Page 43 of Wright Together

His eyes heated. “Is that a challenge? Because we just acknowledged that I am very motivated to win.”

I bit my lip. “I suppose we’ll see tonight, won’t we?”

“Challenge accepted then, Miss Houston.”

14

Whitton

Eve’s pink cheeks made me want to forget the whole party. Anything that made her blush made me hard as a rock. If the party wasn’t in my honor, I would have already left with her.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t leave. She’d already monopolized too much of my time. I was sure that there were others who wanted to shake hands and schmooze. It was all so exhausting. Part of the job in its own way, but my least favorite part.

“Hey, don’t look so glum about it,” Eve teased. She flipped her dark hair off her shoulder. “The party won’t lastallnight.”

“It feels like it might,” I said.

I glanced around the room. All the Wrights and my coworkers and so many people from the company that I didn’t know. The networking part was half the reason I hadn’t advanced in my last job. I couldn’t kiss ass well enough. I did the work, but I hated brownnosing. At least here, that counted for something.

Then, I caught something over Eve’s head. Colton Wright was here. Huh. I was shocked that Jensen had brought him. Maybe he didn’t trust him alone at home, and what kind of babysitter would watch a fifteen-year-old who could run circles around them?

He was leaned back against the wall in the shadows of the barn, typing on his phone and sneaking sips of wine from a glass he not-so-sneakily hid behind his back.

My face went white, “Fuck.”

“What’s going on?”

“Give me a second.”

My gaze swept the room with a more discerning eye. Jensen was standing near the stage with Jordan. Emery was at the center, dancing with her friends Heidi and Julia. Morgan was in a conversation with Austin, Landon, and her husband, Patrick. Julian was ordering drinks with Hollin, West, and Nora. Anyone who would be looking into Colton’s activity was currently occupied. I didn’t know if someone was supposed to be watching him or if they thought he’d be fine at this party. Clearly, they were wrong. And if anyone saw him drinking, I had a feeling shit would hit the fan.

“Whitt?” Eve asked, concern in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Come with me and act natural.”

She shot me a curious look but did as I’d suggested. I could have stormed over there myself, but there was no way I would make it across the entire barn alone without someone stopping me. Plus, if someone realized exactly what I was doing, it might alert the remaining Wrights that I wanted to keep them ignorant of what was going on.

Eve stayed on my arm the entire walk over. She smiled and waved at people, but we didn’t stop to make conversation. With her at my side, I had more immunity to the party. She must have realized what I had a second before we reached Colton.

“Oh,” she whispered.

Colton caught sight of us approaching him and shoved the wine behind his back. He took a step away, as if he were going to head for the exit.

I stepped in front of him before he could bolt. “Either you want to get caught or you’re stupid. Which is it?”

Colton pursed his lips and set the wineglass down on a nearby table. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid,” I continued. “But if you get caught, that would be really stupid.”

He looked ready to argue with me. I didn’t know what good it would do. Trying to get his dad’s attention by drinking at the only event he’d been allowed out of the house to go to, other than work, was pretty stupid. He’d probably known it and done it anyway. That rebellious streak was familiar. I’d done stupid things like that to get my dad’s attention, only to realize that nothing worked. I didn’t think Jensen was that way at all, but Colton was desperate and mad after what happened in the city. None of those things made for good decision-making.

“I drank all the time in New York, you know,” Colton finally said.

I laughed. “I believe you.”

“I was drinking at fifteen, too,” Eve said. “Doesn’t mean that I should have.”

Colton did a double take at the sight of her. “Who’s this?”