Dear sweet Jesus, my man is hot. And the way my heart skips at the look on his face is just almost disgusting.
And I don’t even care.
I wiggle my fingers in a wave and saunter happily into the kitchen where Blake is whistling while he works, looking handsome in his chef jacket, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his flexing forearms.
“Something smells good,” I comment lightly, and lean over the stove, reaching for the lid of a pot.
“Hands off, sister.”
“I’m hungry.”
“I’ll feed you, but get your nose out of my pots.”
I stick my tongue out at him and cross to the fridge. “Did the food come in for tomorrow’s dinner?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Are the artichokes fresh?” I poke at the large, beautiful vegetables.
“Get your hands off my shit.”
I close the fridge and turn to find Blake glaring at me while he chops something briskly.
“You’re going to cut your fingers off if you don’t watch what you’re doing.”
“Why are you in here pestering the fuck out of me?”
“Because I love you?” I bat my eyelashes at him and then laugh when he cocks a brow and smirks. “Because I’m checking to see if you have things under control.”
“When have I not had things under control?”
“It’s my job to check.”
“So, you checked. Are you done micro-managing the rest of the crew for the day?”
“Yep.” I reach around him and pluck a piece of red pepper off his cutting board and pop it in my mouth. “You were my last stop.”
“Good,” Dom says, as he saunters into the kitchen with two bottles of wine in his hands. “Is dinner almost ready?” he asks Blake.
“Yep.”
“Wait. Are we having a party?” I ask.
“We’re having dinner,” Blake replies with a grin. “I know how you get when you work. You forget to eat, and then you get hungry and you annoy the piss out of everyone around you.”
“That’s not true,” I insist.
“Which part?” Dominic asks, as he pulls three wine glasses out of a cupboard.
“If you guys are going to gang up on me, I’ll go home.”
“No you won’t,” Blake replies, as Dom just narrows his eyes at me and shakes his head slowly from side to side. “I made your favorite. And if you leave, you can’t have any.”
“Homemade mac n’ cheese?” I ask hopefully, making Dom smile widely.
“And…” Blake says in a sing-song voice.
“And turkey breast?” I clap my hands in excitement.
“And…”
“If you say collard greens, I’ll kiss you.”
“No,” Dom interjects lazily, as he pulls the cork out of the first bottle, “you won’t.”
“I’ll give them to you for free,” Blake says with a laugh. “And it’s just about ready.”
“Woot!” I offer Blake a fist bump and help the guys carry everything outside to the table near the fire pit. We all settle in, Dom right next to me and Blake across from us, loading our plates, sipping our wine, and I can’t help but wonder if this is going to be…weird. I’ve slept with both of these men, and they’re both very special to me.
“So it looks like it’s pretty much done back there,” Blake says, as he takes a bite of the mac n’ cheese, gesturing to the tent.
“Yep, just a few odds and ends to finish tomorrow,” I reply, and load a bite of turkey, greens, and mac n’ cheese all on my fork, then groan loudly when they all hit my tongue. “So good,” I say, my mouth full of food.
“You’re such a lady,” Blake smirks.
“I don’t have to be a lady when you feed me this,” I say, and take a sip of wine, eyeing Dom over my glass. “He doesn’t feed me this very often,” I inform my sexy Italian.
“You always tell me the pasta will make you gain fifty pounds,” Blake reminds me.
“It will.”
“Women,” Blake says with a shake of his head.
Dominic leans in and whispers in my ear, “Your body is perfect.” He kisses my cheek and returns to his meal.
Blake doesn’t miss a thing. He grins widely. “This is nice.”
“Emily will be here tomorrow morning,” I say, trying to change the subject. “She and I will start handling the nitty gritty things.”
“Nitty gritty?” Dom asks with a smile.
“The little things,” I reply. “Greeting the florist for tomorrow’s flowers, and meeting with her about Saturday’s flowers. Placing calls. Picking up favors, double-checking the guest list and forwarding it on to security.” I sip my wine and continue to tick items off in my head, then blink and look around. “Sorry.”
“I already spoke with Emily,” Blake says nonchalantly, and won’t look me in the eye as he cuts his turkey.
“When?” I ask.
“Last night,” he replies.
Last night?
“There wasn’t an event last night,” I say, and chew on my own turkey.
“No, there wasn’t,” Blake replies. I glance up at Dominic to find him watching me closely. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but he quirks a brow at me and I shrug.
“But you saw her last night?” I ask in confusion.
“I did.”
“Did you enjoy yourselves?” Dominic asks and sips his wine as I stare at Blake in shock.
Blake and Emily?
“Very much,” Blake says with a grin.
“You’re seeing Emily.” It isn’t a question.
“Problem?” Blake asks defiantly.
I set my fork down and clear my throat. “It’s Emily.”
“We’ve established that, Leash.” Blake’s mouth is set in a firm line.
“I know you,” I murmur quietly.
“As do I,” Dominic interrupts, still the epitome of calm. “And because I do, I know Emily will be well taken care of.” He takes my hand in his and kisses my fingers, and then says in a low voice, “Don’t say something you’ll regret.”
I look back and forth between these men and swallow hard.
“Jealous?” Blake asks and winks at me, trying to be funny.
“I love you both,” I reply honestly. “You’re two of my dearest friends, and I don’t have many of those, Blake. So if this falls apart, and I have to choose—”
“God, you’re dramatic,” Blake says with a roll of the eyes.
“I’m being honest,” I insist.
“I’m dating her, yes.”
“Are you fucking her?”
“Alecia,” Dom says, with a shake of his head.
“Yes, I am, Leash,” Blake replies frankly.
“This has disaster written all over it,” I mutter, and take a long drink of my wine.
“She’s different,” Blake says, and stares down into his wine. “I don’t have the urge to run away from her.”
“There are things you don’t know, Blake.” I shake my head and think back on the long conversations that Emily and I have had about her abusive past.
“I know,” he replies and pins me in his sober gaze, the one I don’t see often. “And I’m sticking for as long as she’ll have me.”
I stare at my friend, Dom’s hand still in mine, holding on to me tightly.
“Be nice to her,” I say quietly. “She deserves to have someone be nice to her.”
“I’ve been very nice to her,” he replies with a cocky wink.
“God, you’re a pig.” I scowl at him, but soften when he lets out a belly laugh.
“You’ve never warned me off a woman before,” he says.
“I’ve always found out about them long after they left your bed,” I remind him, and then turn to Dominic. “If I’d known them beforehand, I would have told them to run screaming in the other direction.”
“Oh, they scream all right.”
“Yuck,” I grumble, and then chuckle as I drink more wine. “Have you alwa
ys been so disgusting?”
“Pretty much,” he replies, as he clears his plate. “Don’t worry, Leash.”
“Worry is my middle name,” I remind him.
He sighs and finishes his wine. “I’m going to head out.” He reaches for his dishes, but Dominic waves him off.
“I’ll handle this,” he says.
“You cooked,” I say with a grin.
“I usually cook and clean when you’re around,” he says as he stands.
“That’s bullshit. I like to clean.”
Blake laughs. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Drive safe,” Dom says with a wave, as Blake lets himself out. He sips his wine thoughtfully as I finish my dinner and sigh in contentment.
“I wish he’d tell me how he makes this mac n’ cheese,” I grumble, as I gather dishes. Dom stands and helps me, and soon we are bustling about the kitchen silently, each of us lost in our thoughts as we clean.
I stack the last plate into the washer and close the door and look up to find Dom leaning his hips against the counter top, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me quietly.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
He shakes his head and frowns. “Nothing is wrong.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“You really are just friends. With Blake.”
I tilt my head. “Don’t tell me you were feeling threatened by Blake.”
“I wouldn’t call it threatened,” he replies and rubs his fingers over his lips. “I’ve never spent any significant time with both of you before. I can see that you care about each other, but not on an intimate level.”
I nod slowly. “Like I said, he’s one of my dearest friends. We had a physical relationship a long time ago.” His nostrils flare at that, his eyes narrow, just a bit, but he listens calmly. “It was obvious that we’re much better as friends. He means a lot to me. He’s the one person in my life that I know will never leave me.”
Dom’s eyes narrow as he watches me. “I’m not going to leave you, Alecia.”
I swallow and shrug a shoulder, not sure what to say.
“Okay.” He nods, as if that settles something and crosses to me.
“Okay?”
“Okay,” he repeats and pulls me in for a hug, kisses my forehead, and breathes me in all in one smooth move. “You smell amazing.”
I grin and enjoy the feel of his arms looped around me, pulling me tightly against him.
“You’re a bit tense,” he continues.
“It was a long day.”
“Come.” He pours a glass of wine, then takes my hand and leads me through the house and up the stairs to his master bathroom. He magically produces a single pink tulip and hands it to me with a soft smile. I rub the petals against my nose and breathe the sweet scent in as he turns and runs me a bath, lights candles, and then turns his attention back to me.
With sure fingers, he unzips my dress and pushes it off my shoulders, letting it pool around my ankles.
“You’re beautiful, cara.” His eyes roam up and down my torso. “This bra is pretty.” His fingertips skim my skin over the light pink cups of my demi bra, making my nipples pucker before he unclasps it between my breasts and it joins the dress on the floor. With his eyes on mine, he hooks his thumbs into my panties and guides them over my hips and down my legs.
“Step out of those killer heels, please.” He takes my hand in his and leads me to the bathtub, watching as I sink into the steamy water and settle back with my head leaning on the ledge of his vast bathtub. “Here’s your wine,” he says with a grin as he sits on the ledge.
“It’s pretty in here.”
“With you here, yes it is.”
“You’re a charmer.”
“I’m just calling it like I see it,” he replies with a half-smile, showing off that sexy dimple.
“I like your dimple.”
“I hope that’s not all you like.”
I shrug. “Probably not.”
He chuckles and drags his fingertip down my cheek.
“Actually, there’s more to you than the flirty, charming Italian that I’ve known you to be.”
His blue eyes find mine, and he watches me calmly as I take a sip of wine.
“You’re not going to ask me what I see?” I ask boldly.
“What do you see, tesoro?”
I take his dry hand in my wet ones and plant a kiss to his palm. “I see a professional, intelligent, kind—”
“Just don’t call me nice.”
“Sexy, sweet man.”
“You’re the sweet one, Alecia.”
“This bath is nice.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“You’re not joining me?”
“No.” He sweeps my hair off my forehead with one fingertip. “I want you to relax. Take a deep breath.” He leans in and kisses my head, then stands and leaves the room.
Damn, he’s sweet.
I set the wine glass on the ledge of the tub and sink as far into the water as I can without sinking my mouth and nose under the water, take a deep breath, and the next thing I know, strong arms are lifting me out of the tub.
“No falling asleep and drowning, sweetheart.”
“I’m getting you wet,” I murmur against his chest and burrow closer to him, my arms around him, my nose pressed to his neck. “But don’t put me down.”
He chuckles and kisses my forehead. “I have to set you down for a second to dry you off.”
He dries me off quickly, and before I can get cold, I’m back in his arms, being carried into the bedroom, where he gently lays me in the bed and pulls the covers up over my nude body.
I watch him with heavy-lidded eyes as he quickly sheds his clothes and joins me, pulls me against him, into him, his arms folding around me and hugging me tightly, as if he’s afraid I’ll roll away from him.
Not a chance in hell of that.
I never knew that falling asleep in someone’s arms could be so comforting.
Because it never has been before.
I sigh deeply and press a kiss to Dominic’s neck. “This is delightful.”
“Mm,” he replies and kisses my hair. “Sleep, sweet girl.”
“We’re not going to have sex?” I ask with surprise, and pull back far enough to look him in the eye. His fingertips dance down that sweet spot on my neck, sending shivers down my arms, just as his other hand takes mine and he laces my fingers through his, then brings them up to his lips.
“I want to sleep with you,” he whispers roughly. “I don’t mean have sex with you, although I always want to be inside you. I want to sleep with you, in my bed, with your head on my chest and my arms wrapped around you. With my nose buried in your hair so I can breathe you in all night long.” He takes a deep breath and kisses my fingers again. “I want to sleep with you, here in this chilly room, so we have to cuddle closer. No talking, just being here, with you. I just want to be with you, Alecia.”
I swallow hard, my eyes pinned to his lips as he speaks, and feel my heart trip and my stomach tighten at his words.
“I can live with that,” I whisper hoarsely.
“Good. Sleep, cara.” He kisses my fingers again, rests our hands on his chest and guides my head down onto him, where I just seem to fit perfectly, despite our immense height difference.
I take a deep breath and feel myself relax against him. I feel him grin against my head as his fingertips tickle my neck again.
“Keep doing that and I won’t sleep,” I whisper.
“You’ll sleep,” he replies confidently.
I don’t speak again. I simply lie with him. Be with him, and after long minutes I feel him slip into sleep, but I lie awake for a while, listening to him breathe, listening to his heartbeat against my cheek.
Listening to the silence around us.
Is this what it feels like to be in love? This contentment, this attraction? This trust?
I can’t resist planting a kiss on his chest, and I feel his arms t
ighten around me in his sleep.
I’m quite sure that if this is what love is, I’ve tripped over and fallen right in.
Chapter Thirteen
“Seriously, this is like hot man overload,” Emily whispers to me as we sit in the white chairs before the arbor Dominic’s brothers made for Will and Meg’s wedding. The whole family is here for the rehearsal. All of the Montgomery siblings and their spouses, all of the parents, even the kids. It’s a huge family party, and they’re having a great time ribbing each other.
“And here,” the pastor says patiently, as two of the brothers, Matt and Caleb, snicker at something Isaac whispered to them in the front row. “Is where you recite your vows to each other. Will, you first.”
Will, with a perfectly sober and serious expression on his impossibly handsome face, takes Meg’s hands in his and stares down at her intently.
“Megan, I promise to never make you work out with me. I know how you value your laziness.” His lips twitch as his brothers snicker. “I vow to send cupcakes to your work regularly.” He grins wickedly, and I know we’re about to get an earful of something fun. “I vow to remember where all your sweet spots are on that fantastic body of yours, and pay the appropriate amount of attention to them on a regular basis.”
“You’re the reason we have to put instructions on shampoo bottles in this country,” Samantha calls out, earning a fist bump from Brynna.
“I’m not going to say the real vows today,” Will says, his eyes still pinned on his bride. “Those are for Saturday.”
“Your turn, Meg.”
“I’m not saying mine either,” she says with a grin. “I want to get to the kissing part.”
“That’s my girl,” Will agrees and leans in to kiss her, but she slaps her hand over Will’s lips and leans away, looking at the pastor.
“Wait! How are we supposed to kiss?”
“No tongue!” Leo yells out, making us all laugh.
“Mmph hump smeethart,” Will says against Meg’s hand.
“What?” she asks, pulling her hand away with a smile.
“I’ve never needed instructions on how to kiss, sweetheart.” Will slips his hands around Meg’s waist and pulls her flush against him, bending at the knees to match his lips up with hers, and suddenly they’re in a passionate embrace, kissing with great enthusiasm.
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