“Da, beautiful girl. Now, let’s get Mason and go pick up Adam. If I’m not getting sex, I want food.”

~*~

They decided on something simple since none of them wanted to risk gas before the wedding. It would be just Lily’s luck to end up farting her fanny off as she stood before all their friends and family at the altar. Breakfast for dinner was agreed upon, and they found themselves at a little diner called Mae’s across from New York University. Lily suspected Nikoli chose the place because Mason would be attending here next year, and he wanted the kid to have a decent place to find food.

She sat squished between Adam and Nikoli facing Kade, Angel, and Mason across the extra-wide booth. She didn’t think they’d all fit, but they did, and with enough room not to stab anyone with an elbow.

“So, Lily, Mama says you’ve been avoiding her all week.”

Kade’s piercing gaze met hers, and she didn’t look away. He was an FBI agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He’d know she was hiding something in an instant if she did.

“I’ve been working late. There’s a big book conference coming up all the agents are attending, and I’ve had to stay late this week to help them get ready. My boss even asked me if I’d consider rescheduling my wedding.”

“She didn’t!” Angel looked up from her pancakes. Her deep red hair and green eyes shouted Irish, but Lily wasn’t sure what Kade’s wife’s heritage was. She’d met Angel back in Boston. Nikoli had been floored his favorite bartender was also his sister-in-law. Apparently, Kade had forgotten to file the divorce papers, and the two of them had been married for years.

Angel and Lily had become really good friends.

“She did, and I still think she was quite serious.”

“I hope you told her where to go.” Angel shoved another bite of pancakes into her mouth. “If not, I will.”

“Lils has learned to take up for herself a lot since meeting Nikoli,” Adam said. “She’s quite bossy now.”

“I was always bossy.”

“True. You’ve bossed me since we were kids.”

“You’re the football player, aren’t you?” Mason asked between shoveling bites of food.

Adam nodded, his blond locks swinging forward. Man needed a haircut. “I was picked up by Philly.”

“That’s cool. I thought about going pro, but I mean, look at me. I’m too pretty to get bruised up every week.”

Lily burst out laughing along with Angel. None of the guys laughed at Mason’s joke. Then again, they all probably thought they were prettier than Mason.

“He’s definitely related to these two,” Angel wheezed. “An ego bigger than the entire room.”

“Hey, we don’t…”

Lily put her finger to Nikoli’s lips. “Do I need to remind you of your reputation at Boston?”

“One has nothing to do with the other.”

“You don’t think being labeled as a manwhore has anything to do with your opinions on your ego?”

Kade laughed, and Nikoli shot him a withering look.

“Milaya, I have told you not to call me that.”

She only smiled mischievously.

“Well, Nikki you sort ofwerea manwhore,” Angel told him. “Even I had heard about your rep.”

“At least he wasn’t on the corner in his trashy hooker gear.” Lilly sipped her orange juice.

“He has hooker gear?” Kade’s eyes got so big Lily thought they were going to pop.

“I do not…Lily!”