“Yep,” I breathe out, already feeling the heat on my face from the fire. “Let’s do this.”
“Let’s sing!” Lily calls out and begins directing the crowd.
I stand there, my hands folded in front of me as I watch little droplets of wax pool on the white icing. I keep my eyes there until everyone rings out on the last note. Only then do I lean forward, suck in a deep breath, and blow with all my might.
All but one candle goes out immediately, and so I hit that one once more. As I finish, my eyes flicker up to a tall man near the back of the room, and my heart skips a beat as I meet a pair of deep, golden hazel eyes.
Oh my god. What ishedoing here?
My skin grows hot as I stand up straight, unable to peel my eyes from my dad’s best friend, Brody Wilder, as he smiles at me. I haven’t seen him inyears.The last time I spent time around him was the summer I turned sixteen, and my friends gave me a hard time because I admitted to having a freaking crush on the guy.
Did he come with my dad?I search the space around him, but my dad is nowhere in sight, which makes sense. My father is not the type to show up at an event like this.
“You okay?” Lily’s voice is suddenly in my ear.
I whip my head around to her. “Totally, yeah. I’m just… I just think I need a drink or something.” I give her a smile, letting her take care of serving the dessert, while I step into the kitchen to catch a breath and find something strong for my nerves.
I can’t believe Brody came to my party. Why is he here?
I rake my fingers through my hair, side-stepping a couple of people who wish me happy birthday, but I have no idea who they are. I rip the fridge door open and pull out an already opened bottle of Pinot Noir.
I clumsily take a glass from the shelf, unscrew the top, and then start to pour averyfull glass.
“You know, that doesn’t usually pair well with cake,” a deep voice drawls with a chuckle following it.
My whole body jumps at the sound of Brody’s voice, and wine spills onto the counter. “Shit!” I set the bottle down with a thud and go for the paper towels. As I do, my hand connects with a strong, manly one. “Sorry,” I mumble, my eyes jumping up to meet his once more.
He shakes his head at me. “You’re jumpy tonight, Georgie.” I can barely function at the sound of my childhood nickname coming out of his mouth. He’s got a perfect tan, those incredibly gorgeous eyes, and a perfect razor-sharp jaw to go with his perfectly muscular biceps.
Yep. Brody Wilder is still fucking perfect.
And I think he knows that I’m gawking over him, because as my mouth hangs open andnothingcomes out, his expression fills with amusement.
“I have a feeling you weren’t expecting this party.” He leans against the counter, his black T-shirt just as classy as something designer. “And that you didn’twantit either.”
“That’s a big assumption,” I choke out, and then quickly shift back to the task at hand, swiping up the spilled wine. “For all you know, I could’ve planned this entire party myself.”
“Yeah?” Brody teases, holding out his hand and nodding to the damp paper towel. “Maybe you’ve changed more than I thought since I last saw you.”
“Maybe,” I place the soiled towels in his hand, feeling the warmth of his calloused hands. I clear my throat as he tosses them into the trash can, taking in the gray hairs blending with his dark brown hair.
Another thing that Brody pulls off seamlessly.
He angles back to face me, just as someone erupts in obnoxious laughter in the living room. I cringe at the noise, my head still aching from the headache I came home with.
“Why don’t we step outside and get some air?” he offers, his expression softening as he meets my gaze. “You look like you need to get out of here, and I haven’t seen the backyard of this place.”
“Yeah, well,” I pause. “It’s not much.”
“It’s better than the noise in here,” Brody takes a step toward me, and gestures to the back door. I nod, and then pull open the door, revealing a tiny terrace.
“It’s not much.” I chew my lip nervously, knowing full well that Brody is the epitome of a wealthy businessman. I have no ideawhathe makes, but I know the tech company he started sold for a couple billion or so.
“I think it’s nice,” Brody says while looking at the few potted plants shoved in the corner. “It reminds me of the place in Staten Island I bought after the Navy.”
I swipe my hair behind my ear. “You still own that place, right?” I think back to the minimal knowledge I have of my dad’s best friend.
“Yeah, I do. I rent it out.” He grins at me, his eyes dropping down my body in a way that causes a shiver to run down my spine.
