Summer Breeze Kisses - Addison Moore Page 0,66

course? That’s just bull people who have screwed-up relationships use to comfort themselves. And, the way of the world? I’m pretty sure it’s love that makes the world go around and not a series of serial breakups. Since when is he so jaded? Is this some aftereffect of what happened that night or has he always been this way?

“Have fun with your lady friend.” He gives me a quick wink. “But don’t forget to keep an eye out for someone who’ll look good on your arm for the long haul. Anybody can be nice.” He says nice as if it were a dirty word defined solely as a means of manipulation. “Trust me there are a lot of nice people in this world. Nice is a dime a dozen—but beauty—that can be a tough diamond to mine. In the business world, it’s all about how gorgeous that woman by your side is. Those guys are the true winners in life. The one who scores the hottest piece of ass wins. Beauty trumps age.” He stabs into his steak. “Don’t forget who told you so. There’s not one successful billionaire with an old hag hanging all over him. They’re dating supermodels—women thirty and forty years their juniors.” He takes an anxious bite of his food and swallows it down. “Youth is the name of the game, and if you don’t have it, you buy it in the form of a beautiful girl.”

“And then what?” Bryson folds his arms across his chest. He’s had just about as much of my father’s bull as I have. “You trade her in for a new model when she shows her first wrinkle?”

Dad jabs his fork in my brother’s direction. “Now you’re catching on.”

Nice. My father is a moron, and it took twenty-two years for me to realize it. Better now than never.

We finish up lunch and head back to the Black Bear. Neither Bryson nor I are up for spending any more time with our father this afternoon.

Maybe ever.

The next night, Bryson and Baya have an informal party at the Black Bear with their friends and everyone even mildly associated with the double wedding. Cole and I plan on taking my brother and Ryder out for some surf and turf on Friday—maybe catch a flick after. I guess we’ve all crossed strip bars off our to-do list, and I don’t feel bad about it. I don’t need those kinds of places, those kinds of girls in my life, to make me feel like a man.

Izzy walks in sporting a tight black dress that ends mid-thigh and heels that elongate her legs to the stratosphere. Izzy is the only thing I need in my life to make me feel like a man.

I walk over and drop a kiss to her lips. “Hey, darlin,’” I whisper directly into her ear, and she shivers beneath me.

“Hey, cowboy.” She digs her fingers into the back of my hair. “Looks like everyone’s here.”

“And then some. Annie’s been amassing new friends by the minute, and each one of them showed tonight for free appetizers. Can I get you something?”

“I’m starved. You want to split some nachos?”

“Sounds good.” I put in our order, and we take a seat next to Annie and her buddies.

“So”—one of Annie’s friends pipes up while openly checking me out—“you’re the available one, huh?” Her hair is up in two perfectly curled pigtails, making her look all of thirteen. She’s grinning at me, ear to ear, running her tongue over her lips as if it was a racetrack, and I know where this is headed.

“Nope, not me.” I try to scoot into Iz and wrap my arm around her, but the chairs are so wide they manage to keep us a good foot apart.

The girl leans into Izzy. “Can we trade seats?”

“No.” Izzy glares at her for a second. She doesn’t look amused by the fact this girl is trying to steamroll her. “We’re sharing a meal.” She blinks a smile. “And, if I’m way over there, he might leave hungry.” She slits her a look that says back off, this boy is mine.

“Oh, I’ll make sure that boy gets everything he needs.” She skims her teeth over her lip as if she were getting ready to take a bite out of my balls.

“Excuse me?” Izzy scoots back. Her voice pitches enough to let everyone within earshot know she’s pissed.

“No need to get touchy.” The girl tugs at a pigtail. “It’s just that I think your brother is