Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men 9)

But to my friends, I shook my head. “No. Of course not. I just…well…”

“Yeah…?” Sasha encouraged. “We know you didn’t hook up with him, otherwise he would’ve been in your room and not on the couch.”

“Unless he was really bad in bed. Oh my God!” Tyla set her hand on her heart. “They really do have mini peckers, don’t they?”

“No!” I gasped. But then my face flamed hot. “I mean…” Shit. I didn’t want them to know I’d seen Colton’s junk. Except to let them label him a mini-anything down there seemed unpardonable. “No, we didn’t sleep together. I…” Dammit, here went what I hadn’t wanted them to know. “Shaun was at the party.”

Sasha slapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh, shit.”

“Are you okay? Did he do anything?” Tyla grasped my hands and pulled my arms wide so she could get a look at me.

Uncomfortable about their worry, I pulled free of her and hugged myself. “No, he…” With a sigh, I started from the beginning. “Actually, it was fine. I didn’t even talk to him. I ran into Colton while you were greeting your guys. I know him through Brandt when he’s come into the bar before. And when I spotted Shaun, I might’ve had a small freak-out, so…Colton offered to drive me home. Then he decided to stick around and stay on the couch so I wouldn’t be alone.”

“Aww, that was sweet.” Sasha clasped her hands to her chest while Tyla nodded.

“Hell yeah, it was. Hot and nice? I’d go for that Gamble boy if I were you.”

“I second that.”

“You guys!” I squawked, gaping at them. I couldn’t believe they’d just given me their approval. That was a very dangerous thing where Colton was concerned because I might just take them up on it. Still, I had to at least try to resist. “He’s Brandt’s brother.”

“So?” Tyla snorted. “That one married someone else. He lost his chance.”

“Totally.” Sasha nodded her agreement. “Besides, Colton is hot.”

“Yeah, but…” I shook my head. “Don’t you think it’s weird? Hopping from one sibling to the next.”

“It’s not like you literally jumped from one of their beds to the next. You never even went on a full date with the first one. And it’s been almost a year since then, so, honey, you’re fine.”

“But he’s a freshman,” I felt compelled to explain. “He won’t even be nineteen until June. I’ll be twenty-two before then. That’s—”

“Four years?” Sasha laughed and waved a hand. “That’s nothing. My mom’s nine years older than my dad. And that’s never been an issue for them. It’s only an issue if you let it be one.”

True, I decided. But it wasn’t the only thing I was making an issue of. “And my dad?” I asked quietly. “Not three minutes ago, you were freaked out about him learning I was interested in Brandt. But now you’re suggesting I go after his younger brother…who’s the same color as him?”

Tyla lifted her hands. “We’re not saying you should marry the boy.”

“Yeah. Just have a little harmless, temporary fun.”

“And he looks like he’d be good for a lot of fun.”

Yes. Yes, he was.

Feeling defeated, I glanced back and forth between my friends and realized with dread, I wanted to do exactly what they suggested.

I bit my lip. “You guys are going to get me into so much trouble, aren’t you?”

They both grinned. “Only the best kind.”

COLTON’S CHAPTER | 14

“Where the hell were you last night?”

I paused, half inside the back door where I was entering my house. From the other side of the kitchen, Noel arched an eyebrow as if he were pissed.

I frowned, confused. “I texted and told you. Didn’t you get my message?” He’d been uptight lately, yeah, but he’d never cared if I’d stayed out all night before, not as long as I always checked in.

“All you said was that you were helping a friend and might not make it home until morning.”