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“Who is she?” she asked without taking her eyes off the woman who was now combing her long, long fingers through her hair. Honestly, she probably couldn’t have even if she’d wanted to—she felt like her gaze was being held by magnets.

“Who is…?” Eve’s voice trailed off as she turned to see who had caught Lydia’s attention. Instead of a name like Lydia was wanting, however, all she got was an emphatic, “No.”

Lydia blinked. “What? Why? She’s—”

“Aspen’s ex.”

Lydia arched a brow. “How lesbian chic of you to invite her to the wedding, then.”

Eve huffed and slapped her arm. “It’s not like that. She went to Stonebridge with Aspen, Kit, and Jack, and was Aspen’s first girlfriend before she went to the Academy. I quite like her, honestly, but she’s come to visit a couple of times over the last year, and each time she’s had a different woman with her.”

Lydia crossed her legs against the unmistakable heat of arousal that pooled low in her hips at the slow, mischievous smirk that quirked the brunette’s lips as she flowed into motion. She kind of hated herself for being so affected by how the yet-to-be-identified woman moved, but the way her hips swayed as she walked was downright filthy.

The woman was also clearly by herself, and Lydia licked her lips as she said, “Yes, well, it doesn’t look like she’s got one with her this time…”

Eve groaned. “No, Lyds. Seriously.”

Lydia smiled and, with a great deal of effort, tore her attention from the brunette to look at her friend. “Says the woman who’d never set eyes on her soon-to-be wife before she met her for what was supposed to be a few days of pretending to be a couple to keep her asshat parents off her back, and then proceeded to fall wildly in love with her over the course of said weekend? Which, side note, Hallmark called and wants their plot back. And, back to the matter at hand—are you really going to deny me the opportunity to find my Ms. Right?”

“Ms. Right?” Eve scoffed. “Zann?”

“She could be! Or she could be Ms. Right-Now. Nothing wrong with just having a good time.” Lydia bit her lip as her gaze drifted back to Zann. Mm, and I bet she’d be all kinds of a good time. She turned back to Eve with a playfully beseeching pout. “Do you really want to deny me, your co-Maid of Honor, the woman who agreed to stand by your side as you say your ‘I dos’ and help plan a fucking fantastic weeklong bachelorette extravaganza, a chance to find something like the happiness you’ve found with your Butchy McFabulous betrothed?”

Eve snorted. “You’re insane.”

“You say that like it’s a surprise.” Lydia winked at her. “I did fuck Kit silly at the gala the year you and Aspen met—remember? Would you call that the behavior of a sane woman?”

“Kit is…” Eve rolled her eyes as a distinct blush warmed her cheeks. “Kit. She’s got a good heart.”

“Yeah.” Lydia nodded. Kit did have a really good heart, and she’d become a good friend over the last year, but Eve was also adorable when she was flustered and Lydia couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see just how much she could make her blush. “And a fucking fantastic tongue. My god, that girl—”

Eve groaned and rubbed a hand over her face that was now absolutely burning. It was glorious. “Please stop. I do not need to know any of that.”

“Well, then tell me the name of the delicious piece of ass over there, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“Lyds,” Eve sighed. Her hand fell back to her lap as she pursed her lips against a clearly resigned smile. “Her name is Zann Silva.”

Lydia hummed as her gaze drifted back to Zann, and she licked her lips as she drank in her olive skin, dark hair, and dangerous curves. “Yeah. That fits her.” She smiled as she watched Zann slip into a Scooby-Doo-esque tiptoe as she snuck up on Aspen, complete with high knees and hands lifted above her head like some cracked-out zombie, and chuckled as she tossed back what remained of her drink.

Somehow, before the night was over, she was going to have to find a way to introduce herself.

Zann smiled at the way Stella’s brow twitched when she saw her sneaking up on Aspen, and pressed a finger to her lips. It was silly, really, but one of her oldest friends was getting married, and she was in an unapologetically silly mood. She bounded the final few steps to Aspen before Stella’s absolutely shit poker face could give her away, and whooped as she leapt onto her back. “You’re getting married!”

“Holy sh—!” Aspen laughed and grabbed Zann’s arms, steadying her even as she staggered beneath the unexpected onslaught. “I won’t be if you kill me! Damn, Zee. Get off!”

Zann sniggered and pressed a hard, smackeroo kiss to Aspen’s cheek before climbing off her back. “Are you fat-shaming me?”

“Oh yeah, totally. You whale of a size fucking six.” Aspen’s dark eyes glittered with happiness as she yanked her into a proper hug hello. “I’m so glad you made it, Zee,” she murmured against her ear.

Zann’s heart melted as she sank into her embrace. Aspen was such a kind soul who had been looking out for others her whole life, and she was seriously just so goddamn happy that Aspen had found the love she’d always dreamt of. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” She squeezed her tight before pulling away to nod hello to Stella and Steve. “Though I am selfishly thankful you opted for a non-frozen location for this weeklong shindig.”

Stella grinned and tapped two fingers to her forehead in a dorky little salute. “You’re welcome.”

Zann chuckled and greeted each of the Stirling twins with quick hugs. “Been a while since I’ve seen you two. How’ve you been?”

“Good.” Stella raked a hand through her hair and looked around the balcony. “Y’know, just busy running the ol’ empire.”

“Speaking of,” Steve added with a rueful grin, tipping his head toward something behind her. “Dad is calling us over to say hi to someone.”