She’s sweet, funny, spunky, and gorgeous. The way Nick looks at her tells me this girl is going to be in his life forever, which means she’ll be in all our lives. She made him smile and laugh during this shitty time. She made me relax when I thought it was impossible. Just being in the room with her brought me happiness. She has a natural effervescence that eases anyone lucky enough to be in her presence.
A smile tugs on my lips as I think about her calling me sexy. She’s dangerous. If I was five years younger, I’d be crawling at her feet.
One thing’s for sure; Lizbeth “Bizzy” Hastings has left an imprint on my heart.
Bizzy
I should kill Nicky for neglecting to mention his oldest brother was the most gorgeous man to walk this planet. One look at him and my entire insides started to flutter.
It’s love… instant love.
Or infatuation. That’s probably it. Infatuation.
He’s probably got a girlfriend. A man like him can’t be single, and regardless of my age, I’ll never stand a chance with a man like Shaw. He’ll always remember meeting me during a chemo treatment when I’m bald and sick.
Not to mention, my stupid corny joke about taking me somewhere tropical. GAH! I’m such a dork. He probably thinks I’m a nutcase and will convince Nicky that I’ve got too many screws loose.
That body, that hair, those eyes… I could get lost in his eyes—the deep golden honey, the shades of green. Hazel is my new favorite color. And chocolate brown… his hair is chocolate brown.
He’s the opposite of Nicky in almost every way. Standing tall and built, the muscles of his arms bulge through his light sweater.
I tried not to stare, but when he looked away, I took the opportunity to size him up.
He’s perfect.
There’s no use fighting it. Even now, never having a boyfriend, or even a first kiss, I know…
I’m in love with Shaw Bennett.
Chapter 1
10 years later…
Crenshaw
I open my eyes and immediately sense something’s not right. This is not my house, and the hint of stale perfume triggers my brain. My stomach twists at the stench, reminding me of the body lying next to me.
Sasha…
What the fuck was I thinking? I roll to my side and see the alarm clock reads four in the morning. Jesus, I fell asleep here? My head spins, trying to remember exactly how I ended up in this bed.
Last night comes back to me, and I swallow down the burn. Bizzy had a blind date, so Nick, Mathis, and I went to the bar to check out the man she was meeting. What kind of asshole plans a first date at a bar? She deserves a five star restaurant, where she can be wined and dined while the dickhead can appreciate being in her presence. We tried to explain to her he was already a douche for his choice of places, but she ignored us and agreed to meet him there. She told us we were being overprotective with pure defiance in her eyes, so I backed off. I didn’t have to worry long because Nick got us a table in the VIP section upstairs so we could watch without being noticed.
She walked in with her usual confidence, looking beautiful with her dimple popping and the smile that can stop hearts. Her date greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and all three of us gave a low growl. He was dressed in a full suit… on a Friday night… in a beach bar. Fucking dipwad. They sat in a corner table, allowing us full view. She laughed often, but it never reached her eyes.
In all the years she has been in our lives, I knew how to read her.
“He’s going to slide and burn,” my brother, Mathis, predicts.
“He’s nowhere near good enough,” Nick claims.
“She’s going to be nice, but he’s toast,” I state with certainty.
Yep, we’ve done this before. Bizzy has no idea, but at least one of us is an invisible chaperone when she has a blind date. Tonight, we all three happen to be free.
We watch as she goes through the motions of laughing, smiling, and pretending to be interested in the conversation. Then she sends Nick a message, which is his cue to save her.
Nick chuckles as he calls her. She takes the call and does an Oscar worthy job of looking distraught before apologizing to the poor sap. He pays the bill and