Hold Tight: A For Him Novella (For You)

by Alexa Riley

  Penelope has been begging me all week to bring Royce to the family dinner. While I want to, I’m a little reluctant. Not because I’m embarrassed to bring a guy around, but because I want everyone to love him.

  Royce reaches over, sliding his hand into mine. “Baby, I promise everything will be fine.” He gives me a little squeeze.

  “My family is close,” I tell him, trying to making sure he understands how important this is to me. I don’t want him to think I don’t want them to meet each other I just want this to be perfect.

  We’re more than close. My family is everything to me. I actually think that’s part of the reason why I never went out and found—or wanted—a boyfriend. I had people close to me at home and didn’t think I needed it anywhere else. Plus, I always thought I’d never find someone as good as my dad. I wasn’t willing to settle. I saw how he treated my mom, and I thought that was rare. I didn’t think I would ever find a love like that. My mom’s strong-willed like I am, but he handles her, while letting her be who she is. I’m a leader like her, and most men are threatened by that. Royce seems to get off on it, though. It’s probably why I love him.

  I freeze for a second, processing the thought that just popped into my head. I love him.

  “Then I want to be close to them, too,” he says, breaking through my internal shock.

  “I’m different with them,” I admit. “It’s not like the ‘work me’ most people see.”

  “Baby,” he sighs. God, I love it when he calls me that. I used to think guys calling their women that was annoying. Maybe I was secretly missing something, because when Royce says it, I melt into a puddle. “I’ve spent a week worshiping your body and feeding you. I know there are two sides to you. I love them both.”

  “You love them both,” I repeat, only really catching one word.

  He grabs me, pulling me onto his lap and positioning me so I’m straddling him. He takes my mouth in a deep kiss that has me worked up in seconds.

  “Loved you from the moment I saw you,” he tells me. He runs his hand up to my hair, pulling my ponytail. “I felt it that first time you took my hand.”

  I’d felt it, too, but it scared me. “You make a different part of me come out. With you, I feel like I don’t have to have any walls. I can just be me,” I admit, because it’s true.

  “I’m like a fucking king because you’re that way with me.” He rubs the back of my neck before pulling me to him and taking my mouth again. This time I deepen it, wanting to fall into him.

  I pull him closer, but suddenly the car door is flying open.

  “Oh. My. Fucking. God,” I hear Penelope say.

  “Royce, this is my sister,” I mutter, pulling back from the kiss and blushing because I got caught making out.

  “He’s hot,” Penelope says. I hear Ivan growl and look over to see him moving her behind his big body and away from us. “Not hotter than you.” She rolls her eyes. “Get out of the car,” she says, before yelling, “Mom, Pan is making out in the car!”

  Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. Royce chuckles as I climb off him and out of the car. The smile on Penelope’s face is giant. Ivan has his arms around her, cupping her belly like her baby might pop out at any moment and he might need to catch him.

  “She’s mine,” Ivan says simply, his eyes boring into Royce. I know Royce can fight, but I’m not sure anyone wants to come up against Ivan when it comes to my sister.

  Royce wraps one arm around me, pulling me into him. “And she’s mine,” he says simply.

  They glare at one another, and Ivan nods to me. “And she’s my sister. Hurt her and I promise you it will be the last thing you do.”

  It takes me a little by surprise, but his words make me smile. Ivan and I have become somewhat close over the years, with him being married to Penelope, but I didn’t think he’d say that.

  “And this is my brother, Ivan,” I say, smiling.

  “Hurting her is the last thing I’ll ever do,” Royce says, pulling me even closer to him. Ivan studies him for a moment before nodding.

  “Look at them. He’s all cuddling her and she’s letting him!” Penelope says excitedly. She looks like she’s about to burst into a pile of sparkles.

  “Pan,” Mom says. I turn to see her and Dad standing in the front door. Dad has his arms crossed over his chest and is giving Royce a death stare. Mom has a little smirk on her face. She and Penelope seem to be the only ones who are happy here.

  “Hey,” I say, waving to them.

  “You going to introduce us?” Dad says.

  “This is Pan’s man,” Penelope says before I can get a word in. “She needs a ring and a baby,” she adds, and I feel myself blush. I give her a hard look, and she just shrugs.

  Mom and Dad make their way out the front door. “Mom, Dad, this is Royce. We kinda work together,” I tell them.

  “This is what had you in knots last week?” Mom asks. I feel myself redden even more. I had no idea I was a blusher, but leave it to my family to pull it out of me.

  Royce reaches out, taking Dad’s hand. Dad holds it for a second before letting it go.

  “I wasn’t in knots,” I say as Royce takes Mom’s hand next. Mom just smiles more, looking just like Penelope.

  “Don’t let her lie to you,” Royce says before kissing the top of my head.

  “I know my girl. And I know you,” Mom says as she lists off Royce’s life history. She even knows a bit more than I do.

  “Mom,” I scold, but she shrugs.

  Penelope keeps on smiling, and Dad stands there, seeming to know it all.

  “We run one of the biggest security firms in the States. Do you think we don’t know who you’re dating?” Dad says.

  Royce lets out a bark of laughter. “Well, I hope I meet your standards.”

  “Not that it matters,” I add. “I’m keeping him.”

  Dad studies me for a second before a smile finally pulls at his lips. While I was a little nervous to introduce them to Royce, I knew they would be happy. My parents are so in love and want the same for me. Dad has even been poking me about when I might bring someone around.

  Royce squeezes my hand, and I smile at him. “Okay, guys, now that’s out of the way. We’re leaving,” I tell them.

  I go around and give everyone a goodbye hug.

  “You just got here,” Penelope says grumpily in my ear.

  “He just told me he loves me,” I whisper back.

  “Yep. They have to go,” Penelope says loudly, making me shake my head.

  My mom and dad try to protest, but Penelope goes about pushing them back into the house.

  Royce looks at me with confusion and holds his arms out, palms up.

  “Get in the car,” I tell him, and he raises his eyebrows at me.

  “You get in the car,” he says back, and I roll my eyes.

  I go around to the other side and get in and wait for him to slide into the driver’s seat. Reaching over, he pulls on my seat belt for me and waits.

  “Drive,” I grit out.

  “What has you all pissy?” he asks as he slides his key in then backs out of the driveway.

  “The man I love just told me he loves me, and I haven’t gotten to say it back.”

  We’ve only traveled a few yards when the car comes to a sudden halt as he hits the brakes and throws it into park.

  Before I know it, my seat belt is off, and Royce yanks me out of my seat and onto his lap.

  “Say it.”

  “You can’t demand it,” I tease.

  “Baby...” His voice comes out rough and deep, with so much emotion in it. “Say it.”

  “I love you,” I whisper for the first time to someone outside of my family.

  He stares at me hard for half a second before his mouth hits mine. Hi
s tongue pushes in, and I kiss him back just as fiercely. I don’t know why I ever fought this. His hands tangle in my hair, and all I can think is that this love is what I’ve been waiting on my whole life.

  “We’re getting married,” he tells me as his lips move to my neck.

  “You’re bossy.”

  Normally I would get mad, but something about the way he’s so assertive and sure of what he’s saying does it for me. I feel myself smile and close my eyes, loving the feeling of his lips on me.

  His grip on my hair tightens, and my pussy clenches. God, what this beast of a man does to me.

  “Say you’ll marry me,” he pushes, and I moan at the strong grip he has on me.

  He’s tough, and it goes straight to my core. I’m not used to someone being so firm with me. I like it, and he smiles, knowing damn well I’m getting off on it.

  “I’ll marry you,” I tell him, because it’s what I want. It might be crazy fast, but I don’t care. This man was made for me. “We could fly to Vegas tonight.”

  He smiles and then leans forward, giving me a soft, sweet kiss. It’s the complete opposite of what we were just doing. Then he’s putting me back in my seat and going back into my parents’ driveway.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, wondering what the hell is happening.

  “I’m going to go ask your dad if I can marry you.”

  He’s giving me that cocky grin with his deep dimples, and I melt. I once wanted to smack that look off his face, and now all I want to do is kiss it. He gets it. He understands what my family means to me.

  “I love you,” I tell him again.

  “I love you, too,” he says before getting out of the car and taking me with him.

  Epilogue

  Royce

  Two years later

  “What are you two in here doing?” I ask, seeing Pandora and our daughter, Lavender, playing.

  “I’m teaching her how to throw a punch,” Pandora says, holding up her hand for Lav to hit.

  “Hey, I’m the fighter in this family. I should be the one doing it.” I lean on the doorframe and cross my arms. The sight of the two of them together completes a piece of a puzzle I never knew I was building. We’ve talked about having another one, but Pandora says Penelope has enough for the whole family.

  “Nah. I want her to be good at it.” Pandora winks at me, and I growl, getting on the floor with the two of them and lying on my back while Lavender crawls on me.

  We kept my loft in the city for Pandora to work a few days a week. I do most of my consulting from home now, so I’m mobile. We have our house on “the compound” as we love to call it, and stay out there the rest of the time.

  I stopped fighting after Lavender was born. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, but having kids changed our perspective on things. Suddenly it wasn’t just me and Pandora fucking in bathrooms in the basement of dingy bars. Although we still manage to do that on date night. I wanted to give our little girl the world, and that included my time, too. Once I made the decision to step out of the ring, I never looked back. Getting in the ring was a good time, but it’s not a sport you can really work at long term, and I was ready for it to end.

  But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, and that’s my love for Pandora. If anything, it’s grown over the past two years to a level I can’t even comprehend. I never knew love could be like this, and every day it grows stronger. Pandora’s dad told me that it’s that way for him and her mom, too. I see it when they’re together, and that’s what I want for us.

  “Are you all packed up?” I ask, sitting up to kiss Pandora.

  “Yep. It’s nice having stuff at both places, though, so all we have to do is grab the essentials.”

  I reach out and grab her breast, and she giggles. “What? Just the essentials, right?”

  “You play your cards right, and we can have a babysitter tonight.”

  “Your sister is having baby fever again,” I say, picking up Lav and taking her over to the changing table.

  “I know. She says one more, and Ivan agrees. But I think that man would give her as many babies as her little body can carry.”

  She comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her cheek on my shoulder.

  “If we timed it out right, you could both be pregnant at the same time,” I say.

  “Oh God! Can you imagine? Penelope would go nuts.”

  I blow a raspberry on Lav’s belly and listen to her giggle. “Might not be so bad. She’s already a year old. Maybe we should have them close together.”

  “Sounds like you’re the one who has baby fever,” she says, smacking my ass. “Are you and Penelope in cahoots?”

  I hide my smile from her and try to shrug casually. I may have been talking to Penelope about cycles and when they would both be ovulating again. Ivan didn’t like the talk at first, but as soon as Penelope was talking about being fertile, he was right there with us.

  “Royce Davenport, turn around and look at me,” Pandora demands.

  I pick up Lav and hold her up beside my face. “Would we lie to you?”

  Pandora bites her lip and shakes her head. “You’re not allowed to use her cuteness to get out of trouble. Come to Mama, little one.”

  She takes Lavender, and then I scoop the both of them in my arms and walk toward the door.

  “Tell you what, why don’t we let your parents watch little Lav tonight, and you and me have some alone time? You know, see what happens.”

  Pandora rolls her eyes, but I know she’s thinking about it.

  “I can’t say I don’t like it when you try to knock me up,” she says as I put her on her feet so she can grab her bag. I take it from her, and then take the baby, as Pandora locks up.

  “Then just shut that pretty mouth of yours and let your man make things happen.”

  “I think your dad is trying to give you a brother or sister,” Pandora says as she walks past us.

  “I’m trying my best, baby girl,” I whisper to her, and she giggles at me.

  Epilogue

  Pandora

  Five years later

  “Oh my God, Pan, that guy is totally checking you out,” Penelope says from beside me.

  I look up to see a guy at a bench in the park near us looking our way.

  “Whatever,” I say, blowing it off. I’m in yoga pants and a tank top, with what I’m sure are at least three different kid stains.

  “Seriously. He keeps looking over here,” she says, poking me in the ribs not so subtly.

  “Dude,” I say, to get her to stop. “Maybe he’s checking you out.”

  I look over to see the kids playing together in the grass and lie back on the blanket to soak in the sun.

  “Don’t even play like that. Ivan is more than ten feet from me. If he hears you, he’ll come over here and murder everyone,” she says, looking around for him like she’s excited by the possibility. “Besides, I’m, like, eleven months pregnant with my fifth kid. I think Ivan might be the only man alive who finds me sexy.”

  “Let’s hope so. If he found out someone else did, we’d all be in trouble.”

  “I do love how possessive he can be.” She sighs dreamily, and I roll my eyes.

  I can’t hate it, though. Possessive is one of my favorite features on my man. I lower my glasses and see Royce with our two little girls getting snow cones. His ass is looking way too good in those jeans today. Ivan is beside him, and he waves to Penelope, who blows him a kiss. God, I love her and how ridiculous she is sometimes.

  “Oh shit. He’s coming over here. What do we do? Should we throw something at him?” Penelope is freaking out, and I want to laugh and cover her mouth at the same time.

  “Excuse me, but do I know you?” the tall, thin guy asks, looki
ng down at me.

  “No,” I say, looking back to where Royce and Ivan are standing, but their backs are turned to us.

  “They are not going to like this,” Penelope mumbles in a singsong voice.

  “Are you sure, you look very familiar. Have you been to the art gallery on 7th?”

  “Nope,” I say, sitting up now so the guy isn’t looming over me so much.

  “It’s strange, because I own it, and I swear I’ve seen you at one of our exhibits.”

  “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. My hus—”

  “My name is Drake,” he says, interrupting me and kneeling down, holding out his hand.

  Penelope leans past me and whispers to the stranger. “Look, Drake, you seem like a nice enough guy, so I’m going to save your life.” She looks to our guys and then back to him. “Those men are straight killers. You need to walk away slowly and never look back.”

  He smiles like Penelope is being funny, but she pulls back and shakes her head. “Oh shit. Here we go.”

  I turn to see Royce stomping over to us, the snow cones gripped in his hands so tight all of the ice is falling off them as he gets closer. He’s trying to hang on to them as the girls are hot on his heels reaching for them, and it’s a pretty funny sight.

  “Are you talking to my wife?” He says the last word like I belong to him and it should be obvious to the world.

  I want to laugh at how comical it is, but I know if I do I’ll only get him angrier. Nothing sets my Royce off like someone stepping between him and his ladies. That includes our daughters.

  Royce hands the girls the snow cones, and Lavender complains that half of hers is on the ground, while Sam shrugs and drinks what’s left in the cup.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I’ll get you another once I get rid of this asshole.” Royce looks back to Drake, who’s already standing up and backing away.

  Just then Ivan walks up, and I bury my face in my hands, groaning.

  “I tried to tell him,” Penelope says in a smug voice, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head.

  Ivan doesn’t stop once he gets to us, though. Instead, he keeps stomping toward the guy. Drake’s eyes widen with fear, and he backs away. Ivan keeps going, then Drake turns and runs. Ivan ends up chasing the guy out of the park and out of sight.