The Wedding (The Casanova Club Book 14) Read online

  The cowboy.

  “Brewer,” Jackson Lee had said with a tip of his head. “You’re up.”

  Wyatt had stood still as a stone for a good five or so seconds. The rest of us were equally as still as we swallowed the truth.

  Piper didn’t want the rest of us. We were second best. Good but not good enough.

  When Jackson cleared his throat, Wyatt picked up his feet and moved to the door. He paused at the threshold, his hand lingering inches from the handle, and then braced himself against the frame as he turned back to the rest of us.

  I’d looked him in the eyes. He didn’t look surprised. In fact, he looked like he knew this was exactly how it was all going to play out. Just like I did. He gave me a tight-lipped smile before looking down the rest of the line and letting out a sigh that might have made people on the outside think he was in pain.

  Then he rapped his knuckles on the frame, dropped his head, and left the room.

  The door sealed behind him.

  Nobody moved. Nobody said a word.

  Until Cooper apparently couldn’t stand the quiet anymore. He cracked his back, looked around at the rest of us, and grinned. “Well, boys, I’d say it’s been fun, but it hasn’t. If anyone feels like drinking to forget this whole fucking year, I’ll be in the bar. First round is on me.”

  And then he left.

  Easton followed. And then one by one, so did the others.

  Not everyone went to the bar. And at first, I didn’t either. All it offered was temptation, and with my heart ripping itself into tiny little pieces in my chest, I knew I’d be in over my head if someone put a drink down in front of me. Four months of sobriety was a big deal for me. And if I loosened the reins now and gave in, I’d be on a very slippery slope.

  But now, here I was. Sitting at the bar.

  There was a glass of whiskey in front of me. No ice. Just booze. It sat there, calling out to me, all dark and smooth and warm looking, and I stared back at it, knowing it was the enemy but wanting it just the same.

  I wished my brother was there. Jake would know what to do. He’d know what to say.

  I tried to find those words within myself.

  “You’re stronger than the drink, Levi.”

  “It will only give you temporary relief.”

  “When you wake up in the morning, you’ll feel even worse than you do now.”

  “Don’t ruin all your progress over this. Now is the time to stand strong and test your resilience.”

  “It’s just a drink. It’s not worth it.”

  My mouth watered. My fingers itched to reach for the glass and lift it to my lips. I could almost taste the richness of it. I could feel it coating my tongue and my throat and warming my belly.

  “It’s just a drink. Don’t give it power over you.”

  “Piper is proud of you. Don’t disappoint her.”

  Piper being proud of me didn’t matter anymore. She wasn’t mine. All these months I’d been dreaming about her coming back to me and the kind of life we would build together. I’d written my hopes and dreams onto blank pages and merged them with sheet music to create sweet and happy melodies, melodies that sounded like Piper’s laughter. Now those songs would never see the light of day.

  She was Wyatt’s.

  “Piper Brewer,” I said bitterly.

  It didn’t sound as good as Piper James. Or Piper Morgan.

  I hated myself for the thought as soon as I thought it. Then on impulse, I reached for the glass.

  Someone slapped my hand down and fell into the barstool beside me. I looked over as Cooper plucked my drink from the bar and slid me his. It was clear, with ice and a lemon wedge on the rim. He lifted my whiskey to his lips and drained the entire thing in one gulp.

  Then he smacked his lips together and watched as I scowled at the drink before me. “Is this water?”

  “Yep,” Cooper said.

  I stared blankly at him.

  Cooper clapped a hand on my back. “You’re all right, man. This shit ain’t worth it.” He stared at the empty whiskey glass in his hand before setting it down hard on the bar. “Sure, it makes you all warm and fuzzy inside at first. But then? Everything falls apart.”

  “How many have you had?” I asked skeptically.

  “Going on six.”

  “Jesus.” I was envious. I wanted that same muddled mindlessness that would wash over Cooper if he kept drinking. I wanted the blank thoughts. The drunken stupor.

  I craved the nothingness of it all. The painlessness.

  “You looked like you were in need of saving,” Cooper said.

  “Was it that obvious?”

  Cooper threw his head back and laughed. I flinched. “An alcoholic staring morosely at an untouched glass of whiskey alone at a bar? Yes, I’d say it was obvious.”

  I sighed.

  Cooper pulled a small glass bowl full of peanuts and pretzels over to us and picked at them. “We’re all having a bad day, Levi. No shame in that. But don’t let this ruin your progress. Piper wouldn’t want—”

  “Piper got what she wanted.” My voice sounded colder than I’d meant it to. I rubbed at my temples. “I’m glad for her. Or at least, I know I should be. Fuck. I just need time.”

  “We all do. Some of the guys have yet to say a fucking word.”

  “Like who?”

  “The Canadian, for starters. Jeremiah, too. The quiet types. You know how they are. Asher seems pretty put out, too. But you? Damn. You’ve got suffering written all over you.”

  I scowled at him. “And you? You seem just fine. If anything, I’d say you’re kind of enjoying this.”

  “Enjoying it?” Cooper scoffed. “No. Not at all. But I’ve known since the beginning Piper and I weren’t meant to be. Even if she’d chosen me, I would have turned her down.”

  “What? Why? She’s—”

  “Amazing. Yeah, I know.” Cooper pushed his empty glass away and clasped his hands together. He braced his elbows against the bar and gazed at the line of liquor bottles on the back shelf. “Too amazing for the likes of me. That’s for sure. She deserves better than the life I’d be able to give her. And all this?” He gestured around at the bar, but I knew he was referring to the Casanova Club as a whole. “It’s led her to someone who will do right by her. Brewer has my respect. I can close this chapter of my life with no regrets and chalk myself up to being one lucky bastard to have had a month with her.”

  I swallowed. “If you hadn’t stolen my whiskey, I’d say that sounds like something to drink to.”

  Cooper let out another round of barking laughter. “Yes, well, you’re welcome. You’ll thank me for it in time. When the dust settles.”

  I wondered how long that would be. Months? Years?

  How long was I going to pine after the girl who’d flipped my life upside down and challenged everything I thought I knew about myself?

  “Don’t look so glum,” Cooper said, nudging me with his shoulder.

  “She saved my life.”

  Cooper’s smile faltered. “I know, man.”

  “Without her, I don’t know where I’d be. And all I could do when she was gone was sit back and let her slip through my fingers. It was like trying to hold on to water. I knew she was never really mine and that her heart belonged to someone else, but fuck.” I growled and raked my fingers through my hair. “It’s final now. It’s done.”

  “It is.”

  I tried to think the way Cooper was thinking. That Wyatt was the right choice for her. Even though logic dictated that was true, my heart wanted it the other way around. I wanted her for myself. I wanted the future I pictured with her when I closed my eyes at night and let sleep take me. I wanted all of it.

  But it had been out of my grasp all along.

  I rubbed at my eyes and tried to think of anything besides the fact that Piper and Wyatt were off somewhere by themselves probably, celebrating their engagement.

  I slid off my barstool.

  “Where are you going?” Cooper ask
ed.

  “I need to be alone. To think. Not to drink,” I added when his look grew concerned. “I have a lot to sort through.”

  Memories, mostly.

  Cooper nodded. “Good luck.”

  Chapter 5

  Piper

  I woke with a start to the smell of eggs and pastries.

  My eyes were practically glued shut from all the tears I’d shed the day before, and I had to gently massage them to get my eyelashes to un-stick. Once that was achieved, I blinked blurrily around the hotel suite until I spotted Wyatt standing at the door with his back to me.

  He was talking to someone. A room service attendant, I assumed, based on the smell and their oh-so-polite customer-service voice.

  As I pushed myself up into a sitting position, Wyatt closed and locked the door. He turned with a silver tray in his hands and stopped when he saw that I was awake.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.”

  Wyatt came into the sitting area and set the tray down. I straightened up a bit to peer over at it when I caught a whiff of maple syrup and fruit. I spied a stack of pancakes covered in what appeared to be steaming hot blueberries and raspberries in the middle of the tray. They were flanked on either side by small cups of fresh fruit as well as a plate of crispy bacon and some fluffy eggs.

  Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. I was going to wake you last night to get you to eat something but thought it might be best to just let you sleep it off. I imagine you haven’t been sleeping well these final couple of weeks.”

  He thought right.

  I swung my legs over the side of the sofa and inched closer to the tray. Wyatt pushed the table closer to me before dropping into the spot beside me. He plucked a napkin from the tray and draped it over my thighs.

  I was wearing a loose pair of silky pajamas. The Casanova Club had them custom made for Wyatt and me. The words “Bride” and “Groom” were stitched on the back in white cursive. They were comfortable and light and romantic. I hardly remembered getting out of my red dress last night and slipping into these. All I knew was Wyatt had been the one to get the ball rolling and pull my zipper down.

  I pinched my bottom lip between my teeth and watched as he popped a piece of bacon in his mouth. Then he leaned back lazily and draped an arm over the back of the sofa. He caught me staring at him and froze mid-chew. “What?”

  “Thank you.”

  “Piper, you don’t have to—”

  “I know. But I want to. I was a mess last night. I didn’t expect it all to hit me like that. All at once. I thought we’d hit the end of the line and everything would be all right because I had you.”

  He frowned.

  “That came out wrong,” I said hurriedly. I inched forward to put a hand on his knee. “What I mean is that I thought us being together would make me forget about everything else. But it hasn’t. I feel so bad for hurting the others. The guilt… it’s suffocating.”

  His frown only deepened. “I wish there was something I could do to unburden you.”

  He had unburdened me. He’d held me up last night when I couldn’t stay on my own two feet. He’d held me as I cried and wiped my tears and assured me over and over that I wasn’t alone.

  “You already have,” I said softly. “I only wish you didn’t have to on our first night as an engaged couple.”

  “An engaged couple.” His eyebrow quirked and a smirk twisted his lips. “I like how that sounds.”

  “Me too.”

  He pushed himself forward. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “And you promise to be honest? Unequivocally honest?”

  It was my turn to frown. “Yes. Of course.”

  He took my hands in his. “Do you have any regrets about choosing me?”

  He searched my eyes with his own.

  “Wyatt,” I breathed. My heart tightened at his words. “Is that how I made you feel last night?”

  “No.” He paused and shook his head. “Well, doubt might have crept in after you fell asleep. I know you’re not the kind of person to be impulsive. And I know you probably thought about this from every angle. But still, you’re giving up eleven other men. Who’s to say one of them isn’t better suited to you? Who’s to say I’m the right—”

  “Stop.” I turned toward him and pressed a finger to his lips.

  Wyatt fell quiet.

  Letting my finger fall from his lips, I leaned in until we were only inches apart. “I am so in love with you, Wyatt Brewer. I’ve known it the whole time. Deep down. But if honesty is what you’re asking for, I will give it to you.”

  He stiffened.

  I continued. “My decision was never between you and another man. You were the only man. I promise.”

  “Then what was your decision between?”

  I resisted the urge to retreat. What would he think of me if I told him the truth? Would he think me greedy? Would he see my true colors and realize I wasn’t the right woman for him? He’d been in a bad relationship before. What if this was a red flag that sent him running for the hills?

  No, I thought sharply. Wyatt Brewer didn’t run from things he wanted.

  I took a deep breath. “I was going to take the money, Wyatt.”

  “What?”

  I nodded. “You know about my father’s health. And about them losing the restaurant. I joined the Casanova Club with one intention from the very start: to get through the year, take the million-dollar pot at the end, and get my parents out of debt and buy them the life they deserve.”

  His eyes flicked back and forth between mine.

  I grimaced. “I’m a bad person.”

  And then he laughed.

  It startled me. I let out a surprised yelp as he rocked back on the sofa, his head thrown back in genuine mirth, and slapped his knee.

  “What’s so funny?” I scowled.

  He was still laughing when he righted himself. “It’s funny to me that you think prioritizing your family would ever make me think less of you. Piper, you’re a Godsend. If anything, this makes me love you more.” His eyes slid over me in my pajamas. It was a look I knew all too well, even though I hadn’t seen it in over half a year. There was heat burning in his eyes and I couldn’t deny a fire had started below my belly too. “I can’t believe I’m the lucky bastard who gets to marry you.”

  A wry smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Well, you’d better believe it. Because we’re getting married in just a few weeks. And then all the fun and games will be over and it will be back to reality.” I draped my legs over his lap, and as if by instinct, he rested his hands on my bare ankles. “Mucking stables. Baling hay. Fixing fence posts.”

  “Reality sounds very, very good to me.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” I purred.

  And that was all it took.

  Wyatt let out a masculine growl that would have made my panties wet had I been wearing any. He descended upon me with ravenous kisses, peppering them along my jaw, cheeks, and throat. I couldn’t withstand him as he pushed me down on my back on the sofa and, with effortless ease, began flicking the buttons down the front of my silk pajama set open.

  I wasn’t wearing a bra either.

  The corners of Wyatt’s eyes crinkled when he smiled, and everything grew still. He placed his finger on my stomach. I looked down, wondering what was causing the delay, and he removed his finger to show me the small birthmark that stained my skin just above my belly button. In summer months, it was dark and noticeable and almost looked like a belly ring. But now in winter, with my tan from my months in tropical places weeks behind me, it had faded to a pale brown.

  “Turn around,” Wyatt whispered.

  I did as he said and flipped onto my stomach to prop myself up on my elbows. He ran a hand along the top of my shoulders, sweeping my hair off my back and pushing it so it fell forward over my shoulder, baring my back to him. He pressed his finger to my skin again, right bel
ow where my bra strap would have been sitting to the right side of my ribs.

  “I’ve missed these beauty marks of yours,” he said. His voice was low and gravelly.

  I looked over my shoulder at him. “There’s things of yours I’ve missed too.”

  His smile morphed from nostalgic to predatory in an instant. I giggled when he grabbed a handful of my ass and squeezed, and then he hooked his fingers in the waistband of my silk pants and began working them down my legs. I lifted my hips off the sofa cushions to put myself on display for him.

  Wyatt massaged the backs of my thighs. The strength in his hands washed away all my worries as he worked his way up over my ass to my lower back. He followed my spine up to my shoulders, where he leaned over me, gathered a fistful of my hair, and pulled my head back to force me to look up at him.

  I bit my bottom lip. Wyatt traced my jaw with his thumb.

  “Don’t make me wait any longer,” I pleaded.

  Wyatt obliged. He stripped naked and gave me that sharp look of his that said “stay where you are.” There was no place in the world I’d rather be. I lifted my feet off the sofa and crossed my ankles as I watched him step out of his silk pants. His cock was hard and ready and the sight of it made my pussy ache.

  He planted a knee between my thighs on the sofa. Heat radiated off his body as he placed one hand beside my shoulder and let the other wander down to the wetness between my thighs.

  Wyatt eased a finger inside me. I sighed with contentment and pressed my forehead against the cushion beneath me. He was slow at first, working me over with gentle strokes, working his way deeper and deeper until he gave me another finger.

  I moaned.

  Wyatt dusted my shoulder blades and back with kisses as he fucked me. I lifted my ass and spread my thighs in desperation for more, for anything and everything he was willing to give me. Wyatt chuckled softly and pinched the skin on my shoulder with his teeth.

  “Steady, baby,” he purred.