by M. A. Foster
“I know, Jay.”
“She didn’t,” I confirm, narrowing my eyes at the lying bitch.
“She’s the one who tried to shove me. It’s not my fault she doesn’t know how to follow through.” Jay laughs.
How does she stay so calm? I’m practically shaking with anxiety.
“Oh, you think you’re funny, smartass?” Zach’s mom shouts as she reaches out and shoves Jay.
What the hell?
Bass appears out of nowhere and is behind Jay in an instant.
A few gasps followed by yelling echo around us, everything happening so fast.
Jay’s calm demeanor turns to pure rage as she lunges for Zach’s mom. But Bass moves at lightning speed, grabs her from behind, and carries her to the passenger seat of the car still idling at the curb.
Emerson shoves her way through the crowd. I desperately want to see her kick Zach’s mom’s ass, but Cole rushes me into the back seat of the Range Rover, then climbs in beside me just before Bass takes off.
THE CAR IS silent for a good ten seconds before Jay flips out. “Gah! I can’t believe that bitch shoved me,” she shrieks from the front seat, her hands flailing around and her entire body vibrating with her anger. “She’s lucky I didn’t knock her on her fu—”
“Princess!” Bass cuts her off with a sharp warning in his tone. “Take a breath and calm down.”
“I can’t calm down, B. She freaking shoved me! And Chelsea is a lying bitch.”
“Chill the hell out, Jay,” Cole says. “Zach knows she’s lying.”
“I feel bad for Zach,” I add. “He’s probably mortified.”
“You should probably feel bad for his mom.” Cole chuckles. “Because if Emerson gets her hands on her….” He blows out a low whistle through his teeth and shakes his head.
Bass presses a button on the visor and waits for the gate to swing open before navigating up the driveway and into the garage.
Jay grabs the handle and shoves open the passenger door with her shoulder, but before she can get out, Bass reaches over and grips her arm. “Go get changed, Princess.”
“No, B,” she groans, throwing her head back against the headrest. “It’s late and I’m tired.”
Bass lowers his chin, giving her a pointed look. “Would you rather go for a run?”
“It’s midnight.” She gestures out the window.
Bass just stares.
“Fine,” she surrenders with a growl. “I don’t know why I’m the one being punished.”
“You’re not being punished. Now go get changed.” Bass lets go of Jay’s arm and she climbs out, slamming the door behind her.
Cole barks out a laugh as he opens the back door and climbs out. “She’s such a hothead.”
Bass closes his door and glances at Cole with raised brows. “Boy, you better get outta here with that nonsense.” He chuckles as he makes his way toward the garage door, and we follow him inside. “I think you and Liam are tied as the biggest hotheads in the whole hotheaded family. I feel bad for your grandfather,” he adds over his shoulder. “That man is a saint.” Bass turns and heads for the back stairs as Cole and I make our way to the kitchen, Cole still snickering at Bass’s previous comment.
Grabbing a bottled water from the refrigerator, I hold it up and ask Cole, “Do you want one?”
“No,” he says, slowly rubbing his hand over his jaw, dragging his heated gaze over my body before meeting my eyes. A shiver of excitement runs through me. “I want you to tell me what happened with Ashton and Hannah.” He takes a step forward. “But first I want to get you out of that dress.”
I smile, twisting the lid back on the water bottle. “Okay.”
Cole and I make our way toward my room, passing a still pissed-off Jay in the hall. She’s in running shorts and a sports bra, mumbling a curse word or two under her breath. I roll my lips between my teeth to hold back a giggle, but Cole being Cole throws his head back and full-on laughs, provoking her.
Jay spins around with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “You wanna trade places with Bass?” She quirks a brow.
I think she could take him.
That shuts Cole right up. “I’ll pass, thanks.”
She snorts, turning for the stairs. “Chickenshit,” she tosses over her shoulder.
“What was that all about?” I ask as we step into my bedroom.
Cole removes his jacket and tosses it on the bench at the end of my bed. “As if you didn’t already know, Jay has a temper.” He begins taking off his tie. “She bottles up her emotions, even anger, which isn’t healthy. Bass makes her work it out, whether she takes it out on the bag or they go running. Keep the heels on,” he growls quietly in my ear before I can slip them off. My whole body tingles with goose bumps.
I turn and lift my hair so he can unzip my dress. “I’d be pissed, too, if someone shoved me like that.”
Cole slips his finger under the straps of my dress and slides it down my shoulders, letting it fall into a puddle at my feet. Wrapping both arms around me from behind, he kisses my shoulder as he trails one hand up to my bare breast, flicking his thumb over my nipple while his other hand moves lower, skimming just under the waistband of my lace panties. I groan, melting against him, but my groan turns into a whimper when he pulls away, holding out his hand and helping me step out of the dress.
“Do you think Zach believes Chelsea?” I ask, turning to face him.
Cole deftly unbuttons his dress shirt while I work to remove his pants.
“No,” he grunts as I slip my hand down the front of his boxer briefs.
“Do you think they’ll be okay?” I tilt my head as Cole trails light kisses behind my ear and down my neck.
“Harper, shh,” he murmurs against my skin. “I’m trying to fuck you.”
“WHAT HAPPENED WITH Ashton and Hannah?” Cole asks, propping his head on his hand.
“It wasn’t that big a deal. They cornered me in the bathroom. Hannah shoved me, and her bracelet got caught on the beading of my dress and it ripped a little.”
“Did Ashton touch you?”
“No. She did what she always does, just talked a bunch of crap.”
“What’d she say?”
“She said you still call her.”
He rolls his eyes. “She’s full of shit. I can’t still be calling her when I never called her in the first place.”
I roll on my side and prop my head in my hand, mirroring his position. “She said you’re only using me for sex because she isn’t ready. You never had sex with her?”
He gives a slight shake of his head. “No.”
I know he hates talking about his ‘relationship’ with Ashton but I’m curious.
“I don’t understand. You claimed she wasn’t your girlfriend so I thought you guys were just hooking up.”
He inhales a deep breath. “We were. Just not the way everyone thinks. Can we drop it? I don’t want to talk about what I did with Ashton while I’m in bed with you.”
I roll to my back. “Fine.” I breathe out a humorless laugh. “She called me trash.”
“Hey,” he whispers, curling an arm around my waist and tugging me closer so that he’s looking down at me. “You’re not trash. You’re amazing and beautiful.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. “I love you.”
I suck in a sharp breath. That came out of nowhere.
Grabbing the back of his neck, I bring his lips to mine. “I love you, too.”
THE SMELL OF garlic lingers in the air when I walk inside the house, and I can already taste Grace’s spaghetti. “Hey, guys! What’s up?” I greet as I enter the kitchen. Jay has an adorable toddler propped on her hip, her face covered in spaghetti sauce. “Well, hello there, spaghetti girl. Aren’t you cute,” I coo. “Who belongs to this cutie?”
“That’s me.” Logan, Zach’s brother, raises his hand and smiles proudly. I’ve only met him once before. He looks like Zach with darker hair and a leaner build.
“Nice job, Daddy. She’s bea
utiful.” I wink.
“Zoe, say hi to Harper,” Jay urges.
“Hi, ahpa,” Zoe says, and Jay giggles, mimicking her words.
“Hi, ahpa. I’m Zoe from Boston.”
I laugh and gesture to Zoe’s messy face. “Need help?”
Jay nods toward the great room and I turn, my jaw practically hitting the floor. There’s stuff everywhere: toys, clothes, diapers. “Can you grab the bathroom stuff, pull-ups, and a pair of pajamas?”
“I’ll help,” Emerson offers.
“I’m taking her into the guest room next to Harper’s room,” Jay calls over her shoulder as she heads for the stairs. Emerson and I grab a handful of stuff and go upstairs to the bathroom.
Dropping the stuff on the guest bed, Emerson heads back downstairs and I walk to the bathroom with the baby wash in hand, squatting on the floor beside Jay in front of the tub and passing it to her. She pours a capful under the faucet. “Do you like bubbles, Zoe?” Zoe nods, cupping the bubbles in her tiny hands.
“I didn’t know Logan had a kid.”
Jay snorts. “Neither did I. Or Zach. Zoe’s m-o-m is in j-a-i-l for d-r-u-g-s, among other things.”
I frown. “That’s awful.”
Jay nods, grabbing a sponge, wetting it, and passing it to Zoe. “Wash your face. Zoe was staying with a woman named Tina, who’s a friend of her mom’s but after she got”—she mouths the word “arrested”—“Tina took her over to Zach’s house this morning. Luckily Zach was there because his parents are out of town. He said he felt sorry for the lady. It was obvious by her appearance that she was struggling. Her husband was a soldier, killed in Afghanistan, and she’s raising four kids of her own, plus helping her sister with her two little ones. Could you imagine? Six kids.” Jay looks over at me with wide eyes, and I’m sure my expression mirrors hers. “Zach thanked her for taking care of Zoe and gave her all the money he had in his wallet, but he still didn’t think it was enough. After Tina left, he brought Zoe over here.”
“That’s sad. It’s Christmas. I wish we could do something for her.”
Jay looks over at me and winks. “I took care of it.”
“AHPEE,” WILLOW CHEERS and runs toward to me. She’s wearing her red and white striped Christmas pajamas, her hair a wild mess and pure excitement on her face. “Sanna bwinged me pwesents.”
My attention moves to the living room, which is covered in toys and wrapping paper.
I mimic her excitement. “He did?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She nods animatedly.
“Guess what?”
“What?” She lets out a giggle, tugging at the bottom of the pajama shirt and bouncing on the balls of her feet.
I could eat her up.
“I brought you a present, too.”
“You bwinged me pwesent,” she screeches, her little fists balled up. She’s so excited, she’s about to cry.
“I did. Go put on your shoes.”
“Okay.” She runs off toward her room.
Cole pulls me into his arms and kisses me. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” I smile against his lips.
“Merry Christmas, Harper,” Max says as he and Jessica take turns hugging me.
“Merry Christmas,” I return.
Willow runs back into the living room wearing her little fuzzy boots. “Okay, I weady.”
“Where are you going, Willow?” Jessica asks.
“Ahpee got me a pwesent.” She throws her arms out to the side.
“Her big present is in the car,” I inform them with a wink, and we all go outside.
I borrowed Jay’s Range Rover to transport the purple princess carriage with a unicorn connected to the front.
Cole and Max ease the plastic ride-on toy from the trunk.
“Is a munacone!” Willow cheers, reaching for the carriage door before Cole and Max even have it completely on the ground.
“A unicorn,” Cole corrects.
Willow tilts her head, giving Cole a ‘that’s what I just said’ look. “Munacone.”
COLE AND I exchange gifts, and because our relationship is still new, we kept things simple. He got me clothes, pajamas, and a gift card to a high-end camera store. It’s actually where I took my mother’s camera to get fixed.
I got him a new pair of running shoes and a Fitbit. Jay bought one for Zach, too.
I’m nervous about the last gift as I pass it to him. “This is just a little something I thought you might like.” It’s actually my first hint indicating who I really am.
Cole eyes the package skeptically as he accepts it and sets it down in his lap. I bite down on my lip nervously as he tears into the package and lifts the black leather ten-by-ten photo album from the box. It’s filled with photos I’ve taken of our time together over the past few months. There are pictures of Cole and me, Cole and Willow, Cole and Aiden, Cole and Dylan, Cole and his friends, Cole laughing with Jay, and Cole on the football field. Some were taken with my camera, like the ones of Cole on the field, Willow and Jay at the park, and Willow making bubble beards in the bathtub. Others were taken by Lexi with her cell phone. The rest were taken with my cell phone.
“This is pretty incredible, Harper,” he murmurs, flipping through the pages.
“I thought you’d like to have your own personal yearbook.”
He lifts his head and I’m awarded with that gorgeous, slightly crooked smile. My heart flutters in my chest.
I am completely, deeply in love with Cole Mackenzie.
THE MACKENZIES ARE big on the holidays. Max closed Mac’s the week of Christmas until after New Year, but not before he gave all the employees a generous bonus. A few days after Christmas, we boarded Jay’s private plane, the Jaybird, and flew to New York to ring in the new year. Unfortunately, when we got to Jay’s apartment, she and Zach were both down with the flu.
We—and by we, I mean the entire family—went to museums, shops, Central Park, the zoo, Times Square, and so many other places. It was a lot to take in, and I took a million pictures. It was the best Christmas and New Year of my life.
“HEY,” JAY GREETS from the doorway. “Zach and Cole are taking us to see Fifty Shades
Darker. We’re meeting the others in Pelican Cove for dinner first.”
“Cole is actually going to sit through that movie?” I snort, picturing the scowl on his face.
Jay shrugs. “Zach may or may not have told him that he’s guaranteed to get laid afterward.”
I giggle. I won’t tell her that he doesn’t need to take me to a movie to get laid. When it comes to Cole, I’m always down.
“I guess I better get ready, then.”
STEPPING OUT OF my room, I spot Cole leaning in Jay’s doorway. I move beside him and wrap my arms around his middle. “What’s going on?”
“Jay’s not ready yet.” He chuckles.
Zach’s voice carries from inside her closet-boutique. “Babe, it’s the movies, not the Grammys.”
“And dinner,” she argues. “Stop rushing me, Z.”
“I’m not rushing you. I just don’t understand why you need to change ten times. Everything you put on looks good. You could wear a garbage bag and you’d still look good.”
“Aw, Z. You’re so sweet.”
“Jesus.” Cole shakes his head and mumbles something about being whipped under his breath. “We’re gonna be late,” he calls from the doorway. “Come on, Jay.”
“Shut. Up. Cole.”
“WHAT THE HELL did I just watch?” Cole asks from the driver seat.
I laugh. “It would’ve been better if you’d seen the first movie. We can watch it later if you want.” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively.
Cole grants me a sexy smirk. “Maybe.”
“Something just occurred to me,” Jay says from the back seat.
“What?” Cole eyes her in the rearview mirror, and I turn in my seat to face her.
Jay looks over at Zach. “Who did you see the first movie with?”
Zach blinks. One. T
wo. Three times. “You.”
“Ehhh, try again, Z.” Jay narrows her eyes, and suddenly the tension in the car grows uncomfortably thick. “Did you take your girlfriend, Reagan?”
I slowly turn in my seat to face the front, looking over at Cole to see him shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
“Fine,” Zach snaps. “I watched it by myself. It was on cable and I watched it. I wanted to see what the big deal was.”
“Aw, Z,” Jay coos. “You could’ve just said that. I watched it by myself, too. And I was thinking of you the whole time.” She giggles.
“Oh, my girl’s a comedian,” Zach jokes, wrapping his arms around her.
“Do you get turned on by that kind of stuff?” I ask Jay. “Like the spanking and stuff?”
“Um….” She turns to Zach.
“Harper,” Cole groans. “Please don’t answer that, Jay.”
“Simmer down, Cole. I was gonna say no because I don’t have a lot of experience.”
“You’re plenty experienced for me, babe.” Zach winks.
“Zach,” Cole warns.
Jay laughs, turning fifty shades of flushed. “What about you, Harper? Would you let Cole spank you?”
Cole shoots me a naughty grin.
“The spanking stuff was kind of hot.” I wink at him. “What are you guys doing for the rest of the night?”
“I have to finish packing for California, and then we’ll probably just go upstairs and watch a movie.”
Jay is leaving tomorrow for California to attend the Grammys with Alex and the rest of her dad’s bandmates from Royal Mayhem.
“You guys are always watch—” I start, but Jay bugs her eyes out at me, another flush creeping up her neck to her cheeks. “Oh, uh….”
I turn in my seat. Cole looks over at me, then into his rearview mirror. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothing,” we all say at once.
JAY AND ALEX have been in LA for the past three days. Last night, they walked the red carpet, introducing her to the world as Jayla “Jaybird” King and Alex as the new front man for Royal Mayhem. The gossip is heavy in the halls today.
