Forever With Me

  “So, he wanted in my pants.”

  “You’re a smart girl,” Jules says. “You know that’s not all it is.”

  I don’t say anything in return. What is there to say? It’s not just sex, for either of us.

  He calls me his treasure, for Godsake.

  “If that’s all it is for you—” Natalie begins, but I immediately interrupt.

  “It’s not,” I say firmly.

  “Good.” Jules kisses my cheek just as the DJ switches the song to “Blurred Lines.” “Now, let’s go get our drink on and dance, friends. We have a wedding to celebrate.”

  ***

  “I love your mom,” I tell Jules, as she and I sway on the dance floor, not unlike junior high students at a school dance. We’ve had countless lemon drops, and if we let go of each other, I’m not so sure we’ll stay upright.

  Okay, we most definitely won’t stay upright.

  “I love her too!” Jules yells right in my ear.

  “No, you don’t understand.” I take her face in my hands and hold her still so I can talk to her. “When she was leaving to take the babies home, she hugged me and thanked me for this dinner. She’s the sweetest person ever born. Ever.”

  “I know.” Jules leans her forehead on mine and now she’s even more blurry than she was before. “She rocks. I love my mommy.”

  “Batting for the other team now, Jules?” Mark asks from a nearby table. “It would be hotter if you two would take off your clothes.”

  “The men in this family are all perverts,” Jules tells me seriously. “You need to be aware of this now.”

  “Come sit down, Julianne.” Suddenly, Nate is standing next to us, pulling us in to either side of him; his strong arms wrap around our shoulders, and he leads us to a table where most of the others are sitting and talking.

  Everyone except Meredith’s best friend Jax and Brynna, who are currently dancing like crazy on the dance floor.

  “Wait. Where are Will and Meg?” I ask, as I continue to survey the table.

  “They disappeared a few minutes ago,” Isaac informs me.

  “Orgasms,” Stacy sighs. “She’s getting some right now, I’ll bet.”

  “Lucky bitch,” Sam grumbles from her perch on Leo’s lap. “Are you gonna give me some orgasms tonight, rock star?”

  Leo grins and whispers something in his wife’s ear that has her cheeks going pink and she bites her lip. “Hell to the yes,” she says happily.

  “You know what orgasms are?” Nic says suddenly.

  “Seriously, why do these women talk about nothing but sex when they’ve had liquor?” Caleb asks, as Dom takes my hand and pulls me into his lap. He nuzzles my temple and I easily curl up against him, happily fuzzy from too much alcohol.

  “I know what orgasms are,” I hear myself say, and then clap my hand over my own mouth. I can feel Dominic laugh beneath me.

  Damn, he’s strong.

  “You’re strong,” I say, attempting to whisper, but I don’t think it comes out that way, based on the way the boys all snicker at my comment.

  “Orgasms,” Nic continues, “are nature’s way of saying, ‘Yeah, life sucks ass, but here, have some candy.’”

  “Does your life suck, little one?” Matt asks Nic, planting a kiss on her hair.

  “Not even a little, but you gotta admit, that shit’s funny.”

  “Orgasms are so like candy!” Jules exclaims.

  Brynna and Jax return to the table, sweaty and panting. Brynna collapses in Caleb’s lap and kisses his cheek as Jax sits next to his man, Logan, who has been content to sit and listen quietly, a soft smile on his handsome face.

  “There are some seriously hot men at this table.” I’m mortified to hear the words actually come out of my mouth. “I was supposed to say that for my own brain, but my mouth didn’t get the memo. Sorry.”

  “You’re right,” Brynna replies with a smug smile. “We could open a store. Hot Men R Us.”

  “You’re trying to sell us off?” Isaac asks.

  “I bet we could get a lot of money for you,” Natalie says, and smiles up at her husband. “Especially this one.”

  “Plus, Dominic has the sexy Italian speak going for him. Chicks dig that,” I add, and wiggle in my man’s lap. He presses his lips against my ear.

  “Keep moving like that, and I’ll need to find a private spot to fuck you silly,” he whispers.

  And just like that, my girl parts are wide awake and completely sober.

  My brain isn’t sober, but that’s okay.

  “I’m so fucking drunk,” Stacy mutters, and rubs her nose on her husband’s shoulder vigorously. “And my nose always itches when I get drunk.”

  “Then you’re not drunk enough,” Jules says with one eye closed.

  “Why is your eye closed?” I ask her.

  “It stopped working.”

  “I think you’re drunk too,” I reply with a laugh, wiggling slightly in Dom’s lap and feeling him growl in my ear.

  “You know what rhymes with drunk?” Sam asks. “Sex!”

  “Nuh uh,” Meredith replies with a frown. “But fuck does!”

  “Drunk and fuck do not rhyme,” Mark says with a surprised laugh.

  “It’s closer than sex,” she says defensively.

  “Everything rhymes with sex when you get to have it with an apa,” Jules says.

  “Julianne,” Nate warns her.

  “It’s true!”

  “What’s that like, anyway? I’ve always wanted to know.”

  “You can’t have sex with my husband.” Jules frowns for a second, then a smile spreads over her gorgeous face. “Well, maybe you can.”

  “No,” Nate replies quietly, “she can’t. No offense, Alecia.”

  “None taken.” I grin at the crazy-hot man. “You’re hot as fuck, though.”

  “He really is,” Jules agrees happily. “And the apa…wow.”

  “Will you get one?” I ask Dominic, just as he takes a sip of wine, and he immediately chokes.

  “Fuck no.”

  “Maybe I’ll have to find someone with one,” I say thoughtfully. “Just to give it a try.”

  “That’s it.” Dominic stands with me in his arms and doesn’t even set me down as he begins to stalk out of the tent.

  “Where are we going?” I look over his shoulder and see the others laughing and watching us leave. I wave happily and they all wave back.

  They’re so friendly.

  “I’m going to teach you a lesson, tesoro.”

  “A lesson?” I giggle and bury my nose in his neck, breathing him in. “I’m kind of dizzy.”

  We pass by the barn. I can hear voices, heavy breathing and Meg giggling.

  “I think we found Meg and Will,” I whisper into Dom’s ear, as he hurries past.

  “Merde, I didn’t need to ever hear that,” Dominic grumbles, making me giggle more. He strides around the store building, where I stood a few hours ago with Jules and Natalie, sets me on my feet, and pins me against the wall.

  “I dare you,” he begins with fire in his bright blue eyes, “to say again that you’re going to go find another man to fuck.”

  “Um, it was a joke, babe.”

  His eyes narrow and his nostrils flare, and I know I’m in big trouble.

  “Are you jealous?” I ask incredulously.

  “Not usually,” he says. “I’m not the jealous type, but what’s mine is mine, Alecia. And you’re mine. What I have with you, I don’t want with anyone else. You’re all I fucking think about.”

  He’s gathering my skirt in his hands until it’s bunched around my waist, and he slips his finger inside the elastic of the crotch of my panties and brushes the lips of my pussy, making me gasp.

  “Dom!”

  “That’s right.” He bites my lower lip, then soothes it with his tongue and pushes his finger farther into my panties. “Me. I’m the only one who can touch you here, or anywhere. This is mine.”

  With those words, his finger slips inside
me deeply and he presses against that spot that he knows so intimately, sending me up onto my tiptoes.

  “Holy fuck,” I whisper.

  He wraps his free arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him as he finger-fucks me, dragging his palm against my clit in the process, making me fucking crazy.

  “I’m going to come,” I whimper, but he pulls his hand away.

  “Not yet,” he growls.

  “Hey!”

  But before I can say anything more, he spins me around, bends me over, and shoves my panties aside, while I hear the zipper lower on his slacks and he’s suddenly slamming inside me. I have to brace my hands on the building for leverage as he fucks me hard and fast. His breath is harsh, his hands almost bruising on my hips.

  I bite my lip, but I can’t be quiet as he fucks me unlike he ever has before. It’s primal. Rough.

  Fucking amazing.

  He leans over me and groans, presses his lips to my ear and whispers.

  “You. Are. Mine. This is mine. Don’t ever forget that, tesoro.”

  I push back on him and grin when I make him groan, but suddenly his fingers are pressing on my clit as he fucks me hard, and that’s all I can take. I come brutally, biting my own arm so as not to cry out, spasming around him.

  “That’s right,” he says and pushes in me twice more before he stills and surrenders to his own climax, resting his forehead on my back.

  Finally, he slips out of me and turns me to face him. He cups my face tenderly in his hands and kisses me gently, but when he pulls back, his eyes are no less fierce.

  “Mine.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  ~Dominic~

  She’s fucking magnificent.

  “I want six men at the parking lot,” Alecia says as she paces back and forth across my back patio. She’s holding every one of the twenty four men’s rapt attention. Her voice is sharp and no-nonsense. Her back straight. Her eyes hard.

  I’ve never seen anything like her in my life.

  “I was planning on four,” Derek, my head of security, replies. Derek is a former Army ranger, six-foot-five and built like a fucking brick house.

  Alecia doesn’t even bat an eye.

  “I need six.”

  “No one knows where the wedding is being held,” Jason, the head of Alecia’s security, points out logically. “The guests are parking ten miles away and we’re bussing them in.”

  “I’m aware,” Alecia replies. “Look, guys, I’m going to be a hard ass on this one. Will Montgomery won the Super Bowl last year, and it’s not just him that the paparazzi are interested in. You’re all aware that we have rock stars coming, movie stars, producers, and other football players. Security can’t be breached. If even one paparazzi follows a bus here, or figures out the location and spreads unauthorized photos, I’ll have all of your dicks on a platter.”

  “Montgomery was smart about this,” Derek reminds her. “The guests were simply given an address to park their cars. Even they don’t know where they’re going.”

  “I’m aware. I set it up,” she replies.

  I lean my shoulder against the wall, cross my arms over my chest, and watch my woman take control over two dozen strong men.

  I want to kiss the fuck out of her.

  “If we put two more guys on the parking lot, that’s two less that will be here.”

  “You’ll have eighteen men here,” she replies with a shake of the head. “Are you being a pain in the ass because I’m a woman, or are you just always this stubborn?”

  Derek stands, his jaw ticking and watches Alecia for a long minute. She’s staring him down, and it’s the most amazing bout of chicken I’ve ever seen in my life.

  “Fine,” he says at last. “You’ll get your six.”

  “Yes, I will. Follow the guest list. I don’t care if someone claims to be a long lost grandma and turns on the big crocodile tears. If they’re not on the list, they don’t get in. Period. If you have questions, talk to me. I’ll have my earpiece in all day.”

  “You know, I like a bossy woman.”

  This comes from a younger kid, as tall and built as Derek, but clearly too young to know to keep his mouth shut. Alecia stops in her tracks, narrows her eyes and pins him in her glare.

  “Do you?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replies with a cocky smirk.

  Oh, you young idiot.

  “What’s your name?” she asks him.

  “Stokes,” he replies.

  “Stokes.” She crosses to him, props her hand on her hip and smiles sweetly at him. “Do you have mommy issues, Stokes?”

  The other men smirk, but Stokes’ eyes go hard as his face sobers.

  “No, I just think it’s fucking sexy when a woman has a backbone.”

  Alecia tilts her head to the side and then nods. “Good. Because I have one. Don’t fuck this up, Stokes.” She backs away and nods to Derek and Jason. “That’s all. Let me know if there are any issues.”

  “There won’t be,” Jason replies, and turns to continue briefing his men as Alecia walks away.

  “She should be in the military,” Stokes says with new respect in his voice.

  She’s too good for the military.

  “Good job, Lieutenant,” I whisper as I fall into step beside her.

  “I will cut off someone’s junk if I find out they only put four men out there,” she grumbles.

  “You’re awfully angry at the male genitals today, cara.”

  She smirks and then lets out a short laugh.

  “I’m around a lot of men today.”

  “Everything is going to run like clockwork.”

  “Don’t say that. You’ll jinx it. I should go see Blake.”

  “Blake paid me five thousand dollars to keep you out of the kitchen today.”

  She frowns and blinks up at me.

  “He did not.”

  “He did.” Okay, he didn’t, but she’ll just make them both crazy if she stomps in there and harasses him today. “Everything is set. The food already smells amazing. The tables are set, and the florist is working her magic on the arbor and the tent.”

  “The cupcakes—”

  “Get here in a few hours and Nic will set them up. She’s awesome.” I take her shoulders in my hands and kiss her forehead gently. “But I get it. This is what you do. So go get ‘em, tiger.”

  She grins up at me before gripping my shirt in her fist and pulling me down for a quick kiss. “Thanks. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Alecia.” She stops about twenty feet away from me and turns back with a raised brow. “This fierce side of you? It’s sexy as fuck.”

  She doesn’t answer; she simply smiles before turning and walking away, with just a little more sway in her magnificent hips.

  God, I fucking love her.

  ***

  I haven’t spoken with Alecia since that moment this morning. The family began to arrive, and chaos has descended on the vineyard.

  And I love it.

  The guys are in my playroom, shooting pool and yelling insults at each other, which is pretty much par for the course with my brothers.

  The girls are out back in the tent, helping Nic set up the cupcakes.

  Or, getting in her way, and she’s too nice to tell them to get lost.

  Meg is getting ready up in the bridal suite, and to escape said chaos, I decide to head up there to say hello.

  Alecia opens the door to my knock and steps back, letting me inside. Natalie has her camera pressed to her face and is quickly snapping photos.

  And Meg is standing before the mirror, dressed in her gorgeous gown. It’s lacy, but not frilly. It’s sleeveless, and the neckline plunges deep between her breasts. The skirt hangs straight, with no train.

  It’s elegant, chic, and completely perfect for our Meg.

  “You are stunning,” I tell her, as I lean in and kiss her cheek, careful not to muss her up.

  “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t think you were the photogr
apher,” I say to Natalie.

  “Just for this part,” Nat assures me.

  “I didn’t want a stranger taking photos of me getting dressed.” Meg wrinkles her nose and turns back to the mirror. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

  “It’s perfect,” I assure her. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful bride.”

  “Don’t make me cry!” Meg whines. “It took forever to get my makeup like this.”

  There’s another knock on the door, and then Leo walks in and stops in his tracks, his eyes wide as he takes Meg in from head to toe. And then a slow smile spreads over his mouth as he tucks his hands in both of his pockets and rocks on his heels.

  “Ah, Meg-pie,” he whispers.

  “Does the dress suck?” she asks, making both Nat and Alecia roll their eyes.

  Leo crosses to her, gently folds her into his arms and rocks her back and forth slowly.

  “You are so beautiful, Meg-pie.”

  “You’re going to wrinkle me,” she says against his chest.

  “No, I’m not.” There are tears in his eyes as he presses his cheek to her hair. “I love you so damn much. You know that, right? There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Meg.”

  “I know.”

  “You’re my sister in every way that matters. You’re my constant. Before Sam, it was you and music, and I need you to know that I haven’t forgotten that, Meg.”

  “Leo,” she whispers, and I nod at Alecia as Natalie quickly snaps pictures.

  Alecia and I slip out the door, leaving Meg and Leo to have their special moment. She leans her back against the wall and closes her eyes tightly.

  “Hey, are you okay?” I cup her smooth cheek in my palm and watch as she turns tear-filled eyes up to mine.

  “I don’t know what it feels like to be loved like that,” she whispers, breaking my heart.

  “Holy crap,” Natalie says as she sneaks out of the room and closes the door behind her. “That was the sweetest moment I’ve ever witnessed. I’m so glad I captured it.”

  “Those photos are going to rock,” Alecia agrees, and wipes the tears from her eyes. My gut hurts from seeing the pain in her beautiful brown eyes.

  “Alecia.”

  She shakes her head and offers me a shy smile. “I’m fine. It was just a really emotional moment. Can you please go check on the boys?” Her eyes are begging me to drop it, so I do, but I lean in and kiss her cheek.