Page 27 of Reckless Encore

She shrugged.

Fucking perfect.

It looked like he would be living in limbo for a while.

“Sean?” he asked.

“What?”

“Are you going to hit me?”

“Nah. I’m too drunk for that shit.”

Melody snorted and covered her mouth with a hand. They were happy. Laughing. At least he hadn’t ruined their relationship.

“Come on, man. It’ll make you feel better.”

Sean’s jaw ticked and his hands tightened to cover his empty glass.

Mason held his breath, waiting for any interaction to fill the gaping void which had now become their friendship.Come on, man.Say something.Do something.

Sean slid from his stool and straightened to his full height, looming over Mason. The aggressive glare peering down at him brought relief. The punishment felt good.

The big guy raised a hand and placed a friendly tap on Mason’s cheek with his left hand. It was a distraction technique, a stealthy misdirection from the cocked fist flying toward Mason’s stomach.

Sean’s knuckles pounded deep into his gut in a lethal jab, the impact making him double over in excruciating pain and sudden nausea.

He coughed. Spluttered. He had to swallow over and over to stop his stomach from escaping his throat. “JesusChrist.”

He leaned across the stool beside him, clinging to the flimsy structure like his life depended on it.

“That’s for my future wife, asshole.” Sean whispered beside his ear. “Hurt her again, and the next punch will be half a foot lower.”

“Duly noted.” The words rasped past his lips.

“Now take a seat, motherfucker, and join us for a drink.”

Chapter Seven

Melody wiggled on her bar stool. The sea salt had dried through her wedding dress, making the material scratchy and stiff.

“Do you want to call it an early night?” Sean asked, watching her discomfort with a grin. “It probably wasn’t the best idea to go swimming fully clothed, after all.”

“I regret nothing.” She did another shimmy, this one lasting longer than the last. Their ocean dip had left her skin covered in a film of gritty grime that grew the longer she went without a shower. “But I do feel like I must resemble a walking nightmare.”

They had sat at the bar all day, eating and chatting for hours about everything and nothing until night fell. From the topics of work and touring, to Mason becoming a father, and their own hopes for parenthood. The conversation had been filled with reevaluation and a lot of relaxing alcohol.

Their friends had joined them at different stages throughout the drinking process. Mitch and Alana had apologized for sneaking away to their day spa booking. Gabi had sobbed through her pregnancy hormones and informed them of the morning sickness she battled every day. Blake had been quiet, struggling to come to terms with what had happened while he’d remained at his wife’s side. And Sidney had been devastated, not only to miss the wedding, but that Mason had lied. Apparently, a lengthy celibacy marked her husband’s future.

“I’m good to go whenever you are.”

“Not yet, you’re not.” Leah surprised her by squeezing between their stools. “I need to borrow you both for a minute.”

“To do what?” Sean downed the last of his scotch and slid the empty glass toward the bartender.

“I have something to show you.” She slipped out from between them and began walking away. “Come on.”

Sean met Melody’s gaze and shrugged. “I think we’ve earned the right to decline if you can’t be bothered following.”

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