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Ian grinned at him and Sonia, looking hugely entertained. “Sounds like there's alotyou haven't been telling us.”
“That's because there's nothing to tell,” Sonia said curtly. “We hooked up a few times and Brendan wanted to keep it a secret. That's all.”
“But thenyouwanted to keep it a secret,” Brendan protested. “I was ready to tell them. We both were.”
“Just come clean with us. What’s going on between you?” Diana looked hopeful, but Brendan detected a pleading note in her voice. Was Di, even on the verge of getting married, ready to deal with Brendan being seriously interested in another woman? How much would it hurt her if he said the threesome was over?
Meanwhile, Sonia was turned away as far as possible without actually having her back to him. Her prickles were out, like quills ready to shoot.
Brendan took a long pull at his old-fashioned. “We're friends,” he said firmly.
“Friends?” Diana’s big blue eyes darted between them. “Come on. If you can tell the truth to anyone, it’s me and Ian.”
“They’re obviouslygoodfriends, baby,” Ian said with a lazy grin. “Friends who use disgusting pet names and make incriminating videos. They can't fool us.”
Sonia rose suddenly. Brendan was obliged to hustle out of the booth to let her exit, because otherwise she would have knocked him over in her hurry to flee.
“Look,” she said brusquely to Diana and Ian. “I know you’re in the wedding spirit, and you want everyone to be in it with you. But you're the ones getting married. No one else has to have a big love story to validate your experience. This is about you. Not us.” She shot Brendan an unreadable glance. “I’m tired. I'm going back to my room now. I'll need all my energy for Di's hedonistic bacchanal.”
With that, she stalked off toward the entrance to the lobby. Brendan’s stomach plummeted. He stared after Sonia, rubbing his neck.
“Shit.” Diana slid her hands over her face and peeked between her fingers.
Ian shook his head. “She's upfront, I’ll give her that.”
“Yeah.” Brendan exhaled. “At least you always know where you stand with her.”
Diana blew her bangs off her forehead. “Sonia freaks out about relationships,” she said in a low voice. “She has this thing about freedom. Commitment scares her. She’s afraid of being, I don’t know…trapped. Helpless. Depending on people who will let her down.”
Brendan glanced at the lobby entrance, but Sonia was gone. He gulped the rest of his old-fashioned. As the whiskey burned his throat, he kept seeing Sonia’s dark eyes sparkling with joy, then refusing to look at him.
“Not a big deal,” he said lightly.
Go after her,urged the voice inside him that could be his or Ian’s.Talk to her.
Right. And be rejected all over again.
He plunked his empty glass on the table. “Guys, there’s nothing between us. No relationship here. Sonia’s got no reason to freak out.” Picking up Sonia’s nearly untouched gin and tonic, he drained it too. He got to his feet and slapped Ian on the back. “Come on, bro. Let's get you ready for your big night.”
Ian eyed him skeptically. “You sure you don’t want us to go talk to her?”
“I’m sure.”
“Brendan, listen,” Diana began, climbing out of the booth with Ian. “Sonia acts tough, but she's not. She's really vulnerable.”
God, did he ever know that. But hearing it didn’t make him feel any better.
“It's okay, Di,” he said gently. “Go enjoy your party. We're all going to have a blast tonight, and tomorrow will be perfect.”
“But…” Her brows creased in a frown.
Leaning down, Brendan kissed her cheek. “Have an amazing time.”
“All right, I will.” She gave him a sly smile. “A lot more fun than you guys.”
“We'll see about that,” Ian said, as Diana reached out to hug Brendan. “Hey,” Ian added, thumping his brother on the back. “Quit being so touchy with my almost-wife.”
Brendan knew it was a joke. But the contact with Di just made him miss Sonia.
