by Toni Aleo
Her eyes were sincere, and this was the first time Elli had ever seen her sister look at her like that. Elli didn’t know if she could trust her, but she kinda wanted to. She had always wanted a real, loving relationship with Victoria. She’d envied her when she was growing up and wished that she would have given her the time of day. Kind of like how Harper was with her baby sisters. She wanted that, and maybe this was her chance.
Or maybe it would all blow up in her face. She wasn’t sure, but slowly she nodded, a grin pulling at her lips as she said, “I would like that. Maybe we can get together for coffee when I get back from Fiji.”
Victoria’s lip quivered as she nodded, her eyes not leaving Elli’s. “I would really love that.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Elli said with a laugh later that night as she lay beside her husband in bed.
“Because why would you agree to go to have coffee with the person who tried to break us up?”
“Because she is my sister.”
“So what, next is your mom?”
Elli shook her head. “My mom hasn’t apologized, Victoria did, and she wants to know me and have a relationship with me. It can’t hurt to give it a shot.”
He looked skeptical as he shrugged. “Just be careful.”
“I will, and plus Christmas is a time for forgiving and loving thy neighbor.”
“I doubt that neighbor schemed against you and kissed your boyfriend to make you break up with him.”
Elli smiled as she hooked a leg over his hip. “Probably not, but we overcame it.”
“After three months of hell. Took me busting some glass and paying a fine to get you to listen to me,” he added.
“But look at us now!”
He chuckled as he gathered her in his arms. “Yeah, look at us. Happy, kids, the whole nine yards huh?”
She nodded, her fingers tangling in the hairs at the nape of his neck. “It’s a pretty great life.”
“I couldn’t agree more, and to think, I get a whole week to make love to you every second of the day.”
“Mmmm,” she purred against his lips. “The great thing is I can’t get pregnant either.”
That had them both laughing, shaking the bed as their laughter filled the room. Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her nose and then one side of her mouth and the other before her lips. As her heart pounded against her ribs, she couldn’t think of another place she’d rather be than in Shea Adler’s arms. She wasn’t sure of the future, but as long as it was with Shea and her kiddos, she’d be just fine.
Christmas had been an eventful one, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was her life—eventful and crazy with her clan of kids and mind-blowing husband. She wasn’t sure how she got this fortunate, but she thanked the good Lord above as her husband slowly peeled her clothes away before making sweet love to her. It was a blessing to not only wake up being the wife of her gorgeous husband but the mother of five of the best kids on this planet. And as her husband slowly moved inside of her, his eyes trained on hers, Elli Adler knew that life couldn’t get any better.
She had it all.
“Kacey, you’ve been on that phone all damn afternoon. Put it the hell down!”
Lacey King giggled as her mother-in-law, Regina, tried to knock her daughter’s phone out of her hand.
“Ma! Stop!” Kacey yelled back. “This is important!”
“What could be so damn important that you’d rather be on that phone than talk to us?”
“Duh, Ma, a dude,” she informed her, looking at her mother with a deadpan expression.
Lacey giggled as she shook her head. Having her in-laws home was a blessing in disguise. She loved them, but man, they were loud.
“A dude?” Regina asked, a little taken aback. “Who?”
Kacey’s grin grew and Lacey smiled. Her sister-in-law was a beautiful woman. Strong as an ox and built like one too. Her eyes were like razors, sharp and beautiful, while her hair was finally touching her shoulders. Since Karson, her brother and Lacey’s husband, constantly said she was a lesbian, Lacey had noticed that Kacey had started to grow her hair out. If she was a showstopper with short hair, Lord help the male gender when she grew it out.
“No one,” she said, waving her off before tucking her phone in her pocket. “I’m done. What’s up?”
“Well, I’m trying to talk Lacey into having a baby. Help me,” Regina said and Lacey just giggled.
“Ma, please, they’ll do it when they want to,” Kacey said with a shake of her head. “But please, Lacey, pop one out so she’ll shut up.”
Lacey grinned as she shrugged. “I can say we aren’t preventing it, but we aren’t trying. We are giving it to the Lord.”
“I love her,” Regina said with a dreamy look on her face. “She’s a great woman: smart and beautiful and God-fearing. We picked a good one for our Karson.”
Lacey laughed as she shook her head. “I’m pretty sure he picked me.”
“Yes, but we decided to keep you,” Regina said with a wink before kissing Lacey’s cheek. “Best decision ever. Now we just need Kacey to find a good man.”
Kacey scoffed at that. “Please. There are no good men in the world. Daddy and Karson have set the bar too high.”
“Agreed,” Lacey said, sending Kacey a grin. “But yours is out there.”
“Eh, I’m good with my life.”
“That’s all that matters,” Lacey said before Regina could object to that.
“I’m gonna take these to the men,” Regina said, taking the meals that Lacey had just plated and leaving for the living room.
Smiling contentedly, Lacey took a sip of her tea as she looked around the kitchen. She loved this kitchen. She loved her house. She loved Nashville. But most of all, she loved Karson so much. The last month had been perfect. They couldn’t be more in love, and everything was moving great for them. They were still looking for a location to expand Lacey’s Lace, but she knew in her heart that the right place was there, and when she found it, it was on.
She couldn’t wait to open the new store. She decided that Rachel would be the manager of the one in Chicago, and she would take over running the one in Nashville. Thinking of Rachel, she smiled. She and Grady had left two days ago after spending Christmas with Lacey and the Kings. Lacey was surprised when her brother said that he wanted to spend Christmas in Nashville because that meant they wouldn’t be spending it with their dad since Lacey still wasn’t talking to him.
It had been tough, but she stood by what she said. She wouldn’t let him ruin her. Since she wasn’t talking to him, she guessed he realized that he would have to really prove that he wasn’t going to try to break her and Karson up because he had been on his best behavior. Every day she got an email from him asking how she was. He sent flowers and elaborate gifts for Christmas. He even sent Karson a new hockey stick. Karson joked that it had anthrax on it, but she did think it was a start. Still though, she didn’t call him. She sent him a very short email saying thank you, but that she wasn’t ready to talk to him.
And she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure when she would be either. He’d broken her heart, but thankfully, Karson put it back together. She refused to be unhappy, so she cut out the bad. Fortunately, things between her and Rachel were good after a very long talk. She knew that her dad had been manipulating Rachel; Lacey just wished Rachel wouldn’t have given in to him. Rachel’s need for a father figure was insane, but Lacey was glad she opened her eyes and saw that Lacey’s father was not the father figure she needed. He wasn’t a father figure at all. He was a controlling bastard, and Lacey wouldn’t have any part of it.
While losing her father in her life sucked, she was relieved that she and Grady had gotten closer. He still talked to their father, but it was for the boys more than anything. She didn’t understand how he could be so good to his grandsons but not to his children. It was mind-blowing, but Lacey had made peace with it. She had Karson and his parents if she needed parental figures. Regina and Karl King
loved her like she was theirs, and that was more than she could ever wish for.
Plus, she had a new sister. She and Kacey had gotten very close over the last couple weeks, and she knew exactly who Kacey had been speaking to the whole time she had been in Karson and Lacey’s home.
“I thought you said you were going to break it off?”
Kacey grinned as she met Lacey’s gaze. “I would, but ugh, the sex is so good.”
Lacey giggled before setting her with a look. “He doesn’t want a relationship.”
“I know,” she said, letting her shoulders fall. “I need to break it off.”
“Yeah, you do. Jordie Thomas is not a take-home-to-Momma kind of man.”
“No, he isn’t,” she agreed. “But he is a fuck-you-stupid kind of man.”
Lacey laughed out loud as images of JT having sex with some girl in the living room came to mind. “Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean.”
Kacey knew all about the first time Lacey met JT and proceeded to laugh her butt off while Lacey shuddered. Looking over at her, Lacey said, “You know Karson will flip if he finds out.”
“Yeah, but I’m gonna stop. I have to.”
Lacey eyed her as she picked at the sandwich that was in front of her. Kacey’s eyes were sad and she looked defeated, and Lacey wasn’t sure why. That was until it dawned on her. “You’ve fallen for him.”
Kacey didn’t even look at her as she slowly nodded. “Yup, like a dumbass.”
“Oh, Kacey,” she said, covering her sister-in-law’s hand with hers. “Let it go before it gets unbearable.”
“I’m going to.”
Before Lacey could say more, her phone rang and she saw that it was her brother. “Oh, excuse me, it’s Grady.”
“Cool, I’ll go in the living room.”
Answering it, she said, “Hold on, Grady.” She then looked at Kacey. “You don’t have to.”
“It’s cool. I’m gonna go be masochistic and keep texting the guy who will never love me back.”
Lacey’s heart sank as she watched Kacey walk away. Letting out a breath, she said into the phone, “Hey, sorry, hey!”
Grady chuckled. “Hey, so I’m calling because I was told to ask you something, and you’re probably not going to like what I have to ask.”
“Ew, what?” she asked, knowing darn well that her dad had probably told Grady to call her.
“Well, Dad is wondering if you and Karson are going to come to his and Sabrina’s wedding in March.”
“It’s in March,” she deadpanned. “Why do I have to answer now?”
“I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t even want to go. I don’t like Sabrina.”
“Who does?”
He laughed. “Exactly, but I figured he is our dad, so we should support him.”
“He doesn’t support me though.”
Grady didn’t say anything for a second and then said, “You’re right, and I completely understand if you don’t want to go. Do you want me to just say no now and save you the deciding?”
She chewed on her lip for a moment as she leaned against the counter. Did she go or not?
When a pair of arms wrapped around her stomach, she melted against her husband and looked at him with a small smile on her lips. Looking at her, his brows drew in and he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Grady wants to know if we are going to my dad’s wedding.”
Karson stiffened against her, and she knew the answer without his even answering her.
“No, we aren’t going,” she answered, moving her hand up to hold Karson’s face.
“Completely understandable. Don’t even know why I called, really. I knew the answer before I picked up the phone.”
She smiled. “No biggie, always good to hear from you.”
“Yeah, by the way, again, thanks for having us. It was a wonderful time.”
“It was. You guys are always welcome.”
“Thanks. Okay, well, Zander is pulling me to the garage, so I’ll call you later. Love you.”
“Love you,” she answered back before hanging up the phone. Turning in Karson’s arms, she kissed his jaw. “I love you, husband.”
He smiled as his hand traveled down her body to her ass. “I love you, wife. You okay?”
She nodded. “Of course. I didn’t want to go anyway. I don’t want to watch my dad marry someone else.”
“And because he is an asshole,” Karson added and Lacey smiled.
“That too,” she agreed, holding him closer to her. “Anyone who tries to take you away from me isn’t worth my time.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. He held her for a long time, and as she closed her eyes, she didn’t want to be anywhere but in her husband’s strong arms. Kissing his chest, she snuggled closer and just felt complete. So much had changed since she’d met him. Her life had been completely turned upside down. It used to scare her, but now, she knew there was no other way. She was meant to love Karson Jett King, and everything else just fell into place.
“My mom is driving me crazy. I wish you wouldn’t have told her that we aren’t trying but we aren’t preventing. She seriously just told me to make sure to hold your legs up after sex. It was awkward.”
Lacey giggled against his chest as she shook her head. “Your mother is a hoot.”
“No, she’s batshit crazy.”
Laughing harder now, she looked at him and couldn’t fathom how much she loved him. It was as natural as breathing, and he was everything she could ever wish for. Their first Christmas had been magnificent. They had beautiful, hot sex and then rushed downstairs where Regina was cooking a hefty breakfast. After eating with their families, they opened presents and enjoyed being together. She loved watching her nephews open presents and could honestly see a child of their own ripping paper away to find the gift that Mommy and Daddy had gotten them.
It was insane that she had been so against the idea of having her own baby before. It was the fear, but now, she wouldn’t say she wasn’t scared still, but she was open to the idea. Karson was right when he said they would raise a fighter because she was one. She had started counseling, and it was helping so much. Especially since Karson sat right next to her and held her hand as she relived all the horror the cancer brought on. They talked out everything and she felt much better. She even joined an After Breast Cancer program at the YMCA. She wished she had done it years ago, but she felt like a whole different person now that she had been getting help.
She not only felt like a better woman but also a better wife, and maybe one day, a great mom. Like her mom had been. Looking deep into Karson’s eyes, she knew that as long as she was with him, she would be the best.
Because he brought out the greatness in her.
As she did for him.
Karson loved his wife.
He was convinced he was the luckiest man on earth to be able to watch her make her way down the stairs of their home looking like a billion bucks. In a gold sequined dress that was long-sleeved and hugged every single inch of her sexy body, her legs went on for days in black tights with high black heels. Her hair was up in a twist and her makeup was dramatic and smoky, bringing out the flecks of gold in her green eyes. She was stunning.
And all fucking his.
“Damn, woman! I’m supposed to take you out when you are that damn hot?”
A sneaky grin came over her face as she took his hand. “Yes. I spent two hours getting this hot. You are taking me out.”
His heart pounding in his chest as he brought her in close, his mouth dusted against her glossed-up lips. “Or, I can take you upstairs and ring in the new year by banging into you.”
She gasped against his lips as his hands cupped her sweet ass. “While I would love that—because you know they say what you are doing and who you are with on New Year’s is how you’ll spend that year, I have to say, I want to go out and enjoy the night that Fallon has worked so hard on,” she said and he groaned in protest.
“Plus, we find out if Kacey makes the team tonight, and if we are banging all night, we won’t answer the phone.”
He smiled as he nodded. “Smart woman I am married to.”
“Damn right,” she said, kissing his lips. “Now off we go. I want to shake my booty!”
She pulled from his grip, but he snatched her back in, pressing his growing erection against the swell of her ass and nipping at her earlobe. “No shaking. I can’t handle that.”
Her laughter was airy. “Why not? Won’t it turn you on?”
“More than you’ll ever know, and then I’ll be hard all night wanting to be inside that sweet ass.”
“Mmm,” she moaned as his fingers danced on the outside of her thighs. Slowly she moved her ass against him but then broke away, a teasing grin on her face. “Guess you’ll have to want me all night.”
He scoffed “Baby, I want you every fucking second of the day. Come here, let me get a piece real quick.”
“No way. We are leaving, come on,” she said, walking away quickly and then out the door without waiting for him.
Man. She drove him insane.
And he loved every second of it.
The Assassins’ New Year’s party was the biggest event of the year.
Fallon Brooks put on one hell of a party, and Karson was always impressed by her skills. The party was covered in purple and black, the Assassins’ colors. The Christmas tree that was so tall it reached the roof of the arena was covered in Assassins memorabilia. Each guy’s jersey adorned the tree and then pictures of the guys with their families brought something special to it. Before, it used to be a picture of just Karson with his family, but this year, it was a picture of him and Lacey in front of their tree, completely and utterly in love.
He loved these parties; he got to drink it up and shoot the shit with his brothers. Most of the guys were married to unbelievable women, and the guys who weren’t brought their little hot dates, trying to outdo each other in a friendly game. It blew his mind how, in such a short time, everything had changed for him. He used to be that guy, bringing the hottest chick he could in the hopes of outdoing all his other single teammates.
