AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re not my favorite either,” Brynn said, ignoring Doyle. Her smile was bright as she glanced at Weston from where she sat just a little ways behind him in a grouping of plush furniture we’d brought in for her and the other girls. Her, Daisy, and Alex had been particularly giggly tonight, which I assumed had everything to do with Brynn’s approaching wedding more than the craft cocktails they sipped on. Thank fuck they had Weston’s driver to take them wherever they landed on going later.
“Please,” I drug out the word. “That’s not at all fair. I’m almost one hundred percent certain that before you and Wes became a thing, I was totally your favorite. Who was by your side touring that natural reserve in Nicaragua?”
Brynn smiled and shrugged. “That’s fair,” she said.
“You can deal those cards now, Asher,” Doyle said, raising his brows like he had no clue what Asher was waiting for, despite the fact that he’d been almost an hour late.
Dick.
“You can’t be serious,” Weston said to Brynn, peeking at his cards after Asher dealt them. “Even before us?Hewas your favorite?”
Brynn laughed, rising from her seat to cross the room and plant a quick kiss on her soon-to-be husband’s cheek. “So jealous,” she said, then winked at him.
Weston slid an arm around her lower back, tucking her against his side as he looked up at her from where he was still seated.
The way they held a silent conversation laced with nothing but excitement and love and tease was almost nauseating. Asher behaved the same with Daisy, and now even Ethan had fallen victim to the moon-eyed effect with his girl Alexandra.
It was a goddamn epidemic.
Luckily, Gareth and I seemed immune.
“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that,” Weston murmured to Brynn after he and I had called Gareth’s raise.
I had an ace and king of spades. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Or what?” Brynn challenged him.
“We only have two weeks till our wedding, and you’re pushing me?” Weston asked her, his tone purely playful. “Say Crossland was your favorite again and see what happens.”
“I’m sittingrighthere,” I reminded them.
“And you’re really a delight, Cross,” Brynn said, pushing herself away from Weston with a sweet smile. “But let’s face it, that’s all you want, and that’s all you offer.Fun. Some women want more.”
“Not the women I see,” I said, smirking as Asher dealt the flop. A queen and a jack had me sitting on a nice straight draw.“And trust me,” I continued after betting. “I haven’t had any complaints.”
Weston, Gareth, Doyle, and Asher all folded, but Ethan called.
“That’s because you’re barely with the same woman more than a night or two at a time,” Ethan said as Ash dealt the turn. A two of spades, which now gave me a flush draw too. “It takes way more work to hold the attention of one woman for a longer period of time, trust me.”
“He’s not wrong,” Weston said. “It takes more than good looks, a smile, and a fun little outing.”
“You call a weekend on a private island alittleouting?” I asked, referring to the date I set up for the last woman I’d spent more than a night with. Rochelle. That’d been a year ago. Three nights with her and she was more than happy to get back to the States and never call me again the second she realized I’d been serious when I said I didn’t want a relationship. I usually could tell when the women I dated were in it to change me, but I’d missed the mark with her.
I haven’t let that happen again since.
One or two nights.
That’s it.
“He’s saying…” Asher said. “That satisfying the same person over and over again is a completely different subject. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do it.”
I furrowed my brow, shock rolling through me as I tried to keep track of the conversation and the hand.
Did my friends really think I didn’t have the talent to keep a woman entertained for more than a few nights? Sure, I might not be cut out for love like they were, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t maintain a steady partner.
Asher dealt the last card in the middle of the table, revealing a seven of spades. I had the nut flush, and I did my best not to react as Ethan threw out his bet—one of his three yachts.
“It’s okay,” Ethan said, continuing the conversation like he hadn’t just bet his luxury vacation home on the water. Too bad it was about to be mine. “We get it. We’re not trying to change you. We’re just saying that we’ve never seen you even bother to date someone longer than three days.”
