33. Luke

Chapter 33

Luke

“Luke.”The barista reads my name off the paper cup.

Shouldering through the ever-growing group of family members, I make it to the counter and collect my coffee.

I don’t waste any time before I take a sip, the added ice cubes I requested cooling my plain black to just the right temperature.

As an only child, I always wanted siblings. As an adult with too many fucking cousins and second cousins to count, who are all crowded around me, being purposefully obnoxious and blocking my way again, I realize my sibling-less existence was a blessing.

“Would you fuckers move?” I snap out, still a little hungover from last night.

The three dipshits who derailed my plans of walking Natalie to her room last night are in the middle of the group, and they start to push everyone else back.

But, of course, they make a scene doing it.

“Make way. Make way. The famous hockey player needs his space.”

I roll my eyes and take another drink of coffee as I push through the path they created.

They follow me, telling our other family members, “No photographs, please,” and I swear I have no idea how these three manage to run a successful construction company together.

Jacob already has his drinks and is waiting in the main hallway, so he falls in step with us as we head toward our gate.

“So.” Cousin One slaps me on the back. “You ready to tell us about the girl in the green dress?”

Jacob’s sleepy features perk up. “You found her?”

“Found who?” Cousin Two asks.

“The girl he was chasing all weekend,” Jacob answers helpfully.

We were all too tired this morning to talk during the van ride to the airport, but apparently, that has changed now that everyone has started in on their caffeine.

I open my mouth to argue with his chasing assessment, but I kinda was.

Cousin Three bumps me with his elbow. “Based on the we just fucked in the sand look, Lukey here found someone to ravage last night.”

I shake my head. “Ravage? Really?”

“At least you put the condom to use, I guess,” Jacob grumbles.

The rest of the guys start to razz him, so I’m assuming it already got out that I stole his one and only.

I still don’t feel bad about taking it. But I try to remember if I took the used one out of my pants pocket.

I take another drink of my coffee.

After this trio found me, I distracted them from going after Natalie by offering to buy them another round. And because no one peer pressures like family, I had another one, maybe two. Either way, the details of stripping down for bed are kinda blurry, so I’ll have to triple check my pockets before I send my suit to the cleaners. But at least Jacob was sharing a suite with his new wife last night, so I had the room to myself.

When we reach the gate, Jacob veers away to bring a coffee to his wife. They’re going on their honeymoon in a few months, so they’re flying back to Minnesota with the rest of the family today.

We’re early for our seven a.m. flight, and I’ve tried to keep an eye out for a head of glossy dark hair, but I haven’t seen any signs of my Princess in the airport.

Dropping into one of the uncomfortable chairs, I tug my phone out of my pocket.

“Ya know we’re just giving you shit,” Cousin One says as he and his brothers fill in the seats around me.

“I know.” I roll my eyes. “You idiots just can’t help yourselves.”

“True.” Cousin Two shrugs.

Cousin One nods to the phone in my hand. “You guys exchange numbers?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Maybe.”

He holds up a hand, hunching his shoulders in defense. “Just asking.”

“We know you like to think the best of people,” Cousin Three adds. “Just want you to stay on the lookout for gold diggers.”

“Appreciate it,” I deadpan.

And I do. To an extent. Because I do tend to see the best in the people I like, but there wasn’t anything about Natalie that struck me as greedy or ungenuine.

She’s attractive and funny and fun to be around.

And I think she’s into me the same way I’m into her.

Or at least she seemed that way last night.

And in the ocean.

And in her hotel room.

I push my thoughts away from the feel of her body against mine. Because it’s not just the tight, hot feel of her as she took every inch of me. It’s her.

I want to see her again.

With that on my mind, I check my phone and find a text message from a new number.

Unknown: Have a safe trip home, Mr. Muscles. Thank you for all the times you appeared out of nowhere. I fear this weekend may have been dreadful without you.

Smiling, I save her number.