Cody tugs me away from his brother, swings me into his arms and starts for the bathroom. I lay my head on his shoulder, giving thanks that I wrecked my car and shared a cab with them that day. What started as a way to get over my awful ex and have some fun has changed my life.
My hot guys didn’t just give me a good time, they showed me what love really looks like. I should have known — if Beauty couldn’t hold out against just one, I had no chance at all of resisting two sexy, strong, protective, loving Beasts.
They’re almost perfect ... but they’re wrong about one thing.
I’m the one who’s lucky.
Afterword
***
Perfect: A Stepbrother Romance
Chapter 1
I pay the cab fare and step out onto the curb, where I straighten my skirt and open the top two buttons of my lucky blouse, converting its pale blue silk from office wear to evening wear.
The trendy pub is already crowded on a Friday afternoon. Once inside, I scan the clusters of young professionals, all eager to get their weekend started. Even though it's early, I can see that many of them are on the prowl, looking for someone to spend their evening with. They're surveying the crowd with hungry or hopeful looks in their eyes. I'm grateful that I'm no longer looking to meet someone; I'm just here to surprise Clay, my kind, romantic, perfect boyfriend, who I hope may soon become even more to me.
I catch sight of him in a dimly lit back corner. As usual, his suit is perfect, his smile is perfect, and he’s winding down from his perfect job, but today he’s doing that with his hand tangled in another woman’s perfect, long, silky black hair!
And though he's in partial profile from my view, I can see him giving her his heavy-lidded sexy smile. The one I thought he only gave to me. Frozen in place, I watch for a moment as the woman tilts her head to the side and he runs his hand down her bare arm.
I was hoping to surprise him. We were supposed to go to dinner an hour from now, but I got off work early and knew he’d be here with his coworkers. I thought tonight would be a special night. When
he’d invited me to dinner, there’d been something different in his voice. Something in his tone made me think he might be ready to take our relationship to the next level. I thought he might suggest that we move in together, or, even though it would be rushing things, maybe there was a small possibility he’d be proposing to me. That’s why I was wearing my lucky blouse.
I march over to my perfect asshole of a boyfriend, planning to confront him and whoever that woman is. I want to see the look on his guilty, lying face when I catch him in the act, but there’s a pain in my chest and a lump rising in my throat. I can feel my face burning suddenly, and there's a really good chance that I’ll be in tears by the time I reach him. I thought he was the one for me, and here he is touching another woman!
I blink my stinging eyes. There's no way I want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I can't face him, but as I turn to leave the pub, I'm hoping he'll feel some hurt later this evening. Let him wonder where I am when I don't show up for our dinner date. Let him feel embarrassed when he's stood up. I hope the fancy restaurant will charge him for our missed reservation. None of it will add up to much in the way of revenge, but it's all I can manage right now.
I signal for another cab and am grateful when one pulls up right away. I guess my special blouse still has one bit of luck left to offer, even though it’s failed me miserably today.
I’d been wearing this same blouse ten months ago when I first met Clay, and I was wearing it when I landed my job at the art museum. As the museum’s assistant events coordinator, I plan and attend a lot of elegant parties. Most of the time, I'm scurrying around attending to details, but there is usually at least one point during any evening when I can mingle among the guests. I plan to work my way up the ladder, either at the museum or at another organization, so I try to meet as many important people as I can, without overstepping my boundaries.