Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“I know I’m late,” Doyle grumbled as he entered the room, taking his seat on my left. Serenity followed him, lowering into her designated chair behind him.
I bit down on the question on the tip of my tongue, why don’t you sit with the other girls while they plan out their night? Brynn, Daisy, and Alex were already gathered around one of their tablets, checking out the best things to do in the city. They’d hang here with us for a while before heading out, as was their usual plan if they decided not to stay the entire game. But I knew from Doyle’s big mouth that Serenity was to be seen, not heard, and while I hated that, I didn’t want to say anything that would get her into trouble. Probably the same reason why Gareth so rarely vocally expressed his opinions about Serenity’s role here either.
“You’re not my favorite either,” Brynn said, ignoring Doyle. Her smile was bright as she glanced at Weston from where she sat just a little ways behind him in a grouping of plush furniture we’d brought in for her and the other girls. Her, Daisy, and Alex had been particularly giggly tonight, which I assumed had everything to do with Brynn’s approaching wedding more than the craft cocktails they sipped on. Thank fuck they had Weston’s driver to take them wherever they landed on going later.
“Please,” I drug out the word. “That’s not at all fair. I’m almost one hundred percent certain that before you and Wes became a thing, I was totally your favorite. Who was by your side touring that natural reserve in Nicaragua?”
Brynn smiled and shrugged. “That’s fair,” she said.
“You can deal those cards now, Asher,” Doyle said, raising his brows like he had no clue what Asher was waiting for, despite the fact that he’d been almost an hour late.
Dick.
“You can’t be serious,” Weston said to Brynn, peeking at his cards after Asher dealt them. “Even before us? He was your favorite?”
Brynn laughed, rising from her seat to cross the room and plant a quick kiss on her soon-to-be husband’s cheek. “So jealous,” she said, then winked at him.
Weston slid an arm around her lower back, tucking her against his side as he looked up at her from where he was still seated.
The way they held a silent conversation laced with nothing but excitement and love and tease was almost nauseating. Asher behaved the same with Daisy, and now even Ethan had fallen victim to the moon-eyed effect with his girl Alexandra.
It was a goddamn epidemic.
Luckily, Gareth and I seemed immune.
“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that,” Weston murmured to Brynn after he and I had called Gareth’s raise.
I had an ace and king of spades. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Or what?” Brynn challenged him.
“We only have two weeks till our wedding, and you’re pushing me?” Weston asked her, his tone purely playful. “Say Crossland was your favorite again and see what happens.”
“I’m sitting right here,” I reminded them.
“And you’re really a delight, Cross,” Brynn said, pushing herself away from Weston with a sweet smile. “But let’s face it, that’s all you want, and that’s all you offer. Fun. Some women want more.”
“Not the women I see,” I said, smirking as Asher dealt the flop. A queen and a jack had me sitting on a nice straight draw. “And trust me,” I continued after betting. “I haven’t had any complaints.”
Weston, Gareth, Doyle, and Asher all folded, but Ethan called.
“That’s because you’re barely with the same woman more than a night or two at a time,” Ethan said as Ash dealt the turn. A two of spades, which now gave me a flush draw too. “It takes way more work to hold the attention of one woman for a longer period of time, trust me.”
“He’s not wrong,” Weston said. “It takes more than good looks, a smile, and a fun little outing.”
“You call a weekend on a private island a little outing?” I asked, referring to the date I set up for the last woman I’d spent more than a night with. Rochelle. That’d been a year ago. Three nights with her and she was more than happy to get back to the States and never call me again the second she realized I’d been serious when I said I didn’t want a relationship. I usually could tell when the women I dated were in it to change me, but I’d missed the mark with her.
I haven’t let that happen again since.
One or two nights.
That’s it.
“He’s saying…” Asher said. “That satisfying the same person over and over again is a completely different subject. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do it.”
I furrowed my brow, shock rolling through me as I tried to keep track of the conversation and the hand.