Henry pulled at his bowtie while Eli finished his welcome speech. He’d bought the tux a year ago and had only worn it once before, for one of Eli’s black tie campaign fetes. He’d thought it was a stupid purchase then, and he still did. Who buys a tux, anyway? Where the hell was she?

The crowd burst out in applause, which caused Henry to follow suit halfheartedly. He turned around and scanned the crowd for her. Nothing. Not that he’d know what to say to her anyway. And with her brother so close, he didn’t want to get tempted at all.

There’s no way you can get caught touching her, he warned himself.

At the bar, Henry ordered another drink. “The usual?” asked the pretty, olive-skinned bartender as she looked him up and down. There were hundreds of people, yet she remembered his drink of Pendleton whiskey. At another time, he would have jumped on that easy prey. She smiled at him and showed off perfect white teeth. He thought of Ellie’s own smile and that one crooked incisor that made the bite marks she left all over his body uniquely hers.

He just nodded at her and stuck a twenty in the tip jar. And that’s when he saw her.

Ellie descended the staircase in a black lace dress that kissed the top of her thigh. Beneath the intricate lace was, he guessed, a nude slip of satin. If he was wrong, if it was nothing, she was basically naked.

He started to grow hard and shifted against the bar to hide it. Ellie moved like a cat hunting in the night and made those staggering heels look like nothing. The sole point of modesty featured was a high neckline and merely a suggestion of cap sleeves. But the lace bundled and puckered into what looked an explosion of a bouquet just below her jaw. It made her impeccable face the ultimate showstopper.

Somehow, she’d managed to contain that wild hair. It was tucked neatly into a chignon but the sheer volume of it required a dangerously large updo. Even from here, he saw how the cherry-red of her lips was the only touch of color she needed. She looked absolutely perfect—were it not for the man whose arm she’d threaded hers through.

Who the fuck was he? Henry knew he and Ellie hadn’t actually talked about it, but he’d assumed they wouldn’t be bringing dates. And he looked like a fucking GQ model with bronzed skin and slicked-back hair. The man whispered something into her ear, and she laughed up at him, giving him the look he’d thought was reserved just for him.

Did she think he’d just let it slide? Fuck no. No pretty boy could intimidate Henry—not in this state.

He put down his drink and started walking straight toward her. “Hey!” the bartender called. “Your drink!”

Henry didn’t answer her, but met Ellie and her boy toy just as they reached the bottom of the staircase. Ellie gripped her date’s arm a little tighter. “Can I talk to you?” he asked curtly.

“Good evening,” the model said to him and reached out his hand. His accent was so syrupy thick Henry could hardly make out the words. Henry brushed his perfectly manicured hand aside.

“Uh, sure,” Ellie said. “I guess so.” But she didn’t move.

“In private.”

“Is all okay?” the model looked at her with concern. “We are the, how you say, on a date. If you don’t mind,” he said to Henry.

“Nobody asked you,” Henry said. Ellie was hesitant and made a face. “Anything you have to say to me, you can say right here.”

Henry glowered, and Ellie reached out to touch his arm.

“Would you like the drink?” the model asked her.

“Yes, Dante, that would be lovely,” she said, and allowed the ethereal being to lead her away. Henry followed their every move. They ordered from the same bartender, Ellie a white wine and the model either water or a gin and tonic. Ellie licked the glass rim in what she probably thought was a discreet manner. To Henry, it looked like she about to give the glass the ride of its life. He stirred once again in the wool black pants and made an awkward adjustment at the tiny bartop table.

“Henry! Hey, man, glad you could make it.” Eli was suddenly at his side, skirted by his usual brigade of security.

“Oh, hey! Good speech up there. I was really moved,” Henry said. He did his best to act natural.

“Oh, yeah? What was your favorite part?”

“The part about the arthritis,” Henry said as he tried to keep an eye on Ellie and her god of a date.

“You could at least get the disease right,” Eli said. “What’s wrong with you? You seem distracted.”

“Nothing. Just tired is all.”

“Let me get this straight. You go to my cabin without even telling me—not that I mind, of course—won’t take my calls—”

“I’m sorry, man.”

“Is this about a girl?” Eli asked. Henry didn’t answer, but Eli didn’t give up easily. “Come on, I know you. So tell me. Who is it?”

“Eli,” Henry started. “I need to talk to you. Privately.”

“It is about a girl,” Eli said. For a moment, Henry saw only the laidback, long-haired kid in Eli he’d grown up with.

“Mr. President, the Davidsons want to thank you.” A stern-looking woman in a red suit tapped Eli on the arm.

“Going to have to raincheck that. Duty calls,” said Eli as he let the woman pull him toward a geriatric couple who clutched matching Manhattans.

He was frustrated, but why? You weren’t going to man up to him anyway. What were you going to say? That you deflowered his baby sister and that—now—things are awkward between you and her?

Henry caught a glimpse of Ellie on the dance floor with her date. It was no dive bar, so she held herself a little more composed. Even so, Henry watched as the model traced circles on her bare back and rested his palm a little too low on her hip.

He could no longer keep his cool and stalked directly over to her. “We need to talk. Now,” he said. Henry grabbed her arm and started to pull her across the dance floor.

“She will not go,” the model said. He tried to position himself between Ellie and Henry.

“I suggest you back the fuck off right now before I destroy that pretty face of yours.” The model retreated, and one hand moved up to protect his face.

“Henry,” Ellie hissed, but he didn’t care if he caused a scene.

In the hallway, Henry checked two doors before he found an unlocked supply closet. “They took ‘get a room’ literally,” he heard a middle-aged couple laugh as he shut the door behind them.

“What the hell do you think—” Ellie started, but he shut her up with his mouth on hers. Henry pushed her up against a wall, her skin like hot velvet.

It wasn’t what he’d intended. He’d meant to lecture her, scream at her, get all his frustration out. Instead, his mouth was devouring hers, and it was like he’d rediscovered her all over again. When he cupped her ass and found she wasn’t wearing anything underneath that skimpy dress, his cock began to throb. “Bad kitten,” he told her, and dropped to his knees.

Henry couldn’t get his mouth on her fast enough. Even with only the glow of the dim red night security lights to illuminate the room, she was almost too much to look at. It took just one roll of her lace hem to expose her. If this was going to be his last time tasting her, he was going to make every second count.

As Henry’s tongue worked her like only he could, she raked her fingers through his hair and began to moan. Knelt down between her legs, he watched her flawless face shaded completely red by the lights. Her eyes were closed and her lips barely parted. She tried to be quiet, and as her thighs squeezed his head, he could hardly hear a thing. Still, he saw that she mouthed his name time and time again.

He kissed and nibbled her clit as he slid one, then two fingers into her. “Are you going to come for me?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she said through clenched teeth. He knew the signals of her body, could already tell she was close.

When she came in his mouth, he memorized every note of her and kept his fingers buried deep inside. Henry felt the wave of her orgasm as it gripped his hand tight. Softly, he flicked his tongue across her clit. Each time, it sent a shockwave through her entire body.

Ellie had opened her eyes and was smiling down at him. He removed his fingers and sucked her come off of them. His cock rocked almost painfully against the zipper of his trousers, but in that moment he didn’t care. He wanted her—he always wanted her. But there was something they had to do.

Ellie grabbed his shoulders and urged him up. She reached for his belt, but he put a hand on hers. “We need to tell Eli,” he said. No matter what the outcome, he couldn’t keep lying to his best friend.

“Don’t be stupid,” she said, and reached again to unbutton his trousers.

“I’m serious,” he said, his face still wet from her come.

“What the fuck?” she hissed at him. “You’re the one telling me not to plan my life around you. And now what? What the hell do you want?”

Henry went silent, his jaw clenched. She was right. He didn’t want her to change her plans, her life, for him. He didn’t want to stop her from going to school in California or anywhere else. But he wanted her, needed her. “It seems so permanent, making plans,” he said. She looked at him, dumbfounded.

“You’re ridiculous. This is ridiculous,” she said as she pulled her dress back down and smoothed her hair. “I’m ridiculous.”

Ellie pushed past him and opened the door with a snap. The lights outside were blinding, and Henry could see couples, two by two, in formal wear as they traipsed by. He wanted to go after her, to explain, but he felt frozen.