by Vivian Wood
35
Five
Once she’d hit the bar for another gin and tonic, she decided that it was high time to find Abby. Some chaperone Charlotte was, running off to dance with handsome guys instead of protecting Abby from their inevitable advances. After ordering a drink for Abby, Charlotte spotted her at a table in the same far corner where she’d seen Finn heading…
Speak of the devil, Finn was actually sitting at a table with Abby, leaning in close to hear something she was saying. For some reason he’d donned a dark gray fedora, tipped at a stylish angle. Though Charlotte generally disliked hats on men, Finn managed to look even more dashing in it.
Charlotte looked around for Marleigh, the beautiful redhead that had caught Abby’s eye earlier, but didn’t see her anywhere. Charlotte headed for her cousin, feeling doubly bad that she hadn’t even been able to protect her from the one man Charlotte had flirted with all night. As Charlotte watched, Finn leaned close to Abby again and said something that made her chuckle and roll her eyes. The avid interest was plain on Finn’s face, and Charlotte groaned aloud.
Sucking in a deep breath, Charlotte decided that she was going to insert herself into the situation and lay the charm on thick. She saw a buxom blonde a few tables away, sitting on a handsome redheaded man’s lap. He was staring at the blonde in complete thrall, and Charlotte took a little inspiration from the other woman.
Arriving at Abby and Finn’s table, she gave them both a dazzling smile.
“There you both are,” Charlotte said, keeping her expression bright. “Abby, I got you a drink. I saw your friend Marleigh at the bar, she wanted you to come say hi.”
Sliding the drink across the table, Charlotte gave her cousin a heavy glance. Abby popped up and grabbed the drink with a grin.
“I’d better go say hi,” Abby said, escaping.
When Finn made to rise and follow, Charlotte set her drink down and skirted the table, putting her hand on his shoulder to keep him in place.
“And where are you going? I thought we could spend a little more time together,” Charlotte purred.
Finn’s eyes raked over her from head to toe, one brow rising. He bit his lip for a second, the movement so sensual as to almost be a come-on, and he gave her a considering smile. That dimple flashed in his cheek again, and Charlotte’s heart fluttered. Looking down at Finn, she couldn’t believe how much different their chemistry was now than it had been just a handful of minutes before.
Finn reached out and snagged her wrist, brushing his thumb over the sensitive skin there. His eyes glinted with something much darker than before. Though their contact was less now than it had been during their dance, something she saw in him now, some hunger, made her bold.
“I suppose a little more time is due…” Finn said. He looked up at her with an anticipatory gleam in his eyes, and Charlotte felt her body respond to him, tightening and heating.
Biting her lip to mimic his earlier expression, Charlotte wrapped one arm around his neck and slid down onto his lap. If Finn was the least bit surprised, he didn’t show it. Finn adjusted his position, pressing the roundness of her ass against his fully-alert cock for the barest moment. Charlotte blushed, but didn’t demur.
“So how did you meet my cousin?” Charlotte asked the first thing that came to mind, blushing harder at her lack of finesse.
“My mother put us together. We’re both journalists, so she thought we’d have something in common,” he said.
“Is that so? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a journalist. You seem more the grounded type,” Charlotte said, though now she was second-guessing herself.
“I get to travel the world and catch the best stories,” Finn said with a shrug. “I win awards, I make good money. There’s no downside really.”
A shadow flitted over his face at the last, but it was gone in an instant.
“I’m surprised you didn’t lead with that earlier,” Charlotte said, wondering at the fact that she’d had to guide the conversation before. Finn seemed much more relaxed now, in his element, and completely at ease with himself.
“I don’t want to bowl you over or anything,” he teased. His words were joking, but there was a definitive cockiness to them now. Charlotte furrowed her brow, confused.
“You said you lived a simple life, before,” she said slowly. Finn shrugged and gave her another closed-mouth smile, looking like nothing so much as a lion on the prowl. He tilted his head to the side, the warmth of his breath skittering over the exposed nape of her neck. Charlotte suppressed another shiver, now beginning to regret her decision to sit on Finn’s lap. She wasn’t that sort of girl, and this is what she got for her intrigues.
“Did I? I’m remarkably modest sometimes,” he said.
“It seems that way,” Charlotte replied, the words out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
“Yes, well. Being humble is pretty boring, if you ask me. I’d much rather prove myself interesting…” He paused, as if trying to remember her name.
“It’s Charlotte,” she snapped. Mortified, she used his shoulder to push herself up out of his lap. “I can’t believe you already forgot my name!”
“Charlotte…” he said, seeming to savor the word. He grabbed her wrist again, holding her captive before she could flee. “Charlotte, there’s something you don’t understand…”
“I’ll just bet there is, Finn Beran!” Charlotte wrenched her hand from his and spun on her heel, gasping as she smashed into a very angry… Finn?
“What the…” Charlotte looked at Finn, and then looked behind her. One was thunderously angry, the other seemed quite amused.
“Noah, for fuck’s sake!” Angry Finn shouted, drawing the attention of several onlookers. “What the hell have you done now?”
Abby appeared at Charlotte’s elbow, drawing her back a step.
“Noah?” Charlotte gaped.
“We’re twins,” Finn explained, looking downright apologetic.
“Oh!” was all Charlotte could manage. Finn’s identical twin gave her a smirk and took off his fedora, revealing his hair; his tousled locks were much longer than Finn’s, cut in a fashionable style that made Charlotte’s fingers itch to touch him, see what texture the dark strands held.
She turned to Noah with a scowl, intending to scold him but uncertain how to do so. The smirk that played on his lips made her flush with anger and embarrassment, but before she could take him to task Josiah Beran and Jared Krall appeared. Both Alphas were eyeing Abby and Noah with great interest, and Charlotte could see her cousin go pale.
“Looks as if you all are getting along just fine,” Josiah said, turning his gaze to Charlotte and Finn, who stood only inches apart.
“That we are,” Noah drawled, earning punishing glances from Charlotte, Abby, and Finn.
“Dad…” Abby started, but Josiah cut her off.
“Jared here has arranged for Abby and Charlotte to take you boys out on the town. Go see the Arch, or go to a club, whatever it is you kids do around here.”
Abby and Charlotte exchanged a look, knowing very well that those were certainly not on their list of must-see attractions, but both held their tongues. A brief glance at the twins showed Finn’s discomfort and Noah’s seeming pleasure at the arrangement.
“Well, since that’s settled,” Jared Krall said, raising a brow at Abby and Charlotte as if challenging them to derail his plans. “Ladies, the mixer will be over in less than an hour, and neither of you has been introduced to the Risal or Knoer clans. Abby, your mother wanted me to drag you away from the Berans for a bit.”
Charlotte and Abby both gave the Beran men stiff yet polite smiles as they excused themselves to follow their Alpha. They dropped a few paces behind him for a little privacy.
“Abby, you have to tell your father that you and Noah don’t suit,” Charlotte demanded. “This is already getting out of hand.”
“I don’t see a problem,” Abby said with a shrug. “So we have to go out to dinner with two very handso
me men. It’s not the worst fate in the world.”
“Abby! You’re leading everyone on, Josiah Beran and your father included. It’s not right!”
Abby grabbed Charlotte’s hand, clasping it in her own, and gave her a very serious look.
“Charlotte, just because the Berans aren’t right for me doesn’t mean they’re not right for you,” she explained.
Charlotte made a squawk of protest, unsettled.
“Abby, we aren’t here to match make for me! I’m only here to defend your interests, remember?”
“And I’m doing the same for you. Both those men looked at you like you’re the best thing since sliced bread, and I’m not going to out myself to my father to prevent you from going out with sexy, available men who find you attractive. You’re talking crazy right now.”
“Abby!” Charlotte cried, but Jared Krall was already turning to introduce them to another group of eligible Berserker males.
Charlotte shut up and pasted on a smile, determined not to let her Alpha down. Still, she shot a long look at Abby, letting her cousin know that they were not yet finished discussing the topic of her deceptive, match-making intentions.
36
Six
Noah drummed his fingertips on the lacquered wood tabletop, soaking in the brass-and-oak decor of the Lafayette Square wine bar that the Krall girls chose as the spot for their forcefully-arranged double date. Though Noah had originally intended to catch the first flight back to Los Angeles, seeing as he had a deadline and mountains of work to do before he could possibly meet it, but some devilish part of him made him stay. Just to see what a disaster their double date would be, he told himself.
Noah felt the rhythmic vibration on the table of another set of fingertips, drumming in the same beat, and he slid an annoyed gaze over to his twin.
“Do you have to do that?” Noah asked, raising a brow.
Finn looked down at his own hand, giving Noah a shrug in response. Finn hadn’t even been aware of his own mimicry, Noah was certain. It was that way with them, always had been.
The waiter arrived with a nice bottle of Syrah that Noah had selected, presenting and uncorking it before leaving them with a glass each. Noah and Finn both sampled the wine, Noah swirling and sniffing first while Finn just took a sip and gave a pleasurable sigh.
“Pretty good,” Finn said, his gaze drawing up to the doorway, checking once more to see if the Kralls had arrived. They were fifteen minutes late by now, and Finn despised tardiness. Before Noah could reply, the door opened and Charlotte and Abby stepped inside.
“Holy shit…” Finn muttered, and Noah couldn’t help but agree. Abby was dressed casually in jeans and a filmy white top, dressed up just enough for the bar’s standards. Charlotte, though…
Charlotte wore a pastel-green dress that clung to every magnificent curve, emphasizing her incredible body while covering her from elbow to knee. A white belt marked her waist, making her considerable breasts and hips even more enticing. White heels gave her stride a feminine flair, her hips swaying as she spotted Noah and Finn and made her way to the table. Abby trailed behind with a distinctly displeased expression, though Noah only looked at her for half a second before returning to her sexier, blonder cousin. He noticed that her wide sapphire-hued eyes were lined with kohl, a smoky look that emphasized the perfect proportions of her nose, lips, and cheeks.
“Gentlemen,” Charlotte said as she reached the table, setting down her white clutch across from Noah. A shadow flitted across Finn’s face before he jumped up and pulled out Abby’s seat, forcing Noah to rise and do the same for Charlotte.
“Sorry we’re late,” Charlotte said as she settled down at the table, casting a glance at her cousin.
“No problem,” Finn said, his tone verging on overeager. Noah spread his hand out on the table, a silent gesture to his brother: take it down a notch.
“We went ahead and ordered a bottle of Syrah,” Noah said.
“Thank god,” Abby said. “May I?”
“Of course,” Noah replied, clearing his throat. As awkward as he’d imagined this to be, it was certainly more so now.
“So…” Charlotte began, pursing her lips as Abby filled their wine glasses nearly to the brim. “Finn, tell me a little about yourself. I know we danced for a while at the mixer, but I didn’t find out that much about you.”
“I’m a high school teacher,” Finn supplied. “I mainly teach English, but I also do some computer lit classes and yearbook, whatever the school needs.”
“Very cool. Abby actually studied English Literature at Mizzou, didn’t you Abs?”
“That I did,” Abby replied, taking a long sip of her wine. There was a long pause before Noah leaned in to fill the silence.
“And you, Charlotte? What did you study?” he asked.
“I have a bachelor’s degree in nursing,” Charlotte said.
“Ah! What a candy striper you must make,” Noah joked. Charlotte’s mouth pulled into a tight line, and he could see that he’d already managed to offend her. Not surprising, since he was generally kind of an asshole, but he was a little disappointed in himself. He hadn’t even made it ten minutes without putting Charlotte out.
“Charlotte works at the Children’s Hospital,” Abby informed him. “She works in the ICU, dealing with really, really sick kids that might die without constant care.”
Noah was at a loss for a long moment, giving Finn the opportunity to jump in.
“That’s incredible. It must take a lot of guts to do that,” Finn said, earning a soft smile from Charlotte.
“Yeah, sometimes it does,” she said with a shrug. “I’m not traveling the world or anything, but it’s satisfying when a patient makes it through a really tough time.”
Noah, Finn, and Abby all nodded.
“That sounds like a pretty demanding job,” Noah acknowledged, thinking of a med student he’d dated years ago. “You must be at the hospital all the time, away from home a lot.”
Finn snorted.
“Say the man that hasn’t made it home to Montana in almost three years. When is the last time that you were at that apartment of yours for more than forty-eight hours, globe trotter?” he asked.
Noah nodded, conceding his point.
“It’s been a long time. I work abroad, I vacation abroad,” he said, waving a dismissive hand.
“You must have been to some really exotic locations,” Charlotte said, moving the conversation along. Noah liked that she kept things light, that she seemed to care for everyone’s comfort. It made sense for a nurse to worry about others like that, of course.
“Well… yeah. On my vacations, I’ve gone to all kinds of places. Greece, Argentina, Thailand, New Zealand. If there’s something to be seen, I want to see it,” Noah said.
“You should see his passport,” Finn said. “Bursting with stamps.”
Noah shot his twin a quelling look, but said nothing. He eyed Abby for a long moment, suddenly realizing how quiet she’d been this whole time. Abby merely arched a brow at him before turning her attention back to her cousin.
“And for work? Surely a traveling journalist sees a lot of cool stuff,” Charlotte said.
“Uhhh,” Noah said, rubbing his neck. “Well, I mostly report on political power clashes, so it’s not especially scenic. I go where the action is, and I spend half my time trying not to get blown up in the process.”
Charlotte and Abby both looked surprised, while Finn just gave him a brief smirk. The waiter came around, and Abby selected a pricey bottle of rosé champagne for their next round. After a flurry of removal and resetting of the table, the champagne arrived in a silver ice bucket. Once their flutes were filled, they all clinked their glasses together. The genteelness of the moment nearly made Noah laugh out loud, thinking of some of the less civilized drinking experiences he’d had in the last year. Hot moonshine out of a flask in Tripoli, fermented coconut wine on a beach in San Juan, liquor and snake’s blood shots in Thailand…
“Do y
ou live in Billings like Finn does?” Charlotte asked, breaking into his thoughts.
“No, I moved to L.A. a few years ago. A friend of mine owns a building close to the Tribune offices, and he looks after my place while I’m away,” Noah said.
“And you, Finn? Are you a traveler like your brother?” Charlotte asked.
Finn looked distinctly uncomfortable, so much so that Noah cut in before he could respond.
“We should get some appetizers, don’t you think?” Noah said, grabbing the menus off the table and passing them around. Finn gave him a heated glance, neither angry nor appreciative, and then buried his nose in the menu.
37
Seven
Two plates of finger food and several bottles of wine later, the conversation was considerably more relaxed… not to mention more interesting, in Noah’s opinion.
“Abby,” Charlotte said, pointing dramatically at her cousin, “Is not a prude, she just has standards.”
“I have standards,” Noah said, giving her a skeptical glance. “I’m way more picky than my brother.”
Noah nudged Finn in the ribs, earning a hateful glare from his twin.
“If one of us is picky, it’s me,” Finn retorted. “I haven’t been traveling the world, sleeping with god knows what kind of women.”
This elicited a snort from Abby, who looked interested for the first time in over an hour.
“What kinds of women?” Abby asked Noah.
“Uh, no one wants to hear about that,” Charlotte interrupted, turning to mouth a reproach at Abby. “Maybe we need some more wine!”
‘Whoa, whoa,” Finn said, grabbing Charlotte’s hand across the table before she could flag down the waiter for another bottle. “Take it easy. We’ve had more than a bottle each.”
Noah looked at the two women, taking in Charlotte’s over-the-top antics and Abby’s slouching crankiness, and wondered what they hell they were hiding. It was more than clear to him, even with a whole bottle of wine in his stomach, that Charlotte was covering for Abby. But what the secret could possibly be, he couldn’t guess. It was clear that Abby was only here because her father had forced her to come, that much was obvious. That was no reason for Charlotte’s desperate bids to draw his and Finn’s attention away from her cousin, though.
