BLACK CRIMSON (Fairy Tale Quartet #4)

4. Brick

4

Brick

Well, here I was.

Unfortunately.

I was now the type of man who attended wedding parties.

Wasn’t that just...great?

Once upon a time, between the ages of, oh, eight to fourteen, I hadn’t given a f**k about much of anything. Especially wedding parties.

Rules? Break them.

Authority? Ignore it.

School? Skip that s**t.

I, no doubt, had been headed toward a hard life full of crime and dark dead ends, but it was all good. Since I didn’t care. Right?

Until this blond-headed girl came into my world and smashed that lifestyle all to hell.

The only thing she had to do was bat her long lashes and look at me with those innocent blue eyes, then call me big brother, and I was a complete goner. Suddenly, I started caring about all kinds of worthless things I’d never cared about before, like protecting other people, wanting to keep them happy and healthy, and straightening out my own life in order to be a better person for her.

And now, I was practically a domesticated, distinguished pillar of the community.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t quite that dull. I still liked fast cars, faster women, and breaking the occasional law when no one was looking, but I had to say I’d polished myself up over the years to look shiny and squeaky-clean enough to fool the average public.

Yet, I found myself missing those few seasons of youthful delinquent bliss as I opened the door and stepped into my brother’s apartment, where his wedding reception was in full swing. I could’ve skipped this entire headache of a night and not felt an ounce of regret about doing so if I’d just been my old, douchebag self.

But sadly, I loved my brother and his new wife, plus my little stepsister who’d put tonight’s event together, far too much to bow out of such a nauseating affair. They were the only three people on the planet I truly liked, so it had felt like they’d teamed up on me and forced my hand to get me here.

And so here I was.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like parties. Truth be told, I loved social gatherings, landing women I’d never met before, drinking, dancing, mingling. This was, in fact, my jam. I think it was pretty much merely the reason for tonight’s celebration that made my collar feel so suddenly itchy. Hell, I wasn’t even wearing a collar, yet I found myself reaching up to the neckline of the Henley I wore to give it another tug, hoping to score myself more breathing room.

Honestly, though… Why people wanted to doom themselves to one partner for the rest of their lives, I’d never understand. To each their own, I guess. But then, why irritate us sane people by forcing us to congregate with them and wish them congratulations for their doomed futures?

It set off my gag reflex.

I glanced around at all the other people who’d arrived before me. They were smiling and laughing and didn’t seem to mind that my brother had just limited himself to one p***y for the rest of his miserable life.

Not a single person was giving off the sorry-man-sucks-to-be-you vibe at all.

I guess that’s why I was here.

“Brick!” a familiar voice to my left called, greeting me. “You made it.”

I turned to see Gabby approaching. She wore a seductively snug number that accentuated her curves, and one-half of her dark hair had been pulled up while the other half flowed down over her shoulder with a teasing kind of promise.

Drawing in a deep breath, I decided that if Hayden was going to settle for one woman, he’d at least chosen well. Gabriella was as hot as hell, and I genuinely liked her, you know, personality-wise, which should probably matter if you were going to make a long-term commitment to someone. Ergo, that’s why she’d managed to get onto my top three list.

I still thought she and my brother were insane for running off and eloping, though. He’d had the same example of wedded un-bliss that I’d had growing up, watching our mother go through husbands like a praying mantis who bit off her partners’ heads after s*x.

Seriously, what in the hell had Hayden been thinking?

But I sent my new sister-in-law a big grin, anyway, hoping he didn’t f**k this marriage up, and I opened my arms to tug Gabby in close for a hug when she reached me.

“Of course,” I said, kissing her cheek as she pulled away afterward. “Like I’d pass up the opportunity to openly flirt with my brother’s new wife on his big night.”

She laughed and glanced around me. “Oh, I’m sure your date wouldn’t like you to—wait. No date? You really didn’t bring anyone with you tonight? That’s surprising.”

I shrugged lazily. “I’m on sabbatical.”

Brows lifting in question, she said, “From women?”

“Mmm,” I answered noncommittally as I took the wineglass from her hand that she’d been holding, and I began to drink from it myself, scanning the room as I did and wondering who I needed to avoid.

As my gaze settled back on Gabby, I found her watching me curiously, her mouth tightened in amusement. “And how’s that going?” she asked. “Staying away from women?”

“Oh...” I didn’t see a reason why I should lie, so I gave a heavy sigh. “Not all that great, actually. It always starts with an innocent smile, you see. Just when I think I’m going to take a break from my carousing ways for a while, I accidentally make eye contact with a woman. Well, I naturally just smile at her, right, and when she smiles back…” I gave a helpless lift of my shoulders, which made Gabby shake her head and laugh.

“When she smiles back, you feel the need to stick your p***s in her, huh?”

Grinning, I shook my finger. “No, you dirty-minded girl. Wow. No wonder why Hayden wanted you all for himself. I was going to say, I feel the need to nod in acknowledgement. That’s all. It’s rude to ignore someone who smiles at you. And I may be a lot of things, but rude isn’t one of them.”

“Oh, of course not,” Gabby said dryly.

Ignoring her sarcasm, I went on. “For some reason, they always take my nod as some kind of invitation to approach.”

“And it has nothing to do with the way you smiled and nodded, either, I’m sure.”

“And,” I went on, talking over her. “I’m always game for a rousing round of conversation. But the next thing I know, their hands are down my pants, and I’m being invited back to their place to put my tongue to better use than mere talking.”

“To which there’s no way you could possibly decline,” Gabby continued for me. “Because that would just be rude.”

“Hey, now you’re catching on,” I congratulated with an approving nod. “But seriously, do you know how much guts it takes to come on to someone so boldly? I mean, who am I to tear down a woman’s self-esteem by telling her no?”

“Wow. You’re just a paragon of masculine virtue, aren’t you?”

I solemnly pressed a hand to my heart. “I am. So now do you see why I’m constantly falling off the wagon of my self-imposed s****l sobriety? It’s because I’m a giver. I care about preserving the confidence of every woman who crosses my path.”

“Ah.” Folding her arms over her chest as she continued to listen to me, Gabby muttered, “How selfless of you.”

“Right?” I agreed, glad she finally got me. “Which means I’m basically guaranteed to land someone I meet tonight. So you might as well just point out all the single friends you don’t much like to me right now because I can pretty much promise whoever I take home is going to avoid you for quite a while after all the dirty-dirty things your new brother-in-law does to her. Hell, she might never be able to look you in the eye again.”

Gabby arched a pointed eyebrow. “But I happen to like all my friends,” she said. “Which is kind of why they’re my friends.”

“Really?” I wrinkled my nose. “Odd.”

“Isn’t it, though.” Reaching for my arm, she continued. “Now, come. Greet your brother with me. We had a bet going over whether you’d actually show or not.”

I sent her a startled glance as I let her draw me along. “You didn’t think I’d show? Ouch.”

But damn, was I that obvious? How boring.

“Not me.” With a roll of her eyes, she answered, “He didn’t?”

“Ah.” Well, that made more sense. Hayden probably knew me better than anyone.

But seriously, where the hell else did he think I’d be? I’d walk through fire for my brother. Attending one stupid party was basically nothing.

As if reading my prickled feelings from my expression, Gabby lifted an awkward hand and tried to explain. “It’s just that you don’t do the whole love, commitment, or relationship thing.”

“So?” I asked, frowning slightly because they weren’t supposed to know how miserable these kinds of parties made me.

“So you probably don’t even know what monogamy means,” she teased.

“Of course, I do,” I countered easily. “It’s a type of timber.”

Pausing, she turned to blink at me as if attempting to ascertain if I was joking or not.

I winked and leaned closer to whisper, “I know all about hardwood.”

“Oh Lord,” she groaned and tightened her grip on my arm. “Come on. Hayden’s over here.”

I once again started to follow her until a flash of red through the crowd stalled me.

Slowing to a stop, I accidentally jerked Gabby to a halt next to me.

“Brick?” she asked, concern lacing her tone. “What’s wrong?”

Blinking, I took in the woman who finally stepped into view from between a few people. Her dress was pure black and short with a flared skirt, revealing slim, pale legs that ended with—

I glanced at her shoes, expecting the typical high heels, but this curvy being surprised me with black Mary Janes.

Hmm. I always enjoyed a good surprise.

Wondering what other mysterious delights she had tucked away, I noticed a tattoo on her ankle. I was too far away to see what the design was, but that was fine. I already planned on making a much closer inspection of it before the night was over. Maybe even tasting it if I played my cards right.

Her hair was gingersnap red, which was what had caught my attention in the first place, and I found myself holding my breath eagerly as she turned so I could get a look at her face.

I released it just as quickly, because f**k. With her lips painted bright red, her nose pierced with a gold hoop, and her cheeks mottled with a perpetual case of freckles, she looked absolutely delicious.

But most importantly, she looked familiar.

I pointed, demanding, “Who’s that?”

Next to me, Gabby turned curiously. “Who?”

“The redhead,” I said. “Short black dress. Bright lipstick. Plate full of food.” And she was currently lifting some kind of appetizer to those sinfully red lips right now.

Lust thickened in my veins when the snack disappeared between her teeth, and she began to chew. Damn, but I really wanted to slide something else between those scarlet lips.

“You mean Camille?” The surprise in Gabby’s voice had me turning to her.

“Camille?” My own voice deepened when I repeated the name. Probably because I was already imagining myself sinking inside her while I said it. Yep. I nodded, making up my mind. “I want one.”

Gabby blurted out an incredulous laugh, and then she uttered the ugliest word I think I’d ever heard her say before. She actually had the gall to tell me, “No.”

“What?” Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I nudged her arm and grinned encouragingly. “Come on, sis.” Keeping it playful, I coaxed, “Be a sport and wing-woman me here. I just want to rub my d**k around inside her v****a for a couple of minutes.” Then I glanced at the subject in question and revised, “A full night, tops.”

But as I was looking at her, she lifted another finger food to her wickedly tender mouth and someone bumped into her, making her drop it. She scowled at the back of her transgressor, only to scan the floor, looking for her fallen morsel. Then she turned until her back was to us before she found it.

After that, she did the unthinkable; she bent over to retrieve it, making the skirt of her short black dress ride up and expose the backs of creamy pale thighs while the skirt’s cloth flattened around her perfect curves, displaying an ass that my hands really, really, and I mean really needed to grip.

I swallowed convulsively and grabbed Gabby’s wrist to restrain myself as I added, “And maybe during breakfast the next morning.”

“Brick,” Gabby started, her voice full of warning.

I held up a hand, stalling her from verbalizing that dreaded N-word again. I mean, no had such a nasty ring to it.

“She’ll enjoy it, too, I swear,” I said, keeping my palm lifted in solemn promise.

Gabby rolled her eyes, and I could tell she was nowhere near retracting her initial refusal. So I guessed, “She already taken?”

Except the way Camille was standing there by herself at the edge of the crowd screamed lonely. Her yearning for some conversation and attention was practically bawling its way from her pores. She didn’t look like she was already taken.

She looked like she needed someone there, absorbing all her attention.

And here I was, literally straining in my jeans to give her exactly that. And more. So why the f**k was Gabby yanking my leash back?

I sent my sister-in-law a pointed glance and lifted my eyebrows.

“She, er…” Stalling because she obviously couldn’t tell me her redheaded friend was already involved with someone else, I set my jaw, not amused.

“So she’s completely available,” I surmised slowly. “And you’re still telling me no because…why?”

“Because…” She didn’t have a ready answer, which intrigued me. If there was a legitimate reason to steer clear of Camille in the short black dress, Gabby would already be spilling out the details.

She looked a little too relieved when another voice cried, “Brick!” diverting us from discussing the subject further.

I turned and smiled, genuinely pleased to spot a familiar blonde hurrying over.

“Kaity,” I murmured affectionately as I engulfed my baby stepsister into a big hug when she opened her arms and plowed into my chest.

Briefly resting my cheek on the top of her head and inhaling the scent of her shampoo, I sighed, refreshed. That was the thing about Kaitlynn. She was a beacon of brightness. The kid just made me smile and feel a little warmer and cozier whenever she was around.

“Thank God you’re here,” I told her, pulling back to send her a pouty face. “Gabby’s being mean to me.”

Turning to blink at the new bride, Kaitlynn said, “She is?”

Beside us, Gabby sighed and rolled her eyes. “I told him to stay away from Camille, that’s all.”

“Camy?” Kaitlynn repeated in surprise, apparently also a friend of the redhead as she whirled back to gape at me.

But Camy, huh? I couldn’t decide which version I liked better. Camy or Camille? They both hit different spots of appreciation on my radar: one more of a sexy vixen who already knew her way around a bedroom, the other an innocent but curious-to-explore girl who just needed the proper despoiler at her beck and call.

That was it; I’d just have to take her twice. Once as Camy. Once as Camille.

“Why didn’t you just bring a date with you?” Kaitlynn asked me, glancing around with a frown. “I distinctly remember being dragged to a party with you not so long ago because, to quote you, showing up alone would ruin your lecherous reputation.”

“But look how that night ended for you,” I argued. “You now have yourself a clingy-ass boyfriend who—”

“Who makes me insanely happy and completes my life in a way no one ever has,” she cut in to finish for me as she rolled her eyes. “Yes. It’s simply awful.”

I shuddered and made a face. “Sounds like it. So…about this redhead…” I went on, turning back to observe Camy-Camille some more.

“Oh!” Kaitlynn seemed surprised by my continued interest. Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head. “No,” she told me. “I gotta side with Gabby on this one. I don’t think that’s a good idea, either.”

I spread my hands in surprise. “Really?”

What the hell? Both Gabby and Kaitlynn were going to deny me dessert? This could not be tolerated.

When I widened my eyes at Kaity, she winced. “Sorry. I just...no. You should look elsewhere. Ooh, hey. What about Gabby’s third cousin, Selena? She’s freaking beautiful.”

Gabby snapped her fingers and pointed in excitement. “Yes! Selena would be perfect. She loves a good steamy fling.”

Except now I couldn’t look anywhere but at the enticing redhead because, hello, I’d just been told no. Twice. Which made Miss Camy-Camille suddenly the most fascinating woman in the room.

Shrugging, I said, “I mean, thanks for trying to feed me and all, guys. Means a lot. But I typically prefer to choose my own meals, sorry.” I patted both their backs simultaneously in gratitude before I added, “Now… What’s wrong with Red? She a b***h or something?”

“What? No!” Kaitlynn snapped hotly, scowling at me for even suggesting such a thing. “She is most definitely not a b***h. Camy’s one of the funniest, bubbliest, nicest people you could ever meet.”

I wrinkled my nose. That characterization sounded a tad bit overdramatized to me. But I could look past such positive qualities.

For one night, anyway.

Glancing pointedly at Kaitlynn, I said, “And you don’t think that would jive with me because…why, again?”

When she floundered for an answer, Gabby stepped in.

“She’s big into romance novels.” Lifting her eyebrows meaningfully, she added, “And you know what that means, don’t you?”

“It means…she likes s*x?” I guessed optimistically because there was a lot of s*x in those kinds of books, weren’t there?

Well, great. I liked s*x too. Loved it, in fact. Ergo, we should get along splendidly.

“She likes romance, you buffoon,” Kaitlynn explained with an impatient sigh. “She put together the book club Gabby and I are in.”

I lifted a curious brow. “You two are in a book club together?” I hadn’t realized they’d even known each other before Gabs and Hayden had hooked up.

Huh. Strange.

“And from the list of books Camy wants us to read,” Kaitlynn went on as if I hadn’t even spoken. “She likes that happily-ever-after, forever kind of romance too. Not the one-night-in-Brick’s-bed type. She wants to fall in love and get married and spend the rest of her life with one special person. So...” Crossing her arms over her chest, she sent me an arch look. “Are you looking for that? For permanence? For commitment? For love?”

“Eww. Hey.” I grimaced and held up both hands, turning my face slightly to the side and away from her as if she’d just screamed at me. “Watch it. My ears are way too sensitive for such filthy language.”

Both sisters laughed as if they knew a secret to life that I wasn’t privy to, and they shook their heads, sighing as if I were some kind of lost cause.

“I rest my case,” Kaitlynn shot back smugly. “Camille’s not your type.”

I snorted, only to see red movement from the corner of my eye. Turning, I found someone else approaching Camy-Camille. Some douchebag I actually knew.

“So it’s going to be Dan from accounting, then?” I asked, lifting my brows in censure as I glanced between Gabby and Kaitlynn, who didn’t seem to be rushing over to shoo him away from their precious, bubbly, nice friend. “What the hell, guys? He wants to f**k her, too, you know?”

And Dan was an asshole. At least I wasn’t an asshole.

Typically.

“But Dan would actually be willing to take her on a date first,” Kaitlynn countered, not seeming to care if her very good friend ended up with an asshole, just as long as he followed the proper protocol before screwing her over. Jesus.

Still... The vile word dating grated on my nerves. I gnashed my teeth and gave a visible shudder from just hearing it. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

“Gah!” I lifted my hand, blocking her, and shied away. “You need to wash your dirty mouth out with soap.” I huffed and shook my head in disappointment. “Really.”

“He’d probably even be willing to begin a long-term relationship with her,” she went on, taunting me further.

I hissed, feeling like a vampire who was being threatened with sunlight.

Her eyebrows lifted as she went in for the kill. “Why, I bet he’d even put a ring on it if they suited just right.”

Damn.

Okay, I was out.

“Fine.” I threw up my hands in surrender. “You win. I’ll back off.” Then I narrowed my eyes and included Gabby in the glare. “But I want to make it very clear just how much you two suck right now. You suck. Got it? My d**k is very unhappy with both of you.”

They exchanged a glance with each other and then smirked as if sharing a victory.

I groaned, hating this. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” I announced, thrusting Gabby’s now-empty wineglass at her. “I’m going to go wash away all those nasty words you just spat at me.”

And I abandoned the two women to find the bar.

I’d say hi to my brother later, after I had drunk the image of the redhead wearing a nose ring out of my mind with a hefty dose of vodka.