I groaned. “Actually, I should probably check into my Airbnb.”
“Yeah, no.” Taylar ran to the door and lugged a plastic bin over toward me. Without another word, she pulled out a wreath and shoved it into my chest. “Can you hang this up? Then, I’ll need your help with the food table.”
Before I could argue, she rushed off and disappeared behind a door on the far end of the room. I glanced over at Ryker, then at Dad, who both shrugged. “Guess I better get to it,” I murmured.
Ryker didn’t even bother to hide his grin. “Pretty much.”
“I better get going.” My father stood. “I have a late meeting at the office.”
We agreed to meet for breakfast at his favorite restaurant in the morning, and he left. Over the next hour, I helped my sister finish setting up for the early evening event. Taylar had just ordered me to hang even more mistletoe by the door when her alarm went off.
“Shit,” she grumbled, racing to clean up the mess. “It’s time to stop.”
Ryker and I helped move empty bins to the storage room. Her best friend, who’d arrived a little while ago, made sure the tables were cleared. And Taylar… well, she delegated. Finally, the room was presentable, the hors d'oeuvres were displayed, and that damn Mariah Carey song was playing over the speakers.I hate that shit.
Guests started arriving shortly before five o’clock. While Taylar and her friend greeted apprehensive women with smiles, I joined Ryker at the bar. “I wonder if she’d notice if I ate one of those chicken wings,” I wondered aloud. When Ryker failed to respond, I followed his line of sight to Akira, Taylar’s best friend. Obviously, my brother had a thing for the quirky, yet beautiful woman. He’d been distracted since she’d arrived. “Um… bruh?”
He finally looked at me, a slight frown on his face. “Huh?”
“You might want to just say something to her, before she meets her match under the mistletoe.”
Ryker blinked. “What?”
I motioned to Akira, who seemed to be conspiring with Taylar about something on the far side of the room. “You were staring.”
Touching his forehead, he cleared his throat. “I was just making sure they had everything they needed.”
“Yeah…” I smirked. “Right.”
Eventually, Taylar let me eat and I settled into a corner booth so I could chill—away from the activity. I’d already been approached by several women, one of them flat out asked if I was her future bae. Unfazed, I applauded her for being so forward, but then I directed her to Taylar.
Akira approached me a few minutes later. “Are you good over here?”
Smiling, I assured her I was just fine. “Looks like Tay got a good crowd.”
She scanned the room, a soft grin on her lips. “I know. I’m so proud of her for pursuing her dreams.” Glancing at me, she asked, “A couple of the ladies are checking you out, though. Sure you don’t want to join in and find your perfect match?” Some things would never change. Although Akira was obviously grown as hell, she still had that hopeless romantic gleam in her eyes.
“No, thanks.” I eyed a beautiful woman, who’d been not-so-subtle with her stares. The thought of letting her ride my dick had crossed my mind a few times, but I wouldn’t go there. I wasn’t trying to be anyone’s forever. Or even someone’s for now.
“I don’t know,” Akira chirped. “So many beautiful, accomplished women in the room. Who knows? Maybe they’re looking for a successful entrepreneur-slash-musician who knows how to capture an unforgettable moment without even blinking.”
Amused, I leaned back in my seat. “Is this your way of asking me to shoot this event?”
She grinned. “Please? I know Tay would love the images for her website.”
Good thing I never traveled without my camera. I’d made a great living at what I did, after all. I pulled my Canon EOS 5D Mark II from its bag. “I got you.”
She clapped. “Thank you!”
A moment later, I was working the room, snapping candid photos of the guests. I blended into the background so that I could get the shots I needed. The holiday atmosphere, the comfortable setting, and the mood of the attendees helped my creativity.
Fully immersed into the environment, I almost didn’t notice her. Almost. I smelled her before I saw her. Her familiar scent—sweet with a hint of spice—reminded me of the Tatiana Vanilla Cigar she’d smoked with me the first time we met. Missed flights, broken promises, and a happy coincidence had sealed our fates that night. But instead of drowning our sorrows alone, I’d submerged myself in her. While our brief interaction all those years ago had barely scratched the surface, the taste of her lips, the feel of her breath against my mouth had left an indelible mark on me.
Before I could stop myself, I snapped a picture of her. And then another one—this time a profile shot. Still a natural beauty. Her brown skin and dark eyes seemed to glow in the dim lighting. She wore light makeup; her lips were bare. Instead of the long waves she’d rocked the first time I’d seen her, her hair was straight with a part down the middle. I found myself tracking her movements through the building as she greeted a few of the ladies in the bar.What the hell is she doing here? It was a Singles event. The last time I’d seen her, she was engaged to be married, resigned to the life she’d promised to her fiancé.Is she divorced?
“Sloane Wilson!” Ryker called, grinning at her.
Sloane? We didn’t share much of ourselves that night beyond our bodies, but I was pretty sure she’d given me a different name. I inched toward the bar, determined to hear more of the conversation she was currently having with my younger brother.
