“Jesus, Colt. You are one insufferable bastard when you want to be. Just because you don’t know how to treat a woman, doesn’t mean Finn hasn’t learned how.”
“I’m sorry, are we in an upside-down world all of a sudden?” Colt says after he’s gathered his wits about him, almost having to spit out his first sip of champagne because of Kennedy’s remark. “I treat the ladies just fine, Ken. They fucking love my ass, and you know it,” he adds smugly.
“Oh, dear lord! You’re one vain asshole, Colt Turner. Seriously! I don’t know why we even put up with you.”
“Because life without me would be boring as fuck, Ken.” He deviously winks at her, to which Kennedy responds by jerking her hand as if jacking off an invisible dick.
None of us are surprised by her comeback gesture. Sure, the outside world believes Kennedy Ryland to be the very definition of southern propriety, but when she’s huddled with us like she is now, her decorum is just as bad and crass as The Hangover’s Mr. Chow.
“Bite me, Colt.”
“No can do, Ken. Don’t even offer. Someone called dibs on that years ago, and it wasn’t me.”
Kennedy’s cheeks start to flush, making East and I look at Colt like he’s got a death wish or something. I mean, Tommyboy is somewhere in the room, smooching up to his father’s constituents. And although Lincoln has been cornered by the current governor on the other side of the room, he wouldn’t appreciate his cousin insinuating such things, especially where other people could easily eavesdrop on us.
“And since when has Finn turned into an expert of the female gender?” Colt adds, trying to move past his epic fail and direct everyone’s attention back on me. “We all know chicks aren’t the big guy’s forte. No shame in that, either. We should just stick to what we’re good at.”
Colt chuckles and slaps his hand on my shoulder, making my frown only deepen with his goading.
“You’re wrong. Finn’s done just fine by landing himself a hottie with more brains in her pinky than you have in your whole head,” Kennedy defends, throwing me a conspiring smile.
I can’t help but return the same grin back at her. I knew Stone would capture Kennedy’s heart and affection in just one afternoon. And Kennedy, being the great judge of character that she is, probably saw through the whole bravado right into her gooey center.
“She really is incredible, isn’t she?” I whisper under my breath.
“Yes, Finn. She is. You did good, honey. She’s one in a million.”
“I know,” I state proudly, my chest puffing out, warmed at the idea of being the lucky bastard who got the Southie’s affection.
Stone might not want to love me yet, but I’ll wear her down. Once all her defenses have plummeted to the ground, she’ll come to understand how her feelings for me aren’t just carnal or lustful. They might have started that way, but they grew into something immeasurable from then on. It may take me some time to get her to the same place I’m at, but sooner or later, Stone will just have to face the fact that what we have is bigger than she realizes. And when she does, she’ll either be scared as fuck or beyond joyful. With Stone, it could go either way.
“Finn?” Kennedy adds softly beside me, her face looking a bit more serious than a minute ago.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t fuck this up. You’ll regret it if you do.”
“I won’t,” I promise wholeheartedly, even though there is a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me otherwise.
“That’s good.” She grins, her eyes leaving me for a minute. “Especially now that Stone just walked through the door.”
Without a second to waste, my eyes are directed at the entrance of the ballroom, taking in the girl who has captured my mind, body, and soul.
I can’t picture my life without her anymore.
“Fuck! Is that her?” Colt exclaims as Stone waves over at me.
I must look like a madman with my wide smile, but damn, she looks incredible. In a long, red dress, resembling something you’d see in those old black-and-white movies, she looks like the epitome of grace and sophistication.
“I’ve never wanted to ignore the bro code so hard until tonight,” Colt snickers, making me throw him a sinister growl along with a scathing look to make sure he rethinks his statement.
“Don’t be a dick, Colt. Besides, you couldn’t handle all of that,” Kennedy teases. “Go on, Finn. Go get her.”
I don’t have to be told twice.
I slice through the crowd, making my way to the wet dream walking toward me in five-inch heels. The minute she’s within arm’s length, I grab her by the nape of her neck and kiss her. Stone lets out a little whimper and moves her hands to my chest, feeling my erratic heartbeat under her open palms. Since we’re in my parents’ house with too many people already eyeing us, I try to keep our kiss as PG as possible, but it’s an almost impossible effort. I reluctantly pull away, ending our kiss sooner than I’d like, to avoid providing these old farts any more spank bank material. I tug a loose strand of hair back in its place, getting lost in her green meadows.
“Hi,” I finally rasp, my voice gravelly and deep, demonstrating my desperation for taking her to a more intimate setting.
“Hi, yourself, pretty boy,” she taunts, her sexy-ass smile tugging on her lips.
“That’s some dress.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I’m going to like it much more when I rip it off your body later tonight.”
She pulls on my chin and shakes her head playfully.
“Don’t you dare. It’s too pretty to destroy.”
“So are you, but it doesn’t weaken my desire to ravish and ruin you.”
“Aren’t you a sweet-talker tonight?” She laughs, making the organ inside my chest rattle its cage, demanding to leap into her arms.
“I’m serious, though. You look beautiful, Stone. But to me, you always do.”
“You don’t look half-bad yourself,” she answers, appreciative of the monkey suit I’m wearing.
The little blush that rises on her cheeks makes it impossible for me not to want to lean down and kiss her again. But this time, I want to do it in a place where I can surrender to it, which is not in the middle of a ballroom full of people. So I grab Stone’s hand, pulling her with me in search of a secluded spot to finally greet her the way I wanted to.
“Finn.” She giggles. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I reply, my feet wanting to rush their way out, but taking great pains to keep a slower pace because of Stone’s high heels.
My eyes wander through the house, contemplating the guests. As I foresaw, every inch of this place is filled to the brim. Calling defeat and pulling the most cliché move ever, I take her to the only place that will ensure us some form of privacy.
“You have got to be joking?” she exclaims the minute I lock the bathroom door behind us. “Don’t you even think about having sex in here, Finn Walker. I haven’t even met your parents yet, for crying out loud. No way will I be known as the girl who locked herself in a bathroom with their son for a quickie before introducing myself to them,” she snaps, crossing her arms under her breasts, making those puppies even more mouthwatering.