My thoughts are cut short by the distinct sound of a muffled snortto my right. Peering out of the corner of my eye, I wince when I see Char’s hand covering her mouth.
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
She wrinkles her nose adorably. “Maybe.”
Spinning toward her, I plead my case. “That jockstrap has literally rubbed all of us the wrong way since the moment he arrived at our station. I can’t even put my finger on what it is. He’s like Stiffler fromAmerican Pie.”
“Oh my god.” She hoots. “Haha. That reference is priceless. I can definitely see it.”
“Thenyouwent and let him get you a drink. Now he’s acting like the prize stud at the county fair.”
Char spews water into her goblet in response to the ridiculous admission, and I quickly reach over to rub her back. “Shit, sorry. You okay?”
“Jeez. No.” She coughs. Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes with a cocktail napkin, she leans back in her chair. “Oh, I needed that. I haven’t laughed like that in… God, I can’t remember when.”
“Taking great glee in the fact I have no game, huh?”
She stills. “What?”
“He’s rubbing it in that I’m completely tongue-tied around you.”
Lifting her hand to her heart, her eyes widen before giving me a lopsided grin. “Around me?”
“Yes, you.”
Hell, how doesn’t she know? I mean, doesn’t she own a mirror?
“You could save me from myself though.”
Sitting up taller in her seat, her smile is spectacular now. “Name it.”
“Promise me a spin on the dancefloor.
She dips her chin, those hypnotic green eyes sparkling. “Done.”
Breck returns with a beer in one hand, a margarita in the other. He slides it over in front of Char with a flourish before plopping down proudly in his seat. He starts to open his obnoxious trap to speak, and I decide toseize the moment to make my speech.
Everyone’s had the opportunity to eat their fill of Ellie’s incrediblecooking. So, I swiftly push myself to standing and clink my champagne glass in an attempt to rouse the crowd’s attention, effectively cutting him off.“Thank you, everyone, for coming to the wedding of the century. If I’m ever lucky enough to find Mrs. Right, we have our work cut out for us to compete with all of this.”
A low rumble of laughter echoes amongst the guests.Hell, it’s probably just my friends chuckling at the thought I’d ever consider marriage a fortunate event.
“For the record, I admit I’m probably the only man on the planet to say he’s feeling a little left out of the wedding festivities.” My words are met with more chuckles. “But I’ve watched as four of the greatest men I know, ones I’m proud to call brothers, married their perfect partners. If I manage to find a girl who is even half the woman that Addison, Tuesday, Ellie, and Quinn are, I’ll be blessed indeed.”
“Here, here!” the crowd chants in unison, clapping and clinking their glasses.
As I lower myself into my seat, I’m startled by another jolt of electricity shooting through my arm as Char’s hand comes to rest on mine.
“Well done,” she says as she leans playfully into me.
My brown eyes hold her emerald ones. “Thanks.”
What is it about this radiant woman? Peering into those luminous eyes gives me an unnatural thrill. The excitement over meeting this alluring creature, while simultaneously having the sense I’ve known her all my life.
CHAPTER NINE
CHAR
“Hi, Smoke,”a brunette wearing a tiny shift dress, her boobs spilling out the plunging top coos and wiggles her fingers in Dave’s direction. I can’t help but follow her in my peripheral vision. It would be funny, except there’s a familiarity there.
