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“Don’t you have a bride to entertain?” Ace asked.
“I’m pretty entertained right now,” Chloe said as she danced with her husband.
“And I need another drink,” Ace told all of them.
Though his arms felt empty as he pulled away from Dakota, the sound of her laughter made clear that Nick must be telling her of Ace’s youthful indiscretions. He continued straight to the bar, where he downed another double.
The smartest thing Ace could probably do at this point was to run as fast and as far from Dakota as he possibly could. But as he turned around, his eyes seeking her out, he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
He wanted to get to know this woman, wanted to understand how she was able to make him feel so many emotions he’d kept buried for years. He knew pursuing her might not be the smartest decision he’d made in a long time, but then again, he always survived no matter what choices he made. But what he couldn’t avoid was that even if he survived, what if she didn’t? He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if harm came to this vibrant woman because of him.
Even knowing all of this, it didn’t take long before staying away from Dakota was impossible, so he found her at the table with the rest of his family and sat next to her. Heat poured from her body, and though he tried to focus on the conversation, he gave up after a while and simply focused on the sound of her beautiful voice.
If he was really careful and didn’t go out in public with her, he could make this work—for a short time. He tried telling himself that was the smart and safe thing to do. But it was only an excuse, because he wanted her, had to have her. The two of them together would be absolutely epic.
CHAPTER NINE
Two days after the wedding, Ace still hadn’t thought of anything other than the beautiful brunette who’d so easily slipped beneath his defenses and caught his attention. After leaving Nick and Chloe’s wedding and saying a very disappointed good-bye to Dakota, he’d told himself his feelings had been caused by the atmosphere of the event and the amount of liquor he’d consumed.
If that were truly the case, then why was he still thinking about her? Why did he want to find out exactly where she lived so he could go stand before her house with a boom box in hand, vowing his loyalty to her?
Because he was an idiot, he decided.
Even while sitting in Cooper’s house with his family, getting ready to go to a game, he still couldn’t focus on what was going on around him. Dakota filled his thoughts during the day, and she certainly filled his dreams with erotic visions that woke him up hard and unsatisfied.
“Are you ready for some football!” Mav yelled, breaking Ace from his brooding. Mav was still holding back from him in a subtle way, but Ace couldn’t seem to find it within himself to talk to his brother about it. Probably because he felt he deserved it.
Ace also couldn’t help but laugh at Mav’s excited voice as the man entered the living r
oom. They were all wearing their Seahawks jerseys with plenty of warm clothes beneath. Seahawks games were as cold as hell, but there was nothing like a live game.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve sat in the stands,” Ace admitted. Now, the thought gave him some anxiety. He was all too aware of the danger of being in a crowd like that, and how difficult it was to get away if things went to hell.
“Just another reason it’s good to be home,” Nick said as he joined them.
“Right now, we should be pregaming, though,” Ace told them as he grabbed a bottle of Corona and took a large guzzle.
“Couldn’t have said it better,” Maverick said, grabbing his own bottle. “Good thing Coop’s the designated tonight.”
“We could have had Sherman drive us,” Cooper said as he looked at his brothers with a scowl.
“This is brother-bonding time,” Nick said. “You’ve all been complaining the last few days because I haven’t been around.”
“Yeah, I’m surprised you’re coming out now. Since you tied the knot, that noose around your neck is getting pretty tight,” Ace said.
“Don’t knock it till you try it,” Maverick warned.
“I never thought I’d see the day you’d be spouting the virtues of matrimony,” Ace told him.
“Me either,” Mav said. “But damn, I can’t live without my woman.”
“I hear you there,” Coop said.
“And you don’t have to,” Lindsey said as she stepped into the room wearing her own jersey. “Now, you boys can go and have a great time alone,” she added with a smile as Chloe and Stormy entered the room, looking just as adorable as Lindsey, “or you can have our company along with you.”
“Oh, please don’t leave us on our own,” Maverick said as he moved over to his wife and easily lifted her from the ground before giving her a big kiss.
“Agreed,” Coop said, his mood improving exponentially.
