Just a Little Desire (A Sterling Family Crossover #2)

Chapter One

Liam

The clink of a fork against a champagne flute rang out across the ballroom, catching everyone’s attention.

Conversations faded, laughter dimmed, and two hundred heads turned toward the front of the room where the maid of honor stood beaming beside Fallon, the bride, who was also my new sister-in-law.

“Hello, everyone,” the maid of honor said with cheerful enthusiasm. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Brooke, Fallon’s best friend. I’ve known her for a long time, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen her as happy as she’s been since she met Noah.”

I glanced down the table where I was seated as one of the groomsmen, my gaze shifting to my brother, Noah, as I absently swirled the champagne in my glass.

His usually composed, uptight expression had softened.

His eyes were on Fallon like she was the only thing in the room worth seeing.

To him, she probably was. The free-spirited painter had cracked open something in my older brother that none of us knew was there.

She’d been good for him. Anyone could see that, even a cynic like me.

That didn’t mean I bought into the whole happily ever after narrative.

Brooke’s speech went on, her voice growing more sentimental by the minute as she started waxing poetic about soulmates and true love and finding your other half. All the things I no longer believed in.

“Fallon and Noah might seem like opposites,” Brooke said, her voice filled with affection, “but anyone who knows them can see they fit together perfectly. So, I’d like to raise a glass to my best friend and the one person in the world who completes her. To Fallon and Noah.”

We all sipped our champagne, and I smirked at my other brother, Simon, in a way that communicated my skepticism. He shook his head, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Smart man.

We were both groomsmen, but Noah had appointed his friend, Michael, as the best man because he hadn’t wanted to choose between brothers.

Whatever his reasons, I was grateful. Simon wasn’t the sentimental speech type, and I certainly didn’t believe in the forever kind of love that Brooke had talked about.

Still, I was genuinely happy for Noah. He adored Fallon, and while romantic love might not be for everyone, it brought out a side of him that was worth celebrating.

The best man’s speech came next, mercifully shorter and far less emotional. He cracked a few well-aimed jokes about Fallon being the only person capable of removing the stick that Noah used to have up his ass, drawing laughter from everyone, then wished the couple well with a sincere smile.

Dinner resumed, which was gourmet and delicious. The whole wedding was a sophisticated affair. A jazz band set up in the corner of the room started playing soft, sultry notes that filled the space without overwhelming conversation.

“Lighten up,” Simon said from beside me, nudging my arm. “You look like you’re calculating the ROI on their marriage.”

His comment was comical, because if there was anyone in the world that needed to lighten up, it was him.

Simon was a grump most of the time, and I would know.

He wasn’t just my brother; he was my business partner in our investment firm—strategic, ruthless, brilliant, and a complete pain in the ass.

I knew how controlling and cantankerous he could be, both in his personal life and in business.

But our dynamic worked because we balanced each other out; his control-freak tendencies versus my easygoing pragmatism.

“You know weddings bring out the worst in me,” I said, swirling the last of the champagne in my glass.

Understanding flashed in Simon’s eyes. We didn’t discuss what happened with Ivy.

It was an unspoken rule in our family. My brother might have believed I was over it, but I doubted I ever would be.

I hated how much power that one incident still had over me and my ability to commit again to any woman.

“It’s been three years,” Simon said quietly, his tone careful. Not pushing…just observing.

I stiffened. “I know how long it’s been.”

He was silent for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to stay for the whole reception, you know. Noah won’t hold it against you.”

I glanced at him, surprised. Simon wasn’t usually one to give me an out. “Really? Mr. ‘By the Book’ is telling me I can bail?”

He shrugged. “I’m saying you’ve done your duty. Stood up for Noah at the ceremony, smiled for the photos, sat through dinner and the toasts.” He paused, his voice dropping lower. “No one expects you to stay and torture yourself.”

The understanding in his tone—rare for Simon—made my chest tighten. “I’m happy for him,” I said and meant it. “I am. It’s just…”

“Hard to watch,” Simon finished when I didn’t.

“Yeah.”

He nodded slowly, studying me with those sharp, analytical eyes that missed nothing. “For what it’s worth, not everyone gets their happy ending the first, or even second, time around. But that’s not to say Noah doesn’t deserve his.”

“I know that.” I set my glass down, jaw tightening. “I’m not that much of a bastard.”

“Didn’t say you were.” Simon’s mouth curved into something that almost resembled a smile. “But you’re allowed to feel however you feel about it. Just maybe don’t let Mom catch you sneaking out early. She’ll guilt-trip you for the next six months.”

That pulled a genuine laugh from me. “Noted.”

“And Liam?” He waited until I met his eyes. “One bad investment doesn’t mean you write off the whole market.”

I stared at him for a beat, recognizing the business metaphor for what it was. “Sometimes it does,” I said quietly.

Simon’s expression shifted, something like disappointment crossing his features before he masked it. “Suit yourself. But you’re better than this.”

Before I could respond, the bride and groom’s first dance was announced, effectively ending the conversation. I wasn’t sure Simon was right, but I knew one thing with certainty. I wasn’t ready to risk my heart again. Not now. Maybe not ever.

At that moment, Noah and Fallon stood and made their way to the dance floor, the jazz band’s melody swelling into a romantic ballad.

As I watched them, I couldn’t help but think about the wedding I had once planned.

Would I have looked at Ivy with the same besotted look that was on Noah’s face as he twirled his smiling bride around the dance floor?

Would I have felt that kind of certainty about my wife and our future if she hadn’t left me just three weeks before our wedding?

Probably not.

Because happy women didn’t cheat. They didn’t walk away from a three-year relationship without a backward glance because they’d fallen in love with someone else while I’d been too wrapped up in my job on Wall Street to notice.

I forced the memories back, burying them where they belonged. Dwelling on the past did no good. It was over. Lesson learned and I’d moved on.

The first dance ended to warm applause and the floor quickly filled with other couples. Some guests mingled, family and old friends catching up while enjoying the atmosphere. Children ran around the back of the room, playing a game of tag, and a few people headed to the open bar.

I considered joining them for a stiffer drink to numb the edges, but what I really needed was a break from the wedding festivities, and hadn’t Simon essentially given me permission to do so?

No matter how I felt about the concept of weddings, I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s good time.

Now that dinner and the speeches were over, I could slip out quietly.

Escape the romance and sentiment before it suffocated me completely.

I remembered seeing a bar about a block away from the reception, so I stepped outside while everyone else was distracted.

Standing right beside the entrance with her back leaning against the brick exterior of the building was my sister, Shannon.

I knew she wasn’t looking for an escape like I was.

The vape pen in her hand and the smell of cotton candy in the air revealed her reason for stepping away from the party.

I stopped beside her, hands in my pockets. “You’re supposed to be inside celebrating.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I could say the same to you. Where are you going?”

“Sneaking away,” I admitted quietly, and rubbed a hand along the back of my neck. “Don’t mention it to anyone.”

She frowned. “It’s Noah’s wedding, Liam.”

The guilt was instant. I looked back toward the doors, hearing the muffled, joyful sounds from inside, but the thought of Ivy, of the wedding I almost had, made it impossible to return.

“He won’t even notice I’m gone,” I said, forcing a shrug. “He’s too wrapped up in wedded bliss. And I’m happy for him.”

I hated how I sounded. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t the brooding type. Normally, I was the one making jokes, keeping things light. But today…even my normally easy charm felt like a lie.

Shannon tilted her head, studying me with the same quiet intensity Mom used when she knew one of us was lying. “You know, not every wedding has to remind you of her.”

I exhaled on a groan. First Simon, and now my sister. “I’m fine.”

“Liam—”

“I mean it, Shan.” My voice came out sharper than I’d intended. “I’m happy for Noah.”

She reached out, squeezing my arm. “I know you are. But you can be happy for him and still be hurt. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“I’m not hurt,” I insisted. “It’s been three years.”

“Yeah, and you’ve dated half of Manhattan since then,” she said bluntly. “And the second any woman wants something real, you bolt. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s moved on.”

I looked away, jaw working. “I’m not having this conversation.”

“Of course not,” she said, wryly, then softened her tone. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be a bitch. I just…miss the version of you that actually believed in this stuff. The Liam who got excited about the future instead of running from it.”

Her words hit harder than I’d expected and I swallowed against the tightness in my throat.

“That version of me got his heart shredded,” I said quietly.

“I’m not going back to being that na?ve.

I’m happier this way. No attachments, no expectations, no one to disappoint when I don’t live up to their expectations. ”

She sighed and took a pull from her vape pen. “Okay,” she finally said, resignation in her voice. “Go. Get out of here. But, Liam, one day you’re going to meet someone who makes you want to try again. And when that happens, don’t let Ivy steal that from you, too. She’s already taken enough.”

I nodded, just to pacify her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And I won’t tell anyone you snuck out, unless Mom asks,” she added, a knowing grin curving her lips. “You know she can sniff out a lie from us like a bloodhound.”

I laughed. “You’re the best.”

“I know.” She waved me off. “Now get out of here before I change my mind and drag you back inside to dance with Aunt Carol.”

I grimaced. “You’re evil.”

“Sisterly love,” she called after me as I headed down the sidewalk.

I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets as I walked, the sound of my shoes tapping against the concrete. The more distance I put between myself and the wedding reception, the easier it felt to breathe. The tightness in my chest loosened with each step.

Noah could have his happy ending. I was going to find that bar, order a shot of something strong, and find my own happy ending for the night. No strings, no promises, no heartbreak.