Her Best Men

For a while, I actually thought it might work out between them. That thought quickly died on the vine when he grabbed my ass at Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving break from college, and he'd had a little too much to drink. Tried to claim I looked like my mom and that it had been a mistake, but neither of us was buying it.

They'd been married long enough anyway, so my mom kissed his ass goodbye and moved on to number four within a few months. I wasn't sure if Jude knew how many others had come before him but judging by the way he looked at my mom, I don't think he cared. About anything.

To me, he didn't have that look in his eye a man gets when he's in love. Then again, what did I know? Not like a man had ever looked at me like that either. Maybe Jude just hid his emotions well. Maybe he wasn't an overly-demonstrative person, preferring to keep his public and private personas different. Maybe, behind closed doors, he was mushy and sentimental. Hell, I had no idea.

I turned back toward Talia on the dance floor, ignoring my mom and her new hubby in the corner, and found myself face-to-face with Nathanial. The music switched from an upbeat dance song to a slower, romantic song. Talia rolled her eyes, groaning dramatically, and headed for the tables. I was about to follow her when Nathanial put a gentle hand on my arm and stopped me.

“Dance with me?” he said.

I'd never met the man before, but I knew a little bit about him. He had a sweet smile and a sense of genuineness about him. He also wasn't too tough on the eyes in his tux, with his rugged good looks, shaggy reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes, with just the tiniest hint of green mixed in with gold.

“Sure,” I said, taking his hand. “I'm Ember, by the way.”

“I know who you are,” he laughed, putting a hand on my waist as he led me to the dance floor. “I'm Nathanial.”

“And I know who you are too,” I said.

“Oh really?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yep. I've done my research on Jude and his merry band of business partners-slash-besties,” I teased. I batted my eyelashes up at him, giving him a coy grin. “You're the youngest of the group by a couple years but graduated at the top of your class alongside Jude. Some call you a genius.”

“Do you believe everything you read on the Internet?” he asked.

He laughed as he twirled me around the dance floor. Apparently Nathanial knew how to dance, and he led very well.

“Only the good stuff,” I said.

My hands rested along his shoulders, and I ran my fingernails across the back of his neck. He shuddered, his eyes flickering as his grin grew wider. Leaning in closer, and standing up tall on my tip-toes, I whispered in his ear.

“Maybe you should set the record straight then, Mr. Roberts?” I said, my tone seductive. “Maybe, somewhere a little more – private?”

“I'd love to,” he said, his voice coming out as a deep purr. Then his eyes opened and that smile was gone. “I mean, I would, if you weren't my best friend's stepdaughter and all.”

I pouted. “Ahh, so I'm off-limits, huh?”

“Afraid so,” he said, twirling me around. “But doesn't mean we can't have a little innocent fun on the dance floor.”

“I am having a good time,” I said, inching myself closer to his body, although the disappointment washed through me.

“Good. A pretty girl like you should always have a good time,” he said.

Chapter Two

Jude

“How was the honeymoon?” Ember asked, looking up from the couch in the formal living room. “Wait, never mind, I don't want to know what you guys did. I'll never be able to get the image out of my head.”

“The Maldives are amazing this time of year, dear,” Lydia said, cooing happily as she glided past me and into the room with her daughter.

“It was nice,” I said.

The Maldives wouldn't have been my choice, but Lydia had insisted on it. She came back to Chicago tanned and relaxed, flopping down on the sofa next to Ember, who smiled at me. Her feet were curled up underneath her, and she looked rather cozy on my sofa.

“Thanks for letting me crash at your place,” I said.

“Of course,” I replied. “We're family now. My home is now your home.”

Still, I stood in the doorway awkwardly, not sure where to sit in my own home. Lydia's penthouse downtown was on the market since I had this home in Forest Glen, and a condo downtown as it was. Our family only needed so many homes in Chicago.