“What are you shouting about?” Xander questioned while waving the bartender over.
“Nothing,” Lucas shot back with a chortle. “What’s up, baby brother?”
“You!” Xander responded, slapping him on the back. “Happy Birthday, old man! Forty looks good on you.”
Lucas leaned against the bar and frowned. “Yeah, and if you’re lucky, it’ll look good on you too next year.”
“Nextyear,” Xander stressed.
“It’ll come faster than you think, little brother,” Lucas muttered before taking a generous sip of scotch.
“What can I get for you, sir?” the bartender asked Xander.”
“I’ll have what he’s having.”
Prepared to congregate with his family and friends, Lucas pushed off the bar. But his steps halted at the sight of his little brother’s crush entering the dining room. He prompted him to turn around with a nudge.
“What? I almost spilled my--” His words were clipped at the sight of Bella’s friend, Dr. Niyah Reed.
From the first moment he’d laid eyes on her in Victor’s penthouse, he was smitten. Since the planning of his and Bella’s wedding often had them in the same room, Lucas was shocked that Xander had made very little progress in his pursuit of her. It was unusual because he was tall with a strong build and a good head of hair. The icy, blue eyes he’d inherited from their mother alone usually kept the women coming. But according to Xander, the pretty doctor wasn’t giving him the time of day.
“Nah, I give up,” Xander grumbled.
Niyah was standing in the doorway, seemingly looking for a familiar face. When she spotted Bella, she smiled and walked toward her. She was wearing heels that made her appear considerably taller than the five feet and six inches that Lucas guessed she was. The stylish blue dress was hugging her curves perfectly. The doctor was definitely a showstopper.
Lucas turned to Xander with a scowl. “I give up,” he mocked. “You’re a disgrace. Get your ass over there and talk to that woman! You’re embarrassing your brothers, ruining our good name.”
Xander laughed and finished his drink. He sat the glass on the bar and fixed his tie. “All right, but I’ll have you know that this woman is slowly chipping away at my self-esteem.”
Lucas chuckled and slapped his little brother on the back. “Come on. I’ll walk with you, give you some backup.”
NIYAH
“Hey! I’m glad you could make it,” Bella greeted enthusiastically. “How did you get out of having dinner at your mom’s?”
“I didn’t,” Bella scoffed. “I got there early and stayed long enough to swallow a few insults and push some rather disgusting stew around on my plate. And then, I promptly got the fuck outta there.”
Bella laughed. “Girl, your mother is something else.”
“Tell me about.”
Bella took a step back to gauge Niyah’s appearance. “You look pretty.”
“Well, thank you. I work so much and I’m just glad to have a reason to put on something other than coveralls and a lab coat.”
Bella smiled and looked past her. Niyah didn’t need to turn around to see what or who she was looking at. Her friend’s mischievous smile told her all she needed to know. Alexander Creed was surely approaching her from the rear. And somehow, she could feel his eyes on her.
Niyah had noticed him when she entered the dining room. How could she not? Xander Creed possessed a beauty that stood out. He was tall, ridiculously handsome with striking blue eyes. And the fact that he was wealthy didn’t hurt. Attracting women couldn’t have been a problem for him. In fact, almost every time she’d seen him, he was with a different skinny blonde. That was why Niyah didn’t understand why he was interested in her. She was neither blonde nor skinny.
“He’s on your six,” Bella warned with a grin.
Niyah turned just as Lucas stepped up and threw an arm around Bella.
“What’s up, Doc? How are you?” he asked with a friendly smile.
“I’m doing well,” Niyah returned with a smile, handing him a gift bag containing a bottle of wine. “Happy Birthday.”
Lucas released Bella and pulled the bottle from the bag. “Oo la la! Pino Noir from the Silver Oak Cellar...”
