Page 164 of On Merit Alone
As we pulled up to the flashing lights outside of our event, I feltnervous for the first time in a while. Mer joked that it seemed like I was proposing to her, but I wondered what she would think of what else I had to confess tonight.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw beautiful almond-shaped eyes staring at me. Their brown reflected the luminous rays now that we were nearing the red carpet.
Beauty wasn’t the only thing those eyes knew, though.
Me.
That’s what else they knew. And as she skated them up and down my person, they narrowed. “Why are you nervous?”
A smile pulled the side of my mouth at the same time that very nervousness pulled the strings of my gut. I tried my best to paste on a cocky glow, easing an eyebrow up and smoldering at her. “Have you ever seen me nervous, Six?”
She contemplated this. “At your mom’s when you broke a glass and were waiting to see her reaction. At my place, when Cash bumped the wall and jangled Grammy’s photo… and now.”
I swallowed. I didn’t really expect an answer. Leave it to me to fall in love with a shark with good eyes. She had me, and if she was determined, she wouldn’t set me free.
“I’m not nervous. Just ready to get this over with,” I said. Before she could point anything else out, I dipped a hand into my jacket's inside pocket and pulled out a leather canister. “Do something with me?”
Her eyes lighted on the flask as I opened it, her mouth screwing in amusement. “You carry alcohol in your suit like an old businessman?”
“Sometimes, you little wiseass,” I said with my own smile. Quickly, it sobered. “But seriously, there will be a lot of cameras and a lot of questions. I don’t want you to be too anxious.”
“So you’re medicating me with alcohol?” She raised a brow.
I raised a shoulder. “Seemed to work in that club. I’m still trying to get lucky tonight.”
She batted my shoulder, laughing. Her eagle eyes slid to me again, chin tipping in the direction of the flask. “And what’s your excuse? What are you medicating for?”
I held her eyes. Those pretty, determined, intelligent eyes, and I wondered if I should just tell her now. I’d already made it clear to her that I wasn’t confused, and she seemed to get it. Maybe a large gesture wasn’t worth the turbulence.
Just then, a hand slapped over the window, two faces following as Stephens and Kivvey smashed them to my passenger side. We all jumped as the guys came into view. Rogers took up the back with his arms crossed, shaking his head. I knew he was smiling on the inside, though.
I gestured to them all out there. “Do I need any more reason thanthatto need a drink?”
She laughed. “I guess not.”
I nudged her. “I bet you didn’t go to one party when you were in college.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Shots, baby,” I said. “Take one with me?”
Biting her lip, she hesitated before her eyelashes fluttered in a soft roll. Taking the proffered flask, she brought it to her nose and took a sniff. And then she sniffed again.
“Tequila?”
I shrugged. “Makes you fun. Drink up, Six.”
A shot later for each of us and I was stepping out of the car. I officially had to get her on and off the red carpet soon. My girl was a bit of a lightweight.
Fresh night air surrounded me, peppered with the sounds of clicks and snaps from photographers' cameras. Soft music floated around, graceful and alluring. It was all the sophisticated dance of a well-thought-out event.
It was actually quite inspiring that such a beautiful event was born of the idea of providing for a cause of our choosing. Still, themost beautiful thing in front of me tonight was the woman on the other side of the door I was reaching for.
Pulling it open, I caught her dizzying eyes before I reached out and caught her hand. Merit’s eyes flashed with nervousness which curdled my stomach with this consuming need to make her comfortable.
So, hand in hers, I tapped my breast pocket and gave her a sly look. “If you need another hit, Jones, you know where to find it.”
This brought a brilliant laughing smile from her lips, and that was the precise moment I decided to tug on her hand and drag her out of the car. She landed against my chest to keep her balance, but the alcohol was already hitting my little lightweight and she just giggled as she used me as leverage to right herself straight again.
