As she spoke, I plopped into my seat next to Brandt, relaxing enough to sling an arm over the back of my chair so I could twist my torso and survey the people sitting nearby on my right. They were all family, even the ones who weren’t blood relatives. They’d helped raise me into the guy I was, and I loved each and every one of them.
A part of me recognized how much I didn’t deserve their affection and support, and that part appreciated every little piece of love they’d ever tossed my way. Yet another part of me was scared shitless, afraid of losing them and eternally certain they’d realize someday they could do so much better, and they’d cut me loose. That part remained an asshat, determined not to show how much he cared about them because everyone knew the moment you let people see what you cared for most, it became your biggest weakness and you were bound to lose it.
When cheers rose and everyone drank, I realized I’d spaced out through Reese’s entire toast. Whoops.
I drank with them anyway and kept guzzling until I drained my glass. Noel had said this one glass was the only alcohol I was allowed tonight, but...yeah right.
Glancing around to make sure no one saw I was empty, I rose to my feet and started toward the waiter nearest me who still had a tray full of untouched champagne. Chin-bobbing and calling out a greeting to people I passed to blend in, I reached the guy in seconds and exchanged my glass for a new one smoothly, without anyone noticing.
Just as I took my first sip of the new bubbly, Remy—one of my non-related family members—passed with another chick.
“Loved your toast,” the chick said with a provocative grin as she trailed her hand up the center of my chest, with the longest, reddest fingernails I’d ever seen. “Damn, you’re a cutie.” Then she winked and kept walking past, her short, tight sparkly gold dress shifting snugly over lush hips and a tiny waist with every step she took.
Without taking my gaze off her, I grabbed Remy’s arm, stalling her at my side. “Who was that?”
“That was Carmen. She’s my cousin.” When my eyebrows lifted with interest, Remy patted my cheek and cooed, “Oh, honey. Don’t even bother. She’s twenty-six.”
An eight-year difference. Meh, that wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Tipping my head to the side to check out the lovely curved backside of twenty-six-year-old Carmen, I said, “I have no issues with experience because she seemed into me. Didn’t she seem into me?”
Oh yeah, she had definitely seemed into me.
Remy’s voice was dry when she answered, “Carmen’s into anything with a penis.”
Grinning, I finally turned my attention to her. “Well, what do you know, I happen to have one of those.”
“Eww.” She wrinkled her nose and immediately backed away from me. “I don’t want to hear about your icky boy parts.” Then she patted my arm with a maternal sigh. “Just...don’t say I didn’t warn you because she can be a man-eater.”
As she started away to catch up with her cousin, I called after her, “Screw careful. She can snack on me anytime she likes.”
She pointed back at me. “Behave, young man.”
Ha! As if. This was a wedding, the prime opportunity to hook up with lonely women seeking a little TLC. And I was just the type of guy to help them realize it was perfectly okay to be single and unattached.
Behaving was the last thought on my mind. In fact, I needed a little misbehavior tonight to help take the edge off more than I wanted to admit. Things at home had been getting a little too intense lately. Temporary escape was crucial.
“Hey, that’s not a new glass of champagne, is it?”
I paused from the sip I was about to take to send Brandt an innocent glance as he strolled toward me, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his own glass. “Of course not.”
He didn’t even pretend to believe me. “Just don’t let Noel catch you. You know what a tight ass he’s been lately.”
I nodded and took another drink. Yeah, did I know. Our oldest brother had plenty of reasons to be losing his shit, but damn, I was beyond ready for his asshole to loosen again so that stick could fall out of it.
“I live with him,” I said dryly. “You don’t have to remind me.”
Brandt shifted closer, his gaze clouding with worry. “Aspen’s still not getting any better, is she?”
Bothering him with doom and gloom on his wedding day wasn’t what I wanted, but there was really no way to sugarcoat it. So I shook my head miserably, finished my glass, and then stole his, switching him out with my empty.
He didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he only looked more concerned as he watched me gulp from his champagne. “Has he taken her back to the doctor?”
Opening my mouth, I planned to tell him I didn’t want to talk about it. Tonight was for celebrating and merrymaking. We could go back to worrying about our sister-in-law in the morning. For one evening, I just wanted to forget about that shit. Aspen’s problems weren’t going anywhere; they’d still be there tomorrow.
But before I could try to distract him, Asher—Remy’s husband—joined us. “Man.” He bumped his elbow into Brandt’s. “Juli can’t stop staring at you tonight.”