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“That…” Jamie just stared, unable to take in what had happened, her brows creasing then smoothing, before creasing again. “That was amazing.”

“Amazing enough to smash some tequila slammers and then do the sprinkler on the dance floor to some shitty Top 40 song from twenty years ago?” Hunter asked.

“Fuck yeah,” she said, that wild grin back.

We walked back inside, ignoring everyone’s looks, and went straight to the bar, asking the bartender to line the shots up. Nadia and Frankie joined us, even one of Jamie’s sisters-in-law having a few.

“To taking out the trash!” Hunter said by way of a toast.

“To the future,” I amended.

“I’ll drink to that,” Jamie said, clinking glasses and then drinking her shot down.

Chapter 62

Hayden

Drunk Jamie was funny.

“I love you!” she shouted to her brother at the end of the night. I was forced to sweep in and collect her, lest she tip over and fall flat on her face. “You too, Nads!”

Nadia’s very pretty name had been shortened during the night in classic Australian fashion.

“I love you too!” Nads’ eyes started to fill with tears and Frankie had to rush forward and hug his girl as well. “You should be a bridesmaid.” She clasped her hands under her chin. “Pleeease?”

“Ew…” Jamie let out a god awful burp, something that had her cackling and Nadia as well. Us blokes all stood around, supervising this moment of feminine bonding. “Weddings give me hives.” Nadia’s bottom lip started to tremble. “Not yours. If you’re silly enough to want to tie yourself to Stanky over there–”

“Stanky…?” Nadia looked at Frankie and started to giggle uncontrollably. Once she started, so did Jamie and…

I loved it.

I loved seeing her lighter and stronger and having a fucking moment. The same kind of moment my spoiled little sister took for granted. I wanted Jamie to feel that too, to never worry about what any member of her family thought, because all they would show her was the love she deserved. The two girls fell into each other, laughing and laughing until tears rolled down their cheeks and they were just crying.

“You’re the best SIL ever,” Nadia said. “You found me the perfect dress. I want you to stand beside me when I marry your stinky brother, be my sister, but…” They pulled apart and stared at each other then. “You’d hate that, and I don’t want to do that to you.”

“I’ll come,” Jamie said. “I’ll come and use all of my savings to buy the most expensive thing on your wedding registry.”

“No, just bring you…” Nadia’s eyes swung to me. “And all your hot guys! You can’t break up before the wedding, OK? I want all of you there!”

“No chance of that.” My grip on Jamie’s waist tightened and I brushed my mouth along the back of her neck. She smelled of perfume, tequila, sweat, and her, and I couldn’t stop breathing her in.

“She’s not getting away, even if she tries really hard,” Hunter said.

“Ooh, all growly and possessive!” Nadia exclaimed as Jamie’s cheeks flushed bright red. “I love this for you.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Brock stepped forward, pulling Jamie from my arms and slinging her over his shoulder and then marching her out the door. “Say goodbye, Jamie.”

“Bye, Jamie!” Our girl called out, half the party waving back as we left.

I had ideas, dreams, fantasies I’d been playing over and over inside my head since the moment I saw Jamie in the mocked-up version of the suit. Some of them involved her sitting on the edge of a desk, a ruler in her hand as she beckoned me forward, but right now they just involved getting the damn thing off her. We all stumbled up the steps of her apartment building, Brock forced to take over as he was the sober one, but when we got to her door, I pressed her against it rather than let her put the key in the lock.

Her keyring fell to the ground with a clatter as my lips found hers. Our kisses were messy, open mouthed, and tasted of tequila and I couldn’t get enough of them. I needed her panted breaths, her teeth raking across my bottom lip, the way her hands shoved at my jacket, then my shirt. Of course my brothers couldn’t let me have this moment. One of them grabbed the keys and opened the door, leaving us to stumble inside.

I felt like a wolf in the darkness, or some big cat. I tracked Jamie’s every movement as she backed up, only just missing the couch, then catching her hip on the kitchen bench. Her little yelp had me sweeping her off her feet, because I couldn’t bear for her to hurt anymore, because having her in my arms felt so damn right.

Because this was the fantasy I indulged in the most.

Jamie laughing, her heart light now. Every frown, every bit of tension, was wiped away, and when I laid her down on her bed, she went limp, completely relaxed. The way she stared up at me, then my brothers as we clustered around her was everything I dreamed of. She was free. I wasn’t sure for how long, if this schism between her and her mother was permanent, but all I could focus on was right now.