Gotta Have Fate (Winslow Brothers)

“Oh yeah, baby. You like that?” I ask confidently, thrusting my hips in and out hard enough that her head bumps gently against the wall with each stroke.

“Yes, Ty. God, yes,” she replies, licking her lips like a seductive little cat.

I put my hands to her ass to get better leverage and tilt her hips toward me, and she mewls at the change in angle.

“I’m gonna make this pussy—”

“Oh my God!” a female voice I recognize way too well yells from the end of the hallway. “Come on, Ty. Jesus! You have got to be kidding me right now!”

Ivy panics at the disruption, jerking so hard my dick bends at an unforgiving slant, and I yelp.

Goddammit, Winnie. Your timing is absolute shit.

Ivy’s all arms and legs and hysteria as she claws herself off me, shoving me back and her dress down, and taking off toward the end of the hallway at a run.

Winnie, my beautiful, ballsy sister, not to be trifled with, grabs her by the arm and pulls her up short before she can escape.

“Don’t you think the bride is looking for you? This is her day, for God’s sake. Not your sexcapade vacation with my brother!”

Ivy’s shock at being schooled by my little sister is apparent, but all I can do is shrug. Winnie grew up with four older brothers. She’s not the type of chick to take shit from anybody. It’s just not in her blood.

As Ivy stumbles to find the right words, her eyes bounce back and forth like ping-pong balls. When she finally gets her voice back, her explanation comes out in a rush. “I-I-I…I didn’t leave her there. She was, um, running late, and so I figured it wasn’t a big deal if I popped out here for a little while.”

“Running late?” Winnie questions immediately, her eyebrows drawing together in a scowl as I finish tucking my shirt back into my pants over my now nearly soft dick and join their little tête-à-tête. “How is Charlotte running late and you’re not? I thought she was coming with you.”

“She…was…and then, well, she wasn’t.”

Winnie’s face transforms from hypercurious to a touch angry, and I jump in to try to smooth the waters before there’s a catfight between the sister of the groom and one of the bridesmaids in the hall.

“What do you mean?” I ask Ivy.

She glances to me and back to Winnie before explaining. “She left a note this morning. Said she would meet us here after she ran an errand she forgot about.” Ivy shrugs. “I figured she had to pick up a groom’s gift or something.”

Winnie’s face shutters, and I have to admit, it doesn’t exactly sound good, so I prod for more.

“Have you talked to her since?”

“No,” Ivy replies with a shake of her head. “But she-she sent her bag with us. We have all of her stuff—veil, heels, makeup. She packed them in the bag and sent it with us.” She considers us for a moment and then shakes her head again. “I can see the looks on your faces, but, you guys, she’s coming. It’s her freaking wedding day to Remy. Trust me, she’s going to be here. I’m sure of it. She would have said something to Harper and me.”

I want to take Ivy at her word, but I can’t shake this nagging feeling that something isn’t right, and when I glance at Winnie, the look on her face says she’s not at all convinced.

Shiiiiit. We’re just overreacting…right?

This is Charlotte we’re talking about. She’s head over heels in love with Remy. No way she’d let anything stop her from being here today, of all fucking days.

I’ve almost convinced myself it’s all going to be okay, but before I can offer any sort of reassuring words, Winnie dons her bossy face and starts barking orders.

“You,” she says, pointing a finger in Ivy’s face. “Go to the bridal suite now. See if Charlotte is there, and if not, see if you can get in touch with her.”

When Ivy pauses slightly, Winnie adds, “Go! Right now!”

Ivy takes off on her spike heels at a run, and I shake my head as I watch her go. Then I turn back to Winnie with a frown. “Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on her?”

Winnie laughs, but it’s pretty clear she doesn’t think anything is funny. “Look, Ty, as touched as I want to be that you’re a nice enough guy to stand up for even the women you fuck at complete random, we’re kind of in the middle of a situation here.”

Normally, her quick sarcasm would make me laugh, but I’m also not feeling like laughing right now. Especially seeing the way Winnie is reacting to this whole “Where is Charlotte?” thing.

I mean, she’s close with Charlotte. And she’s worried…

“Come on, Win,” I whisper. “You don’t think she’s really…like…standing him up, do you?”