We sat at the glitzy hotel bar, everyone a few beers in while I nursed my coke. Riley’s words were slurring a little bit, and Ben was a goner. Hernandez had only had one, so we were having fun laughing at the drunk assholes. Riley didn’t usually drink around me, but Ben had insisted on having a drinking partner tonight, and Riley had drawn the short straw.

I'd never seen Riley this wasted before.

It was fucking hilarious.

"But then I said, listen here, woman, I'm the man, and I make the rules."

I cracked up. “No, you didn’t.”

"You're right, I didn't," he said, grinning. "I told Noelle I'd do whatever made her happy because I loved her, and then we fucked."

I laughed, tossing my head back. “Yep. That’s marriage for ya.”

“Truth,” he agreed.

Hernandez rolled his eyes. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“You’re just jealous because you can’t do it,” Riley said, pointing at him.

“Jealous of being married to the same boring woman my whole life?” He snorted. “Yeah, no thank you.”

“Neither of us is marrying anyone anytime soon,” Ben agreed.

They high-fived each other.

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

“Have you ever been in love?” Riley asked, slurring his words.

“Who? Me?” Hernandez asked.

“Both of you, but you first.”

Hernandez sighed. “Nope. Never bit that bullet.”

“Why not?”

“Never met a girl who made me forget logic,” he said dryly. “Love is the biggest weakness a guy can have. I’m not against it or anything, but I have yet to meet someone who makes me want to become weaker instead of stronger.”

I shook my head. “Being in love makes you stronger, not weaker.”

“If she loves you back, sure.”

Riley squinted at him. “This is about Marie.”

“Jesus, not everything is about Marie,” Hernandez snapped. He looked at Ben. “Your turn to answer the question.”

Ben blinked. “What question?”

“Have you ever been in love?” Riley repeated, letting go of the whole Marie thing.

Ben opened his mouth, shut it, and opened it again. “Once, yes.”

“Tell us,” Riley demanded.

Ben sighed. “We were in high school, and I loved her with all my heart. We were going to go to school together, marry each other, have kids…but then one day, she up and decides to leave town and me. She never came back. Went to college at Duke instead.”

Riley whistled through his teeth. “Why?”

“I have no idea, to this day.” Ben shrugged. “Probably never will, since I have no intention of ever talking to her again. Even if she did come back to Somerton.”

Hernandez grimaced. “Let’s hope that never happens. I’d never hear the end of it.” He made a face and mimicked his partner. “‘Sarah said this, and then Sarah did that, and she’s so mean.’”

“Fuck you,” Ben shot back. But he ruined the angry words by laughing.

Hernandez winked at him. “In your dreams, pal.”

Riley snorted.

“Did you ever love anyone before Carrie?” Ben asked me.

I shook my head. “It’s always been her.”

“We all saw that,” Riley said.

Ben focused on Riley. “You?”

“Carrie,” Riley admitted.

“Wait, seriously?” Ben asked, straightening.

“Dead,” I said dryly.

“And you two are still friends?”

Hernandez crossed his leg over his knee. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

Riley nodded at me once.

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" I echoed.

Ben blinked, saying nothing.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out. Carrie was Facetiming me. I held it up for the guys. “Speaking of Carrie…”

“Answer it,” Riley said, grinning. “I might get to see my Noelle.”

I swiped the screen, grinning when Carrie's face popped up. Her cheeks were pink, and she was very smiley, so I suspected she and the girls had hit the wine tonight. I always felt guilty that she didn't drink much because of me, but she assured me she didn't give a damn. "Hey, Ginger."

She smiled wider. “Hey yourself. What are you up to?”

“Hanging with the boys.” I panned the phone around, showing her everyone, and they all waved at her. “You?”

“The girls.” She did the same, showing me the mess our living room was in. Presents, wrapping paper, scissors, and tape covered the Mahogany wood floor. “We’re wrapping presents.”

I lifted a brow. “I see that.”

"Show me my wife," Riley called out.

I rolled my eyes, but when Carrie handed the phone to Noelle, I did the same with Riley. He lit up when he saw her, and immediately stood up and walked off with my phone.

“Unbelievable.” I gritted my teeth. “He stole my Facetime.”

Hernandez laughed. “Yep.”

The waiter came, and we all ordered coffee. It was time for two of us to sober up. We had our big tree lighting ceremony tomorrow afternoon, then it was back home the next morning.

I couldn’t fucking wait. I missed my wife.

Riley came back and handed me my phone. When I glanced at it, I wasn't sure what or who would be on the other end, but it was my wife. She'd left the living room, and was climbing the stairs. I grinned at her. "Whatcha doing?”

“Heading to our room. The girls went on a pizza run.”

I frowned. “They’re sober enough?”

“They Ubered it.”

I relaxed. “Good.”

“Can you excuse yourself?”

I glanced at my buddies. “Yeah…”

“Then do it.” She went into our bedroom, flicked the light on, and bit her lip. “You owe me a naughty Facetime session, you know.”

My dick instantly hardened, and I glanced around to make sure no one heard her. Of course no one had. They were too busy ribbing one another to listen to our conversation. “I’ll be right back, guys.”

They all nodded, not really paying attention to me.

Even if they had heard her, I still would’ve gone.

I made my way to my room. As I entered the elevator, she laid on the bed, holding the phone over her face. Her red hair cascaded all around her like a halo, and I wished more than anything that I was there with her, so I could touch the silken strands. She licked her lips and trailed her fingers down her shoulder. “Are you alone?”

Biting my tongue, I nodded.

Lifting the phone a little more, she touched her breast, lowering her hand over her stomach, and down between her legs. “I miss you, Finn.”

“I miss you, too,” I managed to croak.

The doors opened, and I hurried through them and down the hallway to the left, reaching my room in record time. As I entered, I turned the lights on and locked the door.

She moved her fingers over herself, moaning. “Hurry up, I’ve got a head start.”

I kicked my shoes off and stumbled toward the bed, undoing my pants as I went. “You’re so damn hot, Ginger. It won’t take me long to catch up.”

"Good," she whispered breathlessly. She slid her skirt up, showing me her black panties. Her manicured finger worked over the satin, in slow, big circles. She was teasing herself, not ready to go over the edge yet. If she wanted to come, she'd be moving faster with shorter circles.

We both knew that made her come faster.

Groaning, I closed my fist over myself, watching her as I pumped my shaft. She bit her lip, quietening a moan, and demanded, “Let me see. I want to see you.”

I lifted the phone higher as requested, watching her fingers as I jerked off and pretended it was her touching me instead of myself. “I want to taste you, Ginger. So fucking bad.”

“You are,” she breathed. “Right now…” She closed her eyes for a second. “I can feel you.”

My cock hardened even more, and my heart sped up because her fingers moved faster, harder, and I was right there with her. Two nights without my girl were two nights too many.

She cried out, arching her back. As I watched her come, I gritted my teeth as I jerked faster and harder until I joined her in bliss, tilting my head and pumping my hips one last time. Moaning, I dropped back to the mattress, breathing heavily. She did the same.

“That was fucking hot,” I said, smiling.

She nodded, closing her eyes. “Yeah, it was.”

“And needed,” I said gruffly.

Carrie opened her eyes. “Very.”

I lifted my head, squinting at the clock. “Shit, it’s eleven?”

"Yep. Hence why they left to get the pizza instead of delivery." She rolled over onto her stomach, lifting her legs in the air behind her. She looked sexy as hell, all mussed and flushed. "Do you miss me?"

“More than words can express.”

She pouted. “Same.”

"Tomorrow's the last night."

“It can’t end soon enough,” she said, still pouting. She turned her head, then faced me again with wide eyes. “Crap, they’re back. That was fast.”

I grinned. “That’s what she said.”

"Ugh," she said, rolling her eyes—but there was no hiding the grin teasing her beautiful lips, or the sparkle of amusement in those baby blues. "I have to go before they realize what we did."

“Shit, I’d tell them. Brag about it.”

She gasped. “No.”

I laughed. “Fine. But I will.”

“Don’t you dare!” she gasped again. “I could never look them in the eye again if they knew I booty called you.”

Women were so weird. “We’re married.”

“I know.” She pointed at me. “Don’t tell them.”

“Fine, I won’t tell them.” I grinned. “Now go have fun, I’ll see you soon.”

She stared at her screen, biting on her lower lip. “You look so hot right now.”

“Back atcha." My cock came to life again because she was looking at me like she wanted to go for round two. "Love you, Ginger."

“Love you, too.”

We clicked off, and I cleaned myself up, washed my hands, then returned to my friend’s downstairs. As I approached, they watched me, and Ben’s eyes widened. “You look like you just got laid.”

I snorted. “I was in my hotel room alone.”

“With your wife,” Hernandez pointed out.

“Did you just Fucktime?” Ben asked incredulously.

I laughed. “Is that a thing?”

“Yes, it’s a thing,” Hernandez said, rolling his eyes. “And you totally just did it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, keeping my word about not telling them what I’d just done since Carrie seemed to care. “I just went to my room to talk to my wife.”

“Yeah, sure,” Hernandez said.

“And I’m the pope,” Ben interjected.

I grinned. “Pleased to meet you.”

Riley stood. “I’ll be right back.”

He practically ran off.

We watched him go, and then all laughed at the same time. As we joked about Riley’s eagerness to get his wife on the phone, my mind was a few hundred miles away in California.

One more night…

And I’d be home.