Sin City Baby

Talia laughed. “Mom's divorce isn't even final, sheesh,” she said, shaking her head. “These women – am I right? They're trying to poach all these hot, available men from us.”

“Nathanial looks lonely over there,” I said, eyeing up the auburn-haired man.

He caught me staring and shot me an enigmatic smile. I smiled back and turned to Talia.

“Heh. Technically so does the groom,” Talia said.

Jude towered over every man in attendance at the wedding, both in height and status. A virtual celebrity of sorts – at least of the local variety. He stood apart from the crowd, sipping his scotch, watching the party going on around him. My mother was nowhere to be seen, and my eyes kept drifting over to him. I was still finding it difficult to believe that he was my stepfather now.

How my mother managed to snag someone like him, I'd never know.

Not that she could have known, but Jude had long been a crush of mine. Hair the color of fine, aged whiskey, and eyes only a shade or two lighter. He was broad shouldered, dominant, yet strangely enough, seemed somehow introverted. Everything about him oozed sex appeal, from the tailored and expensive suits to his chiseled face that was somehow both hardened, yet gentle, thanks to the softness in his eyes and lips.

His eyes scanned the crowd as if he was looking for someone. His arms were crossed in front of him, his glass of scotch hanging loosely in one hand, and he wasn't even smiling. At his own wedding, there was no reason for a man to look so lonely.

Sighing, I said, “Maybe I should finally introduce myself.”

“You mean you haven't met him yet?”

I shook my head. “No, I was away at school during their little whirlwind romance,” I said. “Just flew in this morning and it was too hectic.”

Talia nudged me, her smile wide, her tone teasing. “Then go say hi to your new stepdad.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Please don't call him that. He's like – almost my age.”

“Nah, he's got a good decade on you,” Talia said.

“Still closer in age to me than my mother,” I said under my breath. “And if I'm being honest, it feels so weird to have a stepdad as young and handsome as him.”

Talia cocked an eyebrow and grinned at me. “Handsome, eh?”

“Come on, he's hot. You and I both know it. Hell, everyone in Chicago knows it. Stop trying to pretend you haven't noticed just to make me feel weirder than I already do,” I said and laughed. “And he's my stepdad. How fucking bizarre is that?”

“Plenty bizarre,” she said. “But, it's time for you to put on your big girl panties and go introduce yourself to the man.”

I sighed dramatically. “Fine.”

I grabbed another glass of champagne from a nearby tray – a little extra fortification never hurt – and walked over to join Jude, where he was leaning against the wall. When he saw me walking toward him, he stopped looking so serious and smiled at me. His smile seemed to light up the room and set my heart fluttering, I swear.

Before I even had a chance to speak, he said, “So you're the mysterious Ember I keep hearing about,” he said. “I was beginning to think you were like Bigfoot – lots of people talking about you, but impossible to prove your existence.”

“Oh, so you do know who I am?” I teased.

“Of course I do. You're my stepdaughter,” he said.

His smile wavered though, and that word sounded a little painful even for him. Still, he held himself together nicely.

“Your mom has told me so much about you,” he said.

I leaned against the wall, mirroring his position and stared out at the dance floor, trying to keep myself in check. Mom was in the center of a circle, surrounded by her sisters and friends, obviously drunk as a college frat boy, dancing her ass off, acting the fool. I can't help but feel a little embarrassed for her.

“Hopefully you didn't believe everything she said about me,” I muttered, sipping my champagne. “Because I'm not so bad as my mother makes me out to be.”

Jude side-eyed me, a lop-sided grin on his face. “Come on, she told me all kinds of good things about you.”

“Oh? Like what?” I said, turning to face him, head cocked to the side as I waited for an answer.

“Well, she said you're feisty –”