Nash Brothers Box Set - Carrie Aarons Page 0,96

he’s gone, Forrest stands no chance. Penelope would chew him up and spit him out.

“You’re so obnoxious.” She rolls her eyes. “But I’ll take a white wine spritzer.”

Or, maybe he does stand a chance. Crazier things have happened.

With those two bickering on one side and Keaton and Presley practically humping each other on the other side of me, I glance around for something else to do.

The dart board is empty, and no one is picking a song at the jukebox right now. But, because she’s in the room, my eyes only ever stray to her. Like magnets, we’re always locked in to each other’s energy.

Before I can tell myself what a bad idea this is, I’m walking over to Lily. So much for staying away from her. I’m going to blame the alcohol and ignore the voice telling me I’ve been waiting for a moment like this for years.

For a moment where I can scapegoat my low inhibitions just to get close to her.

A small smile splits my lips as I scoot onto the stool next to hers. “Always nursing that one lone gin and tonic.”

Lily blinks as she looks up and sees me, her cheeks pinking up. “It’s my drink of choice. Tried wine for a while, but it gave me a headache. Then I tried vodka, and after just one ended up …”

She shudders and I know that’s the liquor that had her puking. Everyone has that one liquor. Mine is bourbon. I shudder even thinking that right now.

“But, when I tried this at one of the galas my father was speaking at, I liked it. It’s what I’ve stuck, too. I’m not much for change, the regular old tried and true is good for me.”

“I remember.” I chuckle, the damn beer and whiskey doing the talking. “I like that about you.”

She looks stunned, and those big blue eyes flick to my mouth. God, how I wish I could lean over and kiss her. Or better yet …

“What are you drinking?” She points to my glass, her fingernail a pale pink.

And wasn’t that just a damn tease. Because now I was imagining a whole fist of pink nails wrapped around my cock. That was just so Lily. A tiger wrapped in a lamb’s disguise. I knew what she sounded like when she came. I was the first man who’d ever touched her, who’d ever shown her how to wrap her fist around …

“Bowen?” The way she says my name, I know I’ve been sitting here staring at her like a damn fool.

Fuck, I needed to get it together. “It’s uh, whiskey. But, there has been a hell of a lot of things mixed in there tonight.”

She chuckles. “Big guy’s night out, huh?”

“Something like that.” I smile back.

We stare at each other for a minute, and I can feel both of our heads moving closer. Almost unconsciously, as if there is a string tethering our mouths together.

“Are you having fun?” She breathes.

“More now than I was before.” It’s the truth.

Lily’s eyes dilate. “Why is that?”

“I think you know why.”

How easy it is to fall back into this. A decade has passed without a word. And now … we’ve been sliding slowly down this hill of attraction since my brother’s engagement. It’s slippery and dangerous, and I’m always grappling to climb my way back up. But sitting here with her, the woman I love most in the world, it’s too good to stop. I may break when I eventually hit the ground, but if it means staring at her, speaking words I’ve kept locked up in my heart for ten years, then so be it.

“Maybe …” Lily sighs, breaking the moment. “Listen, we’re going to be around each other a lot more now. With Presley and Keaton getting married, there will be more nights than there were in the last ten years where we’ll probably run into each other. You clearly don’t want to talk about us … and I can’t understand that, but I do know that I can’t keep cutting myself down over it. Even if we’re not friends, maybe we can just … be cordial. I don’t hate you, Bowen. Not even a little. And you’ve said as much about me. Maybe we can …”

She is going to say, be friends. But we can’t. And she has no idea why. Here she is, trying to appeal to my softer side, trying to bridge a gap that I’ve caused. God, Lily is the best kind of person. Even