Page 6 of The Way We Collide

“Most embarrassing moment—don’t think. Just answer. GO!”

Raven’s brown eyes widen adorably, and her pretty chin juts forward. “What? No way, you first.”

The DJ is playing a One Direction song at top volume, and my bow tie is undone. I’m holding an Abita Amber and leaning against a high-top table covered with a white tablecloth.

A small vase is in the center filled with white twinkle lights and an enormous white flower, and Raven is beside me with a clear cup of fireball and cherry liqueur in her hand.

It’s some “spicy cherry” brew Dylan asked the bartender to mix up for her bridesmaids. I’m sticking to beer, because the last thing I want tonight is whiskey dick.

We’ve been going back and forth since we were paired up in the foyer of Miss Gina Rosario’s massive, Italian-style mansion overlooking the bay.

I took one look at the gorgeous woman I’d be escorting down the aisle, and all I could think was I had to break the tension somehow. Raven was just too fine to slip away tonight.

My brothers give me shit for being a player, but the truth is, I’m really a nice guy. So while I’m dreaming of seeing this woman naked, I’m doing my best to charm her with my “most embarrassing moment.”

“Phew, it was probably when our biggest defensive lineman caught me crying over a Taylor Swift song in the locker room.”

Raven’s hand flies to her mouth, and her eyes water. “Oh my god…”

Got her. “Did you almost do a spit-take?”

She nods quickly, grabbing the napkin from under my beer to blot her nose.

Dylan’s wedding went off without a hitch, and as the older guests have slowly departed the reception, the vibe has gotten a little wilder. Or as wild as we can get at Miss Gina’s posh estate.

Miss Gina is a rich old blind lady who kind of became our surrogate grandmother after our parents died. My little sister has been obsessed with her since she was old enough to ride her bike up the scenic highway from our house.

The two of them have been thick as thieves since that first box of Girl Scout cookies, and naturally, Dylan had to have her wedding here.

Legends swirl around the old lady and her family. Some people say she descended from pirates who buried treasure on the grounds of this sprawling property. Some say she’s a lost, Italian princess.

We’ve only ever known her as a kind old lady who dispenses wisdom and kittens, and who played match-maker for Zane and his fiancée Rachel, Miss Gina’s young nurse from Birmingham.

Now, in Miss Gina’s overplanted garden we’re surrounded by fruit trees, tropical plants, and wrought iron trellises all decorated in white twinkle lights.

An arch with magenta flowers growing over it in a vine is situated on a wooden platform with an ornate iron bench. It provides a photo-ready backdrop as the sun disappears into the water.

The flagstone patio is a makeshift dance floor, and my brothers and all of Dylan’s bridesmaids are dancing and singing.

“Nowthat’san embarrassing confession.” Raven points at me.

My eyes narrow. “Are you making fun of me, Rave?”

“Absolutely.” Her laugh is a low, sexy sound with a little rasp that makes my dick twitch.

“Your turn.” I take a step closer, and pink flashes from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

It’s really cute, and I’ve been counting how many times I can make it happen all night. It’s like a little signal she’s as interested in me as I am in her, and it fans the heat smoldering in my stomach.

I’ve also been doing my best to keep my eyes from lingering on her perfect breasts pressing against the top of her sheer pink dress like two luscious pillows every time she inhales.

“I need a judge’s ruling. Which song?” Her eyes dance as she takes the cherry from her drink and slips it between her teeth.

My breath stills, and for a moment, I’m lost watching her full lips wrap around that bright red fruit. “Ah… the one about the guy who calls to break her like a promise—doesn’t everybody cry at that part?”

“Like in that Ryan Gosling movie?”

“Which one?”

---