Sex

by Jillian Dodd

  And by that, I mean with one touch, I’m hard.

  I turn away from her because I don’t want her to know, slip on my slacks and shirt.

  “Won’t you at least stay for breakfast?”

  “I can’t.”

  “So, are you going to have breakfast with her?”

  “She wasn’t very happy that I came here last night. She was even more unhappy that I put her in a cab, sent her home, and spent the night with you. She may not even talk to me after this.”

  “Well, you know how I feel about you, Riley. If you want to come back and have some fun later, call me.”

  I nod as I put on my shoes. “Okay. But I want you to make a doctor’s appointment for this week. I think we should have an ultrasound and make sure everything’s okay. And I want to be there with you.”

  I give her a kiss on the cheek and then get the hell out of there.

  Shelby’s Bungalow - Sunset Boulevard

  SHELBY

  Riley walks out.

  Which was not my plan.

  At. All.

  And there is no way I can take him to a doctor’s appointment. The ultrasound will measure the baby to determine if my due date is accurate. And Riley is smart enough to do the math. Somehow, I’ll have to go by myself.

  I look up ultrasound photos on the internet, wondering what my baby looks like at this stage. When I see one where the baby looks like it’s waving, I get excited. Riley will love seeing a photo like this and it’s not like he’s going to know the difference between a few weeks. He’ll just be so thrilled to see a photo of his baby.

  I think back to how he gently touched my stomach last night. The raw emotion in his voice.

  Actually, an ultrasound photo might be all I need to get Riley Johnson to marry me.

  The Wedding of the Century?

  Well, people.

  I can’t decide if I should laugh or cry about this. To be honest, I’m a little devastated.

  Let’s start with the official statement that I just received:

  Keatyn Douglas and long time beau, vintner and philanthropist Aiden Arrington, surprised friends and family, who were invited to the couple’s Sonoma County home for a fundraiser, by getting married last night. The happy couple plans a three-week honeymoon before Keatyn is due in London to finish filming the last of the Trinity series movies. (Sob!)

  I’d like to go on record and say I predicted a wedding in the very near future, but I will admit, Keatyn pulled a fast one on me.

  In fact, she pulled a fast one on everyone.

  When I got this press release, I literally sat here for a full three minutes with my mouth hanging open.

  It’s okay.

  Take a minute.

  It’s a lot to take in all at once.

  First off, I’m mourning over the loss of Keatyn and Knox as a couple.

  They are soooooo perfect together. I love them!

  Not that Aiden and Keatyn don’t have a beautiful (and very commercialized love story), but I still held out hope. Keatyn and Knox seemed so close when they showed up at her sisters’ birthday party together and without an engagement ring.

  So, I thought—well, you know what I thought.

  But, alas, I recovered quickly from the shock and, thankfully for you, did what I do best—got on the phone and unraveled all the details. I mean, there’s so much to discuss!

  Before I give you the skinny on the wedding, let’s talk about what this really means. Knox “Sexiest Man Alive” Daniels is still deliciously single. And that’s something we can all rejoice about.

  So here we go.

  The big question is, how was a wedding of this magnitude kept a secret?

  Here’s how she did it.

  Asher Vineyards often holds events and fundraisers for its Moon Wish charities. Three weeks ago, local event companies were told of a “last minute event” being thrown together by Maggie Pedersen, Moon Wish’s in-house event planner and Ariela Ross, a Connecticut event planner—both names Keatyn Chronicles movie goers will recognize.

  Hundreds of guests received hand-delivered invitations to said “fundraiser” and were “pleasantly surprised” said one guest, to find out upon arrival that they were really attending Keatyn and Aiden’s nuptials.

  Because Keatyn and Knox just wrapped up studio filming and have a three-week break before reporting to their first location, the lovebirds decided it would be the perfect time to tie the knot. Friends and family were thrilled the pair, who have been together for nearly twelve years, were finally taking the plunge to matrimony. When publicist Vanessa Flanning announced the couple’s recent engagement, she mentioned a springtime wedding in Paris. Since Vanessa stood up for Keatyn, we’re assuming it was either a little white lie to protect her friend, or the bride changed her mind and opted for the quickie wedding.

  But since our sources in Knox Daniel’s camp told us to expect an announcement on Monday, we’ll assume the former, because he was clearly in on it, too.

  As devastated as I am, I’ve put my feelings behind me and have been trying my damnedest to get a picture from the event—even some grainy cell shots would suffice, but guests were asked to refrain from taking photos of the bride and groom.

  I figured what the hell and called Vanessa Flanning, herself. She directed me to the wedding planner, who thankfully gave me some details.

  So, here we go:

  Of the six hundred invited guests, about four hundred were in attendance and the list of celebrities is too long to list. Hotels in Sonoma and nearby Napa were booked full. How none of this leaked, I have no freaking idea.

  Guests were greeted upon arrival with glasses of spiked lemonade, given a wedding program, and seated on an assortment of pastel, velvet-covered vintage chairs and settees. Keatyn was glowing as she walked down an aisle scattered with four-leaf clovers and was escorted by both her stepfather, Tommy Stevens, and her paternal grandfather. The bride was stunning in a custom gown by designer Eliza Valens, which featured regal gold embroidery and a custom veil. We’re told that seamstresses spent a combined total of over 1300 man hours to create the gorgeous ensemble. When I asked about the shoes, Ariela laughed and said that originally the bride was planning to wear a gold couture heel, but right before she walked down the aisle, her grandfather presented her with custom-made cowboy boots, which were embroidered in gold with symbols relating to the couple’s love story.

  Apparently, Aiden’s nickname for Keatyn is Boots, so this is actually rather touching.

  I may have shed a tear.

  Or not.

  I’m still in a mood over not getting an invite. I may be throwing a little temper tantrum. And I know it’s early, but this calls for a stiff drink. (And later, I’ll be looking for something else stiff, if you catch my drift.)

  But I digress.

  The couple wed just before sunset under a rustic wooden wedding arbor lovingly built by the groom. Since I can’t imagine someone so glamorous as Keatyn having a rustic wedding, I was happy to hear that it was draped in the palest of silks, decorated with scads of pastel flowers, feathers, and a large vintage chandelier.

  Standing up for the bride and groom were Riley Johnson, CEO and chairman of the board of the recently sold Captive Films and Vanessa Flanning, publicist of the star.

  The ceremony was followed by an outdoor cocktail hour and a family-style dinner in their wood-beamed, old brick, silk draped, fairy-light lit barn. The event was catered by the couple’s long-time chef, Marvel, and included a special vintage wine from Asher Vineyards. Highlights of the night included toasts from friends and family, a first dance to the song ‘Sorta Like Fate’ performed by the band, Twisted Dreams, and club dancing to Twisted Dreams drummer and international DJ Troy Malone’s sick beats. Little sister, Emery, performed, as did numerous other friends of the couple. The evening also featured a scotch and cigar bar, cotton candy, rides on the groom’s gift to his bride: a restored vintage Ferris wheel, fireworks, and in case that wasn’t enough, when guests left
, they found rows and rows of grapes lit by thousands of twinkle lights.

  Sounds truly fabulous.

  (If you noted a little sarcasm on my part, you are correct. Excuse me while I down another shot.)

  Now for the gossip. With such a guest list, you can imagine the fun.

  Riley Johnson was seen dancing closely with married-but-filed-for-a-divorce wedding planner, Ariela Ross.

  Jennifer Edwards, who is set to star with Knox Daniels and Jake Worth in Daddy’s Angel, were seen dancing in a group, but rumor has it Jennifer and Knox have broken up. As evidenced by the fact that she ended the night in the DJ booth with Troy Malone. Troy is known to be quite the partier and what a steamy match this might be. You go, girl!

  Avery, Emery, and Ivery Stevens, the now-legal triplet daughters of Tommy and Abby, who just a few days ago were partying it up with their friends at their over-the-top birthday bash, were at the event, sans escorts. Does that mean Emery and 24-year-old bad boy rapper Treska’s relationship is already over? And what about baby sister Gracelyn’s recent kiss with Summer Boy crooner, Dylan?

  What does it mean that they weren’t invited to the wedding?

  Girls? Inquiring minds want to know.

  Vanessa’s Estate - Holmby Hills

  VANESSA

  When Dawson and I pull through the gates, I gasp at the sight of my home. It looks different. Sure, the terra-cotta stucco and tile roof are the same, as are the mahogany windows and iron balconies, but its harsh contrasts are gone. Added under the windows are wood and metal planter boxes filled with red begonias. The large mahogany doors are flanked by red glazed urns filled with large topiaries and set between them is a red doormat with natural colored cursive script that simply says hello.

  I am out of the car before Dawson can come around to open my door.

  “Doesn’t it look so much prettier? More approachable?”

  “It looks like our home now,” he says, and I couldn’t have summed it up better myself.

  “Remember when Avery told me I needed to wear a happy dress to the Purity Party?”

  “Yes,” he says, taking my hand in his.

  “That’s how the house looks now. It looks happy.”

  “You look happy. That’s what matters,” he says, sweeping me off my feet and carrying me over the threshold.

  “We’re going to be happy here, aren’t we?” I ask, ignoring the house and looking deep into his chocolate brown eyes. Eyes that have held the answer to that question since the day he walked back into my life.

  “We are,” he tells me, sealing the deal with a kiss before gently placing me on my feet. “Let’s see if the inside looks as good as the outside.”

  “Wow,” is all I can manage to mutter when I pivot in a circle, trying to take in how different it looks.

  “Wow, is right,” Dawson says. “It’s almost hard to believe it’s the same house.”

  The massive table in the dining room is still the same, but the walls are now the color of a Tuscan sunset. The heavy brocade fabric on the chairs and drapes has been replaced with simple cream linen. The large sideboard is overflowing with colorful Italian pottery, not priceless Ming vases, and the ornate chandelier looks more casual wrapped in metal and hanging from the wood-beamed ceiling which has been stripped of its dark stain.

  I jump up and down. “It’s so perfect! I can’t wait to have a dinner party here!”

  Dawson slips his arm around my waist and pulls me close. “And I was thinking I’d like to spread you out on that table and feast on you.”

  “Why don’t you make a list of all the places you’d like to do me as we go through the house.”

  He pushes me back against the heavy wooden table. “No lists. Now.”

  I shake my hands in a frenzy. “But, Dawson. I. Have. To. See. The. Rest. Of. The. House. Now! Please tell me you’re as excited about this as I am. This is going to be our home!”

  “Oh, I’m excited, all right,” he says as he thrusts his hips toward mine. He gives me a delicious kiss. “I can’t help it. Your excitement turns me on.”

  “We’ve only seen the first room. Imagine how excited I will be after we see the whole house.”

  He nips my lip and then concedes. “You’re right. That might be even better. But I will be making a list. And we will be coming back here.”

  “Eeee!!” I say, sounding like a teen swooning over a pop star as I lead him from room to room. Everything looks different. The dark wood has been stripped from the beams, giving them a naturally rustic look as if we’ve restored an old Tuscan villa and given it new life. The wall colors and draperies are softer. The ornate furnishings I thought I wanted gone have been re-upholstered and mixed with new modern pieces making the home look like it’s evolved over time.

  “I can’t even believe this is my house,” I mutter.

  “I can’t believe she did all this in such a short time,” Dawson says. “It takes me a whole weekend just to paint one bedroom.”

  “She did have a whole crew working on it. I’m just—” I’m overcome with emotion. The house’s makeover is similar to my own. It’s the new, softer, in-love version of me. Tears flow as I turn to face the man who is responsible for allowing me to find myself again. “This is all because of you,” I tell him.

  “No,” he says, wiping away my tears. “It’s all because of you.”

  “But you changed me.”

  “No, I didn’t. You were like a wilted flower. I just gave you some water.”

  “Now you’re a gardener?”

  “Well, I do like to get down and dirty with the hoes.”

  I laugh. “Well, it is time to go check out the master bedroom.”

  When we get there, I take in the new softer version of my bedroom. It’s gorgeous, almost an extension of my closet. The walls are the same pale pink. The bedding, silk in dusty pastels. The nightstands mirrored. A gorgeous chandelier above the bed. It’s both glamorous and sexy. And if it weren’t for the fact that I’m dying to see the rest of the house, I might slip under the sheets with Dawson and never leave.

  “I think you should plant some tulips in here,” Dawson says, still talking about gardening.

  “Like a potted plant?” I ask.

  “No, like planting two lips,” he points his fingers toward his crotch, “right about here.”

  I swat him. “You are silly. Although that sounds fun, I really want to go upstairs and see the girls’ rooms.”

  “Dang. I’ve been turned down twice now today. I’m going to get a complex.” He gives me a sexy grin.

  “Somehow I doubt that. Come on!”

  I grab his hand and drag him up the back stairs.

  At the top of these stairs is the playroom, which I knew Peyton wasn’t going to change, but I peek inside anyway and immediately notice a door that wasn’t there before.

  “I think she made it so that Harlow’s room now adjoins with the playroom.” I stand in front of the door, feeling nervous. More nervous about it than any other room in the house. I want the girls to be in love with their rooms. To be happy here. “You open it,” I tell Dawson. “I can’t.”

  He wraps his arms around my waist. “Are you nervous?”

  “Yes, I feel like everything, our life, is all wrapped up in this.”

  “If the girls hate their rooms, we’ll change them.”

  “Okay,” I say as he swings open the door.

  “Ohmigawd. It’s like the room of my childhood dreams. I loved horses, too.” I move across the room, drawn to the cream toile paper with a pink equestrian scene covering one wall. The rest of the walls are painted a soft aqua blue, a wood-carved antique bed fit for a princess is draped with an assortment of pink, white, and teal bedding in bold patterns, and bookcases now fill an entire wall. There is a writing desk with a pink leather tufted ottoman, a round table set for tea, and a cozy reading nook with windows overlooking the stables. Her en-suite bath still features gleaming white marble, but has been made more youthful with a pink-striped
wallpaper featuring gold metallic hearts.

  “Harlow is going to think she’s an equestrian princess, you know that, right?”

  I hug myself. I’m so happy. “I sure hope so,” I reply. “Do you think she will like it?”

  “I think like is a severe understatement. She’s going to go nuts. She’ll be running around like a maniac.”

  “At least there is nothing for her to knock over anymore,” I say, and that’s when it hits me. “When Harlow broke that vase, that’s what did it. What changed me. It’s not just you. It’s your girls, too. It’s the life the three of you bring to this house when you’re in it. It’s brought the life back in me. You have no idea how much it means to me that you are allowing me to be a part of your girls’ lives. I know how important they are to you. I know the three of you moving in with me is a huge step. A serious commitment. Please know that I don’t take that responsibility lightly. I will do everything in my power to protect them. I know no one will ever replace their mother, but I promise to be a good role model, to love them. And you.”

  “For the record, life’s going to get a little chaotic when they get here. You sure you’re ready for it?”

  “I’m positive! I can’t wait. Come on, let’s check out Ava’s room.”

  I drag him across the hall and throw open the door. This room is not what I expected. It’s opposite the playroom and instead of finding a soon-to-be-teen’s bedroom, we’re standing in the coolest slumber party space I’ve ever seen. There are four sets of weathered wood bunk-beds tucked into a corner of the room covered in Ikat-patterned bedding in cream, taupe, and grey. An eclectic mix of chandeliers hang from the ceiling decorated with an assortment of fringe, feathers, crystals, and shells. A massive oriental rug in silver and cream, which I recognize from the lower-level billiards room, fills the floor and is topped with sleeping bags made from faux fur. There are wicker chairs hanging from the ceiling, filled with thick cable-knit throws. One wall features a snack bar with mini fridge and shelves filled with board games. Above it is a gallery with a combination of vintage fashion artwork I’ve collected since I was young, interspersed with gold metallic lips and light-up letters that spell out dream.