Falling for the Groomsman (Wedding Dare, #1)(14)
She swallowed down the moan that tried to escape and chugged the last of her martini just in time for the bartender to bring the new one Tyler had ordered for her. She slipped her hand into his pocket, took her phone back, and then hopped off the stool. “Well, keep dreaming, because that’s the only time you’ll get to touch me, or hear me cry out in pleasure, again. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to work on my list.”
New martini in hand, she walked off with her head held high. If her entire body was screaming for her to turn around and straddle him, right here in the freaking bar, well, it could piss off.
She wasn’t giving in.
Chapter Six
Damn it all to hell, that woman was stubborn. He could f*cking see the desire in her eyes and yet she pushed him away again. Refused to give in to the white-hot passion burning between them.
Tyler downed his drink and handed the empty glass back to the bartender. “I’ll have another, please.”
For a second there, he’d thought he had her. But she’d rallied and held him off, her adorable nose pointed up in the air the whole time. When he’d thought that she had a man back home, an inexplicable rage had filled him. Jealousy, too. Lots of ugly green Hulk jealousy.
After all this time, he still ached to have her. Any other woman in his life had trouble holding his attention for longer than an hour, yet with Christine…being back in her company made him feel as if he’d never stopped thinking about her. Never stopped wanting her.
That had to mean something.
“I wasn’t sure if you two would be leaving together or what.” Colton sat beside him. “Fuck, man. What were you up to over here? A battle of wills, sex edition?”
Tyler shook his head and forced a laugh. “Nah. We were just talking.”
“Sure you were.” Colt looked at Christine, as if he was trying to read her. Good luck with that. You’d have better luck reading an ancient, unknown language. “You guys had a thing before, right?”
Tyler choked on his drink. When he could breathe again, he rasped, “No. Why? Who said something?”
“No one.” Colt shrugged. “Okay, Kady kind of did. But not really.”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” Tyler said, patience just barely there. “What do you mean?”
Colt grinned. “She told me something happened in Mexico that neither of you would talk about. I think she’s avoiding the answer staring her in the face. It’s not like it takes much to put two and two together.”
Tyler forced a laugh. “Well, maybe you should check your math. There’s nothing going on between us.”
Colt said nothing. Just arched a brow.
Uncomfortable with the silence, Tyler shifted in his seat. Now would be as good a time as any for the big brother talk he needed to have with Colt. Turning the attention away from him and Christine was simply an added bonus. “So, we’ve been friends for a long time.”
Colt scratched the back of his head and leaned on the bar. “Uh, yeah.”
“And you know I like you.”
Colt’s brow lifted. “Yeah…look, if this is about the whole ‘being in love with your sister’ thing, it’s a little late to—”
“No. It’s not that.” Tyler narrowed his eyes on Colt. “Even though I like you, I need to know you’ll take care of Kady. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid, but make sure she’s not scared to take risks. Treat her like a princess, but not so much so that she forgets what it’s like to live. Don’t make her cry. Don’t break her heart. And above all…”
Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler saw Christine cross the room and smile at some tall dude. Why was she flirting with that guy instead of him? Was this all part of her “list”? If her list was all about ways to piss him off, or getting him turned on before walking away…well, she was winning. Hands f*cking down.
Colt cleared his throat. “If you’re done glowering at Christine, I’d love to hear the rest of that sentence.”
Tyler forced his attention back on Colt. He needed to stop being so damned obvious. “And above all, don’t make me have to kill you. I’m a doctor—I can get creative.”
Colt laughed. “I’ll do my best. But since it is now my goal to make her smile as often as possible, I think I’m safe from your creative ways.”
“Seriously, man.” Tyler forced his attention back to Colt. “I’m not f*cking around about this. Make her happy, or answer to me.”
Colt’s smile faded and he locked gazes with Tyler. “I know. I will.”
“Good.” Tyler signaled the bartender, satisfied now that he’d had his little talk with Colt. “I’d hate to have to hurt you.”
Colt clapped him on the shoulder. “Me too, man.”
“Now that we’ve gotten that over with, how about a drink?” Tyler asked. “God knows I need one.”
“Did I hear something about a drink?” Brock, one of the other groomsmen, asked. “Because I could definitely go for one of those.”
Brock sat down, and Logan did the same. Reed trailed behind a little more slowly. His attention was focused across the room, perhaps on…Julie? Hmm. That would make for an interesting pairing. He didn’t know the other three groomsmen very well. Brock and Reed had grown up near where Colt’s dad settled in Tennessee, and Colt had gone to college with Logan. But what he knew of them, he liked.