Page 57 of The Last Goodbye

Fuck.

I squeezed my eyes closed as I came hard and continued stroking myself, greedily taking every ounce of pleasure.

I wasn’t proud of it—but the woman was consuming my thoughts.

It will pass. It has to.

She didn’t live in Blue Sky Bay, and we had very different lives. It was important that we kept things professional until my restaurant was done. For both of our sakes.

End of story.

I dried off, got dressed, and made my way downstairs to check on our reservation before everyone arrived. It was a nice steakhouse, and I’d asked them for a set menu, as I was very particular when it came to food.

“We have the table in the private room all set for your group, Mr. Bennett. You’re actually the second one to arrive. Your sister beat you here.”

“Oh.” I glanced at my watch. “She’s early.”

I couldn’t remember the last time Jovi Bennett had been early to anything.

The hostess led me through the restaurant, an upscale New York steakhouse with crystal chandeliers and black-and-white table coverings, as we made our way to the private room. My sister spoke on the phone, her back to me. Her voice was muffled, but I could hear the concern in her tone, and I noted the way her shoulders tensed, as if she was on edge. I thanked the hostess and walked closer, placing a hand on her back to let her know I was here.

“I need to go, Mom. Bass is here. But I’ll let him know, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” She ended the call.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Here we go.

“Hey, sis. Big weekend. What’s going on?” I asked as I wrapped her in a hug.

“Mom missed her flight, but she’s hoping to catch the later flight tonight, so she’ll for sure be here in the morning.”

Bite your tongue, asshole. This is not the time for “I told you so.”

“It’s nice that she wants to be here,” I said flatly. I was trying, but I certainly wasn’t an Oscar-winning actor. This was the best I could do, considering the situation.

She nodded, and I saw the disappointment there, but she forced a smile.

“Jovi girl!” Cannon’s voice boomed from behind us, and I was grateful for the interruption—having a conversation about our mother right now was a bad idea.

Cannon wore black dress pants, a black button-down shirt, and a black cowboy hat. The man exuded confidence, and my sister had always been close with him. He opened his arms for her. “Bring it in, superstar. You fucking did it.”

Jovi walked right into his arms, and he hugged her tight.

“Thanks for being here. I know it’s a busy time for you,” she said. “And I’ll be there for you next week.”

“You’re going to Texas?” he asked, not hiding the surprise from his voice. He knew she was leaving soon for her internship abroad in Italy.

“Yes. Of course. It’s the world championship finals. I’ll fly there and make it back just in time to catch my flight to Italy.”

Cannon smiled. “You don’t need to do that, but damn, I’d love to have you there.”

I rolled my eyes. The dude had far too much swagger for his own good. He knew my sister was off-limits. I just didn’t know if she knew it.

But I sure as fuck knew it.

Luckily, Tatum and Gracie then arrived with all the guys behind them, so Jovi was distracted now. All the sadness I’d seen on her face about our mother not making it tonight dissipated immediately.

Maybe Briar was right, and Jovi was more prepared for disappointment than I thought.