“So what’s the plan for the men tonight?” I ask, stepping back reluctantly to finish getting ready.
“You’ll have to ask Egret, Brendin, and Saren about that,” Matheo says, his expression shifting slightly. “They organized something good for the bachelor party, according to them, but wouldn’t give the rest of us any details. Probably involves expensive liquor and questionable decisions.”
I pause while applying my lipstick. “Please tell me you won’t do anything that will get you all arrested.”
“I think we’ll manage okay.” He gives me a pointed look. “Though I can’t promise there won’t be fireworks if I’m too many drinks in and they go back to grilling us about you.”
I reach up to straighten his tie. “Tonight is aboutcelebrating their last night of bachelorhood. I doubt they’ll be thinking about me at all while they’re downing shots and celebrating traditional masculinity.”
Matheo’s expression suggests he disagrees, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he pulls me close for another kiss, this one deeper and more possessive. “Is that what the ladies have planned? Heavy drinking and self-congratulations?”
“No idea,” I admit. “Brendin’s cousin really wanted to plan the bachelorette and strong-armed Josie into letting her. Honestly, I was just happy to have something taken off my plate. I am hoping it isn’t some sleazy place with male strippers or cock magic.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “You think there might be strippers where you’re going tonight?”
“Would you be jealous?” I ask playfully when we break apart.
“Of course I’d be jealous,” he says without hesitation. “But don’t let that stop you from having fun.”
The easy honesty in his answer catches me off guard. No possessive demands or attempts to control what I do. Just honest jealousy tempered by respect for my autonomy.
It’s so different from what I would expect from a typical alpha. No sulking, passive-aggressive comments, or outright and ridiculous demands that I pretend no other men in the world even exist.
“What about you?” I counter. “Do you think there’ll be strippers at the bachelor party?”
“God, I hope not,” Matheo laughs. “That would make an already awkward evening infinitely worse.”
“Now I’m curious about what Egret has planned.”
“Probably something designed to show off,” Matheo mutters. “But like I said, we’ll be fine.”
I’m more than a little worried about how tonightwill go. The knowledge of Josie’s pregnancy has put an entirely different spin on all this. Egret, Brendin, and Saren’s invasive interest in my pack makes even less sense now. They shouldn’t have any bandwidth to worry about what’s going on with me.
Unless there is even more to this story than I know.
My phone buzzes on the dresser. A text from Josie.
JosieGrossie: Car’s here! time to party
“That’s my cue,” I say, grabbing my purse. “Try not to let the boys get into too much trouble tonight.”
“No promises,” Matheo grins, walking me to the door. “But we’ll try to bring them all back in one piece.”
As I reach for the door handle, he catches my wrist gently.
“Trinity?”
“Yeah?”
“Have fun tonight. Real fun. Not the kind where you worry about everyone else and forget to enjoy yourself.”
The unexpected tenderness in his voice makes my throat tight. “I will.”
“Good,” he says, pressing one last kiss to my forehead. “Because you deserve it.”
I leave the suite with his words echoing in my mind, a warm feeling spreading through my chest that has nothing to do with the tropical climate. Whatever happens tonight, whatever chaos Egret and his pack might try to cause, I have something worth coming home to.
Even if it’s only temporary.
