My shoulders shake as I lean in, pressing a kiss to her neck. She shudders, cuddling closer. “If you don’t get us kicked out before then.”
She pumps the air. “Yes.”
Polly, a wife of one of Dad’s friends, leans forward. “Make sure you come to the next one. These things were starting to get boring but you have made this night enjoyable.”
Charlotte’s chest puffs out. “Thank yo— Oh my God, is that Rampage?” she yells.
I see him walking through the crowd toward us, now wearing a T-shirt and cleaned up from the fight. I stand at the same time Charlotte does. More to keep her from pouncing on him than anything.
“I’m your biggest fan,” she yells. “You really knocked him out.”
He grins, giving me a chin lift. “I heard.”
“Holy fuck balls,” Gabby sighs. “Why am I gay again?”
“You love vagina,” Charlotte answers, sighing dreamily at Rampage.
His gaze moves past Charlotte to Harriet, who was staring dazedly up at him. “Good fight, man.”
“Thanks, although my manager said you were paying more attention to your missus.”
Laughter bubbles from my chest. “She got a little excited.”
“You know him?” Charlotte asks.
“Who do you think trained him?”
Her eyes widen. “That is so hot.”
Hiding his smile, Rampage takes a step forward. “Thank you for the cheering tonight.”
“Was it a little much?”
“My opponent asked how much I paid you to cheer me on.”
Charlotte chokes. “Dude, I can totally talk to him for you.”
I pull her back when she goes to walk off. “Maybe not.”
“Or not. I’m good with my mouth.”
Eloise sidles up next to Rampage, Natalie next to her. “Fancy seeing you here,” Eloise drawls, running her finger down his arm.
He rebuffs her touch, his gaze going to the woman behind us. From a quick glance, Harriet is trying her hardest not to look, but from the way her body is coiled tight, she has noticed him.
“I’m a fighter,” he deadpans.
Natalie laughs before her gaze comes to me. “Drew, could I have a moment to talk to you somewhere privately please. It’s important.”
Natalie can be manipulative but something in her tone has me nodding. I glance down at Charlotte. “Can I trust you not to fall head-first over the balcony if I leave?”
She waves me off. “Of course not. Rampage can keep me company.”
I roll my eyes, turning to him. He holds his hands up before I can speak. “Mate, her hair caught my attention but as soon as Neil said she was yours, I had to come up and see for myself.”
“She has that effect on a lot of people.”
“Believe it,” he mutters, his gaze going back to Harriet.
“Yo, Charlotte, did you get to try the three-ninety-six, turbo, triple twist vibrator?” Gabby yells.
Charlotte’s nose scrunches up. “It looked a little confusing with all the dials.”
Harriet snorts. “She never tries them. She only picked it because it came with that fluffy feather whip and had glitter on the control.”
I chuckle, leaning down to capture her lips. “Be back in a minute.”
When Eloise goes to leave with us, I turn to Natalie. “I thought you wanted to talk privately?”
“I do. Eloise is family.”
“So is my dad and extension, everyone in this family.”
Charlotte leans on my arm. “Eloise, if you want, we can find that number?”
Dad chokes on his beer. Eloise’s smile is brittle. “Rampage can keep me company, that is, if Drew doesn’t get pissed at him again. He can be overprotective.”
“He wasn’t angry about you,” Rampage answers before I can.
She waves him off. “You don’t have to lie to protect her,” she sweetly tells him.
I snort, pushing away from them. I jerk my chin at Natalie, and head to the back hallways. The music is drowned out the minute the door closes.
“If you are here to bad mouth Charlotte, you can forget it.”
She places her hands on her hips, narrowing her gaze on me. “Do you think it’s really wise to date her? She’s a stripper, for god’s sake. She’s embarrassing, Andrew. She’s done nothing but make a mockery of you tonight and you let her. How do you think Mum is going to react when she finds out?”
“Like I care what she says,” I snap. “She’s having a good time. No one but you has had a problem with it. She’s not uptight. And for the last time, she’s not a stripper.”
“She goes to Tease.”
“She was doing research for a book.”
She stomps her foot. “People are going to think we are common.”
“I am common,” I growl, and she wisely clamps her lips shut. “You stand there trying to belittle Charlotte, and yet, she has worked her arse off to get where she is. She owns a library, and is a successful writer from what she has said.”
“Eloise has been in your life since you were kids. You slept with her, Andrew. How can you just keep brushing that aside?”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” I tell her, my voice low, menacing. “Eloise was a drunken one-night stand.”
She takes a step forward. “Andrew. Give her a chance. Don’t waste your life on someone like that girl out there. She’s immature and beneath you.”
“See you later,” I gripe out, wishing she were more like Alison. It would be easy to like her then. She makes it so hard that there are times when I wish I didn’t have to be in the same room as her. The only reason she gets away with half the crap she says and does is because she’s my sister.
“Andrew, wait,” Eloise calls out, coming in from the other door. I groan, running my fingers through my hair.
“You’ve been planning this all night, haven’t you?” I declare, narrowing my gaze on Natalie.
“Just hear her out.”
“No.” I turn to leave, but her next words have my hand pausing halfway to the door.
“I was pregnant with your baby.”
I slowly turn around, not saying anything. Running her hand down her black sparkly dress, she tries to appear nervous when I know she’s anything but. Natalie gives her a warm smile, prompting Eloise to take another step forward. She flutters her lashes.
“I know I should have told you. I kept it from you and I can understand why you would be angry,” she tells me, her voice shaking. “I tried on so many occasions, I swear, but you never gave me the chance. I’m hoping you’ll give me one now.”
“Andrew, please, hear her out,” Natalie pleads. “She wants that back. She can give you that back.”
Do they both think I’m stupid?
Nervously, Eloise glances away from Natalie. “She’s right, Andrew. We can work this out. We are meant to be. Me falling pregnant proved that.”
When I still don’t say anything, Natalie blows out a heavy breath. “Andrew, I know she kept it from you, but can you blame her? You blow hot and cold.”
“Are you done?” I ask her, not even sparing Eloise a glance.
Natalie gasps. “Andrew.”