Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men #9)(78)

“Wow, you sound…really serious about it.”

“Yeah, well…when we hit two million followers, we picked up a couple sponsors and started making some cash from it.”

“Wait, what?” I lifted my hand to stop him so I could catch up. “Did you say two million followers? How the hell do you have that many followers in something I’ve never even heard of?”

“I don’t know. I’m just that awesome, I guess.” When I only gaped at him, he winked. “Do you want to see some of our Vines?”

“Hell yes.”

As he flipped through his phone and opened an app, I shook my head. “Wait. You’re logging on to YouTube. I thought you said it was on its own Vine site, or whatever.”

“Yeah, but we put compilations of our best Vines on YouTube so you can see more than one together. Here. Just watch.”

He typed in a few search words, then scrolled through a screen until he came to something called No-Colton-No. “That’s our screen name for our profile. Caroline used to read me this book called No, David! when I was little, and it was my favorite because my middle name’s David. Plus, I misunderstand things in a literal way a lot in our Vines, so it just seemed to fit all the way around.”

I nodded, loving the explanation of how he’d come up with their screen name, as he pushed play. What popped up was the strangest mix of mini videos I’d ever seen. Some were just odd, but then others made me crack up until we hit one where his sister told him to grow a pair, and a literal pear started to sprout from his forehead from a branch, and I lost it. I started laughing until tears fell.

Each skit was pure silliness, clean enough for kids to watch, and totally not something I would’ve expected the suave flirt I’d met almost a year ago to take part in. He basically made fun of himself in each Vine. I loved it; I loved learning about this new dimension of my man.

“And you make money from this?” I asked, glancing at him before I settled close enough to rest my chin on his shoulder and continue to watch him do the most bizarre things on the tiny screen of his phone.

“Yep,” he answered, sounding proud of himself.

“How much money?” I hedged.

“Enough to put me through college and let Caroline stay home with her daughter.”

Shit. That was impressive. I grew proud of him. But I murmured, “Weird,” and shook my head as I enjoyed watching his Vine compilation.





JULIANNA’S CHAPTER | 23





I woke the next morning to Colton kissing his way up my shoulder.

Mumbling incoherently over the fact I was now awake and didn’t yet want to be, I rolled toward him and reached blindly until I found his chest, which was covered by the cotton material of his shirt.

Yes, that made waking up better. Except, wait.

My eyes came open. He hadn’t worn a shirt to bed.

Finding him fully dressed, I immediately pouted. “You have clothes on.”

“I know, I know.” He expelled a dramatic sigh. “You want some really fun morning nookie, I get that. I mean, hello.” He waved a hand over his chest. “Why wouldn’t you? But I’m sorry, baby doll. I’m already running late. I need to get home and shower and change. My first class starts in half an hour.”

He pressed his lips to the base of my neck, kissing me noisily before he pulled away to hop off my bed. “When’s your next night off?” he asked as he tugged on his shoes.

I groaned because I had a pretty full schedule this week. “Thursday.” That was ladies’ night at Forbidden, and only guys worked on ladies’ night.

“So the countdown begins anew.” Pausing to check his phone and type something quickly, he grinned and winked at me before slipping it into his pocket.

My cell chimed a second later as he started for the door.

Frowning, I checked it to see that he’d texted me, saying:





My insides warmed, and my face split with a grin. But just to be contrary, I lifted up and called, “Fifty-eight.”

He laughed and volleyed back, “Fifty-seven and a half.”

And then he was gone, his footsteps echoing down the hall before I heard the front door open and close.

I lay there, depressed a moment, before I checked the time. Eyes shooting wide, I leaped up off my bed, screeching, “Holy shit.” I’d forgot to set my alarm. Like him, I also had half an hour to get up and around before class.

I yanked open my closet and automatically began to reach for something typical and appropriate, but then paused when Colton’s words from the night before echoed through me. Shoving the beige sweater back inside, I reached for the boisterous turquoise top with a huge dream catcher printed across it so that it appeared to be draped over my shoulder. And when I did my hair, I poufed it a little spikier in the back so it looked a bit more like a spirited mess. Then I put a little more color into my makeup, and when I was done, I stepped back and looked at the overall picture.

I liked it, I thought I looked cute, and that was all that mattered.

Unable to stop grinning, I began to leave the apartment until a phone call stopped me.

“Oh my God,” Sasha screeched into my ear. “I left my book bag at home and I have a paper in there to turn in to my English professor in an hour and twenty minutes. Please tell me you haven’t left the apartment yet.”