Chapter 29
Mia
Six months later
Clarke’s party girl side came out to play the second we touched down at McCarran Airport.
She was already slightly buzzed from the drinks my brother passed down the row to her during the flight, and now she’s so drunk she’s dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly, of all places. Yep, it’s not just a bar from a movie.
Located inside the New York-New York Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the bar looks exactly like what I remember from the movie. And Clarke managed to talk her way up there. We were supposed to separate the bachelor and bachelorette parties, but somehow, we all ended up here.
Will is standing beneath Clarke with a fistful of bills and a drink in the other. I knew he had a crush on Clarke, but he hadn’t left her sight since the second he saw her. Zebras don’t shed their stripes, and my brother won’t stop with his manwhoring ways for Clarke.
And she knows it, too.
So, why does she keep egging him on?
She drops low enough to allow Will to slip some money down the top of her shirt, his hands lingering at her breasts for too long. I stand beside Ethan, sipping my martini and watching the show play before us.
“A hundred dollars says they hook up before the night’s end,” I say.
Ethan laughs. “Will was talking about Clarke on the way to the airport. She’s the biggest challenge he’s ever faced. The only woman who’s ever told him no.”
“That’s why he likes her. Will likes the challenge. I already told her that once she gives in, he’ll lose attention.”
Ethan tips the beer to his mouth and hooks his arm around my back. “I don’t know about that. I think he likes her. Like for real.”
“Interesting.” I study my brother and best friend, now noticing the looks they give each other. They’re neither enemies nor friends, but there’s chemistry between them.
Liam West, a winger from the Flyers, strolls up next to Ethan and hands him a shot glass.
“You’re not drunk enough,” he yells over the music blaring through the speakers suspended from the ceiling.
“It’s your bachelor party. We’re supposed to be getting lap dances and getting shitfaced, not hanging out with your girl and her friends. ”
“I can hear you,” I shout. “Ethan can leave whenever he wants. I’m not keeping him here.”
It’s the truth. I never intended to get in the way of his time with his teammates. Our running into each other here was purely coincidental, or so I thought, until I saw Will and Clarke together. I wonder if they had planned to meet here.
Will reaches up to help Clarke from the bar, and she falls into his arms. Oh, shit. She’s so damn drunk our night is most likely over before it’s even begun. I’ve had three martinis while Clarke drinks like prohibition starts in the morning.
“Go ahead,” I tell Ethan, pushing him toward Liam and his other teammates waiting to leave. “I’ll meet you in the hotel room later. Wake me up if I’m sleeping.”
He gives me a wink and then sets off toward Will to separate him from Clarke. But Will doesn’t seem like he wants to leave her alone. Nope, he steps back from Ethan and slides his arm behind Clarke. I can’t tell who’s holding up who. He looks just as drunk as her, if not worse.
“I’m not going anywhere with Will like this,” Ethan says, returning to my side. “We might as well stick together. He’s a fucking mess.”
“So is Clarke.” I tip my head in their direction. “Look at them. Maybe I should take her back to the room.”
We stroll over to them, and I tap her shoulder to catch her attention. “Hey, do you want to go back to our hotel?”
“Why?” she whines. “We’re having fun here. Don’t be such a buzzkill, Mia. I want to hang out with Will.”
I cock an eyebrow at her. “Really? You’ve hated his guts since I’ve known you, and now you guys are besties?”
She chuckles but doesn’t respond, taking the drink from Will’s hand to chug the rest of his beer.
“Yeah, baby sis,” Will slurs, his eyes lidded from how much alcohol he’s consumed today. “Clarke’s with me. Stop being a downer. You never have any fun.”
“That’s because you have enough fun for all of us,” I counter with a wicked smirk.
He turns his back to me, his arm around Clarke. They walk away without another word and head toward the bar to get more drinks. This is my bachelorette party—I guess I should get drunk and stop overthinking everything.
My last vacation from the paper was over three years ago. And in less than a month, I’ll marry the love of my life on the beach in Nassau. We’ll have the entire week to soak up sunshine and drink margaritas.
We lost Will and Clarke a few hours later.
I called them, but their cell phones went straight to voicemail.
So, I followed Ethan and his teammates to the strip club, where I danced alongside two strippers in a private room.
His friends were on the other side of the velvet curtain as we gave Ethan a show.
It reminded me of the night we spent at Scores.
I was so bold and out of my mind for allowing Roxie to show me to dance.
But it felt good to let loose for once. The more martinis I drank, the more liquid courage I developed.
Around four o’clock in the morning, I stagger back to the hotel room on Ethan’s arm.
Once we reach the suite, Ethan’s so drunk he claws at my clothes like a ravenous beast, practically tearing them from my skin.
We leave a trail of clothing on our way to the bedroom.
My skin burns when he runs his hands down my arms, the heat going straight between my thighs.
One touch is all it takes with Ethan. He’s always had an instantaneous effect on me.
Within seconds of entering the room, he has me on my back and his cock inside me.
Ethan rocks his hips, lifting one of my legs over his shoulder as he claims every inch of me.
I’m about to become his wife, and the closer we get to the wedding, the more lax I’ve become about taking my pills.
He buries himself inside me, our bodies trembling from the intense orgasms commanding control.
We come one after the other, and he holds me tight against his chest.
Dripping in sweat and smelling of sex, he kisses my forehead and cheek until he reaches my lips.
“I can’t wait to make you my wife, little lamb.
And I can’t wait to see you with my baby inside your belly.
” He plants a few more kisses on my skin and then relaxes against the stack of pillows behind him, keeping his arm around me.
Ethan cradles my head on his shoulder and lets out a satisfied sigh.
“I’m sure I’ll be pregnant in no time,” I breathe, still trying to get my bearings. “You can’t seem to keep your hands off me.”
He smiles. “I’ve wanted a family for a long time. But it wasn’t until last year that I wanted one with you. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift, Mia. Because of you, everything is falling into place. We’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
I fall asleep in Ethan’s arms with a smile on my lips as I doze off.
My life is complete with him in it. The boy next door made all of my dreams come true.
Sometime in the morning, Ethan and I wake to the sound of the hotel door slamming. He shoots out of bed and scrambles to slip into his boxers before heading into the living room. Instead of looking for my clothes, I wrap the sheet around me when Clarke frantically calls my name.
I rush out of the bedroom, clutching the sheet tightly, surprised to find Clarke and Will in my suite. “What’s wrong? Where did you guys sleep last night? You both disappeared without saying anything. I was so worried about you.”
Clarke looks like shit, as if she hasn’t slept in days. Her dark hair is matted to her forehead, a few strands tucked behind her ears. Her blue eyes are bloodshot and watery, and when she raises her left hand, I gasp in shock.
“Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” I say, staring in awe at the gold band on her ring finger.”
Will lifts his left hand and nods. “It’s exactly what you think it is. We were so drunk, we got married last night. We’re not even sure where. All we know is we woke up naked, in my bed, and with these rings on our fingers.”
Ethan laughs and shakes his head. “Dumb ass. Leave it to Romeo to marry a stranger in Vegas.”
“Hey, I’m not a stranger,” Clarke interjects, looking like she’s been to hell and back again. “We can get it annulled. It’s not like I want to be married to this idiot,” she says, pointing a finger at Will.
Will snorts. “You’d be lucky to have the pleasure of marrying me.”
She shoves her hand in his face. “Seems as though I already am married to you, hubs.”
He smirks. “Then, maybe we should go consummate our marriage… again.”
“Pig,” she growls, stealing her hand from his face. “I hate you. The second we get back to Philly, we’re annulling this marriage. You’re the last person on Earth I want to be with.”
“That’s not what you said last night,” he counters with a wicked smirk.
I push my hands out to get between them.
How did they get along so well when they were drunk last night?
It’s the same thing with them every time.
They can’t stand the sight of each other sober, and then once they start drinking, their inhibitions lower, and they end up in bed together.
This isn’t the first time Clarke has had sex with my brother, and judging by the looks on their faces, I doubt last night will be the last.
Clarke strips the ring from her finger and throws it at Will’s chest. “You’re such a jerk. I’m not going to be the Juliet to your Romeo.” I laugh at her play on my brother’s nickname and watch in awe as she spins on her heel in an attempt to leave the room.
Will grabs her by the wrist and pins her in place, coming up from behind her to whisper something I can’t hear from this distance. Whatever he said to her softens her resolve. She leans back against his chest, allowing him to wrap his arm around her.
What is it with them?
One minute, they hate each other, and then the next, they claw at each other, unable to keep their hands to themselves.
“We’ll be back,” Will says over his shoulder. “We have a few things to work out.”
“I’m sure you do,” I deadpan as they exit the room.
I spin around to look at Ethan, my mouth still open in surprise. “Can you believe this? They have to get this marriage annulled.”
Ethan shrugs. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“How did my idiot brother end up getting married before me?” I grunt in frustration, and Ethan chuckles.
“Are you mad that Will got married first? It’s not like it will last more than the time it takes them to get it annulled.”
“I hope so,” I mutter.
Ethan hugs me, and the sheet drops to the floor. His eyes roam over my naked body, and in response, I get an approving wink and a crooked grin from my soon-to-be-husband. He runs his hand over my breasts and down to my stomach.
“I have a feeling,” he says. “Pretty soon, we’ll have a family. I know it.”
I smile up at him in response.