Page 28 of After the Vows

“Chloe has four maids of honor. You need at least one person on your side of the aisle.”

“What about your family?” Lily asks. “Perhaps your brother could stand with you.”

“I’m an only child.” It’s a good thing, too. Since I don’t plan on telling my parents about the wedding. Hopefully, Chloe and I will be happily divorced before they realize Holly’s trying to steal their grandchild.

I glance down at Chloe. My future wife. The idea of divorcing her makes my stomach cramp and my cock protest. But it’s for the best. I need to concentrate on my daughter. Natalia needs all of my attention now.

“This wedding is a charade,” I remind Weston. Chloe jerks at my words, but when I look at her, she gives me a thumbs up. “I don’t need anyone on my side of the aisle.”

“Flynn can be on your side,” she suggests.

“Who’s Flynn?”

“Sophia’s boyfriend and Weston’s best friend.”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Weston tries to steer me away but I hold my ground. Chloe was ambushed by this party as much as I was. I’m not going to abandon her if she’s uncomfortable.

I lift an eyebrow at her. She shoos me away. “Go on. I’m fine.”

The strain around her eyes tells a different story, but I don’t know her well enough to understand why she’s stressed. And I can’t ask her in front of all her friends. I don’t know much about her but I know she values her privacy.

I look forward to figuring out why. I force those thoughts away. I’m not getting to know Chloe better. This is a business arrangement and nothing more.

“This is Flynn,” Weston introduces and I force my thoughts back to the moment.

“Nice to finally meet you. Sophia hasn’t stopped talking about you in days. A bit annoying when your woman is obsessed with another man. I had to punish her.” He winks.

Weston groans. “No talking about my sister and sex.”

“I have to listen to your sexual experiences.”

Weston smirks. “I prefer the word escapades.”

“Hey, pirate men.” Sophia sidles up to her man. “Can we steal Lucas for a minute?”

Weston frowns at her. “No shaving his eyebrows. Or painting his fingernails. Or cutting his hair.”

Sophia rolls her eyes. “I wouldn’t do any of those things.”

“Do I need to remind you of the time you shaved my legs and painted my toenails?”

“Do I need to remind you of why I did those things?”

Flynn chuckles before kissing Sophia’s forehead. “Go on.”

She shackles my wrist and tries to drag me away. I plant my feet. I’m not fired up to spend any time with someone who readily admits to shaving her brother’s legs.

Weston elbows me. “Go. They won’t hurt you when the sun’s up.”

I allow her to drag me down the hallway. She shoves me into a room where the rest of Chloe’s friends are waiting.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Nova says with a big smile on her face.

Sophia shuts the door behind her and blocks it. My brow wrinkles.

“What’s going on?”

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