Chapter 9

Delaney

After I leave the church beyond stunned, we head out to get the family photos done. Not going to lie, it’s pretty awkward. The way Mom and James keep getting us all clustered together, wanting a photo of all the siblings. Yeah, that’s never going to be something I get used to.

But the guys are all respectful and let my mom get every pose she wants for photos. There are a few I want printed of her and me, my aunties and me, and even a few of Benny and me.

When we’re done with family photos, James and Mom head off to do their own thing. Me? I stick with my aunties.

“Avoiding us again, I see,” Owen taunts, catching me alone at the reception.

I look over at him, feeling a little buzzed. “I don’t mean to. But none of you are making it easy. You all say friends, yet keep letting me know how much you want me. It’s confusing, and if this is going to work, we need to not keep admitting our attraction to each other,” I huff, taking another sip of my drink.

Owen cocks a brow. “Well, I’ve been a good boy since last night. So, what did my brothers do?”

“Caught one jacking off in the shower with my name on his lips, and the other tells me how much he would get off on me calling him a good boy.”

Owen’s eyes widen, and he lets out a surprised laugh. “Well, fucking hell.” He shakes his head. “I’d say the first one was Elijah, but Logan would never ask you to call him a good boy.”

“Can you talk to them, tell them to just keep inner desires to themselves? You don’t see me telling all of you how I dream about riding you like fucking ponies now, do you?” I mutter, downing the rest of my drink.

“Fucking hell, Laney,” Owen groans.

“No fucking.” I point a finger at him. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to dance with my aunties, maybe find a hot guy. You don’t have any secret brothers I should be worried about, do you?”

Owen’s face falls at the guy's comment. “No,” he grits out. “But all the single guys here are cousins. Others are married men that my dad works with, so good luck with that.”

“Whatever,” I sigh.

The rest of the night is fun. I end up laughing and dancing with my aunties and even got to spend some time with Mom.

By the end of it, I passed out in the dressing room on the couch while Benny slept in his playpen.

I think I remember Logan talking to me, maybe he even touched me, but I was too out of it.

When I woke up again, I was somehow in my bed. I don’t remember how I got there.

***

A few days go by, and I don’t see the guys. And that's not because I’ve been avoiding them. Elijah’s been helping out at baseball camp, Logan’s been busy with football stuff, and Owen’s been doing... well, I have no idea what he’s been doing.

I did, however, get Winter’s number at the reception and even had a few dances with her. I like her. She’s fun, bubbly, and overall nice to be around.

So, when I find myself getting stir-crazy, I text her to see if she wants to go shopping. I’m happy to see her text back and agree.

“Hey.” I smile when I see her bouncing over to me from her car.

“Hi.” She grins wide. “Thanks for the invite. I’ve never done the whole shopping thing with another girl before.”

“Really?” my brows jump. That's kind of sad. My friends and I pretty much lived at the mall growing up.

She nods, then shrugs. “Me and Eli go all the time. He puts up with me,” she laughs. “Love him for that. But he’s also fun to hang out with. He acts like he hates it, but I don’t think he does. I didn’t get along with the girls from school. They were all catty and only cared about popularity, how they looked, and how much money they had. Too shallow for me. So, for the most part, it’s been me and Eli. He has some friends on the team, but he doesn’t hang out with them outside of practice and games.”

“You know what. Fuck them all. They didn’t deserve an awesome friend like you. You were too good for them. I’m glad you had Elijah. And now, you have me.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder, and she beams up at me like I’ve given her the moon. My heart hurts for her. How could people not want to be this girl's friend? She’s a damn ray of sunshine.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and I pretend I don’t see the tears in her eyes.

“Come on, Winny, let’s go shopping.” The nickname gets me another big smile.

“Elijah is the only one who calls me that. I like it when you do, too.”

Smiling, I nod. “Your car or mine?”

“Yours.” She shrugs.

Winter gives me the names of some shops in town, and we hit up a strip mall of stores.

“Holy shit,” I mutter, looking at the price tag of a really cute dress.

I decided to take the card James gave me and get myself a few new things. What I already own isn’t going to cut it in this town.

“I know. Everything here is crazy expensive. That's Rose Briar Hill for you. There are some shops on the other side of town that are a lot cheaper, but I avoid that side if I can.”

I remember what Logan told me about Stacy’s dad. If he runs that part, I wouldn’t want to go there either.

“James got me a black card,” I tell her. “But I don’t feel right spending a crazy amount on it. I just want a few cute outfits, you know? Something to go out in.”

“Where are you planning on going?” she asks me.

“Not sure. I’d love to go dancing. Any good places in town?”

“A few.” She nods. “At least that's what I’ve heard; I don’t go dancing.”

“We should sometime,” I urge her.

“I’d love that.” She smiles.

“What about this weekend? Celebrate before we head back to school next week?”

“I wish.” She sighs. “I’m going away with my parents for the weekend. A little trip before my dad is away on business for a few months.”

“Well, we’ll have lots of time to go out after,” I tell her.

She smiles, and we start to look at the dresses. When nothing catches my eye enough to make me want to dish out that much money, we head to the next store.

Finally, we find this little boutique that has really cute dresses in the style I like. It’s still pricey but nowhere near the amount of the other stores. I find a cute emerald dress, a black one, and a blouse and skirt combo.

When we’re done, we grab a bite to eat, and Winter tells me all kinds of stories about growing up with Elijah. At first, the stories of them as young kids were fun and silly. As he got older, they seem to be more... tame?

The more she talks about him, the more I wonder who was the Elijah I met that night at the resort. Yes, he was sweet and kind like he is now, but he was also a little more... bright? Like there was a shine in his eyes and a smile that made your heart skip a beat.

When I look at him now, I don’t see that, and it hurts my heart. What changed?

“Thanks for coming out with me today,” I say when we get back to the house. “I really have been needing a friend.”

“I had fun.” She smiles. “And I’m here any time you wanna talk. About anything. Really. I know I might be a chatterbox, but I can be a good listener, too. And about what you told me about your best friend and ex, fuck them. You're too good for them. You're better off without them.”

That makes me smile. I give her a light laugh. “I believe that. It’s been an adjustment, but I think change can be a good thing.”

“Me too.”

Winter heads home, and I go into the house. No one seems to be here, so I drop my things off in my room and head out for a swim.

***

It’s the weekend before school starts, and I need to get out of the house to let off some of this built-up tension.

Between the looks the guys keep giving me when no one else is watching and the fact that I’m still having sex dreams about them, it’s slowly turning me into a mad, horny woman.

So, against my better judgment, I’m going to give this one-night stand thing another go.

The whole to get over one person, get under another thing worked with Kyle, so I bet it can work with these three.

That's what I need. Fun, carefree sex with a stranger. It will be the new fuel to my dirty thoughts and replace the old ones.

Just to be sure, I asked Winter if James had any more sons out there I didn’t know about. Thankfully, he doesn’t.

What's the worst thing that could happen? I sleep with someone I end up going to school with? The campus is big enough to avoid them if needed. And it’s college, sex and parties are a big part of that.

No, tonight is going to be a good night.

I give myself a once over in the mirror and smile. I look damn hot.

I’m in one of my new dresses: a tight, spaghetti strap, little, black dress that stops just above my knee with a neckline that shows off the girls just right.

My hair is done up in a sleek high pony, while my makeup is a little bold with a smoky eye and deep red lipstick.

I look a good five years older than I am. And that's perfect because I plan on drinking tonight.

The bar I’m going to is owned by James. I know it’s a risk, but no one knows me or my connection to him just yet. It’s the perfect time to go out and have a little fun before this whole town knows my name.

Sending a text to my mom that I’m heading out, I grab my purse and car keys before making my way down to the garage, where my little black 2012 sedan is waiting for me. It’s not much, but it’s mine.

“Hey, baby.” I run my hand over the top of it. “You're all mine now. I promise to take good care of you.”

The bar is attached to a hotel, which is not surprising. I’m glad I took myself on a little shopping spree beforehand because this place is a hell of a lot more upscale than the resort.

Everyone is dressed in expensive clothes, and this dress allows me to blend right in.

I know as soon as I sit down at the bar and take a look around that no one in here is under the age of thirty.

I’ve never been with an older man, but the idea sparks something inside me. Maybe that's what I need. An older man who knows what he’s doing and can rock my world, never to be seen again. I won’t be running into anyone around here at school.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asks. Oh, he’s cute with his blond hair and bright blue eyes. He’s a lot closer to my age. Sadly, he’s not on the menu for tonight.

“I’ll have a sex on the beach.” I smile, batting my eyelashes. “Virgin, please.”

He chuckles. “Coming right up.”

I don’t dare use a fake ID here. If I get caught, that's nothing but possible trouble with the police. Or worse, Mom and James.

My plan is to have some handsome man buy me drinks all night. When the bartender brings me my drink, I pay, thank him, and head down to the far end of the bar.

About twenty minutes later, the place is packed. My eyes scan the crowd, hoping to catch someone’s attention. I’ve gotten a few flirty and curious looks, but no one has come over.

Maybe this was a bad idea. What was I thinking? I’d have better luck going to some college party. I should have asked Logan if he knew of any happening tonight. With school starting up on Monday, there has got to be some going on.

But I don’t want some drunk, sloppy fuck at a party with some boy. No, tonight I want a man, an older man who will take charge and allow me to just let everything go. I need a night out of my own mind.

I’m just about ready to give up, to flag over the bartender to pay for my second drink and leave, when someone slides onto the stool next to me.

“What are you drinking?” a deep, husky voice that sends a shiver down my spine and right to my clit asks.

My eyes flick over, and all the air leaves my lungs. Holy shit. I’m dreaming, I need to be because there is one hell of a viking god sitting next to me.

The corner of his lip twitches as my lips part in pure awe.

He’s a gorgeous man. Dear God, the arms on him. He could pick me up and toss me around the bedroom.

The idea sends a rush of pleasure to my core.

“Ahh.” Speak, Laney. Dear god, don’t fuck this up! “Sex on the beach?”

He chuckles, and I realize why. The way I phrased it could be taken in two very different ways, like I wasn’t sure of what I was drinking or that I was asking him if he wanted to have sex on a beach with me. I mean, I’d be down.

Trust me, if you saw this man, you would be too. He grins wider, running a hand through his shoulder-length black hair.

When the bartender comes over, the sexy stranger orders a sex on the beach and a Scotch. The bartender brings it back before leaving to help another customer. The man beside me slides the fruity drink to sit directly in front of me.

“Thanks.” I smile up at him, grateful my brain felt the need to finally kick into gear.

“You’re very welcome.” I could cum just from the sound of this man's voice. “Are you here alone tonight?”

“I am.” I nod, taking a sip of my drink.

“Then I guess it’s my lucky night.”

“Oh, really? How so?” I shoot him a flirty grin.

“Because I get the honor to sit next to a pretty lady and have a drink with her.” He winks. “If she doesn’t mind.”

“She doesn’t mind at all.” I lick my lips, letting my eyes trail over him again. Oh my god, does he have tattoos peeking out of the top of his black dress shirt? Fuck me. Literally.

He holds out his massive hand. “I’m Kai.”

I take his in mine and nearly groan at his touch. “I’m De—Daisy.” I start to say my name but think better of it. Tonight, I think it really would be best if I’m not Delaney. Delaney has never been this lucky before.

“Daisy,” he practically purrs. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

Trust me, buddy, the pleasure is all mine. And if I have it my way, that pleasure is going to be in so many more ways than one.