Another sound slipped out of me—this one undeniably a groan.
“Christ,” Henry muttered, pressing his fingers to his temple. “I’ve never felt secondhand embarrassment this bad. Absolute cringefest.”
I rounded on him, setting my glass on the table before grabbing his shoulders.
His eyes went wide. “What?”
“You cannot leave me alone with Ethan tonight, Henry.”
His lips parted, tongue pushing into his cheek as his gaze flicked away for a beat. “Yeah, that’s fair. You’re already drinking like a maniac, sad because you’re turning?—”
I shot him a warning look.
“Thirty-nine,” he said carefully. “And he’s dressed as what I’m guessing is your biggest fantasy. You’ve gotta hand it to him, though—the kid’s smart.”
I gave him a shake. “Henny.”
His eyes snapped back to mine.
“It’s imperative.”
He slipped out of my grip, smoothing his shirt like I’d wrinkled his soul. “Okay, yeah. I get it. Keep you two apart. Super easy, by the way.” The sarcasm was back in full force.
I reached for my drink again, but Henry stopped me halfway, palm to my wrist. “Are you really going to make my job harder?”
Now I wanted the drink purely out of spite. Unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong.
“Now what?” I asked, defeated.
“Now we mingle.” Henry adjusted his collar, grinned, and pulled me straight into the crowd.
What followed was a blur. Hour after hour of greeting people—colleagues, clients, business associates, all drinking behind masks while the room tilted a little more with each passing minute. Henry dragged me through photos and endless toasts, and I did my best to pretend my smile wasn’t so fake it could’ve cracked off my face, aware of eyes lingering a second too long, of the quiet appraisal that came with rooms full of investors and partners.
And every time I caught a flash of golden curls or warm, shimmering skin somewhere in the crowd, I turned away immediately, focusing on anything else. Anyone else.
My brother deserved a fucking award for shepherding me through the night.
Until he spotted Mateo.
One smile—that was all it took. Henry veered off like a heat-seeking missile, leaving me stranded with a pack of investment bankers and absolutely no emotional support. Apparently, the Langley brothers shared a crippling lack of responsibility in the face of sexual attraction.
The second I could excuse myself, I drifted away and through the crowd, nodding at passersby, lifting my glass in greeting,trying to look like a functioning adult instead of a man circling a breakdown.
Eventually I found an exit—a stone balcony draped in roses, with a few scattered tables and chairs. Blessedly empty.
I sagged into the nearest chair, slumping back with a groan. Tugging the mask off my face, I let the cool evening air hit my skin, and for the first time all night, I actually breathed in. Unfortunately, the way the balcony tilted when I closed my eyes probably wasn’t a great sign.
“What a surprise,” a husky voice said. “You’re hiding again.”
My eyes lifted—baby blue hit me straight in the chest. Ethan stood in the doorway, arms crossed, curls a mess around his face.
Fuck. Me.
“Needed fresh air.” At least I could get words out now. Improvement, technically.
He smiled, then walked over and sank into a seat. The tables were tiny, the chairs shoved close together, so his thigh brushed mine immediately and stayed there. Bare. Warm. Glimmering.
Don’t look. Don’t look. Sebastian, don’t?—
