“That’s love, I guess,” he caught my hand and brushed his lips over my knuckles. “Speakin’ of which, how did they meet again? I know it was at some party, but Dom’s always vague about the details.”
I stepped back slightly, looking away. “A party, yeah. Why?”
“Just wondering,” he reached for his tan blazer, shrugging it on. “Dom mentioned once that it was some Heliox Universe thing.”
My cheeks warmed. “It might have been the release party for Legends of Heliox.”
Finn’s hands stilled on the jacket’s lapels. “Might have?”
“Okay, fine,” I busied myself with my small purse, avoiding his gaze. “I might have... strategically invited Enzo to a party where I knew Dom would be. And I might have arranged for them to be introduced. By me. Directly.”
The silence stretched long enough that I had to look at him. He was staring at me, disbelief and delight written all over his face.
“You set them up?”
“I didn’tset them up,exactly. I just... facilitated an introduction between two people I thought would get along really well.”
When he didn’t say anything, I turned to him, hands on my hips. “It was shortly after the whole Preston thing. He needed good chaos in his life. Enzo is good chaos.”
“Alex,” he was trying not to grin now as he reached for his boots. “You matchmade our brothers.”
“It’s not like I planned their whole relationship! I just introduced them. They did all the actual falling in love themselves.”
“And then they turned around and did the exact same thing to us,” he laughed, shaking his head.
“Damn.” The realization hit me all at once. “That’s absolutely why they sent me to find you during their engagement party.”
“Again, I apologize for calling you a tight ass.”
“Eh,” I shrugged. “I am what I am. I might as well own it.”
“As long as I get to own it too,” he flashed a wolfish grin, crossing to where I stood, his hands settling on my waist. “Still. Can’t really complain about the results of their meddlin’.”
“No?” I looked up at him.
“Not even a little bit,” he brushed his lips against mine and then stepped back, grabbing the strappy gold heels I’d packed. He set them in front of me and held my elbow while I stepped into them. I held onto his shoulder as he settled on one knee to buckle the ankle straps.
He stood and kissed me again. “You ready?”
I nodded, letting him step back to offer his arm like we were in some old movie, only we were dressed to the nines for my brother’s rehearsal dinner.
Our brothers’ rehearsal dinner.
“Ready,” I grinned, slipping my arm through his.
The September evening had turned golden by the time we stepped outside. Path lights glowed along the walkway to the restaurant, voices and laughter drifting from the direction of the outdoor dining area.
“You nervous about your toast?” I asked as we walked.
“Terrified,” he admitted. “Public speakin’s not really my thing.”
“You’ll be great,” I squeezed his arm. “Just speak from the heart. That’s all anyone wants.”
“Says the woman who probably has hers perfectly memorized.”
“I absolutely do not. I’m going to wing it.”
“Liar.”
