Her cheeks flushed. “I did, but…”
He waited.
Alana couldn’t bring herself to vocalize why she had dressed in the only boxy, unattractive suit she had left, especially not in front of his damn brothers. What had seemed like a good idea when she got ready this morning now felt foolish.
All of them waited—the three brothers. Seeing them together was somewhat awe-inspiring and none of them looked like they were moving from the hall.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I was wondering if we could talk? If not, then maybe later, or—” Her lashes lifted and she met his stare again. The set of his hard jaw told her it was do-or-die time. Either keep running or act like a grown, somewhat sensible adult. “I was wrong about you—about us, and you were right. I am scared. I was scared that I would end up like my mother and that—that was so stupid, because I’m not her and you’re not any number of those guys. And I know I might’ve screwed this up, but I wanted you to know that I’m sorry and that I was wrong.”
Chandler cocked his head to the side, just like his brothers had been, but they were all now staring at her as the silence stretched out between them. “I know,” he finally said.
Out of everything she’d expected him to say, that wasn’t it, and that was sort of funny, because it came as no surprise that he would be that cocky. But “I know” after making such an impassioned admission? What the hell was she supposed to do with “I know”?
She stared at him as a slow, one-sided grin appeared on his lips. Her brows pinched. “Is that all you’re going to say?”
“No.”
Alana waited…and waited.
Chad and Chase waited, looking like they needed a big bowl of popcorn.
“I was angry and frustrated,” he said, unfolding his arms, his eyes holding hers as he walked forward. “I left your place last night, Alana, but I didn’t leave you.”
I didn’t leave you.
Her breath caught as the four words sunk in and when they did, there was a swelling in her chest that she was sure could’ve taken her straight up to the ceiling.
“So, you see, I’ve been waiting for you.” He stepped closer, so close that their legs brushed. “I was going to give you till this evening to come to your senses and then I was going to come after you.”
“You were?”
He nodded. “Remember? I told you that I like to chase.”
She remembered.
“And you know what I like better than the chase? The capture,” he said, cupping her cheek. “I enjoy the capture the most.”
Her pulse pounded in several places throughout her body. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
Chandler smiled as he smoothed his thumb over her cheek. “Is there something you want to say to me?”
Sweet relief eased the taut muscles in her neck and happiness bubbled up inside her. She swallowed against the sudden knot in her throat. “This was easier than I thought it was going to be?”
He laughed, dropping his forehead to hers. “I was thinking you wanted to tell me something else.”
She reached up, spreading her palm against his cheek. The words were surprisingly easier to say than she could’ve ever imagined. “I love you.”
His eyes fell shut as he sucked in a deep breath. “I’m glad we don’t need another near-death experience for you to admit that.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, stretching up and kissing him softly. “Don’t you have something you want to say?”
“Remember my fantasy?” His lashes lifted. Heat shaded his eyes into the blue of lapis lazuli. “About the first time I saw you?”
Someone, maybe Chase, cleared his throat behind them, but it went largely ignored.
That wasn’t what she was looking for, but she would go with this. “Yes. I remember.”
“And look at you. Your hair pulled back, wearing one of those god-awful suits. I think you did that on purpose.”
A smile teased her lips. “I might have.”
“Hmm,” he murmured as he reached around, gently unwrapping the bun and letting her hair fall down her back. “And why did you do that?”
“I thought it might help my case.”
He took her hand and pressed it to his groin. “It’s helped something.”
Her womb clenched. Hot, tight shudders racked her body. “I can see.”
Chandler dipped his head, brushing his lips over hers. She opened her mouth, inviting him in as she clasped her arms loosely behind his neck. With that, his kiss became urgent, deepening. Nothing could’ve prepared her for the raw intensity of his kiss. Her senses overloaded as his tongue slipped over her tongue.
“All right, you two have an audience. Seriously,” said Chad. “And I think I’m going to be scarred for life.”
“Hell,” muttered Chase.
“There’s the door,” Chandler said, never taking his eyes off Alana’s. “I suggest both of you make use of it and close it behind you, or you’re about to get an eyeful.”
“I don’t know about you,” Chase said to his younger brother. “But that is not something I want to see.”
“Or hear.”
Alana’s cheeks were burning, but so was the blood in her veins. The longer Chandler stared at her, the more she knew how badly he wanted her.
Chase was first to leave, standing in the door as he waited for his brother. As Chad walked by them, he stopped and leaned over. Whispering in Alana’s ear, he said something she’d never imagined him speaking.
“Thank you,” he said.
Alana sucked in a sharp breath and then the door closed behind the brothers. She would think about those two words later, let them sink in, savor them, but right now she was focused only on Chandler.
Only him.
“You don’t plan on wearing this suit again, do you?” he asked, voice husky.
Her stomach fluttered. “No. Never again.”
“Good. Because it’s not going to be in one piece in a few seconds.”
She could barely breathe, let alone think as he pulled the suit off her shoulders, tossing it aside. He paused, pressed a kiss to the bruise on her jaw, a tender move that caused her heart to skip in her chest. Then he fisted his hands in the front of her blouse and yanked it. At the sound of the material ripping, her body flushed hot. Her shoes and pants followed quickly and within seconds, she was standing in his foyer, dressed only in her bra and panties.
Chandler stepped back, his gaze soaking her up, and then he hooked his fingers into her panties, pulling them down. Her bra came next. In his haste, he broke the fragile clasp. She didn’t care. She wanted him, only him.
And she wasn’t just going to stand by.
She got her hands under the hem of his shirt and tugged it off, then her fingers went to the button on his jeans. With his help, she pulled them and his boxer briefs off. His erection pressed against her belly as he backed her up against the door, fitting his body against hers.
She’d never look at this door the same again. No way.
“Tell me again,” he murmured against her cheek, slipping his hand between her thighs, cupping her intimately. “Just say those three little words for me again.”
“What words?” Her hips surged forward, grinding against his thigh and his hand. Pleasure spiked, making her dizzy and breathless.
Chandler growled low in his throat as he grabbed her hip, stilling her movements. “You know exactly what I want to hear you say again.”
Kissing the underside of his jaw, she moved restlessly against him. She wanted to drown in him. “I love you.”
“That’s my girl.” He wore a wicked grin as his thumb smoothed over her clit.
She reached down to return the favor, but he started to kiss down her throat, making a slow descent. His hair tickled her breasts as he drifted between them, and a soft sound caught in her throat as his tongue laved over the tips of her breasts and then down below, circling her navel.
Chandler knelt before her, spreading her
legs wide. Lust slammed into her as he grasped her hips. His tongue glided from her navel to just above the bundle of nerves. He kissed her inner thigh, nuzzling the slick crease. The air left her lungs, and then he sliced her open with his tongue. He captured her flesh with his mouth, parting her lips with firm, determined strokes of his tongue. She cried out as he sucked at her.
Lost in the raw sensations, she grasped his hair and rocked her hips against his mouth. He growled in pleasure, dipping his tongue in and out. Her back arched, heart pounded. His tongue worked her until she was thrusting unabashedly, panting heavily. The intensity built until her body liquefied as he moved on to her clit and added a finger. His sucking and thrusting matched the tempo of her hips. She bucked and climaxed with such force that her knees went weak. He caught her, keeping his mouth on her, soaking up every last drop while her body spasmed with sweet aftershocks.
And then he stood up, grasping her hips as he lifted, and entered her deeply. He didn’t move, just remained there as her body dampened his. Then he slowly withdrew, eliciting a whimper from her.
“You know what I want.” His voice was dark and rich with seduction.
Alana didn’t know until he had her on her hands and knees on the foyer floor and he’d knelt behind her. His hand curved over her bottom and she clenched up, expecting a sharp slap. Instead, he slipped a finger into her and then pulled out. A wicked thrill trilled through her blood.
“Yes,” she moaned, rocking back, gasping as the pressure increased.
“Good God, woman, you’re going to kill me.”
Then she felt his erection replacing his fingers. Her muscles tensed with anticipation. She knew this would be rough. It would be raw. It would be what she wanted.
“God,” he said, voice guttural. He smoothed a hand down her spine and then grasped her hips. “Tell me how badly you want this.” When she didn’t respond, his hand moved back up her spine, his fingers wrapping around the edges of her hair. He tugged hard enough to send a wave of prickles across her skull and another shudder deep inside her. “Tell me, Alana.”
“Yes.”
The tug came again, and she cried out, already so close. “Yes, what?”
“Yes,” she gasped. “I want this badly. I want it more than anything.”
“That’s my girl.” One hand moved to the junction of her thighs. His fingers caught the throbbing bundle of nerves and he played there. Pleasure radiated out from her core, mixing with the sharp bite of pain. The sensation was heady, thoroughly sensual.
Once he was in, he shuddered as he wrapped his other arm under her breasts, holding her in place. When he started to move in slow and steady strokes, she thought she’d die from the pleasure, from the downright wickedness of what they were doing in the middle of his foyer, in broad daylight.
“You’re mine now,” he murmured against the flushed skin of her back. “Completely mine.”
It was true. She couldn’t deny it. She was his. And he was hers.
A sharp swirl of tingles rushed through her body. Behind her, he moved his powerful body at a faster rhythm. Her hands slid over the tile.
“I love you, Alana,” he said, voice thick with emotion. “I love you.”
Lightning flew through her veins. The orgasm came fast and hard, absolutely mind-blowing in its intensity. Her cry mixed with his as he let go. His hips pumped, throwing her headfirst into another orgasm. He stayed against her for what felt like forever, his body sealed to hers. When he did pull out, she already missed him.
Chandler turned her in his arms, kissing her cheeks, the lids of her eyes, and then her lips. Holding her close, he sat back, buck-ass naked, and pulled her into his lap.
Their eyes met.
“You never have to give away a piece of you to me,” he said. “But you can have as many pieces of me as you want. You can have all of me, for forever.”
Alana felt the emotion swell in her throat as she lifted her head, blindly seeking his kiss. Words didn’t seem like enough, but she forced them out, meaning them. “I trust you with my pieces—all of me. I love you.”
Epilogue
Bridget Rogers, soon to be Bridget Gamble, made an absolutely stunning bride. Her mane of vibrant red hair was twisted up, and soft curls fell in every direction. Pearls adorned the style, matching the beading in her gown. Wispy tendrils surrounded her face that was flushing with excitement.
Tears burned the backs of Alana’s eyes. She’d never seen someone more in love or happier.
Well, that wasn’t correct.
When Alana looked in the mirror every day, she saw the same glazed eyes and soft, distracted smile, and most surprisingly, it didn’t scare her or make her want to run for the hills. How absolutely annoyingly stupid she had been. Being in love with a man who deserved those feelings and earned the same was truly amazing. And she was a fucking idiot for denying Chandler, but she’d rectified that quickly, and last night, and this morning, and in the car ride to the chapel…
Alana flushed. Thinking about sex in a church was super inappropriate.
And she loved it.
Bridget turned, her smile nervous and excited. With the cinched waist and heart-shaped bodice, her hourglass figure was perfect for the dress.
“How do I look?” she asked, fingering the single pearl necklace around her neck. “Is it too much?”
Madison Daniels shook her head. “Too much? Since when do you worry about anything being too much?”
“You look beautiful,” Lissa said. Madison’s brother’s wife held a sleeping newborn to her chest. A towel shielded her pink bridesmaid’s dress. “And the shoes? Perfect.”
Bridget hitched up her dress, revealing a gnarly shade of pink platform heels. “You like?” Bridget asked Alana.
She laughed, approaching the tight-knit group of women like one would creep upon a nest of vipers. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Pink is not your color?” Bridget teased, letting her dress slip down.
Alana shook her head, strangely nervous. All the women had welcomed her with open arms, even Bridget, but she hadn’t had a lot of close female friends and she was surprised to find herself in the back of the church with Bridget and her bridal party.
Rubbing one hand over her still-flat tummy while eyeing the slumbering baby, Maddie shook her head. A big old ring caught the light in the room, twinkling. Chandler had said he was surprised that Chase could still walk on two legs after he and Maddie broke the news to her parents. Of course they were thrilled that they’d be grandparents again, but Mr. Daniels had wanted the ring to come before the baby.
“Just think,” Maddie said, smiling. “All this started at a wedding.”
Lissa grinned as she patted the baby’s back. “That is true. What a difference a year makes.”
Bridget crossed the room, and before Alana knew what she was doing, the woman enveloped her in a strong hug. “Thank you,” she said, her voice thick. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“About to get married!” added Maddie.
A ball of emotion clogged her throat. “You really don’t have to thank me, Bridget.”
“Yes, I do.” She pulled back, clutching Alana’s shoulders. “I do have you to thank. So does Chad.”
Maddie giggled. “Maybe you should become a matchmaker instead.”
Alana shook her head, laughing. “Oh no, I think I’ll stick with perverted politicians and whiny celebrities.”
“Well, that does sound more interesting.” Lissa shifted the small bundle in her arms as the door opened and Chase popped his head in, grinning. “We have company.”
“We’re about ten minutes from start and Chad looks like he’s about to pass out. Just thought—”
“What?” gasped Bridget, eyes widening.
Mrs. Daniels shoved Chase aside, entering the room as she straightened the corsage on the chest of her dress. “Chad isn’t about to pass out, dear. If anything, he’s just having a hard time waiting. He wants to s
ee his bride and we all know how impatient Chad is.”
Maddie sent Chase a dark look. “That wasn’t nice.”
Chase looked completely unrepentant as he winked and slipped back into the hall. Shaking her head, Alana turned back to the woman. “Well, I’m going to head out. Bridget, you seriously look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she replied, but her eyes were unfocused, and Alana knew she was already out there, walking down the aisle.
Saying her good-byes, Alana headed for the door, but Mrs. Daniels stopped her. “Alana, dear, don’t forget we saved you a seat with the family. So don’t sneak off to the back.”
Her cheeks flushed and she nodded, murmuring her thanks. Not only had the Gambles accepted her, but so had the Daniels clan. For the first time, Alana had a family—a big, extended family.
“Did you see that the new gasmask came in yesterday?” Mrs. Daniels said to Maddie, smiling broadly. “Your father is planning on checking it out later. I figured either you or Mitchell would want to be the one using mace.”
A slightly weird extended family.
Smiling, she slipped out of the room and into the hall, passing where Mitchell and Chase were arguing over the pros and cons of breastfeeding. Alana smiled in their direction but hurried down the hall before she caught baby fever.
She made it to the end of the hall when a door to the left opened suddenly. An arm snaked around her waist, pulling her inside the mostly empty room. Her back was pressed against a rock-hard chest and stomach. Soft hair teased her cheeks as she felt warm, firm lips press a kiss to her throat.
“You look damn sexy.” Chandler’s deep voice rumbled through her body. “Love the dress.”
Said dress was a soft lilac, with sleeves and ending at the knees. It was nothing special, just a plain thing and definitely not that sexy, but it only took seconds for her to realize why he found it so alluring.
Chandler slid a hand up under her dress, along her bare thigh. Easy access. Her body flushed and grew hot as her toes curled in her heels. She leaned into him, tipping her head back against his chest. He made a deep sound in his throat as he moved his hand up over her hip, his fingers toying with the delicate string of her panties.