Page 1 of Risk

ONE

“Inow pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

From the sidelines, I beam with happiness at the sight of my brother kissing the love of his life, although my smile turns into a grimace when I see him slip her the tongue.

Eww, gross. And in front of a minister too.

There are some things in life a sibling never needs to see. Second on the list is the tongue slip. What is the first, you might ask? Oh, well, that’s walking in on your brother having sex with his then girlfriend and now, as of a few moments ago, wife.

It happened when I was going to stay at Ares’s apartment. I was still at Dartmouth, and I was home for the holidays. I was possibly to blame, as I was an hour earlier than I’d said I’d be. But he’d given me a key to his place, for Pete’s sake. So, there I was, suitcase in hand, letting myself into the apartment, and, yep, there was the sight of my brother’s bare ass, and—

Nope, not thinking about it.

It’s safe to say that I was traumatized that day. I screamed in horror. And then I called my eldest brother, Zeus, to come pick me up, and I spent the holidays with him, Cam, and their daughters, even though I’d spent the last holiday with them. I usually alternated between my brothers’ places for where I’d stay during school breaks.

I couldn’t look Ares or Ari in the face for weeks after. Ares, of course, thought it was highly amusing, and Ari seemed to think it was funny too.

So, yeah, let’s just say, that image has been scrubbed and bleached from my mind.

Yuck.

Actually, double yuck.

But that was a couple of years ago, and since I permanently erased it from my mind, I can now look at both of them and not remember seeing my brother’s bare ass.

Obviously, I gave Ares the key to his apartment back—well, his and Ari’s apartment, which it has been for a long time.

And now they’re married.

I’m so happy they found each other.

The moment I met Ari, I knew she was perfect for Ares.

Same with Cam for Zeus.

I’m wondering if I’ll ever meet my person.

I mean, there is Mr. Hot and Gorgeous—aka Kaden Scott—who’s currently sitting in the third row on our family’s side, wearing a dark gray three-piece suit, white shirt, and a tie that matches the color of my burgundy dress.

I was so happy when Ari asked me to be her maid of honor, and Cam and the girls—Gigi and Thea—are her bridesmaids. My new sister-in-law and bestie has amazing taste. My floor-length chiffon V-neck, A-line dress has lace and sequins and a split front, which goes up to the thigh. It’s floaty and sexy and classy, and I love it. It’s the perfect color for my dark hairand tan skin. It’s also the color my brothers are wearing for their boutonnieres. Ari’s bouquet, which I’m currently holding, is made up of burgundy and white roses. Instead of bouquets for the bridesmaids, we each have a white rose with a burgundy ribbon tied around it.

I love that Kaden matched his tie color to the theme of the wedding. It shows his thoughtfulness.

I cast a quick, subtle glance at him while Ari and Ares make their way down the aisle as husband and wife, and we all cheer and clap for them.

I hold in a sigh at the sight of him.

He’s beautiful. Dark brown eyes with gold flecks. They’re so unique. I’ve never seen eyes like his before. Like his personality is reflected in the dark of the brown—almost impenetrable—but the gold flecks are like the fire that I know is hidden within him. Dirty-blond hair, worn in one of those faded haircuts that’s shorter on the sides and longer on the top, but it’s grown out, and it’s all sexy and tousled. He’s got a jaw you could cut glass on, which has permanent stubble. I’m sure he shaves every morning, and it’s already started growing back an hour later. He’s tall, too—six-four. Which would be perfect for me because I’m five-ten.

It’s hard for me to find men who are near my height. Not that I have anything against dating a shorter guy—I have before. But truthfully—and I don’t want to sound like a dick when I say this—I like being with men who are a decent amount taller than me. Makes me feel feminine when I’ve not spent my life feeling that way. I was always the tallest girl in school, and I felt awkward and self-conscious. I’ve learned to love my height, but I still want a guy who makes me feel dainty.

Maybe, in another life, Kaden might be my person. But not in this lifetime. Way too complicated with him being Zeus’s best friend. Honestly, I’d be happy with him being Mr. Roll in theSheets, but he doesn’t see me that way, contrary to what Ari thinks. She’s convinced he’s madly in love with me. I think she’s in a happy, healthy, loving relationship with my brother, and she wants the same for me.

Which is sweet.

I want the same for myself too.

But it won’t be with Kaden.

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