“Who wants another beer?” Mason asked, walking into the kitchen of his Richmond, Virginia home.

“Me,” Sean and Mitch grunted in unison.

Blake glanced at the two empty bottles beside him on the poker table and smiled. “Yeah. Grab another one for me, too. Thanks.”

He never thought he’d get back to sharing drinks with his buddies. Hell, he never thought he’d have the strength to stop hating himself every time he glanced at a beer bottle. But he’d changed.

In the few months he’d spent living with Gabi, he’d learned a lot about himself. She’d convinced him to create new memories to associate with the buzz of intoxication. So that’s what he was doing—relaxing, enjoying a good laugh with his friends while they celebrated Christmas Eve at Mason’s secluded mansion. He only wished Ryan was here with them, instead of choosing to stay home with his wife.

“Here ya go.” Mason handed Blake a chilled bottle of beer and sat down beside him. “How are you doing?”

Blake turned his gaze to Gabi who sat on the sofa with Alana, both of them occupied with a mass of bridal magazines. “I’m great… Thanks for letting us crash here for the weekend.”

Gabi hadn’t removed the engagement ring from her necklace, but things between them couldn’t be better. They were in love—the heavy and consuming kind that provoked continuous PDA’s that drove his friends crazy.

Mason cracked the lid of his bottle. “No problem. To tell you the truth, I kinda had an ulterior motive.”

Blake quirked a brow. “If any of your ‘motives’ include Gabi, you can think again, pretty boy.”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Mason took a swig of his beer. “I’ve been running low on song ideas and thought having you guys around might help. I haven’t even started on the next album, and any day now Leah is going to start hounding me for updates.”

“Why don’t you call Sidney?” Mitch interrupted, shuffling the deck of cards for another round.

“Yeah, that’s an awesome idea. And while I’m at it, I could shove my dick in a blender, just for shits and giggles.”

Mitch laughed. “It’d be more fun if you let her do it. I’d love to see her face light up.”

“Leave her alone,” Sean growled. “She’s been through enough without you guys making fun of her.”

Mason glared at Sean, both of them staring the other down. The crackle of the fire and Alana and Gabi’s soft murmurings were the only noise to break the quiet discomfort.

“Touchy much?” Mason asked, pushing from his chair. “What happened wasn’t my fucking fault, so shoot your filthy looks somewhere else.”

Sean narrowed his gaze. “You’ve got serious ego problems if you think her ruined reputation isn’t your fault.”

“Your cock was in her too, bro,” Mason spat, walking around the poker table.

“Yeah, but you were the only one with a camera.”

Moments passed with everyone in the room on alert, waiting to see if the argument escalated.

Mason raised his chin, turning his gaze to Mitch. “Count me out of the next hand. I’m going to take a piss.” He shot a final warning glance to Sean before striding from the room.

Sean didn’t react. Mitch continued shuffling his cards. And Blake sat there, drinking his beer, content and a little giddy that his life wasn’t the most dramatic for once.

“What are you smiling at?” Gabi sauntered up behind him, placing her arms around his shoulders to drape over his chest.

“Just thinking about how much I love you,” he whispered against her cheek.

She chuckled, the delicate sound adding to his alcohol buzz. Life was too damn perfect. He overcame his demons, had the best job in the world, and eventually got the girl, too.

“You know,” she murmured in his ear, the heat of her breath making his cock jerk to life, “I don’t think it counts when you’re drunk.”

Minx. God he loved this woman.

Mitch watched them, his hands working the cards while his gaze focused on Blake’s chest. “Nice bling, Gab.”

Blake frowned. “What bling?”

Gabi cleared her throat and pulled back, taking the warmth of her arms with her.

“What bling?” he repeated and turned to face her.

She gave him a soft smile, the tops of her cheeks flushed and high. Her teeth worked her bottom lip, making his cock twitch as he searched her face for answers.

“I was trying something on for size.” Her throat convulsed with a swallow as she held up her left hand, showing off the engagement ring.

Thump, thump, thump. His heart took off while his brain stopped functioning. He sat his beer down on the table and nodded, feigning a calm he didn’t feel. “Are you trying it on for the day? Or maybe a bit longer?”

She shrugged, still gnawing on her lip, still driving his cock to madness. “I thought maybe permanently,” she whispered, yet the words hit him as if amplified by a microphone.

He stared at her in silence, overwhelmed with disbelief and happiness. He wanted to run. He wanted to whoop. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until he couldn’t breathe.

Merry fucking Christmas, people. I just hit the jackpot.

Pushing from the table, he stood, never taking his gaze off the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and hauled her into his arms.

She squealed, her hands frantically clinging around his neck. “What are you doing?”

“We’re going to celebrate… In private. And I’m going to show the woman I love, exactly how happy she’s made me.

Gabi chuckled, sweet and hypnotic. “And what if she’s not convinced?”

He grinned down at her, loving the way she beamed back at him, her eyes wide, her lips now glistening and inviting.

“Then I’ll never stop trying, angel. I’ll never stop loving you.”