“Brinley.” Her name is a hushed whisper off my lips. The way you speak in church or after witnessing a miracle. Because damn. It’s really her.
She hurt me in a way I never thought anyone could. I was too young and too proud to fight for what we had, so I let her go. I walked away, even when every part of me wanted to hold on. But now, taking in her big eyes and that soft skin, staring at those lips I spent hours worshipping . . . I’d swallow all my pride if it came with a taste of her.
But Brinley’s gaze isn’t like her friend’s. Savannah was a woman on a mission, ready to seduce and be seduced, whereas Brinley’s appraisal is all about checking in on an old friend.
I allow myself an extra beat to take in the tan skin of her thigh, the low back of her dress, and her red-bottomed fuck-me heels.
“Brinley, look who I found.” Savannah’s practically panting as she smacks a hand on my shoulder. “I’d like to take a moment to make it clear I had no idea who he was when I went over there.”
Brinley blinks away from me and smirks at her friend. “Marston was the . . .”
“The man candy I was ogling? Clearly!” Savannah shrugs and gives me a quick once-over. “I mean, can you blame me?”
Brinley gapes at her friend. “Savvy!”
Savannah chuckles and then backs away. “I think I’ll go chat with Marston’s buddy and give you two time to play catch-up.”
The way Brinley bites her lip makes me think she’s not sure this is the best plan, but her friend slips away before she can object. I don’t miss her hard swallow as she turns her attention back to me. “If I’d known you were the one she’d set out to seduce . . .” I wait, wanting the rest of that thought, but she doesn’t finish. “You look good.” She laughs awkwardly. “As Savvy already established.”
“So do you.” My gaze dips to take her in again. “More beautiful than ever.”
Her cheeks tinge red. Brinley Knox, only living heir to the Knox bourbon empire, has the world thrown at her feet, but she still blushes at compliments from the delinquent orphan who stole her first kiss. “Thank you.”
“Happy birthday.”
Her eyes widen, as if she didn’t expect me to remember, which is . . . ridiculous. This is more than her birthday. It’s our day. It’s the day everything began for us. “Savvy surprised me with a trip to Vegas. We’re only here for the weekend, but it’s more than I’ve done in forever. She says I work too much, which is really code for me being boring, and she insisted . . .” She picks up her drink and takes a generous sip. “I’m rambling.”
“I don’t mind.” The words come out rough and reveal too much. Like how glad I am to see her. Like how much I’ve missed her.
She looks around. “I’d invite you to have a seat, but this place is packed.”
“You can come to my table. We reserved it, so it’s ours for the night.”
Brinley scans the room until she finds Savannah sitting with Alec in our semicircular booth in the corner. Alec’s already gotten her a fresh martini, and as we watch, he whispers something in her ear that makes her laugh. “Is it just you and your friend, or . . . ?”
Another sentence I’d love for her to finish. Does she want to know if I’m here with a date? Does she wonder if I found love again after I walked away from ours? I’ve wondered the same about her a thousand times, but I always stopped myself from looking her up. Why pick at old scars?
But now that she’s in front of me, I can’t help myself. I inspect her left hand, fixated on that naked ring finger. It doesn’t mean anything. Just because she’s not wearing a ring doesn’t mean she’s not involved with someone. And it’s not like one Vegas run-in means we get a second chance.
This doesn’t change anything.
She slides off the stool, shaking her head as she hitches her purse over her shoulder. She’s a few inches taller in those heels but still barely reaches my chin. “This is crazy. You don’t owe me any answers, and no one would blame you if you hated my guts.”
“Wait.” I reach out to grab her by the wrist, but I remember myself and only let my fingers skim the delicate bones there. “Where are you going?”
She shrugs. “To tell Savvy I’m leaving, then to the room to have a meltdown and maybe room service?”
“Do you mind if I join you?”
She laughs. “For the room service or the meltdown?”
I exhale slowly. The reunion I fantasized about definitely didn’t involve her having a meltdown at the sight of me, but hell—I’m not feeling particularly steady myself. “Either? Both?” I take a chance and step closer but shove my hands in my pockets to keep myself from touching her. The decade between us doesn’t change the fact that she pushed me away. “It’s been too long, and if I’m not going to see you again for another ten years, there’s no way a couple of minutes standing at a bar will be enough.”