I always knew our baby brother would be the one to settle down first. He may have whored his way through most of his twenties, but I knew he would need more than a quick fuck to fully satisfy him sooner than later. He’s more sensitive than Alec and me. Always has been.
My fingers run over the stubble on my jaw. Huh. I only shaved this morning. Smiling as I watch Axel dancing with his new bride, glowing in her silver gown. Ashlynn is a beauty, that’s for sure.
My eyes roam the picturesque setting of Bray and Stella’s back yard where the reception is being held. The dancefloor we knocked up over the weekend sits outside the open-sided marque, under the trees wrapped in twinkling lights. Guests stand around chatting, laughing, others dancing, and my eyes drift to the shadows. I can’t help that my mind is always on, looking for a potential threat.
It’s engrained in me to do so. Over a decade serving my country on black op missions, only to get out and form my own protective services company when I became a civi, will do that to you.
My wandering eyes stop on a blonde on the dancefloor. She’s doing the sprinkler of all things and I find myself smiling at her as her movements morph from the sprinkler to the running man. I haven’t seen moves like that in god knows how long.
She’s beautiful too, curves that are making my pants feel that bit too tight in the crutch area, and a smile spreads so wide across her face I can’t help but match it with my own. A sliver of her skin peeks out between her skirt and top showing me creamy white flesh that I’d like to run my tongue over.
Shifting in my seat to discreetly rearrange my cock, I’m startled by one of my brothers dropping down in the seat beside mine. My eyes snap to him and glare, knowing he just saw me admiring the blonde. Anyone else would shrink away from the expression on my face, but not Alec, the fucker.
Alec grins widely at me. “S’up brother? Got a bit of a situation going on there I see.”
“Fuck off,” I mutter under my breath then glance over my shoulder to make sure I’m out of ears shot. Our mother has chastised us for using ‘foul language’ at a wedding already so I’m conscious not to say it too loudly. I may be a thirty-three-year-old man, but I still fall in line when my mother gives me that look.
A waitress catches my eye then and I shift my focus to her. She smiles at me, so I do the polite thing and smile back. She’s pretty, I suppose, in a super-high-maintenance kind of way. She’s got nothing on the blonde on the dance floor. When she approaches me, I lift my tumbler and tilt it in her direction. “I’d love a refill, honey,” I say and her smile fades.
“Of course. What’ll it be?” she asks curtly, having obviously read my comment correctly.
“Whiskey, neat. Thanks.” I hand over my empty glass.
She takes it without another word and turns to retreat to the bar under one of the huge trees in the yard to fill my order. Alec kicks me under the table, and I ignore him.
I see him smirk from the corner of my eye before he asks, “What’s got your knickers in a twist? Is it the blonde?” he waggles his brows, “It is, isn’t it.”
Gritting my teeth, I shift in my seat again, this time to face him. “What’s it to you?”
Alec shrugs one of his shoulders, grinning. “Nothing. I just enjoy seeing you uncomfortable. It’s a rare site, brother.”
The waitress reappears with my drink and sets it down in front of me with a blank expression on her face until her eyes flick to my brother. They widen as she blinks at him. “Can I get you anything?” she asks in a breathy whisper.
Alec takes his time assessing her, moving his eyes from the crown of her head slowly down the rest of her body before answering. “I’ll take you when this shindig is over,” he says with a wink.
And she blushes—fucking blushes. I tune out the rest of their exchange, picking up my drink and returning my eyes to the dance floor, looking for the blonde.
I have to shift in my seat to get a better view. She’s dancing with Ashlynn, my new sister-in-law, now. They’re both doing the robot; it’s fucking hilarious and adorable. I’m mesmerised by the huge smile on the blonde’s beautiful face. Her hair falls in her eyes as she moves and I find myself wanting to sweep it away for her. A few strands stick to her pink lips as they move into the cabbage patch.
How have I not met her yet? I frown as I go back over the day in my head. I would definitely remember that face and those delicious curves.
Alec reaches across me for the jug of water on the table and pours himself a glass, gulping down the whole thing in one go, “Come dance, you moody bastard. You look like a loser sitting over here by yourself.”
“I’d rather be a loser than be up there making a fool of myself,” I tell him honestly. Dancing and I don’t mix.
He rolls his eyes as he chugs another glass of water. “Do you always have to be the killjoy? Seriously, man, it wouldn’t kill you to be social.”
I raise a brow. “I like sitting back watching you make an idiot of yourself out there. That doesn’t mean I’m antisocial. Actually, while we’re on the topic, who’s the blonde dancing with Ash?”
Alec grins. “I was waiting for you to ask. That’s one of Ash’s cousins. Apparently, her father is some big-shot senator. But she doesn’t seem to have the pole up her arse that usually comes with chicks from those kinds of families.”
I let this new information roll around inside my head as I watch her. Alec’s right; she definitely appears to be pole free. And speaking of poles, I seem to have another one forming in my pants the longer I watch her, causing me to rearrange my cock again.
“We were chatting earlier. I should have known you’d be into her,” Alec says.
“Why?” I ask, frowning at his observation.
His eyes are still trained on her as he speaks. “You’ve always had a thing for the thick chicks.”
The fuck? My blood boils instantly and my fists ball on the table in front of me. “Ex-fucking-cuse me? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Because brother, if you’re calling that gorgeous creature fat, I’m going to beat the shit out of you. Wedding or not.”
Alec’s hands shoot out in front of his face in surrender. “Fuck no, she’s hot. It’s just a figure of speech; you know, like a body type or some shit. It’s not meant to be offensive.” Only when I begin to relax does he lower his hands. “Jesus, what’s got you so wound up?”
I shake my head. “Nothing,” I mutter.
“Abe,” Alec says cautiously, eyeing me.
“Hmm?”
“When was the last time you got laid?” he asks.
For fuck’s sake. It can’t be that obvious. I ignore his question. It’s none of his fucking business. My eyes move back to my blonde, still dancing with Ash. She’s pop and locking now, and my lips tip up. She would be the perfect candidate to break my dry spell. I decide then and there that a little wedding sex is just what I need.
Alec wraps his hand around my shoulder as he stands to leave. “You might want to get that sorted, brother. You’re a moody prick at the best of times, let alone when you’ve got blue balls.”
He walks back to the dance floor, heading right for my blonde. Arsehole.
I relish the feel of the amber liquid warming me as it slides down my throat and I sigh in contentment. My body relaxing as the alcohol seeps into my veins. It’s a strange sensation, allowing myself to let go. I should probably do another perimeter check.
But I’m surrounded by family. My family. It doesn’t get much safer than this. And so I let myself unwind and allow the alcohol to do its thing as I cross my ankles and continue watching my blonde.