“Oh, I’ll show you what kind of man I am.” Sebastian flashed a wicked smile. “Give me five minutes alone.”
Theo laughed. “I don’t need my ass kicked today, thanks very much. You win.”
Marco raised his glass. “To Sebastian, and his vow of weekend celibacy.”
“We’re seriously going to toast celibacy at a bachelor party?” Theo asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Besides, he’s never going to last the weekend.”
“I could last the weekend,” Bill offered.
“Your wife isn’t even here, Bill,” James pointed out.
Sebastian cleared his throat. “Okay, you nut jobs. Here’s to celibacy.” He lifted his glass reluctantly as he glanced around the table.
“Your celibacy, not mine,” Marco joked, and the men laughed and clinked glasses.
Just then a shrill cackle of voices hit them like a wall of noise. Sebastian turned in time to see their man cave whiskey bar being invaded by...bridesmaids...and the bride.
What the...?
“Baby!” cried Lola as she ran into Marco’s open arms. “Is it okay that we dropped in?”
“Is it okay? It’s more than okay,” Marco said and clearly meant it. He swept her up and gave her a fierce kiss, worthy of a chick flick. Lola gave the kiss her all, as well, wrapping her finely manicured hands in his thick, brown hair. Sebastian felt a twinge of envy then. Their love was the real deal. Anyone could see that.
Sebastian glanced at the bridesmaids, the first time he’d seen them since boarding the ship that afternoon, and recognized Felicia, who’d seemed to have had a rough ten years since high school. Why did she look ten years older than the rest of them? Somehow she’d etched crow’s feet into her crow’s feet. Her sister, Liv, looked exactly the same, except for the blue streaks in her hair.
Felicia and Liv saw him and frowned. It looked like they weren’t going to let bygones be bygones. This was going to be awkward. Granted, he’d not exactly been the most sensitive guy in high school, but then what guy was at sixteen? Of course, this would make his vow of weekend celibacy that much easier to keep. They beelined for James, Marco’s brother, practically ignoring Sebastian. He supposed he deserved that.
Veronica came in next and gave him a happy little wave. Well, at least there was Veronica. She was nice to everyone. It was a good thing, because Sebastian knew he would have his hands full this weekend. He’d known coming back to his hometown would mean swimming with his exes, who were more unpredictable than sharks. But he’d do anything for Marco. His best friend. Hell, he’d introduced him to Lola, and watched as the two had fallen madly in love. Marco deserved that kind of happily-ever-after, though.
He glanced up and saw a striking woman in a flowing, halter-top jumpsuit. Who was this beauty? She looked vaguely familiar and yet he couldn’t quite place the face. Was this a new friend? Somehow outside the high school circle? No...wait a minute. Wait a damn minute. That’s...Gabriela Cruz. He was sure of it. She was the only other bridesmaid it could be. Yet...how?
He racked his brain. Gabriela Cruz, the shy, nerdy and very smart salutatorian at their school. She’d always gotten As, always known all the answers. But he never, ever, remembered her having a body like that. The flowy jumpsuit hinted at her ample curves and the halter top seemed to be holding itself up. Her skin was amazing, too, and those dark, smoky eyes. Oh, mama. He’d remembered a wiry girl with braces. But she was all grown up now.
Sebastian finished his drink, put it down on the table and stood. Looked like they had some catching up to do.
GABRIELA TRIED NOT to panic. Sebastian Lott was coming her way. Surely that was a mistake. No way the golden boy of high school with those amazing hazel eyes meant to pay her any attention.
Stay calm, Gabriela. She held her clipboard like a shield. Just stay still and he’ll pass on by, just like he did in high school.
“Hello.” Sebastian almost sounded tentative. She glanced up so quickly she almost gave herself whiplash. His hazel, not quite green, not quite blue eyes, focused on her. Gabriela froze for a nanosecond, feeling like the awkward girl of high school burdened with glasses and braces her sophomore year, the one boys like Sebastian Lott looked right through. Except he wasn’t looking through her this time. He was looking right at her. Intently. On purpose.
“Uh...hi.” She smiled, feeling the awkwardness bubbling up in her. Why did the man look so good? The ten years since high school had been very kind to him. He’d always been striking, but now he was even more...manly somehow. More grown-up. The just barely there hint of stubble on his squared-off chin made her want to put her hands on his face. Feel the roughness beneath her fingers.
Snap out of it, Gabriela. Geez. This isn’t high school. You’re not boy crazy. This is Sebastian Lott. The last guy on earth you should even consider touching.
“Gabriela...right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“You look good enough to eat. I just wanted to tell you that.”
“R-really?” Her reply came out as a squeak. Was Sebastian Lott, the guy who’d never given her a second glance in high school, calling her gorgeous?
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She hesitated. She was still clutching her clipboard, still hoping she could convince the other bridesmaids to leave. “We shouldn’t be here that long. Sorry about crashing the bachelor party. I tried to convince them...”
“Don’t worry about it.” Sebastian smiled, a gleaming, white, toothpaste-ad-ready smile, and Gabriela felt her insides melt a little. The charisma was real. She could feel his charm washing over her in waves. No wonder so many women fell for Lott. All you had to do was get lost in those warm hazel eyes, that deep baritone voice. Stop it, Gabbie. He’s trouble and you know it. Hadn’t she just convinced Felicia to avoid him?
“I’m glad you’re here,” he murmured.
She felt the words in her toes. Sebastian Lott was glad to see her. Her heart sped up a little. Could it be that maybe she’d been wrong all these years she’d assumed Lott thought she was invisible? Could it be possible that even during her awkward high school days of glasses and braces, that somehow he’d seen her? All those years she thought her school-girl crush was unrequited, could it be that he had feelings for her, too? But why would she care? He was toxic, she reminded herself again. Completely and utterly toxic.
“Uh...” Gabriela felt all her college vocabulary leave her head. She was a successful CPA, but now she felt like a stammering, no-social-skills teenager all over again. She inwardly shook herself. Come on, she wasn’t an awkward teenager anymore. She was a successful woman who had men pinging her dating app every weekend. Sometimes more than once. So what if her first serious crush of all time was finally, after a decade, paying attention to her? She could handle this.
“Let me buy you a drink.” Sebastian waved to the bartender, who nodded as he finished the round of drinks he was pouring for Felicia and Liv. “What does the lady want?”
Sebastian raised his eyebrows, his attention like a beam of warm sunshine. Suddenly, Gabriela felt hot. Sweat broke out on the small of her back. What was wrong with her? He was just a man and yet she felt so flustered, he might as well have been a celebrity. Then again, she reminded herself, he was a celebrity at Culver High.
“Vodka soda,” she managed to say.
He nodded swiftly and proceeded to order her cocktail with the most expensive vodka offered on the menu. He ordered himself a whiskey on the rocks. As the