Wild and Free (The Wilder Brothers)

“And you’re not supposed to arrive on time to these kinds of things,” I said.

“Fine. But hurry up. I want to beat the traffic. I hear these Wild Parties or whatever they’re called are the events of the year to attend.”

“I’m sure,” I mumbled.

I slipped on a couple coats of mascara before debating on what lipstick to wear. I’d only heard of the Wild Parties, but I’d never been invited to one. They always had their quirks, however. The last one that was thrown I wasn’t invited to, but it was a costume party. A masquerade ball, actually. But this time, rumor had it that every single worker from the bars and taverns around town had been invited. I had no idea what the hell that meant for the theme of the party—if there even was one—so I decided to go shopping for a new dress to wear for the occasion.

“Jess!”

“If you keep yelling at me and I keep stopping, it’s going to take me longer,” I said.

“Can you do it in the car?”

“Do you want me to look like The Joker?”

“Hey, nice reference,” she said, smiling.

Bianca came around and leaned against the bathroom doorway as I put the finishing touches on my outfit. The yellow and cream-colored dress I purchased for the party came with matching flats and went well with a pair of earrings I already owned. They dangled close to my neck, ac

centing its length, which I enjoyed. I was five-foot-three on a good day, and I hated wearing heels. They hurt my feet too much, so I stuck with flats, flip flops, and boots without heels on them.

Which meant I was always the shortest one of the bunch.

“I wish I had your figure,” Bianca said.

“And I wish I had yours. You have curves in all sorts of places.”

“Trust me, you don’t want them there. Nice southern boys like their women petite. Like you.”

“And yet, I’ve been single for four years. Go figure. You’re beautiful, Bianca. And I bet someone at this party’s gonna think so, too.”

“They better. It took me forever to squeeze into my Spanx tonight.”

“You’re wearing those insane things again?” I asked.

“Yes, because it keeps me from moving in areas I shouldn’t move.”

“Some men like it when your thighs move.”

“Well, I don’t like it when my thighs move. Now come on. Slap that lipstick on that perfect pout of yours and let’s get out of here!”

It had been three weeks since the incident with the man in the bar and I’d pretty much forgotten about him. But I was lying if I told myself I didn’t hope he’d be at this party somehow. I didn’t know much about the family throwing it other than they were names to be revered in the community. Every time I asked someone who the Wilder Brothers were, they all looked at me like I was stupid before assuming I was pranking them with a joke. So, no one ever told me upfront who they really were.

I finally got myself down to the car and Bianca drove us just outside the city limits. We wound up the driveway of an historic mansion and the place was gorgeous. The massive driveway that rolled over the hills was lined with lemon and apple trees. Blackberry bushes accented the frame of the house and lent a decadent smell as we approached the front of it. We stepped out of the car and Bianca handed the keys to the valet, then she slipped her arm into mine and tugged me toward the front door.

The mansion was immense, and absolutely breathtaking.

We walked into the house after a couple of men clad in tuxedos opened the doors for us, and I was robbed of the breath from my lungs. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and decadence lined the walls and floors. Beautiful marble tiles, swirling with black, blue, and yellow. Stone-carved statues sat at the base of both the staircases that swung up the sides of the home and up to the second and third floors of the place. Bianca promptly left my side to get a drink as I gawked at my surroundings. Hand-painted artwork decorated the ceiling and beautiful plants were placed in corners, emitting a smell that pulled me into something akin to a dream.

“Bianca? This place is incredible!”

I heard her giggle off in a corner and when I turned to look, what I saw brought a smile to my lips. There she was, already being hit on by a very striking man, and I grinned before I ducked behind a corner. I knew she’d find someone to spend her time with, and I was happy for her. She never put herself out there because of her preconceived notions about her body, so watching her smile and laugh along with a man privately made my heart soar.

So, I decided to take myself on a self-guided tour.

“Drink, miss?”

I looked over at a man carrying a tray that he promptly swung in front of it. It was filled with so many drinks that all looked so different.