Christian Parkinson's playboy lifestyle has taken an interesting turn when he met the sharp and witty Kylie Preston. She has something in her that other women lack - the guts to call him on his bullshit.
She's not the type he dates but Christian fin...
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Christian straightens his bow tie, ignoring his mother's scorching gaze. He's half and an hour late, so he's gonna have to endure the reprimands.
"Why do I even bother to remind you not to be late?" She asks more to herself.
"Because you're my beautiful mother," he murmurs with a smile.
His mother smacks his arm. "Don't patronize me."
Christian chuckles, offering his arm to her. It wasn't so long ago when he wasn't alone with his mother's nagging. He and Vren would appear side by side with their mother on parties hoping for a woman who would turn their heads and lead them to the less promiscuous path of life.
Vren obviously found the woman on his own. Now he's happily stuck at home on baby duty, all the while, texting Christian to keep an eye on his wife-to-be in case some other guy attempted to make her change her mind about the wedding.
He is, no doubt, way in deep. And ridiculous. No one would dare take his fiancée away. Not when they go retreating to a reasonable distance when they meet her cold gaze.
Chandra gave their mother a kiss on the cheek, smiling like a little girl.
"You're cheerful. What are you up to?" He watched her with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing." She beamed.
He doesn't buy it but chooses to say no more.
"Kathie and Cade made it."
Her mother's frowns turned upside down. "They did? Finally. They haven't been to any parties in months."
"I know. They're with Audrey." She pointed across the ballroom, to the three people that we're too familiar for him not to locate. Cade looks pained and uncomfortable having to mingle in with a crowd of chatting people. Kathie leans her head to his chest as she talks happily with Audrey. His brother relaxes at the contact. His face hasn't showed much, but his tensed shoulders visibly relaxed with the contact.
His wife looked up, a bright smile on her face.
His lips twitched, his brother's version of a smile.
Christian's gaze moved over to the far-left corner. He did a double take, then froze in his feet.
Kylie and Matthew are talking and laughing together. The initial impact on his ego was a moderate shivving, then escalated into throbbing gashes. He swallowed, a knob forming in his throat. As if they weren't a cozy sight enough, they strolled to the dance floor and danced, enjoying each other's company like everything else in the room don't matter.
His mother made a delighted noise. "Is that Matthew and Kylie?"
"Yep. They've been dancing all night," she gushes. "And I may have played a role in that."
Their mother sighed. "It's been a while since I saw your brother happy."
"I know."
Christian could only grit his teeth. He risks another glance to Kylie and Matthew and turned away as if he'd been burned. Had it been a ridiculous dinosaur, he would watch until his face turns blue. He could watch and not begrudge every damn minute. Even when once upon a time, in that one night, Kylie had been dancing with him.
And it had been so goddamn right.
"Matthew has always been happy," he blurted, trying to keep the venom from his voice. Christian is always on his brother's side. No matter what. But this. This reawakens the overwhelming urge to tackle his brother to the ground.
His mother and sister gave him a strange look.
"What?" He questioned out, almost strangling the irritation that was about to sneak into that one syllable.
"I like Kylie. I don't mind another sister in-law," Ichinadra says in a sing song voice.
Christian's mood just went sour to downright acidic. He slips his arm from their mother's hold, and she lets go – too thrilled at the sight of Kylie and Matthew. He wove his way to the crowd, grabbing champagne as one of the servers flicked by. He joined Cade and his sisters in-law. It has taken his mind off the blatant source of his foul mood.
But his oldest brother knew him past his cocky smirk than anyone else. "What's up with you?" He asks, inspecting him behind his glasses.
His wife and Audrey had just joined a throng of women talking about childbirth and raising the kid entirely.
"Nothing," he lied.
"Those women have been openly staring and you haven't batted an eye." He gestured at the women he hadn't noticed.
He shrugged. "Not my type."
"What do you mean, not your type? They're women," he made a sound close to a chuckle. "I didn't know you had a specific type until just now."
I didn't know either until just now. He hadn't known he'd ever be a one-woman man. Even though he thought he could, but it would've taken a lot more than just walking around in cute ponytails, vibrant dresses and toying with his ego.
He took one brief glance to Kylie dancing with his brother who would do just about anything for him. His goody two shoes brother he's never became jealous of until he met Kylie.
When they got back from the dance floor and started walking toward them, he nearly run off to the nearest exit because he couldn't watch them up close.
"Christian, I didn't know you'd be here." Matthew smiles at him.
His jaw clenched. Even then he tried to put his game face on. "Of course, I'd be here. Mom is dragging me by the ear."
Cade and Matthew chuckled at that.
"At least, ear-dragging is not necessary when it comes to you." Christian smacks his brother's arm playfully. Maybe a little too hard.
Shit, this is inconvenient.
"Kylie and I were just talking about you. Maybe we conjured you from midair." Matthew reaches over to his side and ruffled Kylie's hair.
She giggles.
Kylie looks perfectly gorgeous in her perfect little dress.
And so perfectly out of his reach.
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