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“The date of your impending nuptials draws ever closer. Feeling claustrophobic yet?” Liam wondered.
“You two make marriage sound like a punishment,” Rory scoffed, eyes finding his wife across the room.
“It is,” Liam and Aidan said together.
“At least I’m well adjusted enough to date. This one is jumping right from hundreds of one-night stands to marriage. I honestly feel bad for the woman.”
“Don’t,” Aidan drawled. “She’ll have plenty of money to occupy her time.”
“Because that’s what women want when they get married.” Rory snorted. “Cash.”
“So you’re saying Bridget married you for your charm and good looks and not your sizable bank account.”
Aidan tuned out their same old bickering argument when he saw Viv round the corner from the bathrooms again. He expected her to search for him across the room, but she didn't, smiling instead in the opposite direction. He frowned, following her gaze to her family.
Viv made her way to them and hugged both her parents and then her siblings. She looked truly relaxed for the first time all evening. Her smile had lost that forced sharpness, and when she laughed, it was quick and easy.
She looked up and caught him staring at her from across the room, and her smile took on that hard edge again. Rather than motioning for him to join her, she gave her mother's cheek a kiss and made her way to him instead. Something stirred in him at the way her eyes always found him even when she stopped to greet people until a man he didn't recognize stepped into her path.
When she registered him, she took a step back. It was subtle but deliberate, and it put every sense he had on alert. The man was animated, waving his hands in the air and jabbing his finger at her. Whatever he was saying, she shook her head and took another step back. The man advanced.
When she turned and caught his eye again, she didn’t look bored or annoyed; she looked terrified. Instantly he veered away from Rory and Liam, ignoring their confused questions. Weaving his way through the thinning party goers, he jerked to a stop at her side.
“Is everything all right here?”
The relief was obvious in her face, her voice. “Oh, there you are. I was just catching up with an old friend.”
Her voice caught on that last word, and Aidan shifted, subtly placing his body between them and forcing the man to take a step back.
“It’s nice to meet you…”
“Collin,” the man said, forcing a smile though he was gritting his teeth. “Collin Milano.”
“Nice to meet you, Collin. How do you know my fiancé?”
He used the word deliberately and watched as it had the desired effect. Collin’s eyes flashed with anger and possessiveness. He felt Viv’s fingers grip the back of his sweater. Collin scared her, and Aidan wanted to know why.
As if suddenly remembering where he was, Collin’s face smoothed into a polite mask. Something that had Viv stepping even closer.
“We’ve known each other a long time. Intimately at one point. We were practically engaged.”
“Lucky for me you didn’t go through with it.”
Collin’s head tilted, his grin tight. “Looks that way. Would you mind giving us some privacy? I’d love an opportunity to catch up with Viv. Alone.”
“No,” Aidan replied, tone deadly. “I don’t think I’ll be doing that.”
Collin’s eyes darted over Aidan’s shoulder. “Come on, Viv. For old time’s sake.”
Aidan looked back at her, noting the way she swallowed hard. He reached back and slid his palm against hers, lacing their fingers together. Collin’s eyes dropped to their joined hands, narrowing on her engagement ring.
“A ruby doesn’t seem like something you would wear. You deserve a diamond.”
“I…” She cleared her throat. “I picked this one out. I like it.”
“Well, no accounting for taste. You always did need me to show you what was best,” Collin said, gaze sweeping over Aidan. “You’re making a big mistake here, Viv. You’ll realize it eventually. Maybe I’ll even be gracious enough to take you back when you do.”
Aidan moved to step forward, but Viv’s fingers tightened on his, holding him in place. Declan would hate a scene, but it would be for a supremely good reason. Not wanting to take his eyes off Collin for long, Aidan glanced up to where her family had been standing, catching Leo’s attention and lifting his brows.
