Wild Nights With My Brother’s Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64

NICOLE

The dinner kicked off with an unexpected intensity.

“Nicole,” his mother said, breaking the silence in a way that caught me completely off guard. Over the past month, she hadn’t uttered a single word to me unless absolutely necessary. In fact, I was almost certain this was the first time she had ever spoken my name aloud. “What are your long-term plans? Did you attend college?”

Her questions surprised me, but I answered as best I could. It was nearly impossible to feel at ease in a room full of people scrutinizing me from head to toe, yet I forced myself to tune it out. “Well, right now, I’m working with Sebastian, and I’m okay with that. And yes, I did go to college.”

I explained what I studied and where, and she gave a slight nod. Still, there was something in her eyes—a flicker of something unspoken—that suggested her questions went deeper than they seemed. I sighed inwardly, exhausted by the constant need to be suspicious and guarded.

Why couldn’t things just be normal for once?

“And is your family large?” she asked.

“It’s just me and my brother.”

“What happened to your parents?”

“My mother passed away a few years ago,” I admitted quietly, feeling a sudden tightness in my chest. Talking about my mom right now was painful. I hadn’t fully healed from her loss, and sharing that with this woman made me feel exposed and vulnerable.

“Mom, I told you about Nicole’s mother,” Sebastian interjected softly. “She was really close friends with Katie.”

His mother waved it off. “Must have slipped my mind.” I was sure it hadn’t.

“And your father?” she pressed.

“He died when I was much younger.”

“I see.”

My appetite completely disappeared, and I wished I could vanish from the room. The conversation flowed more easily now that I was no longer the focus, and I found comfort in the warmth of Sebastian’s hand resting gently on my thigh.

I wanted to meet his gaze, but I was afraid of what I might find there.

The topic quickly shifted to Sebastian’s college days, and that’s when I learned he had actually attended school with his ex—the same woman they were now celebrating. They had been high school sweethearts, and though I remembered Sebastian telling me how she had cheated on him, I hadn’t expected his mother to be so insistent on the relationship.

“Remember that, Sebastian?” his mother asked with a laugh, clearly delighted by a memory Daphne had just shared. “You two looked absolutely adorable that Halloween! You spent the entire night sewing those costumes together!”

“I loved it!” his cousin Gertrude chimed in enthusiastically.

The longer they reminisced, the more uneasy I became. My appetite was gone, and all I wanted was to escape. Sebastian hadn’t touched his food either. Honestly, this situation felt like a complete mess.

They were openly discussing his past with his ex, right in front of me. I always knew they didn’t consider my feelings—not his cousins, not his aunts—but to do this to Sebastian? Didn’t they respect his choices? I mean, she had betrayed him. Didn’t that matter to any of them?

Inviting her here was a cruel move.

Gertrude’s question to Daphne snapped me out of my thoughts. “Will you be coming with us on the cruise?”

Something passed between us—a tangible heat—and I couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. It wasn’t that we lacked attraction before. We did, and it was incredible. When Sebastian and I made love—yes, that was the word I was comfortable using—he was fully present. His eyes locked on mine, he told me how beautiful I was. He was never crude.

Sebastian was the perfect gentleman.

But tonight felt different. When we arrived at his place, I finally understood why.

He was angry. I had never seen that side of him before.

And, admittedly, I found it irresistibly attractive.

“I think we both need something to take the edge off,” he said, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of wine. It was already open, so I knew he had been drinking. That surprised me since Sebastian wasn’t much of a drinker.

“Thanks,” I said as he poured wine into my glass.

His eyes met mine. “What exactly are you thanking me for?”

A small smile tugged at my lips. “I don’t know. For being here with me, I guess.”

I took a sip, and his gaze remained steady and assessing. My heart pounded fiercely in my chest, and before I realized it, he closed the distance between us. Our lips met again, more urgent this time.

We stumbled back onto the couch, a tangled mess of limbs and kisses. The heat of his body pressed against mine ignited something deep inside me, fueled further by his newfound intensity. Yet, even with this fire, he wasn’t as aggressive as someone else might have been. I quickly pushed that thought away, hating the comparisons my mind was making, and surrendered myself to the moment.

His hand slipped beneath my dress, and I lost control.