Big Shot(32)

Once his father was gone, Wes only knew that he never wanted to feel that kind of all-encompassing rejection from someone he’d loved ever again. And so he’d always avoided emotional ties with a woman, deliberately ending things before they could decide he wasn’t boyfriend material or that he wasn’t what they were looking for in a man.

It was easier and much less complicated that way, and he liked being a bachelor—free to come and go as he pleased, no drama in his life, and a little black book filled with plenty of females willing to enjoy a casual hook-up, no strings attached, all at a moment’s notice. The arrangement had always worked for him, so why did he even care that Natalie wanted to get married, have a family, and live in the suburbs? He might not be cut out for wedded bliss, but he’d known Natalie for over twenty years, and while she’d been a pain in his ass most of that time, she certainly deserved to be some lucky man’s wife, he told himself, forcefully ignoring the heavy sensation settling in the pit of his stomach like a rock.

“Hey, Wes, where did you go?”

Natalie’s voice penetrated his thoughts, and he realized he was frowning and she was staring at him quizzically. He gave his head a shake, quickly reminding himself that this thing between them was all about mutually satisfying sex. It was what they both wanted and agreed upon. Hot, anything-goes f*cking. For now, she was his, but what she did after the terms of their bet was fulfilled, and with whom, was none of his concern. Even if he didn’t like the thought of her being with another man after him—someone nice, steady, and dependable . . . like Richard.

“Ready to get going?” he asked, because he was more than ready to leave his serious thoughts behind.

With a nod from her, they headed out of the building toward where he’d parked his car. He tucked her into the passenger-side seat of his sporty Audi Coupe, then got behind the wheel. Once they were on the road, Natalie turned toward him on the leather seat, the slight shift causing her dress to move up her smooth thighs a few tantalizing inches. “Tell me how you know the guy who is having the birthday so I know a little about him before we get there.”

He welcomed the distracting conversation. “I met him about six years ago after he’d gone through a bad divorce, and I sold him a condo on Lake Shore Drive. We became good friends after that. His name is Jackson Stone . . . or rather, Kincaid, since he recently changed his last name.” Wes was still getting used to that switch, even though he completely understood the reasons for his friend’s choice.

“Why would he change his last name?” she asked curiously.

“He was illegally adopted as a newborn,” Wes said, still a bit astounded by the story that Jackson had told him months ago. “He was a twin, and his birth mother sold him for drug money, so it was all very black market.”

She gasped in shock. “Oh, my God.”

Wes briefly glanced at Natalie, her eyes round and filled with disbelief. “Even being adopted, Jackson had a crappy life growing up, and when he found out from his aunt that he was illegally adopted, he had a PI search for his real family and found his three brothers. Mason, Levi, and his twin, Clay Kincaid.”

“Wow,” she said softly. “I take it they’re all very close now?”

He nodded. “It took awhile for his siblings to come around, but yeah, they’re all really nice guys, and Jackson finally feels like he fits into a family, which is why he changed his last name to Kincaid, since that’s his legitimate birth one. He recently got married to a woman named Tara, who works as a bartender for the Kincaid brothers.”

“The whole illegal adoption thing is fascinating, but I’m glad it worked out for him and he’s with the family he always should have been with.”

Wes silently agreed. As he continued the drive to Clay’s house, where the party was being held, he gave Natalie a quick rundown on Jackson’s brothers and their wives, all of whom he’d met at his friend’s wedding to Tara a few months back. That way, she’d at least have some knowledge as to who was who before they arrived.

As the invitation had instructed, Wes parked on a side street so Jackson wouldn’t recognize his car, and he walked the short distance with Natalie to Clay’s house, located in a nice neighborhood in a suburb. Samantha answered the door, and after introductions, she ushered them out to the backyard deck to wait for Jackson’s arrival, which gave Wes time to introduce Natalie to the people that he knew personally, which was mostly Jackson’s new family—his brothers and their wives, and a few co-workers from Jackson’s architectural firm.

Twenty minutes later, the man of the hour stepped through the glass slider to the backyard with his wife, Tara, beside him, where he was met with a loud chorus of “surprise!” And judging by the startled look on his face, he clearly hadn’t been expecting a party in his honor.

The casual party got underway, with a bar set up for beer and mixed drinks, a DJ playing music, and a local restaurant that had catered in a buffet for dinner that included barbeque ribs, chicken, and an assortment of side dishes. At some point, the ladies gravitated together on the deck to talk about whatever women talked about, with Natalie included in the group since she’d hit it off with the Kincaid wives right from the start. The bunch of them were chatting and laughing as if they were all old friends. But then again, Natalie always did have an outgoing personality.

The men did the same, banding together and discussing mostly business-related stuff, and between all four Kincaid siblings, there was a wide range of careers to cover—bar owner, tattooist, cop, and architect. Toss in Wes’s real estate background, and there was no lack of interesting conversation.