The three brothers were all strikingly handsome, with their pale skin, broad shoulders, towering height, and captivating features. But that's where the similarities ended.
Luca, the eldest, had a head full of white-blond hair and warm brown eyes. He seemed to be the most laid-back of the three.
Damon, the middle child, was known for his quick temper, though Sebastian wasn’t far behind. Damon's black hair fell into his bright blue eyes, and he always seemed to be smirking.
Sebastian, the youngest, had blond hair like Luca, but his eyes were an unusual shade of green. He was quiet, seeming to prefer observing people rather than interacting with them.
“Welcome, ladies,” Luca greeted, kissing Lorie's hand first, then Willow’s.
“Thank you for having us,” Lorie responded smoothly, nudging Willow when she remained silent.
“Right—uh…thank you.”
Willow noticed Damon smirking at her, but she avoided his gaze. There was something about him that made her uneasy.
“Sebastian, why don’t you show Willow to the bar? I need a quick word with Lorie,” Luca suggested, addressing his younger brother.
Willow’s heart fluttered. She couldn’t believe Lorie was leaving her already.
“Oh…,” Lorie began, glancing at Willow. “I promised Will—”
“I’ll bring her right back,” Luca interrupted, now speaking to Willow. “Promise.”
With a wink, he and Lorie disappeared.
Willow sighed, turning her attention to the remaining brothers. Sebastian extended his arm to her. “Would you like a drink?”
She found herself nodding, linking her arm with his. “Seems I’m going to need it.”
Damon smirked. “Why did you come then?”
“Ignore him,” Sebastian advised. “He’s just annoyed that Luca asked me to look out for you and not him.”
Damon’s smirk vanished as he glared at his brother. “Watch it, Sebastian.”
“Why? Do you want to look out for me?” Willow asked, addressing Damon for the first time with a small smirk of her own.
Damon didn’t respond, but his eyes traveled down her body as if he were undressing her with his gaze.
“You do look beautiful in that dress,” Sebastian complimented, leading her past Damon. “And if he won’t tell you that, I sure as hell will.”
Willow felt her cheeks warm. It had been a while since a man had complimented her, let alone a man as handsome as Sebastian.
She couldn’t help the flutter in her stomach, even though he was the Bane brother she had met at least once before.
He certainly seemed more personable than Damon.
Sebastian led her to the bar, signaling the bartender for two drinks—she had no idea what kind.
Sebastian pulled out her chair before sitting himself. “So, Luca said you’re a painter?”
Willow rolled her eyes and chuckled. “As in, does it pay my rent? Hardly. But I do sell a painting every now and then.”
Sebastian looked impressed, though it was hard for her to tell. The Banes were notoriously good at hiding their emotions. Or so she’d learned from Damon.
“Do you have a gallery?” he asked, taking a sip of the drink the bartender had just set in front of them.
She looked down at the glass filled with amber-colored liquid and could guess what it might be.
Instead of asking, she took a sip as well, fighting the urge to grimace at the strong taste.
“No, a few galleries around town display local artists sometimes…” she trailed off, waving her hand dismissively. “You run Bane Industries with your brothers?”
He smirked, and it immediately reminded Willow of Damon.
“Something like that. I travel a lot.”
His answer was vague, in her opinion, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she took another sip of what she now knew was Scotch.
The second sip went down easier than the first, so she took another right after. If she was going to survive even an hour here when things started getting more…intense, she needed to speed up.
“First time?” he asked, smiling over the rim of his glass at her.
She let out a sharp, slightly forced laugh in response.
When his smile only widened, she groaned and took another sip from her glass. “Is it that obvious?”
“You do look rather…tense.” The way he said the word made her stomach clench.
Before responding, she finished her drink in one gulp, setting the glass down on the bar and signaling the bartender.
Not many people were there yet, so their side of the bar was empty.
“I’ve never been invited before,” she admitted, her cheeks flushing at the thought of why she’d been invited this year.
“Really?” he asked, surprise evident on his face as he arched a brow at her. “That’s rather surprising to me.”
She frowned, her brow furrowed as she looked at him. “Why?”
“As I said, you look beautiful. That’s the whole point of these things, isn’t it? I mean, look around. What do all these people have in common?”
She did as he asked, her eyes scanning the room. A couple stood by the roaring fireplace, drinks in hand, their foreheads nearly touching.
The woman was tall—about six feet—with a lovely purple silk dress that seemed to pour over her body, her beautiful ebony skin and raven-black hair cascading down her back in tight curls.
Her lips were painted a deep orchid, her eyes adorned with a sharp winged line.
The man with her, seemingly captivated by her, was equally impressive.
His skin was a warm golden brown, his blue eyes striking even from across the room, and his hair a warm brown that fell in messy curls over his forehead.
His suit, a deep navy blue with white cuffs and a white handkerchief in his breast pocket, was impeccably tailored.
Willow’s gaze drifted from the couple to two women lounging on a nearby couch. One was a striking figure in a deep red dress, her skin as pale as porcelain, her black hair cut into a sharp, asymmetrical bob.
The other, now sprawled across the first woman, sported short brown hair and a white and gold dress that ended just above her knees.
Willow blinked, taken aback by the sight of women kissing so openly, as if they were the only ones in the room.
And they weren’t alone. As Willow’s eyes swept across the room, she noticed more couples dancing provocatively, bodies pressed close, lips meeting, hands wandering…
She cleared her throat, turning back to the bar with relief as the bartender slid her a fresh drink.
After a grateful sip, she realized Sebastian had asked her something.
“Everyone looks amazing,” she replied, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer than intended.
She quickly looked away, hiding her blush behind her hair—thankfully, she’d managed to convince Lorie to let her wear it down—and took another sip of her drink.
“Indeed,” he murmured, before speaking up. “So it’s odd that you haven’t been invited before.”
Willow shrugged, her long red nails tapping rhythmically against the wooden bar.
The room was filling up, many guests already engaged in what she assumed would be…quite an evening.
Sebastian’s hand covered hers, his skin cool against hers. “Did you read the rules?”
She nodded, glancing at his hand on hers before meeting his gaze again. Up close, his eyes were a vibrant green, like fresh spring grass.
She’d never seen a color quite like it.
“So then, you know that you’re free to sit at the bar all night if that’s what you want but…” he trailed off.
She nodded again, her gaze dropping from his to her half-empty glass, but remained silent.
“Willow.”
Her eyes shot up to his. The way her name rolled off his tongue sent a shiver down her spine.
Once he had her full attention, Sebastian simply studied her for a moment before standing and extending his hand.
“Would you like to join me?”
