Just One Night(28)

already on his way, scooping his nephew into the air and accusing him of taking

more than his fair share of the church wine.

It was just Sam and Riley.

And the other guy.

“Sam, let me introduce you to my date.”

Sam fished another beer out of the cooler, rolling his shoulders in hopes of

summoning up indifference.

He turned around.

Making eye contact with Riley for the first time since she’d suggested they hump

like a couple of casual rabbits did something non-family-friendly to the front of his

jeans, so instead he took in her date.

That cooled him down.

The man looked like he belonged in a cologne commercial. He had those exotic

looks that send women into a tizzy. Bronzed skin, slick, dark hair, and eyes that

were looking at Riley as though he couldn’t wait to get her alone.

Asshole.

“Brent, this is Sam Compton. Longtime family friend. He’s practically like another

brother to me.”

Except one doesn’t sexually proposition a brother, he thought irritably.

“Nice to meet you,” Brent said, all white smile and smooth handshake.

Sam gave the universal male chin tilt in acknowledgment. “So, how long you guys

been dating?”

His eyes never left Riley’s as he asked, and although her eyes were all

innocence, her small cat smile revealed her game.

He let his own gaze answer back. Don’t even bother. I’m not playing.

But he wanted to. Badly. The thought of this guy taking his place in her bed …

Except Sam had said no. He’d had to say no. Even if it’s all he’d been able to

think about since she’d left his place on Friday.

“Brent and I have known each other for years,” she replied smoothly.

Sam refused to let his eyes linger on the spot where Riley’s fingers touched

Brent’s arm, and he scrunched his face up in an expression of mock confusion.

“Have you mentioned him before?”

Riley’s eyes narrowed, but Brent gave an easy laugh. “Probably not. I’ve been

trying to get her to go out with me for years, but she’s always been seeing

someone else.”

“Oh, is that what the kids are calling sex these days. Seeing someone?”

You’re being a jerk. Didn’t you just walk out on your own mother for making those

same inferences about Riley?

Unperturbed, Riley gave him a sympathetic smile before turning her attention to

Brent. “Sam here’s a bit of a … oh, what’s the polite word … recluse? You know,

I don’t think he’s actually seen a woman’s breast up close and personal since the

Reagan administration.”

Brent gave a nervous laugh as Sam choked on his beer.

Recovering quickly, Sam turned back to Riley’s new “boyfriend.” “So, how’d she

talk you into coming to her nephew’s First Communion   party? A little tame for a

first date, isn’t it?”

Riley opened her mouth, but Brent beat her to it. “Tame is fine with me. Especially

since I have no intention of letting the first date be the last.”

Really? Because I have every intention of ensuring that this is your last date.

It was a damn good thing that this was a kid-centric party, because the

appearance of Riley’s niece in a puffy purple dress was just about the only thing

that would have stopped Sam from forcefully escorting Brent to the nearest train

home.

“Uncle Sam, do you want to see my new Barbie car?”

He tore his eyes away from Riley to glance down at the little girl who looked just

like her. Big blue eyes blinked up at him, and he couldn’t resist. This one had him

wrapped around her finger.

Just like her aunt.

“A new Barbie car, huh? Did you have a birthday I missed?” he asked, setting his

beer aside and scooping her up even though she was about a year too old for it.

She squealed in delight and looped her skinny arms around his neck.

“Not my birthday, but my daddy bought it for me because I was good when I went

to the hardware store with him.”

“Your daddy’s a sucker, and you can tell him I said that,” Sam said. Although he

had to hand it to Brian. Bribing your daughter with Barbie crap so you could get

your Home Depot fix was genius.

“Let’s go see this car, then. What kind of engine are we talking about on this

thing?”

Lily laughed a little-girl laugh. “It’s pink!”

“Of course it is,” he said, edging by Brent and Riley.

He felt Riley’s eyes on him, but he didn’t look back as he listened to Lily ramble

about how Barbie was a better driver than Ken.

Twenty minutes later, Megan came to coax Lily into eating something besides

cake, and Sam was able to escape the makeshift playroom Erin and Josh had