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“Nope.” Quinn’s arm tightened around her. “Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of Aubry.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Surely his parents would clue in to the fact that it wasn’t real. But Peggy just marched away, and Richard laughed again and clapped his son on the shoulder.
“Sowing your wild oats. Can’t blame you. I mean, look at her.”
Aubry bristled. Quinn must have known she was two seconds from searching for a candlestick to beam his dad with, because he cleared his throat. “There’s Jenny. We’ve got to go tell her congratulations. I’ll catch up with you later.”
He didn’t wait for a response, steering her away from his dad and toward the small knot of people around his little sister.
“Charming.”
“You have no idea.” He’d spoken so softly she had to strain to hear. “They were on their best behavior just now.”
She didn’t want to know what bad behavior looked like. Aubry hadn’t made a habit of spending time with people so far beyond her tax bracket, and if that delightful little interaction was any indication, she had the right of it. People with that much money thought they could act however they wanted and, for the most part, they got away with it for exactly that reason.
Not that she was a gem, but even she thought trying to marry off a person who wasn’t interested in being married off was gross.
“That offer to flee while cackling madly still stands. This is wine country—there’s got to be another hotel around here attached to a vineyard where we can drink our sorrows away.”
The grin he gave her was downright sunny. “I appreciate the offer, but we’re stuck for the time being.”
It struck her yet again that it was a good thing she hadn’t let him talk her out of this. He actually…needed her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been needed before, not like this. Aubry straightened. “Just remember there’s an out. I don’t have much practice being a shield, but I could give it a shot if you need me to.” Surely sheer fury could keep her going long enough to find a private place before she started shaking over exactly how many people she’d be willing to face down for him.
I really like Quinn Baldwyn.
Jenny turned as they approached. She rushed over and took Aubry’s hands. “I wanted to apologize about earlier. I was catty and I really wasn’t trying to be; I’m just so stressed out and sometimes when I open my mouth, my mother comes out. I think you’re really beautiful, and it’s obvious my brother is crazy about you, and—”
“It’s okay,” Aubry cut in, half afraid if she didn’t say something the woman would keep going. But she was being earnest, which was more than anyone could say for their parents. “It’s really fine. I know I’m not what you expected.”
“I didn’t expect anything at all. Quinn has been remarkably close-mouthed about his seeing someone.” She gave her brother a mock glare. “I’ll have to come down to Devil’s Falls sometime after the honeymoon and we can catch up.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Especially since they wouldn’t be “dating” once they got back into town. She forced herself to keep her smile in place. They’d just have to stage some kind of breakup. No, that was way too complicated. He’d probably wait a week or two and then quietly pass on the information that they’d broken up. The loss that rose up at the thought had no place there, but she couldn’t seem to reason it away.
“Of course I do.” A man approached and Jenny’s entire face lit up. “Brad.”
He was cute in a rich guy sort of way, and he looked just as fresh faced and young as Jenny. He walked up and draped an arm over her shoulder. “So I hear there’s this hot chick who’s looking to get hitched. You seen her around?”
Jenny’s giggle would have annoyed the shit out of Aubry if she wasn’t so blatantly happy and in love. She’d seen that same dopey look on Jules’s face pretty often since she and Adam got together, and she tried really hard not to let it bug her.
But there was nothing like being surrounded by happy people in love to make a person feel really, really alone.
“You okay?”
She blinked, not sure when Jenny and Brad had headed for another group of people, leaving her and Quinn temporarily without an audience to play for. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Oh, I don’t know, because you’re surrounded by hungry piranhas looking to feast.”
“Quinn, did you just call me fresh meat?” The shock on his face almost made her laugh, but she was enjoying ribbing him too much to ruin it. “I think you did. Rude much?”
“I’ll show you rude.” He pulled her into his arms and palmed her ass. “Just wait until we get alone, peaches. You’ll get everything that’s coming to you.”
