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Her cell pinged with an incoming message. BB realized he was all out of arguments and only had the option of ordering her to dress modestly. As only her pretend boyfriend, he had no right to make demands. Not to mention, she’d probably blacken his eye for saying the words.
She scowled as she read her text. “She’s here. Early. Gotta go.” She tucked her phone in her front pocket, cash and her keycard in a back pocket, and was out the door before he could say another word.
∞∞∞
BB sipped his beer as he watched the men around the poker table focus on the intense game. He’d long since folded and cut his losses, and now he was trying to figure out how to discreetly inquire where the women were partying so he could sneak in and watch over them. It would sell his cover and brand him as Gennessey’s whipped boyfriend, but this group could care less about his cover. They were too drunk to notice he was still sipping on his second beer of the evening.
He had heard one of the groomsmen whisper to another that he’d hired two strippers to crash the party, despite Cohen’s insistence he didn’t want one. BB had to admit he had no interest in the show either. He doubted they could hire someone who would rival Gennessey in the last outfit he saw her in.
He saw Cohen break away from a conversation with his drunk groomsman, and he saluted the groom with his beer bottle as Cohen approached.
“Hey, man. I appreciate you coming.” Cohen settled on the chair next to BB, his own untouched glass of whiskey in his hand. “I always forget how intense these games can get until we start playing.”
“No problem,” BB returned smoothly. “Thanks for the invite.”
Cohen glanced pointedly at the bottle in BB’s hand before looking up at him. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not much. Why do you ask?”
Cohen avoided his question. “You drove, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Gen didn’t need the truck since the girls were in a limo. What’s going on?”
Cohen smiled. “Can you give me a ride?”
“Now? But, uh, I mean, this is your night, and the guys—”
“Won’t notice I’m gone. Especially once the strippers get here.”
BB grinned, liking Gennessey’s cousin more each time he was around him. “So you know about that?”
Cohen glanced over at his friends with a wry smile. “Yeah. Those guys are my friends, but they aren’t great at secrets. I’m good to let them enjoy the show. Ready to go?”
BB didn’t have to be asked twice and led the way to his truck. Once they were out on the road, Cohen directed him to the main highway to a part of town BB had not yet visited. BB glanced over to see him checking his phone, the moonlit night letting his smile shine through.
“What’s with the grand escape?” BB asked.
“I’m guessing my reason is similar to yours for agreeing to drive me so easily. I miss Autumn.”
“I don’t know your fiancé well enough to miss her,” BB teased.
“Nope, but you do know my cousin. Gennessey has a way of drawing people in without them realizing she’s doing it. I’ve seen it happen lots of times over the years.”
“There’s nothing going on between us,” BB rebutted. “You know that.”
“Give it up, man. Do you expect me to believe she’s not gotten under your skin? According to her, you’ve been messing with her since she started working with you. Reminds me of Dominic Scorsinski. He was this guy in middle school who harassed Gennessey every day to try and get her attention. He thought he was flirting with her. She thought he was an ass, so she kneed him in the balls one day when she got fed up with it.”
BB barked out a laugh. “Sounds like Gen. But I can assure you, if I like a woman, I don’t have to pull her pigtails to get her attention.”
“It wouldn’t work with her anyway. She prefers the direct approach. She wants to know the guy will let her be who she is but always have her back if she needs him. Kind of like you’ve done by pretending to date her this weekend.”
“Why don’t you say what’s on your mind? I prefer the direct approach too.”
“Okay, but if you tell Gennessey anything about our conversation, I’ll deny it, and she’ll believe me over you any day. Our bond runs deep.”
BB wished he could dispute Cohen’s claim, but he spoke the truth. “Noted.”
“Gennessey likes you, man. I know her better than anybody, and I can tell. The thing is you’re different from anybody else she’s crushed on. She’s afraid to like you and hides how she feels with denial. You have the power to hurt her, BB, so if you don’t feel the same for her, keep your distance. Because if you hurt her, my family is big enough to gang up on you and kick your ass.”
