Page 58 of Release Me

She’s perfect in every way. Any man would be lucky to have her heart.

And I just watched her—hell, stood beside her as her bridesman or man of honor or whatever my official title is—as she married fucking Henry Wolf. As much as I like to hate on the billionaire asshole, he’s not all bad. Except for that nagging little reality—he’s the one Abbi loves.He’s the one who gets to wake up beside her every morning.

I stretch out on the shoreline, the cold from the sand seeping into my custom suit. I shouldn’t be lying in dirt, given it’s the most expensive thing I’ll ever put on. It’s not even a rental. Wolf paid for it. A gift to wear while I watched him claim the woman of my dreams.

Damn.

How long will it take to shake Abbi from my system?

How long before I’m not pining over one woman or another? Who knew I was such a romantic. Not me.

I need another smoke.

Digging into my pocket, I pull out my Marlboros. And groan into the empty carton. I guess that decides that. I’m turning over a new leaf in three … two …

No more cancer sticks.

Lay off the booze.

Andstop thinking with my dick, which has brought me as much heartache as it has pleasure.

In fact, no more women, period.

“You dead, man?” Connor’s booming voice echoes over the silent lake.

The guy can’t handle being away from me for more than an hour. “No, but you will be once Wolf sees that picture with Violet, you dumb fuck.” The wedding photographer is going to have a lot of explaining to do with those after-party pics in the staff mess hall.

“As if. We were goofing around. She didn’t touch a drop of alcohol. Where is the little Wolf, anyway?”

“In her room with her grandparents, where anyfifteen-year-oldbelongs.” I walked Wolf’s daughter back and then headed here for some peace and quiet while questioning my sad existence.

“It’sso cold!” a female whines.

It’s then that I turn to regard Connor and note the two women huddled against him, one on each arm. Staffers for this coming season, still in uniform. I recognize them. They were servers tonight, carrying out plate after plate of everything from Alaskan snow crab to filet mignon—no expense spared for this reception. Young, but not too young. Beautiful … but they all are. Wolf Hotels has clear hiring criteria and somehow gets away with it time and time again.

“It’s Alaska.” I pull myself to my feet. “Shocked it’s not snowing.” The guys from the outdoor crew said there were still patches in the woods.

“Fresh one for ya. Cheers, mate.” Connor sheds the girls to meet me halfway and hand me a beer, his blue gaze on the darkness and water beyond. “Being here brings back memories, huh?”

“Does it ever.” The best summer of my life. I twist off the cap.

“Regret not coming back this year?” he asks through asip. When the offer came through to work another season up here, we both sat on it for weeks, undecided. In the end, staying in Miami seemed like the better choice.

“Nah. Those days are done.” As much as I’d kill to go back to them. “It’s time to move on.”

Connor peers over his shoulders at the two girls. “Bella and Jenny are in cabin seven. Remember that one?”

I smirk. “Of course. That was Red’s.” A lot went down in there, but the most memorable night was the one where I held Abbi in my arms as she cried over the guy she ended up marrying.

“We’re going there now,” the girl on the left—a ginger, go figure—says with a shiver, her arms curled around her chest. “You guys coming?”

“Oh, I’mdefinitely coming.” Connor grins, earning their giggles and my eye roll.

How he gets away with saying shit like that and still ending up balls deep by the end of the night is beyond me.

“Ronan? You gonna quit sulking out here and head back with us?” Connor pauses, lifting an eyebrow. We’ve never talked about what went on with Abbi or where my head’s at with this whole wedding, but Connor is not nearly as dense as he pretends to be. “For old time’s sake?”

I sigh heavily. “Yeah, fuck, why not. One last kick at the can.”

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