Rex (20 page)

“Okay.” She skirts around me but stops. “I think we should get back. This is Olivia’s big night, after all.”

“Right,” I agree, following her to the room, catching Olivia and Hunter in a heated embrace. Similar to one I could be enjoying if I hadn’t acted like such an asshole. I cough loudly, interrupting their floor show, Olivia’s face turning a bright red.

“So, who’s hungry?” Hunter asks, pinching Olivia’s ass then rubbing his hands together.

I can’t get over the change in my brother and I don’t know what to make of it. I’m not even sure why I’m trying to analyze it. He’s happy. It’s really that simple.

For him.

But then again, he doesn’t carry around the same shitty baggage that I do.

Two waiters clad in tuxedos walk in carrying silver trays. They make their way over to the round table and set them down beside it. Vanessa and I look at each other quizzically when we see the burgers and fries, while Olivia starts laughing.

“I thought we were having prime rib? What the fuck is up with the burgers?”

Hunter and Vanessa join in, and it appears I’m the only one who doesn’t think this is funny. I can get a freaking burger any day of the week.

“They’re Olivia’s favorite,” Hunter elaborates, scooting her chair closer to his side. “I hope you like apple pie, too.”

“All right, there’s obviously some little private joke I’m missing out on and that’s fine. I’ll admit these burgers look amazing. Come on, Blondie. Let’s dig in.” I hold her chair out for her and she sits, but I still feel a cold wind blowing from her direction. Moving closer, I put my hand on her arm until I get her attention, those pale blue eyes cutting right through me. “I meant what I said. I really am sorry.”

“I know.” She gives me a half-smile and I take it as an opening to place a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“You know it’s impossible to stay mad at me.” I point a finger toward my cheek. “This face, it’s irresistible, isn’t it?” She shakes her head but she’s smiling now. I just might be forgiven.

There’s a lot of talking during dinner, but me, I’m doing most of the listening. Hunter has decided to tell stories of when we were kids. Most, I’d like to forget. Although, there are some good ones, like the fishing one he’s telling now.

“We were out in this little fishing boat that our dad had. It was nothing to write home about, but it was lived in, you know? I remember seeing Dad sitting out on the dock, just watching us. He was smoking these cigars that he only ever smoked when he sat out on the dock. Remember that, Rex?” he says, and I nod in acknowledgement, a pang hitting my stomach thinking about him and those darn cigars.

“Anyway, nothing was happening, the water seemed pretty quiet, until all of a sudden something grabbed hold of Rex’s line, and instead of Rex reeling it in, it was more like the fish was reeling Rex. He was such a lightweight and the fish was so heavy, I had to hold him down so he didn’t go overboard. But we did get the fish, and boy was he a beauty.”

“Aww,” Olivia and Vanessa say together. Vanessa tilts her head sideways, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. I want those lips. She has the sexiest fucking mouth I’ve ever seen.

“Yeah, but who’s the lightweight now, tough guy?” I lean back in the chair and lace my hands together above my head, the muscles in my biceps flexing.

“You got me there, little brother. Unfortunately, I don’t do that much working out in the boardroom. But I have much better ways now.” He throws Olivia a devilish grin, practically eating her up with his eyes alone.

“Okay, then.” I spin around to Vanessa. “You want to dance with me, Blondie?”

“Sure.”

I take her hand in mine, helping her up. Her skin is soft and pliable, molding perfectly to my own. We reach the middle of the room and the song changes, her demeanor shifting right along with it. “What is it?” I ask, my thumb doing a continuous stroke over her knuckles as the words to Gavin DeGraw’s “Chariot” play softly in the background.

Her eyes glaze over, a wistful haze clouding them. “I used to sit in my room and listen to music just like this over and over when my parents were arguing. It took me to another place. A happier place. I felt hopeless a lot of times when I was growing up, but music,” she shrugs, “always gave me hope. I know that probably sounds weird.”

“Come here.” I gather her up and press our bodies together, my arms wrapped around her waist, hers settling around my neck. “I don’t think it sounds weird at all.” I catch her eyes, now seeing a small piece of that lost girl from the first day in the shop. “Hope comes in all different forms. Sometimes,” I tilt my head to the side, my voice growing quieter, “when I look at
you
… I see hope.”

Her gaze fogs, eyes widening then narrowing, mouth slowly tipping up into a smile. “Rex Grayson. That has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Yeah, well,” I counter, “don’t get too used to it. That’s about as far as I go in the sappy department.”

“A bit of a stretch, huh?” she jokes, playing with the hair at the base of my neck, tingles working their way through every part of me.

“Speaking of stretching, how ’bout you stretch those lips a bit closer and kiss me?”

She smiles as if she likes the idea, moistening her lips with her tongue, my eyes dropping to her mouth as she does. Her long, golden lashes fall against her cheeks just before her breath skips across my skin. I fall prey to her, drugged by her presence, her lips on mine, fingers tickling my flesh, the scent of raspberry everywhere around us. Our tongues scrape against one another, fiery and hot, seeking and giving.

I ease out of her mouth, practically panting because of my desire for her. “I want you so much,” I murmur, resting my forehead on hers, my breathing rapid. The rise of her chest against mine telling me she feels the same. “Can we get out of here?”

“Are you insane?” She laughs, the sound light all around me. “He hasn’t even—…,” she backs away, spying on Hunter and Olivia, saying in a hush, “proposed yet.”

“Well I wish he would hurry the hell up. I’ve got needs.”

Vanessa snorts, making me chuckle and drawing the attention of Olivia on the other side of the room.

“What’s so funny, V?” she calls out from across the table.

“Rex has jokes, that’s what’s so funny.” She slaps me on the shoulder and I’m wondering why I’m getting turned on from hearing her sound like a pig. Is there
anything
about her that doesn’t turn me on?

“You guys ready for dessert?” Hunter yells over to us and my response is immediate.

“Hell yes.” But there’s only one person I’m looking at when I say the words, and it earns me another slap from the object of my desire.

“Let’s go.” Vanessa tugs on my hand, pulling me back over to the table.

“I think that chair is too small for you. Why don’t you sit on my lap?” I offer, wiggling my brows, grabbing my dick through my pants.

“
You
are relentless,” she comes back with, and she may be shooing me away with her hand, but the glimmer in her eye tells me something entirely different.

The waiters return again, filling everyone’s glasses with champagne and bringing out a dessert tray. I have to wonder what Hunter is doing. Dinner is nearly over and he hasn’t made a move yet. But I’m starting to see a thin layer of sweat on his forehead so it must be almost showtime.

“You okay, bro?” I ask, and Olivia looks over at him as well.

She raises a hand to his temple. “You’re sweating, babe. You feeling all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, sweetheart. It’s just a bit warm in here.” He fingers his collar, attempting to distract Olivia and probably trying to catch his breath. I honestly never thought I’d see the day my brother would be getting engaged. This is one for the books.

Puzzled, Olivia looks over at Hunter once the desserts are set down on our plates. “Parfaits? No apple pie?”

“They were all out. So this was the next best thing. It looks delicious, doesn’t it?” His voice is beginning to crack, and that’s when I finally figure out what’s going on.

“Yes, it does.” She smiles at him before picking up her spoon and diving in to the parfait. Not more than two seconds later, her spoon falls against her plate with a clatter. “There’s something in my strawberry….” she mumbles as she shakes her head back and forth in disbelief, cheeks red, eyes filling with tears.

Her jaw drops to the floor and hangs there, hands shaking as she tries to steady them enough to pluck the ring from the strawberry. Meanwhile, Hunter is already on his knees beside her and I think I even hear Vanessa sniffling.

I’m not cut out for this shit.

“Sweetheart,” he whispers, and she’s already gone, tears rolling down her cheeks, staring at the ring in her hand. “Sweetheart, look at me.” He tilts her chin, smiling up at her. I sigh and roll my eyes, wondering what we’re doing here. This is a pretty private moment.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful for a train ride in all my life. And I don’t know if it was the moment I first spotted you in the station, or the moment I spotted you in the café after looking for you for so long, not knowing whether I’d ever see you again. My heart spoke to me in a voice that was so loud it was impossible to ignore. My lungs filled with air for the first time because you breathed life into me, Olivia. You made me want things, and up until the time I met you, I didn’t want very much. But now I want everything… and I want it with you. Every part of me—my mind, my heart, my body, my soul—belongs to you. You keep them safe. You look after them, and I want to do the same for you. I promise you that I will treasure every part of you with everything that I have, everything that I am. I love you, Olivia Redmond, and I want you to marry me, to be my wife forever and always.”

I glance over at Vanessa, a single tear escaping down her skin, and she quickly pats it away. She breaks from her trance, a bittersweet smile trapped between her lips, but something seems off. The expression on her face is not a happy one. It tugs at me, and I guess I’m getting sucked into the moment too, because I place my hand on top of hers, threading our fingers together.

This is the last time I’m attending one of these things. It’s fucking with my head.

We’re both silent as Olivia’s tears continue to fall, and now even Hunter looks weepy, waiting on her expectantly, as if his entire life hangs in the balance. I suppose for him, it does. That’s how much he loves her. For a second, I wonder what that’s like. And for an even longer time, I let my eyes drift to the girl sitting beside me, but quickly snap them away when she catches me staring.

“Yes, Hunter. There’s nothing I want more than to marry you,” Olivia manages to say through a neverending stream of tears. Hunter wastes no time, grabbing her, swinging her around before they kiss to seal the promises they just made to one another.

“Good.” I sit forward in my chair. “Now that that’s over, can we go?” And Vanessa glares at me before I get pelted one more time for that comment. I give her the stink eye right back. “Hey, you’re three for three. Watch it.”

She jumps up from her chair, rounding the table to hug Olivia once Hunter finally lets go of her. “I’m so happy for you, Liv. You deserve this and I love you so much.”

Olivia pulls away with a twinkle in her eyes, holding Vanessa at arm’s length, assessing her. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?” Then she points a finger at me. “And you too.”

“Maybe,” Vanessa and I say in unison before we start laughing.

Hunter comes around to me and I stand up, gripping him in a hug. “Congrats, bro. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks, Rex. And just so you know, I’m giving you advanced warning. I want you to be my best man.”

I pat him on the back a few more times as I let his words sink in, my stomach sinking right along with them. “But, Hunter, you know I’m—”

“There are no buts.” He breaks our embrace, determination in his gaze. “You’re my brother and I love you. It’s that simple. And I know we disagree on a lot of things, but this isn’t something I’m going to take no for an answer on. So don’t fight me on it,
okay
?”

“Okay,” I reply, resigned, knowing he’s right.

The walls begin closing in on me, the lump in my throat growing, making it difficult to breathe. I need air desperately. “I’m gonna get some air. I’ll be back.” I don’t wait for a response. Instead, I head in the direction of whichever door will get me outside the fastest.

I push through the crowd waiting to get in, finally making it outside and releasing a huge breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Bending over, hands on my knees, I let out a couple more slow breaths. That’s when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

“You okay, Rex?” Vanessa’s sweet voice fills my ears, her warmth instantly surrounding me.

I get to my feet, my hands fisted at my hips. “Yeah.” I shrug, looking down at the ground, kicking a piece of loose concrete. “This shit is hard for me. I just don’t do well with it, you know?”

“Yeah, I do know,” she says, and when my eyes climb to hers, I can see that she does. Somehow, she understands. She gets me. Even as fucked up as I am.

Pinching the fabric of her dress, I draw her closer. “Come home with me,” I say against her lips. “Will you?” I ask the question, my stomach cinched with nerves as I wait for her answer.

“Yeah. I’d like that,” she replies in a soft breath, and for some reason my heart knocks against my chest knowing she wants to be with me. Even if it’s only temporary.

“I want to go in and say goodbye first, though. Come on.” She reaches between us and threads her fingers through mine, leading me back inside.

I might just follow her anywhere.

“Congratulations, again.” She gives Hunter a hug before moving on to Olivia. “Call me tomorrow, okay, Liv. And enjoy the rest of your night celebrating,” she says, as they exchange a mischievous wink.

“So, I guess you’re gonna be stuck with my brother for life,” I tease, embracing Olivia.

“Yup,” she grins, “and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She looks lovingly at Hunter and he returns her expression tenfold.

“All right, man, I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”