“Bliss! How are you even so full of energy, anyway? Aren’t you at least hungover?”
“I suppose I should be, but I’m too excited. My best friend married Conal Freaking Curran last night!”
Blinking my eyes, I pull the phone away from my ear, because my head can’t handle her enthusiasm. Why is she more excited than I am? And what’s it going to take for this to seem like it’s actually real?
“I’ll be up soon,” Bliss is telling me, but it barely registers, because Conal Freaking Curran, my new husband, has stepped into the doorway.
“Okay,” I mumble before I click off the call.
“Everything okay?” Conal asks.
When I nod, he starts toward me, and I swallow the lump that’s suddenly formed in my throat. Conal, still shirtless, is a lot. Conal, shirtless, next to me while I’m on a bed, is almost too much to handle.
“Are you feeling any better?” He sits down by my side and takes my hand, and my brain offers up more images from last night. He held my hand while we danced. He made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered.
I nod again. “I think the aspirin and toast are helping.”
He strokes his thumb over the back of my hand and I feel the effects of his touch in every cell in my body. “That’s good. I didn’t realize you had so muchto drink last night or I would have warned you to take it easy.”
I shrug. “It’s not my usual M.O.”
He gives me a warm smile. “It’s not every day that you graduate from college.”
I don’t remember telling him that I was celebrating my graduation last night, and even though it feels strange that he knows this about me, it also feels good. Odder still, this multi-platinum, award-winning musician sounds impressed by my small achievement.
“Since you don’t remember everything,” he says, still thrilling me with just the touch of his hand, “do you have any questions for me?”
Oh, where to start? I havesomany questions. Did I tell him I’m a virgin? Am I still a virgin? Why did he propose to me, and what’s the deal with his brothers?
As I’m quickly trying to rank my questions by order of importance, two things happen at once. There’s a loud pounding from somewhere else in the suite, and one of our phones chimes with a text.
Conal lets go of my hand to reach into his back pocket, then reads a message on his screen. “Apparently, your sister has arrived—with an entourage.”
CONAL
Hazel’s pretty lips form a small circle of surprise. She’s so fucking sexy, and she has no idea. Her auburn hair tumbles around her shoulders, and her green eyes are beautiful, even clouded with the pain of a hangover.
Barely taking my eyes off her mouth, I call Jack. “Send them up.”
When I click off, I scan the rest of Hazel’s gorgeous body. “Are you ready to see them?” She looks good to me, but I know women like to make themselves up and shit.
Hazel smooths a hand over her hair and shrugs. “May as well get it over with.”
I grab a shirt and pull it over my head, then take her hand and help her off the bed. “Is your sister mad?”If one of my brothers got married right after meeting someone, I’d be pissed, but that’s because the woman would likely have ulterior motives. Ignoring the irony of the situation, I lead Hazel out toward the entryway.
“Ember’s … concerned.” She’s clearly being diplomatic, and I decide that charm will be the best approach, especially if the sister’s a fan.
There’s a rap on the door as we approach, and I open it to find Jack and another security guard there along with a petite blonde woman surrounded by three big dudes. The guys have more ink among them than my brothers and me, which is to say, a lot. One of them looks familiar, but I can’t place him.
Hazel’s sister rushes in and hugs her for several seconds before pulling back to look her over. “Nice dress,” she says with a smirk.
Hazel’s cheeks turn rosy as she looks down at the wedding dress. It’s wrinkled in places, but still looks great on her.
Her sister picks up Hazel’s hand and checks out the jeweled band, but doesn’t say anything about it. Her focus shifts to me then, and her eyes widen with surprise. “You!”
Didn’t Hazel tell her sister who she married?
“Ember, this is Conal. Conal, this is my sister Ember,” Hazel says.
