaze slid over the crowd. “Shoot, my dad’s signaling me over. See you later.”
As Lexie drifted off, Owen leaned closer and said, “She gets anxiety attacks. Being the center of attention isn’t her thing.”
Jake blinked in surprise. He stared at Lexie’s retreating back, the confident gait of her long legs and the proud set of her shoulders. “I didn’t know that,” he admitted.
Owen shrugged. “There’s a lot you don’t know. Maybe if you came home more often…”
Great, another guilt trip. Austin wasn’t the only one who got lectured for his inability to stay put, but in Jake’s case, he had a valid reason. When he’d enlisted, he’d known it would involve being away from home for long stretches of time, and he hadn’t minded. Adventure was in his blood—and Paradise, quaint as it was, didn’t offer much in terms of adventure.
Bitterness lined his throat again. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a choice in the matter anymore. He was home now, and for good this time. His family, however, wasn’t privy to those details yet. He wasn’t ready to admit he’d been honorably discharged, especially since he didn’t feel too honorable at the moment.
Fuck. What he really needed right now was a distraction. A way to get his mind off his messed-up thoughts. A reason not to think about all the decisions he still had to make.
And what better distraction than sex? Hot, sweaty, break-the-bed sex. That’s what he needed, but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna find that here, in this ballroom filled with Paradise’s wealthy, stick-up-their-asses crowd.
“Wanna hit a bar when this thing is over?” he asked his brother.
Owen grinned. “Nope. My wife and I scheduled some makeup sex for tonight.”
“Who schedules makeup sex?”
“Well, we fight so often that makeup sex is pretty much a daily routine now,” Owen confessed, but he didn’t look too unhappy about it.
Jake rolled his eyes. He loved his new sister-in-law to death, but Maddie Bishop née Wilson was too hotheaded for her own good. So was Owen, which was probably why the couple bickered like crazy.
“Fine. Guess I’ll go solo,” he said with a shrug. “Could’ve used a wingman, though.”
Owen snorted. “Yeah right. You don’t need a wingman to get laid. I’ve seen you in action, bro. You walk into a place, snap your fingers, and a hot chick appears, ready to rip off her clothes. That’s how it always is with you, Mr. Macho Military Man.”
“That’s a lot of alliteration,” Jake said dryly.
“Am I wrong?”
“Nope.”
He didn’t bother being humble about it. Truth was, women were more than happy to get naked with him, especially once they discovered he was Special Forces. He didn’t have to work hard to find a willing bedmate, and he sure as hell wasn’t complaining.
“Hey, who knows,” Owen said, as people began to gather around the stage, “maybe you’ll find your sex partner up there. Auction’s starting.”
“I’m not going to pay for sex,” Jake answered. An evil glint filled his eyes. “On second thought, maybe I’ll bid on Maddie.”
That earned him a deadly glare. “Do that and I’ll cut your balls off.”
The curtains on the stage rustled, then parted as Brandon Price strolled up to the podium. The mayor looked like his normal distinguished self, salt and pepper hair styled to perfection, lean body clad in an expensive tux.
“Good evening, everyone,” the man boomed into the microphone, his baritone voice bouncing off the mahogany-paneled walls. “Welcome to the sixth annual Paradise Charity Benefit. This year’s proceeds will be going to the Bethany Foundation, which provides support to families with autistic children. I wanted to thank you all in advance for…”