front of Donovan said to the woman beside him. “She walks in here like that. It’s no wonder Sam had to seek solace in Trina’s arms. He needed a good woman, and it’s obvious she’s a whore.”
Donovan reached for the man’s chair, yanking it backward, leaving the man flailing to keep from falling back. The balding bastard squeaked louder than the chair legs on the tiled floor.
Leaning down, Donovan kept his tone low and lethal as he said, “Don’t let me hear that come out of your mouth ever again. Understand?”
The man’s eyes widened as he nodded his head.
Donovan released him, shoving him forward a little harder than he probably should have, then took his place against the wall once more.
Now that he had something to keep him occupied, he wasn’t dreading the next couple of hours.
In fact, now he was looking forward to them.
Two
FROM THE MOMENT SHE’D stepped through the doors of the banquet room that had been reserved for the shower, Kora had wondered how she hadn’t gone up in flames. She could feel the stares as they practically scraped against her skin, hear the whispers echoing loudly in her head, as everyone watched her as though she were a dangerous animal that needed to be caged.
Little did they know, but she wasn’t a danger to anyone tonight. Except maybe herself. So far, anyway. If they kept looking at her like that and mumbling under their breath, she wasn’t making any promises.
Taking a deep breath, Kora made sure her shoulders were squared and her chin was up. She would not let these assholes get to her.
The first thing she did was order a drink. Then, when the waitress delivered, she ordered another so she would have a backup. Which turned out to be a good thing because she’d drained the first one in three gulps.
Now, half an hour in, she was on her third with a fourth on the way. Probably wouldn’t have been a major issue, except she was drinking vodka and 7Up—doubles, light on the 7Up—and she hadn’t eaten anything all day. The numbness was beginning to set in and it felt nice.
Really nice.
“You’re hittin’ it hard tonight.”
The deep baritone came from over her left shoulder, and Kora turned her head to see a tall, handsome stranger leaning against the wall, a tumbler tilted to his lips. It was possible she recognized him, but most of the people at the shower were friends and family of the parents-to-be, so that wasn’t surprising. She just couldn’t place him.
Was the alcohol obscuring her thoughts?
He looked oddly familiar, and the way he was staring at her made her think he was all too familiar with her, too. Did she know him? He certainly wasn’t a relative of hers, which meant he was probably a friend of Sam’s.
Because of that, she decided to brush him off.
“That was always the plan,” she told him honestly.
“You know the expectant couple?” he questioned, though it sounded as though he already knew the answer to that.
Apparently brushing him off wasn’t going to work. And she didn’t have the mental fortitude to deal with him at the moment, so she nodded her head. When she said, “My sister and my ex,” the guy chuckled, causing Kora to turn. “You find that amusing, do you?”
Emerald eyes leveled on her, pinning her in place.
Her head spun and the room suddenly grew warmer.
Unfortunately, she didn’t think it was the booze this time.
For a moment, the heat she felt racing through her veins had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with that seductive smirk that tilted his perfect lips.
“I’m thinkin’ you’re the lucky sister,” he finally drawled.
“Why’s that?”
“Sam and I go way back.”
Kora tried to place this guy, searching the dark recesses of her memory to see if she’d ever met him. Surely, if he was a friend of Sam’s, she would’ve at least heard of him. She and Sam had been together for almost two years before she’d found out he’d been screwing her sister. “And you are…?”
“Donovan,” he said, tossing back what was left of his drink.
“Sam’s brother?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief from her tone.
“The one and only,” he announced.
Well, that explained why he looked familiar. Now that she knew who he was, she noticed the family resemblance. Sam and Donovan had the same black hair, the same olive skin and green eyes. Donovan was a few inches taller than Sam, definitely broader, his body more muscular. And that stare… There was