Series: The Laws of Opposite Attract Series by Vi Keeland
Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
I stilled. “Tonight?”
“Why? You gonna change your mind or something?”
“No. I just figured I’d have to book an appointment well in advance.”
Billie shook her head. “I have a six-month wait. There’s no booking for friends. It’ll be fun. Like a little nightcap.”
“Any chance your hot, tatted, very gay employee might be there?” Wells asked. “The guy with the name that sounds like dick Brayden has been telling me about?”
So wrapped up in my own stuff lately, I’d nearly forgotten Wells had broken up with his boyfriend and was now on the hunt again.
“I can definitely call Deek and ask if he’d like to come downstairs and join us,” Billie said. “He lives right in our building.”
Once we’d finished, the five of us headed straight from dinner to Billie’s tattoo shop.
Deek was indeed available and was waiting for us when we got there. I’d seen him once in the past, and he was everything I remembered: hugely tall, buff, and inked from top to bottom.
Wells’s eyes lit up like I’d never seen before. “So, this is the famous Deek.”
Deek held out his big hand. “Well, well, Wells. Nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard all good things from Brayden.”
“Same.”
Did my friend just blush? I smiled at the prospect of something happening with them. How fitting for my best friend to end up with one of Brayden’s friends. It might’ve been a pipe dream, but it was fun to think about. And then before I knew it, Wells and Deek had taken off without even saying goodbye. I guess the night was just starting for them. I had to laugh.
Billie and I went to one of the workstations, and I described what I wanted softly.
“You sure that’s it?” she asked.
“If you don’t mind, yes.”
Brayden gazed over at me from the other side of the shop while Billie went to work, inking a single word in beautiful script on the inside of my wrist: Believe
CHAPTER 30
Brayden
Two months later
“I love this song.” Alex turned, watching a sea of couples sway to the music. “Do you want to dance?”
I sucked back the rest of my gin and tonic and tossed my napkin onto the table before standing and offering my hand. “Sure.”
She smiled, and the fact that I wasn’t in the mood to dance became a distant memory. Hand in hand, we stepped onto the dance floor. I pulled her close, wrapping my arm around her back and letting my hand settle on her bare skin.
“You can dance!” she said after a minute.
“You sound surprised. And here I thought I was showing off my good rhythm in the bedroom.”
She laughed. “I have no complaints in that department, but you haven’t asked me to dance all evening, so I thought maybe dancing wasn’t your thing.”
“Sorry. I guess I’ve been preoccupied.” As soon as I said it, I realized it was a dumb thing to say. She was going to dive right into that. “The attorney who’s helping me submit for that new patent I told you about sent me a bunch of questions right before we left tonight,” I explained. Not a lie, but also not the issue.
“Oh. I didn’t realize.”
“It’s not a big deal. Sometimes I just get lost in my thoughts, I guess.”
“You’re allowed.” She pushed up to brush her lips against mine. “As long as you get lost in me once in a while, too.”
I leaned my forehead against hers. “There’s nothing I like better, sweetheart.”
Alex settled her head against my chest. She fit so damn perfectly. It’s hard to believe I’d once thought the idea of spending a lifetime with one woman was insane. These days I didn’t like to spend more than a couple of hours without her. When she was gone for a few days, it felt like part of me was missing.
I glanced around the room, my eyes finding the happy bride and groom. Owen must’ve sensed someone watching, because his head lifted, and he raised his glass with an approving nod and smile.
And bachelor number three bites the dust. Who would’ve thought this day would come? My three best friends were all happily married, all of them with kids, and I was head-over-heels in love. I nodded back at my friend, and his attention returned to his bride.
Alex and I stayed on the dance floor for two more songs. Just as we were swaying past the DJ, he stepped out and covered the top of the microphone with his hand. “Hey, Brayden?”
“What’s up?”
“Just giving you a heads up that I’ll be calling you for your speech soon.”
“Oh. Okay. Sounds good.”
A few minutes later, the music changed to a new pop song, so Alex and I headed back to our seats. I stared off, again lost in thought.
“Are you nervous about your speech?” she whispered, squeezing my hand.
“Who me?” I leaned back in my chair, trying to seem casual. “Nah.”