I couldn’t hold in my smile. While the rest of the gang had just one duffel bag, Frank had a duffel bag, a garment bag, a hat, and a cane. A man after my own heart, he even worsewore scarves. He probably had a closet that made mine look small and cheap.
Frank pointed up toward the house. “I’ll just take the room farthest away from my granddaughter.”
“Good idea,” I choked.
Once everyone was in the house, I went back to grab Andi, only to find her missing.
Laughter echoed out of the kitchen. I followed it.
Wine was open. Lots and lots of wine.
And Andi was talking animatedly about our honeymoon list. Oh shit. She actually had it pulled out.
“We went from thirteen to—”
“Andi.” I coughed and shook my head.
“Damn,” Chase grabbed the Cheetos from Bee. “The story was just getting good.”
The doorbell rang again. “What the hell?”
Nixon moved past me. “It’s probably Ax and Ames, the last of the crew. I’ll get it.”
Sure enough, Ax and Amy walked into the kitchen.
I looked around and fought to keep my emotions from getting the best of me.
It was suddenly so loud in that house that I couldn’t even hear myself think. Mil and Chase were arguing. Typical. Mo was punching Tex in the shoulder repeatedly. Andi was singing the Russian national anthem. Frank was finding more wine — smart man. Nixon and Trace were kissing, moving on, and Ax and Amy were opening the fridge. Phoenix was trying to pry the chips away from Bee, and Chase was reaching past Mil to grab them.
“So,” Andi said loudly, “you guys are all staying the night or what?”
The room fell silent.
“What?” She looked around. “Did you not like my rendition of mother Russia?”
Chase bit down on a Cheeto. “Doesn’t matter how loud you sing it, honey. You’re Italian now.”
“Oh really?” Andi’s face lit up. “How do you figure?”
“You fight like hell.” Tex nodded in appreciation. “Married one of our men… risked your life to save his. I’d say you’re more Italian than Russian.”
Andi beamed. “Does that mean I have to drink wine now?”
“You and your vodka,” I muttered.
“Admit it.” Chase chuckled. “You scrunch up your nose at wine to piss Sergio off.”
Andi grinned. “Guilty.”
“Real mature, Andi.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind and set my chin on her head.
“So…” Andi shrugged. “…you guys are here for a while then?”
Thank God, she didn’t say the end.
“Yup.” Nixon nodded. “Now what’s for dinner?”
All eyes fell to Chase.
“Damn it.” Chase slammed his hand onto the counter. “I’m not your bitch. You can’t make me cook every night!”
Mil whispered something in his ear.
Chase’s grin grew to epic proportions. “Homemade lasagna okay?”
Phoenix groaned. “I don’t even want to know what my sister just uttered.”
“Nope.” Chase bit down on his lip and started swiveling his hips. “But just so you know. We’re trying to get pregnant… and we’re trying really, really, really hard.”
“Say hard again,” Tex joked.
“Hard,” Chase whispered, this time in Phoenix’s ear.
Phoenix raised his hand to smack Chase away, but Nixon intervened. “So lasagna.”
“Buzzkill,” Chase accused.
Frank moved to the middle of the room. “There is not enough wine.”
“What?” I frowned. “I have an entire cellar.”
Fighting erupted again. I could have sworn I saw Chase pull out a gun on Phoenix. I turned to Frank and nodded. “I’ll make some calls.”
“Good man.” He patted my shoulder. “Good man.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Andi
CHASE WAS AN EXCELLENT COOK. IF I hadn’t already been dying, his homemade lasagna would have seriously done me in. The room was buzzing with conversation and laughter — it felt like a real family. One I was a part of.
Frank had already gone upstairs for the evening. Apparently, his being old meant he was not only allowed his own bottle of wine during dinner — but also an eight o’clock bed time.
Bee yawned and put her head on Phoenix. “Bed?”
“It’s eight,” Chase pointed out.
Mil whispered something else in his ear.
He gripped her by the butt and heaved her over his shoulder. “Which I’ve always said is the perfect time to hit the sack.” He slapped her ass and moved out of the large dining room.
Everyone else made similar excuses. I knew what they were doing, giving me and Sergio some time together.
Sergio walked over to me and slid our honeymoon list across the table. “Pick one.”
“Only one?” I jutted out my lower lip. “How about two?”
His blue eyes narrowed as a few pieces of long hair fell across his face. I loved that he was growing it out; it made him look even more like the duke from my romance novels. “Fine, two.”
“So I say we work on number four out of our thirteen? And…” I tapped my chin. “…this one.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’ve really never done that?”
“Have you?” I countered.
“If I say yes, will you judge me?”
“Absolutely.”
“In my defense, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.” He crossed his arms.
“Oh really?”
He swore. “Fine, up you go.”
He walked over to my chair and lifted me into his arms, carrying me effortlessly into his giant media room. It wasn’t just a theatre room. It was like an actual theatre, with games lining the walls, movie posters, a full bar, and a hot tub.
Semi-ridiculous. Then again, I imagined he had enough money that it had just seemed practical. Why party outside the house when you can have the party inside?
“Pick your poison.” He sat me on the leather couch and walked over to the bar.
“Hmm… in my fantasies, all the bartenders are shirtless.”
Without arguing he peeled the shirt off his body and braced his hands against the counter. “Better?”
“Hmm…” I rubbed my lips together. “…flex.”
He glared.
“Flex!” I shouted. “It’s part of the list.”
“The hell it is,” he grumbled then flexed.
“I really like your abs.” I tilted my head. “They’re tight. How do they get so tight? And your ass…” I fanned my face. “C’mon, turn around and bend over.”
“I’m a person, Andi.” He slammed his fist onto the counter, his lips curving into a gorgeous; I may need to take a cold shower smile. “Drink?”
“Sprite,” I decided. “You really won’t bend over?”
He ignored my plea and made my drink then walked over to the couch and set it in my cup holder. His naked chest brushed my fingers as he leaned over and then kissed me on the head. “So, ready to bang out that list?”
“Bang.” I laughed. “Good one.”
“I thought so.” He lifted me into the air, sat down, then placed me on top of him. “Frozen singalong — and then we work on number four.”
“Is it wrong to have sex after Frozen?” I grimaced.
Sergio shrugged. “Just don’t start singing that you want to want to build a snowman while we’re in the middle of it, and we’ll be good.”
“I don’t know that song.” I frowned.
“Oh…” Sergio clicked on the giant TV. “…believe me, you will.”
I cried.
It was pathetic. But the whole sister saving her sister thing really did me in. Probably because I knew I’d never actually meet my real sister. I’d heard about her, known she existed, but would never know that type of affection. Feeling sorry for myself was stupid, but I was still a bit bummed about it.
�
��So…” Sergio turned off the TV. “…thoughts?”
“I suddenly want to build a snowman.”
“Told you so.”
The room was quiet. I felt relaxed and surprisingly not dizzy, probably because I was sitting down.
Sergio shifted me on his lap so that I was facing him. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking…” I ran my hand up and down his abs. “…that I’d really like you to kiss me.”
“I can do that.”
“And after you kiss me at least four times, I think you should take my clothes off.”
Sergio’s mouth met mine. He whispered against my lips, “Consider it done.”
“And…” I pressed my finger to his mouth. “…I want you to go really, really, really slow.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And then fast.”
He laughed. “Okay.”
“And then slow again.”
His lips lingered over mine. “How about you just let me do what I do best?”
“And what’s that?”
“Love you, of course.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Sergio
I CARRIED ANDI UP TO OUR BEDROOM and silently hoped that the surprise I’d planned for her wouldn’t be ruined. I’d never taken her on a honeymoon, and she was right. She deserved one.
So I brought the honeymoon to her.
I carefully opened the door and set her on her feet.
Andi covered her mouth with her hands then spoke between her fingers. “What did you do?”
“Well, someone…” I grabbed her hand and led her through the room. “…said I would have taken her to Africa.” A few stuffed lions and zebras lined one side of the room. “And then she said I would take her to China.” Chinese food was on the table with perfect little origami creations; chopsticks were placed across both plates.
She nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
“But she was wrong.”
“What?” Andi wiped at a few spraystray tears and turned. “She was?”
“Yup.” I turned her around to face the other side of the room. Her back was to me. I wrapped my arms around her and whispered, “I wouldn’t have stopped at Africa or China. I would have taken her to London.” A small Ferris wheel was outside, facing the window. “It’s not the London Eye but… it will have to do.”
Andi didn’t say anything. So I walked her closer to the window and pulled the curtains. “But who stops at London?” I whispered, my ears grazing her ear, my tongue trailing the soft skin. “Especially when France is so close.” A miniature version of a lit-up Eiffel tower stood next to the Ferris wheel.
“And then…” I turned her back around to face me as I pulled a small postcard out of my pocket. “…when all was said and done, I would have taken you home.”
I handed her the postcard of the Kremlin.
Andi’s hands shook as she took it, her eyes sad. “I’ve never been.”
“Well, it was a bit hard to find a miniature version of the Kremlin. Believe me, I tried, so I figured a postcard would work just as well.”
She frowned. “How do you figure?”
I grabbed the pen from my back pocket. “Because you can write it as if you were there and send it to whomever you want.”
“But if I’ve never been—”
“The colors…” I twirled her around to face the window. “…I’ve heard are like fireworks…” I checked my watch and sighed in relief as the first blue firework went off. “…constantly changing before your very eyes.” Another firework, this one green. “The building itself looks magical, almost unreal, but it’s the color of the building that creates an atmosphere of pure beauty.” More fireworks filled the sky above the house.
Andi covered her mouth with her hands.
“And just when you think you’ve stared long enough, just when you think you understand the beauty it represents…” The fireworks went crazy; it looked like hundreds of them were going off. “…it surprises you again.”
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered in reverence.
Slowly, I let her go.
When she turned to face me, I was already on my knees.
Andi covered her mouth with her hands.
“I never asked.” My voice trembled. “I never had the honor of asking you to be my wife.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a three-karat princess-cut diamond ring. “And I wondered, if you felt as cheated as I did, that we never had this moment.”
Tears poured down her face.
“So Andi…” I held up the ring higher. “…will you do me the greatest honor of my life — and be my wife?”
“Yes!” She didn’t even grab the ring but grabbed me instead, kissing me so hard on the mouth that I stumbled backward. “I love you.”
Laughing, I swung her around. “I love you too.”
I swung her around again, knowing she liked more than one twirl, and placed the ring on her finger. “So, did you really want to work on number four now, or did you want to ride the Ferris wheel?”
“The Ferris wheel can wait.” She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it at my face. “I can’t.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Sergio
I THINK, LOOKING BACK AT THIS MOMENT, I would always struggle with fully describing the way my heart hammered against my chest, the electric feeling of my hands as they roamed freely across her body.
How do you describe something that’s indescribable? You don’t. You can’t. It’s impossible. And I knew, five years from now — or ten, maybe twenty — I’d still be walking around with a smile on my face when I recalled the moment she was mine — the moments I owned her, and she owned me, the moments our hearts were one, our souls united.
“Sergio…”
Her shirt went flying, her bra followed, her jeans. I’d never seen someone undress so fast and was slightly humiliated that I couldn’t keep up, that I wanted her to go slow so I could savor every second my eyes were allowed the pleasure to gaze upon her beauty.
“…make love to me. Make it good.”
“I can make it good,” I whispered. “But you’ll have to forgive me.”
She frowned.
“Forgive me…” I smiled. “…if I stand here a moment longer than I should — because I feel like you deserve to be stared at. Hell, you deserve to be worshipped, but I’m not that patient of a man, so at least give me this — one minute, sixty seconds — give me that, and I’ll make love to you. I’ll make it so good you never forget.”
“Even in my death.”
“In life or death.” I shook my head and licked my lips as I took a cautious step toward her. “You’ll never forget this — or forget us. I swear it.”
She nodded, her eyes pooling with tears again.
I reached out and touched her arm, my hand slowly caressing up toward her shoulder. I could never understand how her skin could be so soft. “Every touch feels like the first.”
Her eyes closed. “It does… it really does.”
“I think… I’ll remember this moment…” I sighed. “…forever.”
Andi pulled back, then twirled once, twice, and winked. “Since it’s forever, I figured I better make it good.”
“It’s a two-twirl moment,” I agreed.
She giggled. “I thought so.”
“Come here.” I held out my hands.
Tentatively, she walked toward me, naked, her perky breasts like a siren call, her curvy body my ultimate demise.
“This,” I said once she reached me and I was able to press a kiss against her hot lips, “this is what people wait for.”
“It’s fair.” Her forehead touched mine.
“What?”
She shrugged and then wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. “I’ve been saying it over and over again. How is it fair that I only get you for a few short weeks, a month, maybe two?” She sighed against my mouth. “But in this moment, right now, I can honestly say it’s fair.”
“Yeah?”
I croaked. “Why’s that?”
“Because we get to live… we get to love… together. We get this.” She pressed her palm against my chest. “Regardless of the journey, of how hard it was, of how hard it is or how short we— The time — we still had it — and that, my friend, is a beautiful ending.”
“I’ve always loved the end.” I fought to keep my tears back. For her, I smiled when I wanted to cry.
“They’re my favorite too,” Andi agreed, her lips teasing mine. “Because you know, after everything, they’ll be okay.”
I nodded. “They’ll be okay.”
“You will be.” Andi cupped my face. “You know that, right?”
“No,” I blurted. “But for you… I’ll try.”
She crushed her mouth against mine, and I savored it. I lived for that feeling right there where everything was right in the world, where sex was making love, and making love to my wife, Andi, was my destiny, my purpose — the reason I’d been spared.
The reason I hadn’t been killed up until this point…
Was in order to love her.
Amazing, I’d always wanted a higher purpose. I’d had no idea it would be my wife.
Yet it was.
“I love you…” I choked. “…so damn much.”
She wrapped her legs around me as I walked us back toward the bed. The back of my knees touched the mattress. She jumped down and crawled on top of me as I scooted up on my elbows.
“Show me…” She winked. “…just how much.”
“Pretty sure I just did.” I pointed around the room.
She burst out laughing. “Aw, Italy, you can do so much better.”
“I can.” I gripped her hips and tossed her next to me. “Wanna see?”
Andi laughed as I made quick work of stripping my body of the rest of my clothes.
I started at her foot.
It made sense.
To start at the bottom, work my way up.
She tried to kick me. I pulled her leg tighter. “Hey now, let me do my job.”
“But it tickles.”
“Good.” I kissed the inside of her ankle. “Shh… you’re going to wake up the animals.”
“What?” Andi squealed. “They’re stuffed!”
“Shh, they’ll hear you!” My lips met the inside of her knee.
Elude (Eagle Elite #6) Page 23
