Page 73 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

Though it did play a sizable part.

“I blame the two of you.” I snapped my empty Harp on the bar and Cal appeared at once, assuming I would want another. My water didn’t even seem to register with him.

I waved him off but placed a hefty tip under the bottle. It wasn’t my buddy’s fault that everyone I knew wanted to settle down prematurely and they were all messing with my head.

Except Cal, although that could change at any moment the way things were going.

Bishop exchanged a look with Preston. “For what? Being stupidly happy?”

“Yes.” I sipped my ice water and rued trying to live a responsible life. That was their fault too. Guilt by association and all that.

Back when they’d both been single and freewheeling—well, at least Bishop had been, Preston never really had partied much—I’d never encountered these uncomfortable feelings.

I’d been blissfully happy in my ignorance about all things romantical. I’d never thought there was anything to it. Ball and chain and all that. Not cuddling in bed and dancing and in-jokes and running around the yard with Bob and Berry. Never mind family-like mealtimes.

All crap I’d never cared about before.

“Okay, what aren’t you telling us?”

“Me? Nothing.”

“Sure, right. Then what’s up with all the cryptic comments?”

I traced a fingertip through the condensation under my bottle. “What, you’re not enjoying life tips with Dex?”

My brother leaned behind Bishop and thumped me on the back. “There were life tips and I missed them? Dammit.”

I forced myself to grin when I felt like doing anything but. “Haven’t exactly gotten there yet. And maybe I want your life tips, not the other way around.”

“Tips for what?”

“Like how did you, you know, nail down April?” At Bishop’s smug smirk, I rolled my eyes and drank more water. A piss-poor substitute for beer, but I’d take what I could get right now. “I’m not referring to sex, dude. That’s one area I usually have no concerns. In fact,” I heaved out a sigh, “it’s actually the cause of my current predicament. Though I didn’t even have the sex I’ve been accused of.”

“We gave you a glowing review to her,” my brother said. “Wrong move?”

“Wedid?” I repeated. “I thought it was Bishop.”

“Weboth said you were honest and pay on time, which you do. We didn’t mention your sex life. At least I didn’t,” Bishop chimed in. “Besides, as long as you’re single, you’re free to sleep with who you want.”

“Yeah, but I’d rather he not sleep with Shelby. She’s had enough to deal with—” Preston must’ve seen my expression because he fell silent. “Too late there, huh?”

“Look, it’s not like you think,” I muttered, staring into what was left of my water as if it held the answers like magical tea leaves.

Answers to what, I didn’t even know. Just somehow, I’d gone way off course.

You think anyone is surprised? They expected exactly that from you. As did Shelby herself.

“What did you do this time?” Preston muttered, ordering another round of drinks though I’d begged off on anything but water. “Drink or not drink, your choice,” he said as Cal uncapped my second Harp and nudged it my way.

I shoved the beer at Bishop. He ignored it for the time being.

“It would be easier to talk about this shit if you two hadn’t found pots of gold romantically. Kind of intimidating.” I shook my head. “Bishop, you met April and she was it for you in how long?”

“About an hour.”

“Yeah, intimidating as hell.” I used my bottle to point at my brother. “You’re even worse. Ryan hadn’t even arrived for her first day at work yet, and you were already salivating.”

“You, intimidated by me?” Preston scoffed, raising his voice over the growing noise in the bar. It was Sunday, so Cal would be closing soon, but still, the crowd had grown since I’d arrived forty-five minutes ago. “Since when? Up until Ryan, you used to say I hadn’t gotten laid since college.”

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