A smirk appeared on Cobra’s face. “An all-expense-paid trip to the Bahamas for a week says I can.”
“You’re on,” Colton said.
Cobra then looked at Cortez. “And I bet you four prepaid airline tickets–first class–anywhere in the country, over the course of a year, tickets I had planned to use for whenever I wanted to visit my favorite nephew in LA, that I will last without sex for a year.”
Cortez smiled. “First of all, Cornell is your only nephew, and since you will lose, I have no problem going along with this.”
“Neither of you will win the bet,” Cobra said. “After what Bernice, Allison, or whatever her name was, tried tonight, I am through with women.”
“For a year?” Colton asked.
“For longer than that, but for the bet, a year is good,” Cobra said. “Even if Iamattracted to someone, all I’ll have to do is remember what went down tonight to kill my desire.”
Cortez rolled his eyes. “We’ll see. And you have to be honest with us, Cobra, if you fail and can’t hold out for the year. Then we win.”
“You guys won’t win.”
“Let’s shake on the bet,” Colton said.
The three brothers placed their glasses of Scotch aside, then held out their hands, shaking on their bet and sealing the deal.
CHAPTER 2
Seven Months Later
Cobra Masters took a sip of champagne and glanced around the huge ballroom of the St. Laurent Hotel-Atlanta. It had been just a year ago this month when he’d been in this same place, for the wedding reception of Landon Chestnut and Monica Bennett.
Today, his brother Colton had married Kelly. A few years ago, his brother Cortez had married Victoria. Cobra smiled, realizing that he was officially the last of the single Masters triplets. He was happy for Tez and Colt—they had married well. And it wasn’t just that their wives’ physical beauty was striking. He couldn’t help but admire his sisters-in-law’s other attributes.
They were both women who were selfless, confident, and not self-centered, women comfortable in their own skin, mature, and not drama queens. Women whose character was flawless; definite assets to the Masters family. They were exactly the type of woman he would marry…if he was interested in doing such a thing.
He wasn’t.
Hell would freeze over first. He respected women, but wasn’t ready to share his life with one. Women, in Cobra’s opinion, were for pleasure. And he didn’t feel bad thinking that way since he figured his place in their life was for the same reason. At least, that was the way it had been until an encounter with Bernice Whey had changed everything. And that one bad choice was the reason for his current hellish predicament, as well as that damnbet he’d made with his brothers that he wouldn’t get laid for a year.
Granted, things had started off well, and resisting attractive women had been easy. A challenge, yes, but one he could handle.
However, the closer he got to the one-year mark, the harder he was finding it to keep that lock on his zipper. Temptation was a bitch. Especially on days like today, when he was surrounded by so many gorgeous women, with some of the most curvaceous bodies he had ever seen. Women always looked good at weddings, and today was no exception.
“You okay, Cobra?”
He glanced over at his brother Cortez. Both of them had been their brother’s best men. Now things were winding down at the reception, and it wouldn’t be long before the bride and groom took off. Then he could get the hell out of here and go to his hotel room alone, which would be a challenge in itself. After all, he had never attended a wedding where he hadn’t taken some woman to bed afterwards.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
A smile shone on his brother’s face while he sipped his champagne. “So, how long do you have to go now?”
That answer was easy. “Five months, one week, four hours, and…” he glanced at his watch, “thirty-three minutes.”
Cortez chuckled. “Not surprised you’re counting. Especially today, with so many beautiful women here. Of course, my wife is the most gorgeous one of them all.”
“Of course,” Cobra answered dryly.
“And of course, Victoria is off limits,” Cortez said. “Although you wouldn’t think so, the way Straw and Tomb are following her around, hanging on her every word.”
Cobra hid his grin. He looked around and found Victoria holding court with their two childhood friends. Cortez saw them as well. But Cobra knew that his brother wasn’t the least bitjealous. It was obvious to anyone looking that Straw and Tomb thought the world of Victoria, and had, ever since she had helped them out of a jam.
Two years ago, in the spring, she had come to Savannah with Cortez and had spent a lot of time sprucing up Straw and Tomb’s mothers’ yards with all kinds of plants and flowers—something the two moms had been asking their sons to do for years.
