“It’s their wedding song,” Saylor whispers softly in my ear.
Shannon is sniffing beside me. “It was the most beautiful wedding ever.”
Tally nods, her eyes shining with happiness, and takes Tim’s hand. They step into the center of the room, surrounded by their friends and family. As they sway to the music, their connection is palpable, love practically radiating from them.
I watch them, feeling a surge of joy for them and, at the same time, longing.
It’s the best feeling.
It’s the worst feeling.
Someone steps in front of me, and I startle when green eyes find mine.
“Sloan,” Adam’s confident smile doesn’t falter as he steps even closer. “What are you doing over here all by yourself?” he purrs, his eyes roaming my body before locking onto mine.
I offer a polite but distant smile. “Just taking a break. I’ll be back in the middle of it shortly.”
But Adam isn’t deterred. He leans in closer, his words dripping with flirtation. “I missed you at work, you know. And I’ve really been craving another round of poker.”
Saylor chimes in, voice dripping with disapproval, “I bet you are, dickhead. He’s trouble, Slo. Don’t talk to him.”
I’m a little annoyed that his overprotectiveness is coming out to play again, but I understand where he’s coming from, so I step back, creating some distance between us, just as Adam reaches out to tug a strand of my hair behind my ear.
His gaze remains intense. “How about we go out for a drink, just you and me?” he suggests, his fingers lingering on my hair.
Before I can respond and push off his hand, a tattooed forearm comes into my line of sight, gripping Adam’s wrist and pulling his hand away from me.
I turn to find a furious Nash, a glaring Hunter,and, at his back, a fuming North.
Oh, hell no.
“Back the fuck up,” Nash growls. “She doesn’t want to go out with you.”
I can’t help but feel a pang of irritation.
Who does he think he is?
I mean, I don’t want to, but Nash doesn’t get to call the shots for me.
He has no say in anything that concerns me anymore.
“You don’t know that,” I retort, giving Adam a small, reluctant smile. “I’d like to get a drink with you.”
“Boo, what the fuck?” I ignore Saylor’s disapproving glare just as much as the scowls on the other guys’ faces.
Adam seizes the opportunity. “Rusty Ripper, tomorrow evening,” he declares, a smirk playing on his lips, seemingly unfazed by the intervention.
I glance at Tally, who’s still dancing. “I’ll be working at the restaurant until midnight tomorrow,” I inform Adam, hoping to have found a way out of this.
“No problem,” Adam says with a wink. “We’ll have an after-work drink then.”
As Adam leaves with a triumphant smirk directed at the guys, Nash, North, and Hunter turn their attention to me. They pounce on me simultaneously, with Saylor chiming in with some curses himself.
“Blue, are you out of your mind? That guy is bad news. You can’t seriously be considering going out with him.”
“He’s a sleazy fucker, I don’t like him, Shortcake.”
“He fucks anything that moves and has a pulse,” Nash exclaims.
