Page 94 of Wild Nights

I hope you loved Carolina and Oliver’s story! To read more about their happily ever after download their bonus epilogue.

Xander and Tori’s romance is next in Wild Promises!

Everything was changing. I didn't have a good feeling about it.

I leaned an elbow on the bar, nursing my lukewarm beer. On the dance floor, Eli was dancing with Scarlett. When the door opened to the ballroom, Oliver walked in with his new girlfriend, Carolina. Both my brothers were happy because they'd recently met the loves of their lives.

Now Eli and Scarlett were living together in his penthouse apartment, and Oliver moved Carolina from Maine to Colorado and into one of the family's condos in the lodge. I still rented an apartment above a little shop in town that smelled like fresh donuts every morning.

My brothers were settling down, and I had no way of knowing what that meant for me.

The music notes drifted off, and Eli led Scarlett in my direction. I straightened, checking to make sure my tie wasn’t askew. No matter what I looked like, he'd probably have something to say about my attire or my performance. I couldn't do anything right when it came to my family. I was immature, irresponsible, and didn't take anything seriously.

Eli stopped in front of me. "It's almost time for the ball to drop. We're going outside."

Everything inside of me tightened. I was by myself despite the few women who'd stopped by to talk. I didn't want to watch everyone else kiss their significant other at midnight, but my presence was required apparently. "Be right out."

Scarlett smiled, but Eli's expression was stoic.

The crowd filtered outside and onto the large deck that showcased views of the mountain. Tonight, there would be fireworks, and no one wanted to miss them. I just wanted to go home and sleep.

I drank the last drops of beer, slammed the bottle on the counter, then followed the tail end of the guests heading outside. I found a spot at the end of the railing where I'd have a good view of the fireworks, but with any luck, I could slip out before the show was over.

I heard someone counting and others joining in. Usually, I would have talked up a girl all night, and it would have been a no-brainer to kiss her, but tonight, I wasn't interested. I had a certain reputation of being a ladies' man. But I hadn't taken a woman home in a long time. Not that anyone would believe me.

There was a murmur as someone tried to make their way through the crowd. I was interested only because I wanted to make sure that whoever it was wouldn't impede my pending escape.

When the crowd parted, a blond woman appeared, her gaze intent on me. My stomach dipped. "Tori Clark?”

Tori grinned as she wrapped her arms around me, and I was able to exhale for the first time all night. "The one and only."

I held her to me. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm home for the holiday, silly," she said into my chest.

"Ten. Nine. Eight."

Tori looked up at me.

"Kissing at midnight is good luck," I said.

"Seven. Six. Five."

"If you're in a relationship," she pointed out.

We were not. She'd been my best friend since we were kids, and I'd crushed on her since I was a teenager.

"Four. Three. Two. One." Cheers erupted through the crowd.

I kissed her on the cheek, because how could I not? My best friend was home, and she was in my arms. There was a roaring in my ears, drowning out the crowd noise and the start of the fireworks.

"You never said you were coming home."

Tori pulled back and gave me a look. "You haven't exactly been open to communication lately."

Ever since she’d started dating a surgeon, I distanced myself from her. I didn't want to hear about how happy she was, or that they were getting engaged soon. I looked over her head, wondering why her boyfriend wasn't the one kissing her at midnight. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Tori looked away from me. "He's working."

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