Best Man With Benefits (McCade Brothers 3)

Reed stopped staring across the room, trying to burn his brand onto the pretty blond maid of honor, Julie, long enough to incline his head toward Colt’s glass. “What are you drinking?”

“Whiskey,” Colt said, waving at Kady. “But not for much longer. My bride’s beckoning.”

“Nice,” Brock said, sending a smile Kady’s way. Then he signaled to the bartender. “Not before I buy a round of drinks, though.”

Logan followed Reed’s gaze back to Julie, and watched a couple of young stockbroker types abandon their plan to approach her when they sensed Reed’s silent threat from across the room. Logan mentally congratulated them on the wisdom of their decision. He didn’t know if Officer Lawson packed heat at Beaver Creek, but he wouldn’t bet against it.

Julie shot a quick, unerring look directly at Reed. One she probably meant to convey, Back off, you don’t own it, but the unmistakable hint of fascination in her eyes changed the overall effect from shutdown to challenge. You could own it, if you play things right…which you won’t.

He found himself biting back a smile, because he could see where these two were headed from a thousand miles away, but just to mess with Reed’s head, he asked Brock, “Is it from Julie’s company?” Her family distilled and distributed a top-shelf whiskey called One-Eyed Jack. He picked up a pile of coasters and dealt them down the bar like playing cards. “If so, line ’em up.”

Reed’s eyes darted back to the bar and he raised a brow. “They have that here? I want to try some, too.”

“Sure,” Brock agreed, completely unfazed at the prospect of dropping a hundred bucks plus tip on a round of drinks. The bartender came up, and he smiled at her, oozing Southern charm. “Hey, sugar. Can we get a round of One-Eyed Jack Whiskey?”

Logan added two champagnes, which, it turned out, were complimentary for the party guests. When the bartender turned away to get their drinks, he said, “Next round’s on me, but it’ll have to be tomorrow after the scavenger hunt. Tonight I have to drink and run.”

“Why?” Brock asked. “You got a hot date?”

Logan glanced at Colt. “Hotter than you four.”

“Speaking of which…” Tyler eyed Logan’s T-shirt and shorts. “Dude. You realize this is a black-tie event, right? Not a visit to the Outback?”

“Seriously,” Colt interjected. “What the fuck, man?”

“Hey, I wore this for you, big guy.”

“Huh?” Colt frowned.

Logan leaned in and lowered his voice. “Long story, and no reason to get your panties wadded, but I’m dressed like this so your little sister would come tonight. You asked me to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t hide in her room, and this is what it took.”

Colt shook his head and clapped him on the shoulder. “Okay, I’m not even going to ask. But thanks. You’re the best.”

“It’s nothing.”

Colt looked him in the eye. “Actually, no. It means a lot to me.”

The striking redheaded bridesmaid, Christine, leveled a single scorching look at Tyler from across the room. He didn’t know what the deal was between those two, but clearly there was one. Logan drank up, saluted Colt and the remaining groomsmen with his empty glass, then took his two flutes of champagne and headed back to Sophie, thankful for the comparative simplicity of his mission. Keep her engaged and entertained. Make sure she had fun.

No scorching looks allowed.

…

“How did I let you talk me into this?” Not quite sure why she uttered the question aloud, Sophie handed Logan his card key and then sipped her glass of champagne and tried not to melt into a puddle from the sheer proximity of his body next to hers.

When he’d left her to go to the bar where Colt and the other groomsmen were gathered, she figured he’d forfeited his room key for a clean escape—sort of like a wolf gnawing off his foot to free himself from a trap. She never dreamed he’d be back, or that he’d bypass the seat on the opposite side of the table and slide in beside her instead.

“What?” He brought his mouth closer to her ear to be heard over the din of conversation flowing around them. Her temperature rose another billion degrees. “How did I talk you into going casual tonight? Easy. You wanted to come.”

Boy, did she. But he meant to say she wanted to attend, and honesty forced her to set him straight.

“No.” She sipped again, enjoying the way the champagne bubbles threw a party at the back of her throat. “Before you showed up in the lobby I fully intended to go to my room, order room service, and spend some time working.”

“That’s maybe what you intended to do, but that’s not what you wanted to do.”

His warm breath tickled her ear and every erogenous zone in her body sat up and begged for the same treatment. Unconsciously, she scooted a little closer to the wall, and then bit back a moan because shifting around only intensified the distracting pressure between her thighs. She glanced at him and hoped he couldn’t tell how turned on she was, just from sitting beside him. “It’s not?”

He smiled, and a groove appeared at the corner of his mouth. Her tongue tingled with an urge to trace the tempting little bracket.