Page 225 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 2

James laughed as he slid into the seat next to mine. He handed me my glass of water. “You gotta let it go,” he said.

“It’s fine if Daphne doesn’t ask Bee and me. I completely understand. But you and Mason? Rob said he was going to have three groomsmen. It’s crazy if you guys aren’t included.”

“Maybe it’s some guys from work,” Bee offered.

Mason just shrugged.

There was no way Rob had found a best friend at Hunter Tech. He’d only been working there a couple of months and he’d known these guys his whole life. “It seriously doesn’t bother you?” I asked him.

“Rob’s like a little brother to me,” Mason said. “And like my actual little brother…I may have tormented him a bit when we were both kids. Maybe he’s still holding a grudge from that time I tossed him in the trashcan and closed the lid.”

I laughed. “But that was forever ago.”

“Hey.” He smiled down at me. “It wasn’t that long ago. You act like James and I are ancient.”

“I do not.”

“You kind of do,” James said.

“Well, in my defense, when I was in…” my voice trailed off as I quickly did the math in my head. “When I was in middle school you guys were graduating from high school.”

“Cradle robbers,” Bee coughed into her hand.

I reached across Mason to high-five her.

“I think that says a lot more about the two of you than it does about me and James.”

“Oh really?”

“Yup. Two words – daddy issues.”

Bee slapped his arm and he laughed.

I rolled my eyes and turned toward my husband. “I do not have daddy issues.”

“Your dad is great, but I don’t want you thinking about him while we’re in bed. As kinky as it sounds, I don’t love the idea of you calling me daddy. Well…at least until you pop out my daughter. Maybe I’ll get used to it then.”

I smiled at him.

“Or maybe it’s a sugar daddy thing,” Mason said.

“Do not make me throw this in your face,” Bee said and lifted her glass in the air, tilting it dangerously close to Mason’s suit.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“Sorry we’re late,” Rob said. He pulled out a stool for Daphne and then plopped down beside her. “What did we miss?”

“We were just talking about how all our girls are into sugar daddies,” Mason said.

I smiled to myself. Mostly because it seemed like Mason was trying to push Rob’s buttons. Because maybe, just maybe, he cared more about being a groomsman than he wanted to admit.

“Maybe your girls,” Rob said and gave him a hard stare.

I cleared my throat. “So…this was your choice?” I asked. “Are you going to do another proposal tonight?”

He laughed. “No. That would be weird and unexpected. Right?”

At first I thought it was a rhetorical question, but based on the way he was staring at me, he definitely wanted an answer.