Page 332 of By His Vow

I love my best friend dearly. She has been hands down the best person who has ever entered my life. But the world she inhabits, the people she is connected with… yeah… not exactly my type.?

I come from nothing, and despite working my ass off to try and better my life, I already know that I’ll leave this Earth with exactly the same as I entered with. Unlike those currently surrounding me.?

Watching Tatum get married was… a headfuck.?

She looked beautiful—beyond beautiful. She was a vision wrapped up in the most incredible dress. She was so perfect that no one else in the room would believe that she was suffering from the effects of our drinking session last night.?

She wanted to be good, but I’m pretty sure she was lying to herself from the second she thought about those intentions, let alone said them out loud.?

She was marrying her brother’s best friend. A jerk she’s spent her entire life hating. A man her father handed her over to in his will. And if she wants to secure her inheritance, then she has to see it through for a year.

Crazy? Yeah, totally fucking crazy.?

But also…?

Some might say it’s romantic in a way—secretly, I might just be one of them.?

They’ve been enemies their whole lives, both doing anything they can to rile the other up. Now they’ve been brought together in a way they never expected, and well… who knows what the future will hold?

The sparks are already flying—and not just the angry ones.?

They’re hot together. Anyone with eyes can see that.?

Disappointment niggles inside me, but I don’t have time to focus on the fact I’m here as Tatum’s only bridesmaid, alone.?

Instead, I straighten my spine and attempt to prepare myself for turning toward Kingston’s best man, his younger brother Kian.?

“Not lonely, just… taking a moment,” I say coolly.?

Refusing to look at him, I track the closest barman’s movements in the hope he can feel my burning stare and supply me with something that will help me get through the next few minutes.?

But it never happens—he’s too busy with a group of pretentious older men who are drinking top-shelf whiskey as if it’s water.?

The overt show of wealth makes my skin crawl.?

“Well, you look too good to be having a moment alone. Care if I join you?”

But it’s too late, he’s already sitting on the stool beside me as if there isn’t a chance in the world of me saying no.?

I guess that’s the kind of ego you grow when ninety-nine percent of the female population wants to screw your brains out.?

Well, Kian Callahan, welcome to the one percent who would rather scratch their eyes out with a corkscrew than worship at your stupidly expensive shoes.?

Schooling my features, I finally spin on my stool to face him.?

“Seems like a pointless question, don’t you think?” I ask, dropping my eyes down to where he’s sitting.

If I didn’t know that his navy suit had been tailored to fit him to perfection, then it wouldn’t be hard to figure it out. The way he wears it… well, it’s probably the only positive thing I can come up with about him if I’m being honest.?

That and just how fucking good-looking he is.?

I bite down on the inside of my cheek.?

It’s not fair. In fact, it’s really fucking unfair that, not only was he born into one of the wealthiest families in the country, enabling him to walk straight into a high-profile, very well-paying, and powerful job, but he was also gifted with model-like looks.?

How are the rest of us mere mortals meant to compete with the likes of him??

A rush of copper fills my mouth as bitterness floods my veins.?