Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men #9)(44)

I lifted my hands to quiet them. “Will you two calm down? I never slept with or even kissed Brandt. Our date bombed five minutes in, remember?”

Both of their shoulders slumped. “Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

They looked so crestfallen, I frowned. “Are you two really that curious about white guys?”

“Yes!” they cried together.

“Well,” Sasha hesitated. “Curious, yes. Just not curious enough to ever ask one out…like you did. I mean, seriously, girl. Are you crazy? What would you have told your dad if you and Brandt Gamble had actually started something?”

I blew out a long breath. “I don’t know,” I confessed in a hushed voice. “I guess it’s just as well we didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Tyla agreed with a serious nod. But then she focused on my face again, “But if you ever do, you know…with a white guy, you are spilling every single detail, do you understand me, young lady?”

“And who the hell is this Colton guy?” Sasha added. “How did he end up on our couch?”

“Before you answer, let me just put this out there…” Tyla lifted a serious finger. “That white boy was fine.”

“Mmm hmm,” Sasha agreed with a nod. “Even passed out on the couch, I could tell he was gorgeous last night.”

“Hell, you should’ve seen him awake and upright this morning.” Tyla growled appreciatively deep in her throat, before glancing at me. “If he looks anything like his brother, I can see why you decided to taste test a little white meat.”

“Which brings us back to the question of why Brandt Gamble’s brother stayed the night on our couch,” Sasha demanded, forcing the conversation back on track.

When both friends quieted down enough for me to answer, I shrank lower under their expectant stares. “He, uh…” I cleared my throat and winced because I knew I was going to be forced to tell them more than I wanted to. “He drove me home from the party last night.”

“Okay,” Tyla said slowly. “Why? Did you get bored with us or something?”

“Oh, shit. We didn’t make you feel left out when our guys arrived, did we?”

Actually, for a second there, I had felt pretty bummed and resentful that Chad and Theo had crashed our girls’ night out. But then Colton had shown up, and I’d forgotten all about being a lame fifth wheel.

But to my friends, I shook my head. “No. Of course not. I just…well…”

“Yeah…?” Sasha encouraged. “We know you didn’t hook up with him, otherwise he would’ve been in your room and not on the couch.”

“Unless he was really bad in bed. Oh my God!” Tyla set her hand on her heart. “They really do have mini peckers, don’t they?”

“No!” I gasped. But then my face flamed hot. “I mean…” Shit. I didn’t want them to know I’d seen Colton’s junk. Except to let them label him a mini-anything down there seemed unpardonable. “No, we didn’t sleep together. I…” Dammit, here went what I hadn’t wanted them to know. “Shaun was at the party.”

Sasha slapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh, shit.”

“Are you okay? Did he do anything?” Tyla grasped my hands and pulled my arms wide so she could get a look at me.

Uncomfortable about their worry, I pulled free of her and hugged myself. “No, he…” With a sigh, I started from the beginning. “Actually, it was fine. I didn’t even talk to him. I ran into Colton while you were greeting your guys. I know him through Brandt when he’s come into the bar before. And when I spotted Shaun, I might’ve had a small freak-out, so…Colton offered to drive me home. Then he decided to stick around and stay on the couch so I wouldn’t be alone.”

“Aww, that was sweet.” Sasha clasped her hands to her chest while Tyla nodded.

“Hell yeah, it was. Hot and nice? I’d go for that Gamble boy if I were you.”

“I second that.”

“You guys!” I squawked, gaping at them. I couldn’t believe they’d just given me their approval. That was a very dangerous thing where Colton was concerned because I might just take them up on it. Still, I had to at least try to resist. “He’s Brandt’s brother.”

“So?” Tyla snorted. “That one married someone else. He lost his chance.”

“Totally.” Sasha nodded her agreement. “Besides, Colton is hot.”

“Yeah, but…” I shook my head. “Don’t you think it’s weird? Hopping from one sibling to the next.”

“It’s not like you literally jumped from one of their beds to the next. You never even went on a full date with the first one. And it’s been almost a year since then, so, honey, you’re fine.”

“But he’s a freshman,” I felt compelled to explain. “He won’t even be nineteen until June. I’ll be twenty-two before then. That’s—”

“Four years?” Sasha laughed and waved a hand. “That’s nothing. My mom’s nine years older than my dad. And that’s never been an issue for them. It’s only an issue if you let it be one.”

True, I decided. But it wasn’t the only thing I was making an issue of. “And my dad?” I asked quietly. “Not three minutes ago, you were freaked out about him learning I was interested in Brandt. But now you’re suggesting I go after his younger brother…who’s the same color as him?”