“Make time,” Grace says kindly. “You need that time together, especially since you had the children.”
“I think I’ll rock his bloody world tonight,” Catherine proclaims, her glass in the air.
“Yes, get it, girl,” Willa says, clinking her glass to Catherine’s. “We so needed this tonight. I’m glad we did it.”
“Me, too,” I say. “We have the bridal shower tomorrow.”
There’s a knock on the door again, but before I can answer it, Sebastian walks in with all of the other guys.
“It’s like watching a hot guy parade,” I mumble, but clearly loud enough for everyone to hear because the guys all break out in grins.
“You’re here!” Fallon yells and launches herself into Noah’s arms. “I haven’t seen you in years.”
“Or hours.” He kisses her lips. “You’re drunk.”
“We’re all drunk,” I inform them. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not very dignified to get wasted, but it’s my bachelorette party.”
“You’re in your home,” Sebastian reminds me and pulls me in for a hot kiss. “You’re safe and enjoying time with your friends. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Your mom came in here and drank with us.”
He steps back and stares down at me, then looks over at Frederick, who also looks shocked.
“She did,” Ellie confirms. “I was gobsmacked too, but she had a good time. She wasn’t here long.”
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Frederick mumbles, then pulls his wife to her feet. “Shall we, love?”
“Oh, yes. I have some sexy things to do to you.”
He blinks in surprise again, then turns to me. “You’re welcome in the palace anytime, Nina.”
We laugh as they leave, and one by one, each couple follows them.
“No one came to gather me,” Ellie complains with a pout.
“We can call Alistair,” Fallon offers, but Ellie cringes.
“No, thanks.”
They shut the door behind them, and Sebastian pulls me into the bedroom.
“The champagne went to my head,” I confess and smile at him. “You’re so damn pretty. Like, how is it possible that you’re so pretty?”
“It really has gone to your head, love.” He kisses my forehead and helps me out of my clothes. “Let’s get you into bed.”
“Oh, yeah.” I reach for his cock, but as my hand closes around it, I’m suddenly intensely nauseous.
Dizzy.
Sweaty.
“Oh, God.” I stumble my way to the bathroom and manage to throw up in the toilet. It’s a complete miracle.
“Oh, Nina.” I feel him playing with my hair, but I don’t have time to thank him before the next wave hits me.
“Gonna die.”
“I won’t permit that,” he murmurs. Water runs in the sink, and then he presses a cold cloth to my neck and rubs circles on my back. If I weren’t puking my guts out, it would feel heavenly.
It feels like I’ve been kneeling on the floor for hours when I finally finish dry heaving, and Sebastian picks me up and carries me to the bed.
“I’ll be right back.” He rushes into the bathroom. Moments later, he’s back with a fresh cloth.
He rubs it over my lips, then refolds it and presses it to my forehead.
“Just sleep, darling. Get some rest. It’ll help.”
My eyes are heavy. I intended to rock his world, but I failed miserably with my incredibly not sexy puke show.
Ugh.
***
“You should have let me die last night.”
My arm is draped over my eyes. Sebastian hasn’t even opened the drapes yet, but the little light coming in is already too much. I feel like shit.
I didn’t think I drank that much.
But now that I think about it, my glass was always full.
I rub my hand through my hair and pause when I discover that it’s braided.
“How did my hair get braided?”
“Well, I could either hold your hair or rub your back. This was much more efficient.”
I open one eye and stare at him. He’s resting his head on one hand, his elbow braced on the bed. He’s naked, but the sheet is wrapped around his waist. I can only see his very tanned, very toned torso.
My God, he’s hot.
“Thank you.”
“Do you have an awful headache?”
I nod and close my eyes again.
“I’ll be back.”
Do not fall in love with this man, Nina. Love is off the table. I have to keep reminding myself of that because he’s just so good. Kind and sweet. Funny. Caring.
He freaking braided my hair!
But that’s also something a friend would do. It doesn’t mean anything. He was being nice, because that’s just who he is.
“Here, take this, love.”
And just like that, everything in me goes very still. Not the headache, but everything else.
I sit up, take the pills he offers, and swallow them down with water. Then, I stand from the bed, ignoring the sledgehammer pounding behind my eyes.
“What did you call me?”
We’re facing each other, completely naked. We should be having wild, crazy sex.
But I need to make sure I heard him wrong.
“You heard me.” He braces his hands on his naked hips and frowns at me.