He paused, looking down at her. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," she replied, because she had never been surer of anything in that moment. She wanted nothing between them. No barriers. No secrets. No walls. Just Sam and Holly together as one. She needed to feel that connection, to know that they had that, were capable of that.
That this wasn't just a fuck to him.
He positioned himself at her entrance, gently probing as he slid inside slowly at first, and then all at once.
"Mmm," she moaned, overwhelmed and feeling a surge of emotions hit her all at once.
He thrust into her again, harder this time and she felt her body squeeze with the impending anticipation of her coming climax. With every move, she came closer and closer to the edge until they were steadily pressing together and she fell over entirely.
"Sam!" She let out a loud scream, groaning at the sensations pounding through her body like a steel drum.
He gripped her hips, pumping harder and deeper until he was also hit by the wave of pleasure that barreled through him as it had her. "Fuck…Holly…" He moaned as he stilled inside her, holding her tightly against him. "So fucking good. You feel so fucking good."
Then he collapsed next to her on the bed, letting out a long sigh as he draped his arm across her torso. "That was incredible."
"Mmm," Holly agreed, barely able to do more than make a sound right now. Her entire body still felt liquefied by the orgasm that had shaken her to her core. "Amazing…"
"Who would have thought sex with my future-fake-wife could be this good?" Sam mused with a slight chuckle. "Wife. Still sounds crazy."
She nodded, a small smile stealing its way on to her lips. "It will be crazy. What we're doing is insane."
"Speaking of crazy," he segued. "My family wants us to come over tomorrow for drinks and dinner. I think it'll be a perfect time to really introduce you to everyone and get you involved in the family. What do you think?"
Run. But she ignored her first thought.
"Sounds good," she answered instead. "I have heard a lot about the Wyldes that isn't…the most flattering."
He tilted his head to the side. "Yeah? Like what."
"I've heard your men can be rough and your women can be crazy."
"Well, you wouldn't be wrong," he said with a slight chuckle. "I promise more of the attention will be on their antics than on us. So, there's that."
She shrugged. At least that could be their saving grace. "I'm in."
She still couldn't believe she'd agreed to any of this in the first place. A month ago, her life had been so different. Now here she was lying in bed next to her fiancé…
It was insanity.
Chapter Fourteen
"Hey, Sterling," Sam greeted his younger brother as they both moved to sit down on the couch in their parents’ formal living room. Hell, the entire house was formal. A huge plantation mansion a way back on their many acres of land, it was separated from the town of River Ridge by miles of cattle, trees, and fields.
Quiet and serene, the only other houses on their lane were all also owned by Wyldes. Literally. Sam's house was farthest down the lane deep in the woods, but most of them lived in houses along the same road. Sam's father was the older brother of Noah's father, Duke, who also owned another plantation sized mansion on the lane. Their grandmother, Willie Lou Wylde, had only had two sons and so the family was pretty tight knit, which might explain why they all lived on top of each other.
Farther down the lane, Noah and Sam both owned smaller houses that they'd designed and built themselves. Sam was extraordinarily proud of his, having put most of the work in with his own hands over the course of five years. He also loved that it was at the very end, hidden by trees and slightly private from the rest of his family. If such a thing were even possible. There was plenty of space on the lane for more houses to be added in the future, and Sam guessed that his parents would definitely encourage their kids to stay close.
Sam, the oldest of four, was the only one with his own house at the moment since his younger brother, Sterling, had chosen to live in an apartment over his tattoo parlor on the outskirts of town, Sterling Ink. Sam's youngest siblings were still young and on their own out in the world, making choices unrelated to the family. Grady was finishing medical school and moving into Jane's parents’ guest house for the time being. Meanwhile, Sam's baby sister, Bethany, had joined the Peace Corps after college and was currently stationed in South America.
Noah was the middle child of three, and his older brother, Mason was away in the Marines, but his younger sister, Ruby, lived at home with their father. Noah's mother had passed from ovarian cancer when he was in high school, and her presence was definitely still missed at these family gatherings.
"So where's your future bride?" Sterling asked Sam, even though he'd not even acknowledged his greeting before, leaving them sitting icily next to one another in silence.
"She's in the powder room. She'll be out any second," Sam told the tall, dark haired hulking man who was giving him a long look, bristling with hostility.
Sterling nodded. "Ah, so you knocked her up. That's why the shotgun wedding."
"Shit, Sterling," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "She's not pregnant. You don't always have to be such a dick."
"Fuck you," his brother replied, under his breath this time since their parents were walking in.
"Cussing already?" Their father, affectionately known as Doc by most, eyed his sons with slight annoyance before walking over to the bar cart to pour himself a drink.
"Sorry, Doc," Sam said.
Sterling didn't apologize, or say anything at all. Asshole.
"Hey, kids," Grace Wylde, Sam's mother, practically floated into the room behind her husband of almost three and a half decades. Light blond hair in a fluffy, long braid down her back, she wore flowing linen dresses with long, capped sleeves that Sam always thought looked like a giant sheet with a hole cut in the top. Somehow, though, his mother pulled it off with a charm and elegance he was sure no one else would be able to.
"Hi, Ma," Sam replied, standing to greet her.
She kissed him on the cheek and enveloped him a big hug. "Samuel, you look well."
"You just saw him last Sunday at the wedding, Ma," Sterling remarked, not trying to hide the irritation in his tone.
"Time is ever moving, Sterling." She gave him a hug next, but he shrugged her off when it went on too long for his taste.
Sam clenched his teeth, trying not to get into a fight with his brother despite his increasing level of frustration with him. His parents ignored Sterling's behavior, sure he'd grow out of it eventually, but Sam couldn't stand him. Hell, most of the town couldn't.
"What are we doing here, Ma?" Sterling asked as the four of them settled back onto the couches.
Just then, Holly walked in to the parlor looking a little lost. She spotted Sam and relief flooded her face. "Ah, found you. This place is huge."
Sam stood and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry about that. Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'll have whatever you're having," she said, her tone hushed as if she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself.
Too late. Everyone in his family was staring at her.
"I'll pour you a glass, little lady. This is good stuff, Sam," his father said, lifting his glass—a whiskey neat. "This Wyldefire brand is going to take off. I can feel it."
"Thanks, Pops," Sam replied, then glanced over at his mother who was fluffing a pillow behind her back on the couch. "Is Nana coming?"
Nana was the affectionate title for his grandmother, who was in her eighties, but had all the fire and spirit of someone half her age. Sam's grandfather, Jed, had passed away when Sam was very young, but Nana still spoke about him like he was there with them all the time.
"Of course." Grace looked up like she'd forgotten she hadn't mentioned it. "And she's bringing a surprise with her apparently."
"What kind of surprise?"
Sam furrowed his brow.
"Hey, Auntie Grace!" Noah barreled into the living room as usual, wrapping Sam's mother in a bear hug that practically lifted her off the couch. Dark blond hair that was almost brown, he was unshaven and smiling so wide it reached his deep blue eyes. Wide shoulders and only an inch shorter than Sam, he easily had the strength to lift Sam's mother in a hug.
She laughed, straightening out her kimono after he put her back down. "Hi, Noah."
He turned to Sam's father next. "How's that whiskey treating you, Doc?"
"Ask me in the morning, sonny," his father teased, downing the rest of the glass.
Noah let out a raucous laugh before greeting the rest of the room and then dropping onto the couch next to Sam and Holly. Though he tried not to, Sam couldn't help but feel a jealousy at the ease of which Noah interacted with…everyone. He was so jovial and outgoing, and everyone looked forward to his arrival. The back-and-forth never came as easy for Sam, and small talk was an elusive skill he'd never mastered. He felt walled up, closed off, and tightly wound every second of every day.
For the longest time, he'd thought it was because he'd been the manager at his father's ranch—a job he'd been "destined" for but had hated every minute of. However, he'd finally convinced his father to let him strike out on his own—or at least with Noah and their friend, Caleb—to build their own business. It'd been a crazy two years getting everything off the ground, but Sam had truly loved every minute of it. This was what he was meant to do—this is who he was.
So, why did he still feel so on edge all the time?
"Is Nana here yet?" Duke Wylde, Sam's uncle, entered the room next with his daughter, Ruby, behind him. She was quiet and often a loner among the loud family. Sam had a soft spot for her probably because of this, since he understood what it was like to feel on the outside of everything.
She and Holly immediately said their hellos and started chatting off to the side. Sam was glad that Holly had someone here that she knew and felt comfortable with. The room was already getting crowded.
"Not yet," Sam's father replied, walking over to the bar cart and refilling his drink, then pouring Uncle Duke a glass.
"Sorry I'm late!" Nana burst into the room, messy pieces of flowers and grass in her hair and an older gentleman behind her with a huge grin on his face that gave Sam a really awful mental image of what had just transpired to make them late. "Oh, good! You're all here!"
Everyone echoed their greetings, hugs and kisses all around before settling back down into their seats.
"Family, this is Caesar." Nana motioned to the olive-skinned, older gentleman behind her, taking his hand and showing him off to the group. "Caesar, this is my family." Nana walked the man around the entire family, doing introductions.
Sam was polite, but just as confused as everyone else seemed to be as to who this man was.
"Now that everyone knows everyone," Nana started. "We can finally announce our big news! Do you want to tell them, Caesar?"
"No, you can, beautiful," he murmured to her in a thick Italian accent.
Sterling grunted. "Maybe she's pregnant."
Sam stifled a laugh, because as much as he disliked his brother most days, the image of his eighty-year-old grandmother pregnant was admittedly hilarious.
Luckily, Nana hadn't heard him. "We just got married!" she shouted, then threw her arms around Caesar's neck and kissed him on the lips—hard.
Sam cringed, along with his cousins, but his father and uncle were immediately on their feet.
"WHAT!" Both Earl and Duke shouted in unison.
"Mother, you're in your eighties," Earl tried to reason with her.
"And our inheritan—I mean, how long have you even known this man?" Duke added.
Nana waved them both off, linking her arm with her fiancé. "Long enough to know I don't have long enough left to wait any longer."
"Say that ten times fast," Caesar said with a laugh.
"I will say no such thing because this is NOT happening!" Duke growled at his new stepfather. "You're getting an annulment."
"This is great, Nana. I've got to head out, but kudos to the newlyweds. And it was great meeting you, Holly. Welcome to the family. Good freaking luck." Sterling got up and gave Nana a quick hug before bailing on the fight that was certainly about to escalate. He'd always been nicest to their grandmother, which at the very least, Sam appreciated.
Plus, Sam agreed with Sterling—it was time to get the hell out of here. Tonight was supposed to be the night he introduced everyone to Holly, but things had quickly gotten out of hand. His father and uncle revered their late father, so there was no way bringing a new man into the picture was ever going to go smoothly. Sam knew he was lucky to be in such a loving family, but, sometimes they were exhausting.
Sam stood, motioning for Noah. "Hey, Nana—congratulations."
"Yeah, this is huge, Nana." Noah gave her a hug, then patted Caesar on the back. "Welcome to the family, old man. Sam, Holly, and I actually have to get back to the distillery for some prep work for the launch, but congrats again."
Caesar laughed, taking it all in stride.
Ruby's bright blue eyes pleaded with Sam for him to take her with him. "I need to go, too."
"Come on, kiddo," Sam said, motioning for her as well as he and Noah headed for the door. He tossed an arm over her shoulder as they walked into the hallway, hugging her to him, with Noah behind them.
"Good call on getting out of there," Noah said. "That's going to go on a few hours, for sure."
Sam shook his head. "Nana's married, guys." He laughed at the thought, both happy for her and genuinely amused that even his grandmother could find love…twice.
That thought soured his mood for a moment as he realized he'd had yet to find that even once. It's not like he didn't date, and when he was younger, he'd definitely sown his wild oats. But he was thirty years old now, and didn't venture out of River Ridge much. The women in this town were mostly rich debutantes who wanted to marry for status and position. Sure, the Wylde family name went a long way around here, but it wasn't a factor in marriage to him.
He wanted a connection. He wanted to feel lost in another person, the same way he saw his mother and father still in love after decades of marriage. Sam's mind drifted to his future wife…did he feel that way with Holly? He wasn't sure, but it might be the closest he's ever gotten to even tasting what it could be like to be so taken with a person that you just want to be near them.
"I think it's adorable," Holly said, smiling up at him. "Good for her!"
"Dad's freaking." Ruby laughed as she tossed her pink hair over her shoulder. A senior in high school, she was definitely still figuring out who she was because her hair color changed weekly and her makeup was so thick, sometime he barely recognized her.
"This whole family is freaking weird," Noah agreed with his little sister. "But they're ours!" Noah suddenly lurched forward and tossed one arm around Sam's neck and the other around Ruby's in a giant bear hug. "Wylde-ing out!"
"Get off me!" Ruby shrieked, laughing at the surprise and batting him off.
Sam shrugged off Noah's hug, but was chuckling as well. "Ruby, you heading home with Noah? Or need a ride with us?"
She shook her head, pointing to a car idling at the end of the driveway. "Nope, I've got a date!"
Noah's face scrunched up. "Gross. Does Dad know?"
"Are you going to tell him?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Just be safe and call me if you're ever in trouble," Noah grumbled, walking in the direction of his own car.
"Same here, kiddo," Sam told her. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"If I did that, I'd never go on a single date ever, and then I'd secretly get engaged to the coolest chick ever," she teased, nodding at Holly. "You two totally got lucky tonight. Nana stole your thunder."
Sam laughed. "You can always count on her in a bind."
"Whatever you say, Samuel. Your time is coming!" Ruby was already ski
pping toward the car, a sing-song lilt to her voice as she got to the passenger side door and jumped in.
The sun was already dipping below the horizon, but Sam could partially make out that the driver had a ponytail. Please don't be in to bad boys. Then he sighed.
At least her date wasn't on a motorcycle.
"I didn't know Ruby dated women," Holly said, slipping her hand into his as they walked toward his car.
"What?" Sam scrunched up his brow.
Holly pointed toward the car as Ruby drove off. "Her date. It's a woman."
"Is it?" Sam certainly hadn't expected that, but honestly…he wasn't shocked. "Wow."
"She hasn't told you?"
"I don't think she's told anyone in the family yet," Sam said. "At least, I certainly haven't heard anything of the sort."
"Well, it sounds like there are a lot of things that are going to eclipse our news of getting married," she teased. "If you think about it, in comparison to the rest of your family, we're kind of boring."
Sam laughed. "Sure you want to be part of this insane family?"
Holly nodded furtively. "Hell, yeah. I miss being part of a big tribe. This is wonderful—you're blessed, Sam. Truly."
Opening the car door for her, he smiled at the thought. He was not old enough to be worrying about someone else's teenager, and yet, he always found himself playing the part of the overprotective older brother to Ruby. It was his family. He couldn't not worry. Holly was right. He was blessed. They were everything to him, and always would be.
Even if they were Wylde and crazy.
Chapter Fifteen
"Let's try this again," Grace Wylde said to Sam and Holly as she sat down across from them in the small French restaurant they'd picked out for dinner. "Last night's dinner was an unmitigated disaster."
"Not one of our best," his father agreed, already waving over the waiter to order a cocktail.
"Aside from the fact that no one ate dinner," Sam pointed out. "I actually had a fantastic time. It was nice seeing everyone and getting together."
"Well, yes. It's always nice to see your brother and cousins," his mother agreed. "But your grandmother. Lord help me…" She sighed and shook her head, shaking out her napkin into her lap. "Anyway. How are you, Holly?"
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