“No, no,” said Manon from Lachlan’s side. “Stay and enjoy yourself. The train doesn’t leave until late afternoon tomorrow. Stay out with your friends tonight. Beni, you’re coming with us!”called Manon as she marched toward the pool table.
“Do I have to?” Beni groaned.
“Yes,” said Manon. “I won’t be able to sleep if you’re out here getting up to Goddess knows what.”
Beni sighed. “Congratulations again,” he said with a wave to Brayden and Scarlett.
“Night, Beni,” said Brayden.
Scarlett wrapped him in a quick hug. “See you in the morning.”
“Love you, darling.” Manon kissed her cheek and squeezed Brayden’s hand.
The three of them headed out into the night.
Once they were gone, Minnie glanced between Scarlett and Brayden. “Now that your relatives are gone… Scarlett, did my gift the other night get you all the way down the garden path, as desired?”
The innuendo made Scarlett smile. “Yes, it did.”
Keeley and Minnie cheered so loudly people around them stared. They each gave Scarlett an enthusiastic high-five.
“Onward and upward from here on out, hopefully,” said Brayden.
Scarlett looked up at him, and he winked at her, his lip curled up in a half-smile. All trepidation left her, and heat pooled in her stomach at the thought of all the things they could be doing back home in his room. It was enough to make her regret not having left with the others. He bit his lip and stared at her, and she reached her hand inside his suit coat to grip his shirt.
“This calls for shots!” said Keeley, snapping Scarlett out of her reverie.
Minutes later, they were raising shots of tequila into the air. “To Scarlett and Brayden!”
“Yeah!” shouted a man at the bar.
Scarlett licked the salt, drank her shot, and sucked on the lime, trying not to grimace. This shot might just push her frombuzzed to sloshed, but she was fine with that tonight. It was herweddingnight after all.
Keeley slammed her empty shot glass down on the nearest table. “To the dance floor!”
“Yes!” said Minnie.
Without waiting for Scarlett or Brayden, the two of them beelined for the open space next to the pool table, where a couple and a group of three friends were already dancing.
“That was adorable to watch,” Brayden said into her ear.
“Adorable? What, me doing a shot? I’ve probably done as many shots of tequila as you have, buddy.” Her voice was louder than she’d meant it to be.
“I highly doubt that.”
“I doubt it too,” said Nori. Scarlett’s light sounded muffled.
Why do you sound far away?asked Scarlett.
“Alcohol does that,”Nori replied.
Scarlett grabbed Brayden by his suit jacket and pulled his face to hers, tasting the tequila on his tongue. As they kissed, she ran her hands over his hard stomach, raking her nails against the fabric of his shirt. His breathing grew heavier as her tongue moved against his.
He broke the kiss. “This is getting me too riled up. If we do any more of that, I’ll either have to hide in the bathroom till I calm down or call us a cab.”
Scarlett bit her lip. All self-restraint had officially left the building, and she was enjoying being tipsy. It was similar to happiness but more distant. It almost made her forget her worries and their fight. She’d probably pay for it all in the morning, but for now, she loved him, she’d married him, and he was looking at her with such hunger.
“I need to tell you something.”
