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couldn’t.”
    “What about your other brothers? Isn’t two out of three enough?” I asked, and he let out a sad laugh.
    “My oldest brother, Branson, wants nothing more than to be CEO of the company one day. I swear he was born and bred for that position and he’ll stop at nothing until he’s top dog.”
    “What about your other brother? Does he work for your dad, too?”
    He blew out a deep breath and placed our joined hands on his chest. “Oh hell no. Knox had always planned on working for the firm, but things changed for him the summer after his senior year. Another long story short.” He paused and took another swig from the flask before handing it back over. “You see, Branson’s always been kind of an asshole. Well, actually he’s a huge fucking asshole with no loyalty or care for anyone around him. Essentially, he stole Knox’s girl, his high school sweetheart. Okay, not even essentially. He actually did. Knox walked in on them after they’d obviously slept together. Once he found out it’d been going on for a while, he woke up the very next day and enlisted in the Army. That was…” He stops as he thinks about it, and I can’t help but love the way he pulls his lower lip between his teeth as if that simple act helps him concentrate. It has the opposite effect on me, and I momentarily forget that we’re even having a conversation until he continues. “Almost eight years ago. My parents took Branson’s side for whatever reason, and Knox hasn’t been home since. There was a huge fallout and I’m the only one he still talks to.”
    “Damn.” It’s all I could say. Even the shortened version was hard to handle, and I couldn’t imagine a rift in my family like that.
    “Yeah, but let’s forget about that for now. Talking about the Wellington problems is kind of a buzzkill and I’m having too much fun to ruin tonight,” he told me.
    As I polished off the flask, I tossed it off the bed and turned to face him. He took my cue and repositioned himself so he was on his side, no longer looking at the ceiling. Instead, he was looking at me. His hand came up to caress my cheek, and my heart started racing as he scooted closer to me, leaving only a smidgen of space between us.
    “I’ve never really been into redheads, but you’re one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen,” he whispered, his lips hovering over mine, his eyes watching me.
    “Such a sweet-talker, Cohen. Lucky for you, I’ve always liked dirty blonds,” I teased, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes glazed over. Electricity seemed to crackle in the air as we watched each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
    His arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me into him until our bodies were touching. I could feel his erection pressing up against me, and a fire ignited between my legs, sending impulses to my brain, telling it to mount up and take a ride much like Reese suggested.
    “Then I guess it’s lucky for you that I’m blond…and dirty,” he growled seductively, causing my panties to dampen with anticipation. Cohen Wellington knew just what buttons to push, and I loved the change from sweet and cute to gruff and sexy.
    This was exactly what I’d been looking for and just what Reese had meant when she’d said that I needed to be with an experienced guy for my first time. The way he’d said it had been seductive, sensual, and part of me wished he’d rip my clothes off right away. And I decided I'd do whatever I could to make it happen as soon as possible.
    “And I guess it’s lucky for you that I want you to show me just how dirty you can be,” I whispered, hoping I sounded more confident than I actually felt.
    Desire flashed in his eyes as he leaned in to kiss me, slipping his tongue into my mouth. As mine met his, they danced in a furious, frantic rhythm, and I could taste the tequila on his tongue. I knew I probably should’ve stopped him to at least let him know that I’d never done this