GABE (Silicon Valley Billionaires 2)

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he pulled me in for a brief hug. “I consider it an honor to see you again. I’m thrilled that our paths have reconnected. You left school too early, you know.”

“Alexander. Do not badger her!” Cynthia called good-naturedly.

“All right, all right,” the professor said easily. “But I can’t wait to catch up with you and hear about all the wonderful things you’ve done. Thank goodness we’ll all be a lot closer soon and have more time.”

“Closer?” I asked, confused.

He just winked and patted my arm.

Ash and Levi came over, both already wielding bourbon. Ash leaned over to hug me. “We missed you this afternoon. I’m getting used to being your roommate.”

“Don’t get too used to it,” Gabe said under his breath.

I had a feeling there was going to be a lot of that—the talking under his breath—this weekend. Gabe was regressing into a petulant teenager before my eyes.

Of course, being madly in love with him, I found it adorable.

“Lauren, I feel like I need a hug too,” Levi said, reaching in. “All we’ve done is work since I met you—we haven’t had any fun.”

Gabe moved next to me and protectively wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “You can stop touching her now.”

Levi laughed and released me. “Do you believe this guy? He can’t even stand to share you for a second. Ever since I took little Evie Brittain to the prom, you just can’t let it go—”

“You knew I was going to ask her,” Gabe said heatedly. “You could’ve asked anybody else.”

Levi smiled wickedly. “Yeah, but Evie was nice. Classy.” He got a dreamy look in his ey

es, and Gabe’s grip tightened around me.

Levi took a sip of his bourbon, and I realized that he’d started drinking on our flight, hours ago. “You know who else is nice?” He leaned toward me conspiratorially. “Your lawyer.”

I sat up straight. “Bethany?”

Next to me, Gabe cursed while Ash did a double fist pump, celebrating as though he’d just scored a winning touchdown. “Yes! I called it. Pay up.” He held out his hand to Gabe, who was fishing in his wallet.

Gabe handed him a hundred-dollar bill, cursing some more.

Levi watched the exchange, scowling. “You guys were betting on me?”

Ash shrugged good-naturedly. “I knew you thought she was hot—she’s got all that swishy blonde hair, and she keeps bossing you around.”

“Which is totally your type,” Gabe said.

Levi puffed his chest out. “Is not.”

Gabe puffed his chest out. “Is too.”

“Aw, come on—knock it off.” Ash held up the money. “The drinks are on me. Let’s get this wedding party started!”

Both Gabe and Levi deflated and amiably accepted Ash’s offer for drinks. I learned, over the next few hours, that with Gabe’s family in celebration mode, there were drinks followed by more drinks. I lost track of how many bourbons they drank after we headed downstairs to the lounge, drinking, laughing, and eating until the place closed. Once Gabe loosened up, he and his brothers told story after story about growing up in Boston, and how wild they were after their father had passed away. Cynthia rolled her eyes at many of their stories. Others made her threaten to retroactively ground them.

They talked about Lou. “He was tough, but he was a good man,” Cynthia said, dabbing her eyes.

She patted Alexander lovingly on the arm, making sure his feelings weren’t hurt because she was speaking of her late husband. He nodded at her kindly, encouraging her to continue.

“He would be so proud of you boys today,” Cynthia said. “You’ve become great men, just like him. I even think he would approve of me marrying Alexander. He told me on his deathbed that he wanted me to move on. To live my life to the fullest.”

She took another sip of her wine and motioned to her boys. “But all I wanted when you kids were growing up was to be there for you. To be a good mother. Even though you boys ran a little wild, you always came home. You were always my good boys.”