Chapter 45
forty-five
. . .
Jensen
“I’ll have another.”I hold up my glass to the bartender and he offers me a nod. With my elbows leaning on the bar top, I slowly scan over the area around me. Seeing Sebastian Webster approaching I turn my head forward and grin, chuckling.
The guy spent more time glaring at me during his entire wedding and reception than he paid attention to the festivities of the actual event.
“Something funny?” He leans in at my side, mirroring my pose. Putting on like we are just two guys chatting but in reality I know without a doubt he is boiling with irritation inside.
“I’m good,” I say, glancing over at him. “You?”
“Where’s your wife?” His nostrils flare.
“Where’s yours?” I counter back knowing I shouldn’t bait him. But honestly the guy is starting to piss me off. The relationship his sister and I have is ours. He’s looking for an issue that isn’t there and planting doubt in Brynn’s head and it’s weighing on my patience.
“My divorce papers were signed.” Not that I owe him an explanation. Truth is he doesn’t like me and I’m fine with that. He isn’t the Webster that I plan on spending forever with.
“How long are you gonna string my sister along and play with her emotions before you get bored and look for your next conquest?”
The bartender picks that moment to place my drink before me and he hears what Sebastian says. I sense his concern and I give a slight shake of my head as he moves along with caution.
“A year from now, hell, even a month your wife is going to be reminiscing about your wedding day. She’s going to ask you about a certain part, a joke her uncle made or when your cousin flirted with the wedding official, something that everyone here was talking about. She’ll be laughing and then you’ll realize that you spent the entire event too focused on me and you missed practically everything that should stand out.”
I take a drink of my whiskey.
“All the moments when you should have been kissing your wife, holding her close and moving her around the dance floor will instead be filled with your unnecessary hate for me. I’m not the bad guy here, Sebastian.” I look back at him. “I’m not who you think I am and this story about how I set out to hurt your sister by making her my mistress is nothing but lies. I didn’t have an innocent wife waiting for me at home. I had a woman that was living in my house, spending my money while entertaining various different men instead of settling our divorce so we could both move on. Life isn’t always what it seems, sometimes you have to take a deeper look. Sometimes you have to look at everything and not one detail before you can form a conclusion.”
Sebastian holds my stare and finishes his whiskey before placing the empty glass onto the bar and pushing back. Turning my body to completely face him he does the same.
“I love your sister,” I tell him, knowing again that I owe him nothing. But I hope I can ease the tension for Brynn’s sake. “It has never been about me scratching some itch or needing a pastime. I married the wrong woman, I didn’t date once in the year I’d been trying to convince Chrissy that it was past time to let go. I had no intentions of getting involved with anyone. Until I met Brynn.” I leave the details out of how deep I felt an ache for her. “You can choose to carry this out, and create a wedge between us. You can hate me, you can think every bad thing you want, but in the end it”s still going to be the same outcome. I’m gonna love your sister, I’m gonna be around and no matter how hard you push, I’m not walking away from her.”
Turning around I leave him standing there to consider my words.
Brynn is standing with Taylor and Marco, laughing and enjoying conversation. I’m thankful she’s missed out on the conversation between her brother and I.
I pause watching her, loving how happy she looks. Her lavender dress fits her body snug, dragging the floor at her feet, trailing behind her. Her shoulders and back are exposed. The purple in her hair seems deeper with the contrast of her dress.
“Sebastian can be difficult.” My attention has been redirected as I glance over to find Brynn’s mother standing at my side. I met her earlier but very briefly and wasn’t quite sure how she felt about me.
“When I first met my husband, I walked away so fast I left a trail of smoke in my path.” She smiles. “The Webster personality is strong, and can be hard to digest. They are always right, they know best, and they don’t like when someone proves them wrong. They have stubbornness for miles and are extremely pigheaded.” I smile knowing exactly what she is talking about.
Brynn turns and sees her mother and I standing side by side, and smiles before turning back to her friends.
“Brynnlee has been taught from the beginning that she owes no man anything.” I nod in agreement. “Her love is a gift and whomever she chooses to give that love to, is hers to decide. She’s had a few bumps along the way, some men that took for granted her love.”
“I never would,” I confess, needing her to know this. “Your daughter is incredible, Mrs. Webster.”
“Clara,” she corrects me, placing her hand on my forearm. “When you two went through your falling out,” my stomach knots as I think back to the time we were apart, “I know because of what she’d gone through years ago, she automatically thought the worst. But seeing her now, seeing the way you are over her watching her and the smile on your face I can say I’m glad she was wrong.”
She offers my arm a squeeze.
“Brynn has always been so hard on herself. She’s really great at pretending, but a mother knows. I can see through it all. She’s not as hard and unaffected as she put on. She feels and she feels deep.”
I glance back toward my girl.
“I only want to see her happy,” her mother adds.
“Me too.” I smile when she again laughs as it echoes over the room.
“And you love her?”
“I do.” Without a second of pause I reply. “She is impossible not to love.”
Her mother offers another squeeze and a pat on my arm, before turning and walking back toward her husband. Gerald offers me a nod, as Clara joins him and she leans into him, kissing her cheek.
Needing to be close to Brynn, I start in her direction. Stepping up behind her, I place my hands onto her hips and she leans backwards. Her back resting into my chest, I kiss her neck and close my eyes, needing this closeness more than I realized until now.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
“It is now.” Brynn places her hands over mine and pulls them around her waist, linking our fingers together.
“I got us a room,” she whispers in close to my ear. “Figured it would be easier, since we’ve both been drinking. Plus it”s been a long day.”
“Are you tired?” I kiss the space behind her ear, and leave my lips there as I breathe her in.
“Yes, but not too tired.” I know what she is referring to and suddenly my body reacts. Pushing my hips forward she bites her lip. “I’m always up for a little one on one with you.”
“Is that so?”
“Seriously,” Taylor interrupts our interaction and both Brynn and I look at her. Her nose wrinkles up, and her eyes are narrowed. “Fine, the two of you are happy and horny. You’re gonna get it on and have an incredible time doing it.” She rolls her eyes. “Some of us are horny and still going to bed alone, so please, don’t rub it in.”
I hide my smile on the side of Brynn’s neck.
“Maybe we should take this somewhere else.” Brynn pushes against me and we both step back. “Marco,” Brynn points to her friend, “she’s horngry.” She laughs at her own joke.
“And what am I supposed to do about that?” Marco’s eyes go wide. “She isn’t packing anything I’m willing to unwrap.”
Brynn shrugs, linking her fingers with mine as we leave the banquet room and she walks toward the elevator. Side by side we stand, as others join us. My body hums with energy, and Brynn looks over and smiles like she knows exactly what I’m thinking.
As we step inside the elevator I guide her to the back corner, putting her body in front of mine. With my hands firmly gripping her hips I grind against her from behind and she wiggles her ass.
Biting the side of her neck she moans before faking a cough to hide her reaction.
“When we get to the room,” I whisper next to her ear, “leave the shoes on.”
Again I flex my hips as I imagine her legs wrapped around me as I drive into her. “I’m not even sure I’ll be able to wait for you to get out of this dress.”
She laughs but honestly I’m losing control with each second that passes.
We hit a patch tonight where I know she doubted us, but that’s over, because I’m never going to give her a reason to again.
She’s all I want, everything I need and right now nothing sounds better than ending our night with me deep inside of her.