Page 38 of Her Brother's Billionaire Best Friend

“Hmm,” was all Mom saidbefore draining her glass. “I need to get a refresher.”

As she walked away, I turned to Dad.“She’s handling the ‘my baby is getting married’ thing well,huh?”

“Scott isn’t her baby,” Dadpointed out. “You are.”

“In terms of chronology,sure.” I wasn’t going to argue that I’d never felt like the baby.I’d felt like a disappointing obligation that had demanded mymother split time between her then-dying son and the infant whohadn’t provided the solution they’d been hoping for.

I could swear I physically felt Matt’spresence when he entered the room.

The sight of him hit me like ashockwave and I suddenly wished I had my own drink in my hand. Hisgaze met mine, only fleetingly, but the heat in his eyes burnedthrough me to my very core.

“Have you met the best man?”Dad asked, and horrifyingly put his hand on my back as if he wouldmarch me right up to Matt and introduce us.

I stepped away. “Yeah. Kind of adouche. Cool he owns this place, though. Where’s ourtable?”

I’d been shoehorned intothe seating chart with my parents, the bride’s parents, and acouple of their elderly relatives, right in front of the headtable. It would be impossible for me to ignoreMatt.

Maybe not impossible; I woulddefinitely keep my eye on the bear in case it made any false moves.But I was close enough that I would hear Matt’s snapping fingers,should he choose to deploy them.

“Charlotte!” Deena calledout as she joined us and pulled out her chair. “We missed you atthe rehearsal.”

“I was avoidingspoilers,” When faced with an utterly blank look from Deena, Iadded, “I’m kidding. Since I’m not in the wedding, I didn’t thinkit appropriate to add another body to the rehearsal.”

“No rehearsal, nodinner,” Roy said, taking his own chair. “That’s what I would say,if I was your father.”

My nails dug into my palms in mylap.

“Well, it’s a good thingyou’re not her father,” Mom said with a too loud, too mean-soundinglaugh. “And that she’s an adult.”

“He’s teasing,” Deenaassured us uncomfortably.

I wanted to snap back thathe wasn’t teasing, he was being a paternalistic jackass. Instead, Ireached for my water glass. From the sudden tension at the table, Iassumed things between the in-laws weren’t all smoothsailing.

“How’s everyone doingtonight?” Matt’s voice jerked my attention straight to him. Hestood beside Deena and gave us all a welcoming grin.

She grabbed his arm withone hand and pressed the other to her chest. “Matty. It’s allwonderful. We cannot thank you enough. The flowers, the canopy, thebows on the chairs… it’s all exquisite. Above and beyond whatLauren asked for.”

“Well, I’m happy to be ofhelp.” He glanced over at Daisy. “Any chance you’d want to put agood word in for me? Since I’m walking that fuzzy beauty down theaisle tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Don’t smell likesalmon,” Roy said gruffly. Somehow, even his jokes soundeddisapproving.

“Damn. That’s what I wasgoing to have for breakfast.” And then Matt did it. He snapped hisfingers.

He didn’t even lookat me when he did it. He gave Deena’s hand a squeeze as he removedit from his arm and excused himself to visit the nexttable.

“Mom?” I asked, my heart inmy throat as I tried to come up with an excuse for leaving rightafter we’d just sat down. “Where did you get thatdrink?”

“Over at the bar.” She wavedher hand vaguely toward a direction in which I saw no evidence of abar.

A server stepped up to the table. “Goodevening. What may I get you to drink?”

“Um, a glass of champagne?”Damn the amazing service at this place. I pushed back from thetable, anyway. “Excuse me.”

Nobody needed a reason as to why I wasleaving. I was an adult. I could go anywhere I wanted. Right now, Iwanted to follow Matt’s instructions.

I knew he watched me as I left theroom; I couldn’t help but take a surreptitious glance at him as Ipassed, and our eyes met.

Fuck, the sexual subterfuge washot.

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