The Best Man (Alpha Men 2)

“You’d better not be thinking about driving home. Nobody leaves until I get back downstairs. We’ll organize an Uber.”

“Lia’s fine to drive, she can take me home,” Daff said.

“I don’t know if—”

“Nobody leaves,” he reiterated sternly, interrupting Lia, and Daff cast her eyes heavenward, seeking patience from a higher source.

“Yes, sir,” she snapped with what she thought was a credible salute, and Mason snorted.

“Get Daisy to teach you a proper salute sometime,” he advised before heading toward the staircase and carrying Daisy up to their loft.

Daff wondered how Spencer was after his night out on the town. Was he drunk? She didn’t think she’d ever seen Spencer drunk. Did he lose that quiet reserve when he got sauced? Or did he just get quieter? She was so tempted to take a walk over to his house just to appease her curiosity, but even in her slightly inebriated state, with her inhibitions down and her judgment somewhat impaired, she knew that was a terrible idea.

She sat down on the arm of the sofa, resigned to the fact that she and Lia would have to Uber home and dragged out her phone.

Are you drunk?

It took a few minutes for the reply to come through.

If ciurse

She lifted a hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh.

How novel.

Completely wasted? she prompted.

Ducking slaufhterd!$$!

“Who’re you texting?” Lia asked, and Daff jumped.

“Jesus, what the hell are you? Some kind of ninja?” Lia had managed to come up behind her and was totally reading her texts over her shoulder.

“That says the Dick! So you’re texting him, right?”

“Duh!”

“So what are you guys talking about? Friend stuff?”

“Oh my God! Go away . . . you’re being such an annoying little sister right now.”

“Well, I’m curious, you said you were going to be only friends from now on.”

“I know what I said, and I’m sending my friend a text!”

“At one in the morning? Do you send your other friends texts at one in the morning?” Lia asked, folding her arms over her chest, looking smug because she seemed to think she’d made her point.

“I never have reason to send them texts at one in the morning.”

“But you have reason to send him one, do you?”

“None of your business. Go sit over there and leave me alone, you obnoxious brat.”

“Ooh, defensive,” Lia said, sitting down on the chair closest to the sofa.

“Aargh!” Daff pointedly put her phone away and glared at Lia, but her younger sister just smiled back serenely.

“I’m just teasing, Sissy. You should keep texting him. You look happy when you’re communicating with him. You had this ridiculous grin on your face.”

Daff was about to respond when the sound of feminine giggling floated down from the loft. Mason’s muted voice muttered something they couldn’t hear, but Daisy’s drunk, slurry voice carried down to them clear as a bell.

“Just let me pet it a little! Please, Mason.”

Daff and Lia exchanged horrified looks. Mason spoke again, his voice low and urgent and unintelligible to them.

“Just a touch,” Daisy purred. “It wants to play. See?” They heard Mason’s low groan and Daff face-palmed—she would rather slice off her ears than hear this. Lia had her eyes closed and her lips were moving. Daff leaned a little closer. Was she praying?

“This can’t be happening!” That’s what Lia was saying. Just mumbling it over and over again.

“Let’s just leave,” Daff urged. “I can’t sit here and . . .”

They heard Mason’s heavy tread on the staircase and froze. He paused on the last step, looking a bit flushed and unable to meet their eyes. He hastened to stand behind one of the conveniently waist-high easy chairs.

“She gets a little . . . uh . . . affectionate after a few drinks,” he muttered awkwardly. “I’ll just send that Uber request and uh . . . yeah.”

“You’ve turned my sister into a total horn muffin,” Daff suddenly said, unable to resist.

“Daff!” Lia gasped, but Daff kept her eyes on Mason, who flushed even more. It was fun making the big, bad special-ops guy blush.

“She was a good girl before she met you, mister!” Daff continued, and Mason suddenly grinned.

“And now she’s a sexy woman. Hashtag no regrets.” He used air quotes as he said the last three words. It was kind of cute how he thought those two things would work together, and Daff choked back a laugh at the pithy response.

“I’m glad she’s marrying you,” Daff said. She had never completely forgiven Mason for his part in Spencer’s stupid wingman plan, and it had loomed between them since then. But she couldn’t deny that he made Daisy happy, and that had softened Daff’s attitude toward him. But she now recognized that she genuinely liked the guy. She hoped that her sincerity was apparent in her voice. Judging by the way he smiled, it was.

“Thanks. That means a lot.” Daff returned his smile. Happy that she and Mason could, once and for all, set aside the past and start anew.