He raised a brow and couldn’t stop the words that came tumbling out. “The sex was just good?”
She shrugged a bare shoulder. “On a scale of one to ten, I’d say it was a solid seven.”
Which was . . . average. He couldn’t tell if she was being serious or totally fucking with him, but his damn pride and ego asserted themselves. “You’ve had better?”
She laughed, clearly enjoying his annoyance. “I don’t kiss and compare.”
He resisted the urge to kiss her right here, in front of everyone, and make damn sure that there was no comparison to how his mouth thoroughly claimed hers. Instead, he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his slacks and changed the subject.
“By the way, you look beautiful in that dress, with your hair up like that.”
She smiled softly at the compliment. “You don’t look so bad yourself in that nice suit. Hard to believe there’s a tattooed bad boy beneath all the finery.”
He tugged at the uncomfortable collar and tie. “Trust me, I’d only do this for one of my brothers. I can’t wait to get this damn thing off.”
Before Katrina could say anything else, Samantha and Clay came back out of the chapel, hand in hand and happy smiles on their faces.
“Who’s ready for some dinner?” Samantha asked as they all started toward the hotel and casino area.
“I’d love a burger,” Mason said seriously.
Samantha laughed. “We have reservations at Picasso here at Bellagio for an amazing French meal.”
Mason made a face. He so didn’t do fancy-schmancy.
“It’s our wedding, Mase,” Clay cut in good-naturedly. “So suck it up and mind your manners. It’s a fine dining establishment. Don’t embarrass us by using your fingers and chewing with your mouth open.”
Mason flipped him off, causing his brother to chuckle. “You might be married now, but you’re still a dick.”
“But now he’s my dick,” Samantha said, then her eyes grew wide in shock. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”
Levi chuckled. “You’ve officially been corrupted. Welcome to the family, Samantha.”
They arrived at the restaurant and were led out to the private terrace, where a linen-draped table had been set up just for the six of them and they had an unobstructed view of the Bellagio fountains and a water performance every fifteen minutes. Despite Mason’s beer budget tastes, they ate the most amazing food, went through a few rounds of drinks, and had their own little celebratory party out on the open patio.
Whenever the fountain shows came on, they took advantage of the music and danced, though it didn’t escape Mason’s notice that Katrina partnered up with Levi every single time, so he danced with Tara. Despite Katrina’s assurance that everything was fine between them, there was no doubt in his mind that she was deliberately keeping her distance. It bugged the shit out of him, but he let her keep up the pretense. For now.
After dinner, they headed to the casinos for some gambling and fun, still dressed in their wedding attire. After a few hours, Clay announced that he had better things to do with his bride than gamble the night away, and they had a marriage to consummate. Samantha blushed, but didn’t stop Clay when he swept her into his arms—wedding dress and all—and carried her through the casino to the bank of elevators that led to the penthouse suite.
“The night is just getting started,” Tara said once Samantha and Clay were gone. “And it’s a Saturday night in Vegas. What do you say we all go and change out of our wedding clothes and check out the nightclub, Hyde, here at the hotel?”
Levi shrugged, always the easygoing one. “Sounds good to me.”
“Sure,” Mason said—not ready to call it a night just yet, either. “Count me in, too.”
The three of them glanced at Katrina, who gave them an apologetic smile.
“I hate to be a party pooper, but I think I’ll pass,” she said, still not looking at Mason. “It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”
Mason just barely refrained from rolling his eyes at her excuse. And he knew that’s exactly what it was—an excuse to avoid spending any more time with him. Fine. She could spend the evening alone in her room, but he was going to Hyde with Levi and Tara, and he was going to have a good time. Hell, maybe what he needed to do was find a willing woman to take his mind off of Katrina and erase last night from his mind so he’d quit obsessing over his best friend.
Yeah, that’s exactly what he needed to do, he decided.
They all went back up to their rooms to change, except for Katrina, who told them to have fun—and Mason was fucking determined to do just that. Forty minutes later and dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black shirt that left his sleeves of tattoos on display, Mason led the way into Hyde, with Levi and Tara following behind.
The place was starting to fill up, and one glance around at the clientele and Mason knew he’d have no problem finding the distraction he’d come here looking for. The women who’d come to the nightclub for a good time were easy to spot. They wore tight dresses that barely covered their asses, and their tops were so low that their fake boobs were one breath away from popping out.
The interested ones blatantly checked him out, their gazes openly issuing an invitation. They pushed their chests out a bit farther and they smiled flirtatiously. They licked their lips, tossed their hair, and made direct eye contact. Yeah, he knew all the sexual gestures and body language. He’d been around and played the game for so many years that he was a goddamn pro.