Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Our group has split into three. Sophia and Efa are standing by the velvet rope, admiring Jules’ bracelet. Leo, Jack, and Byron are by the private bar, just a few feet away. I’m standing with Bennett and Fisher, where I’ve got a direct line of sight to Sophia. I didn’t deliberately arrange my sightline to have such an exquisite view, but my subconscious was all over it. I’m as mesmerized by her today as I’ve ever been. She flipped a switch in me as soon as we met, but now? And after last night? I’d do anything for her.
On the other side of the rope, a guy interrupts the girls and speaks to them. I narrow my eyes. I can’t quite tell if he’s asking them a question or making a pass or what. My phone buzzes and I take it out of my pocket.
It’s my sister.
“I have to get this,” I say to Bennett and Fisher. I step to the side, still facing Sophia. The guy is still talking to them, and they’ve all adopted blank expressions of disinterest. What the fuck does he want?
“Hey, Avril.”
“How’s my favorite big brother?” she asks.
My heart sinks. If Avril is being nice to me, there must be something seriously wrong.
“Busy. What’s going on?”
“You’re in Vegas, right? Poppy told me. And Vegas puts people in a good mood, right?”
“Just come out with it.”
“I’m going to lead with the positive.”
It must be really bad, but I stay quiet.
“I posted my own bail,” she says.
“What?” I hiss into the phone.
I step farther to the side, keeping Sophia in view. The guy outside the rope seems to be inching closer to them. Sophia looks a little bit uncomfortable, but not seriously. She’d just move if he was an issue, right? I’m not sure I know her well enough to have the answer to that question. I know all three women can handle themselves, but I don’t want them to have to. I look around and see if this guy is with anyone, but no one seems to be missing him. Why doesn’t he just fuck off?
“I’m kidding,” Avril says. “I haven’t been arrested. But I have been put on academic probation.”
“Academic probation?” I whisper-shout into the phone. “You’re smarter than your entire class put together. What the fuck is going on?”
The guy with eyes for Sophia leans farther toward her and she backs away a couple of steps.
“I thought Vegas was meant to put you in a good mood,” Avril whines.
“What kind of mood—” I cancel the call, as the guy the wrong side of the rope reaches across to Sophia and grabs her arm, trying to pull her back toward him.
How dare he even think he can touch her.
It takes me less than a second to reach her.
I step between them and tower over the guy, looking down at him, Sophia safely behind me. “Get. Your. Hands. Off. My. Wife.” I fist my hands as they itch to punch the shit out of this creep.
He steps back, wide-eyed, his palms facing me in surrender. “Woah, dude, you need to get her to wear a ring. I thought she was fair game.”
The comment makes me sick to my stomach. “Leave or get thrown out. Your choice.”
He rolls his eyes, tosses back his drink, and walks away.
I turn, and even though I can feel the stares of everyone in our group on me, I slide my hands up Sophia’s arms. “Are you okay?”
She nods. “I’m fine, really. You didn’t need to—”
“I know. But guys like that—” I suck in a breath through my teeth. “That kind of thing isn’t happening to you. Not on my watch. And now, it’s always my watch.” I press a kiss to her forehead.
And then reality seeps in.
Bennett clears his throat. Sophia turns, and I take a breath before looking up. He has his eyebrows raised. “Anything you want to tell us, Worth?”
Shit. This is just what Sophia and I didn’t want—attention to be taken from Leo and Jules.
“Sorry, guys. I just saw that guy grab at Sophia and I had to step in.”
“You want to rewind to the bit where you told him Sophia was your wife?” Leo asks.
Sophia lets out an anxious laugh from in front of me. “Yeah, Worth was just being protective, weren’t you?”
“You are a terrible liar, Sophia Jones. Did you marry Worth?” Jules asks.
Sophia lets out a manic laugh. “We only just met.”
I start to chuckle. “I think the jig is up, Sophia.”
She slumps in front of me. “We didn’t want to steal your thunder, so we didn’t mention what may or may not have happened last night at the New York Loves Vegas Chapel.”
Jules squeals. “Sophia! How could you have not told me the instant you—” She stops and turns to me. “And how long has this been—” Then she turns in a slow circle, pointing her finger at everyone in turn. “Am I the last to know?”