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Pieces Of Us

Page 25

by Elks, Carrie

He’d kissed her softly, brushing the hair from her face as he cupped her chin. “I like it,” he whispered. “Now I’m branded by you.”

  She walked steadily up the pier, toward her office which was now two stories. The top floor was where she worked, and the bottom was outfitted with sofas, along with a huge mirror on the wall where a bride-to-be and her party could be primped and preened by her beauty team, before heading out to the pier to say her vows.

  Rapping on the door before opening it, Autumn smiled when she saw Brooke sitting there, her hair being curled into barrelled ringlets as she sipped a glass of champagne. She’d been so sweet about the delay to her wedding, and refused to even consider moving venues. “I’ll wait until the pier is ready,” she’d told Autumn. “However long it takes. I can’t imagine a better place to get married.”

  Ally was sitting next to Brooke, having mascara carefully applied to her lashes. Ember was on the sofa with Arthur, who looked adorable in a tiny suit and bow tie. He had a car in his hand and was running it over the cushions, making engine noises through his lips.

  Caitie and Harper would be here later. Though Caitie was working hard on her water phobia, she knew her limits. So the two of them were getting ready at home, and would arrive for the ceremony, where Breck and James would be waiting for them.

  “Everything okay?” Autumn asked her friends.

  “It’s wonderful,” Brooke said, grinning at her from the mirror. “I feel like a princess.”

  “You look like one, too,” Autumn told her. Brooke’s dress was hanging up, a delicate ivory lace bodice that would cling to her body, then fan out in layers to the ground. Ember and Ally would walk down the aisle in front of her, along with Arthur who was in charge of the rings, or at least would be holding the ring bag in his hand. Brooke’s fiancé, Aiden, would be waiting for her with their son, Nicholas, who was standing up as his best man.

  “You have an hour until the ceremony’s due to start,” Autumn told them, checking her watch. “Are you ready for a snack?”

  “From Delmonico’s?” Ally asked. “Hell yes.”

  “I think she’s going to need it to soak up the champagne,” Brooke said dryly. “Speaking of which, would you like some?”

  “I’ll pour,” Ember said, rising up from the sofa. Her hair was already finished, but her face was bare, waiting for the make up artist to finish with Ally.

  “I’m okay, thanks,” Autumn said, before Ember could walk any further. “I need to keep a clear head so that everything goes to plan.”

  “But you’ll have some later, won’t you?” Ally asked. “Once the party begins you should relax and kick back with us. I’m planning on dancing all night.” She shimmied her shoulders to prove the point, earning her a smear of mascara on her cheek. “Oops.”

  “We’ll see.” Autumn grinned at them all. “I’m going to check on the guys now. Make sure they’re almost ready.”

  “You can guarantee they’ve all been drinking,” Ember said, kissing Arthur’s cheek. “Six men on a boat is asking for trouble.”

  “At least we know where they are,” Autumn pointed out. It had been Griff’s idea to use the boat as the groom’s base for the weddings they were planning to have on the pier. “I’ll ask Vincent to bring some food over on my way out. I’ll be back in about a half an hour, but call me if you need anything, okay?”

  “Sure.” Brooke smiled warmly at her.

  Autumn let herself quietly out of the lounge and walked over to the restaurant. They’d tried to keep the construction as faithful to the original as possible, knowing that Pietro’s grandfather had built it with his own hands. But the materials had been upgraded – the wood used was less flammable, and the kitchen had been fitted with high-end appliances. When Delmonico’s re-opened a couple of weeks ago, people had traveled from far and wide to attend the party.

  The kitchen door opened before she could get to it, and Vincent came out carrying delicious pastries topped with whipped cream. “Hey, I was just taking these over to the lounge.”

  “Great.” Autumn smiled. “You read my mind.”

  “You want to try one?” he asked. “I know you love my cannolis.” He pushed the platter toward her, and her stomach turned.

  “I’m too nervous to eat,” she confessed. “Maybe later.”

  “We’ll have some more for the buffet,” he told her. “The food is going to be magnificent.”

  “I knew it would be.” Her stomach was still churning. She tried to smile to hide the nausea. “I’ll come and see you after the ceremony, okay?”

  “Sure thing.” He winked and carried on to where the bride and her party were waiting for him.

  It was so good to see Delmonico’s up and running again. Or Delmonico’s on the Pier as it was called now, because they’d kept the restaurant location Autumn’s dad had found them further up the coast, as well as returning to this one. Carla had been promoted to manager there, and Autumn had heard through the grapevine she was flourishing – and that she was in a relationship with one of the chefs, who was equally as smitten.

  Talking of smitten, Autumn turned her gaze to the boat rising gently up and down in the water at the end of the pier. As though he could sense her getting closer, Griff was standing at the entrance plank, a smile playing at his lips as he watched her approach.

  “Hey, baby.” He walked toward her, curling his arms around her waist. “I’ve missed you.”

  “It’s only been a couple of hours since we left home,” she said, smiling at his neediness. It reflected her own.

  “Yeah, well I’m counting the hours until we’re back there. Maybe we should sell the pier and boat and become hermits.”

  “You’d go mad after two days.”

  “Nah, I can think of things we could do.” He brushed his lips against her ear.

  “Then you’d drive me mad,” she said, a shiver snaking down her spine.

  “That’s the plan,” he whispered.

  “How are Aiden and the groomsmen doing?” she asked him, trying to ignore the way her body responded to him. He only had to look at her in a certain way for her legs to turn to jelly. Good thing he was strong enough to carry her.

  “They’re fine,” he said. “We’re having a beer and the guys are roasting him. Usual pre-wedding fun.”

  “Just one beer?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “As you insisted.” He winked. “How long do we have until you need them outside?”

  “It’s an hour until the ceremony starts, so they need to be ready in half an hour.”

  Griff ran his finger down her back, making her skin tingle. “That’s plenty of time,” he said, his eyebrow rising as he smouldered down at her.

  “For what?”

  “I think you know.”

  She laughed. “Where are we going to go? My office is being used, and so’s your boat.” And they’d already christened them both in their delight at having everything repaired.

  “That’s a good point.” He glanced at his watch. “Do we have time to make it home?”

  “Not anymore.” She’d moved out of the beach house months ago, and was immediately replaced by a new tenant. She and Griff had stayed in his apartment for a while, until their new house a mile up the beach was ready for them to move into. It was beautiful, with wide glass doors that opened onto a terrace overlooking the ocean.

  And it had a closet dedicated only to shoes. They might have christened that room, too.

  “Griff, your beer’s getting warm,” somebody shouted from inside the boat.

  “I guess I should go back in.” He brushed his lips against hers. “I’ll see you at the ceremony. And all night. I plan on dancing with you a lot.”

  “I’ll see you then,” she said, smiling softly. And when the moment was right, she’d tell him the secret she’d been keeping all day. She was pretty sure it would make him happy.

  * * *

  They’d reached the part of a wedding reception where too many drinks had been swallowed down, a
nd too much dancing had been done, yet nobody wanted to go home and have the magic end. Griff had spent most of the evening with Autumn, spinning her around the dance floor, laughing as they watched Brooke’s great Aunt Shula flirt with all the eligible bachelors, then kissing her until they were both breathless.

  Griff leaned on the bar and ordered two glasses of champagne. He wanted to drink to their future, to their businesses, but most of all, he wanted to drink to the realization that he couldn’t live life without her. He didn’t want to.

  But he did want to ask her to be his wife.

  He patted his pocket to check that the little box was still there. He’d chosen the ring the last time they’d visited New York. Autumn had been out for coffee with an old friend, and he’d taken Lydia to the jewelers for her opinion, and they’d chosen the beautiful square cut diamond that had been in his pocket or his sock drawer for the past month.

  It was time to put it where it belonged. If she’d have him.

  “You done it yet?” Lucas asked as Griff passed his table of friends. Lucas was the only one he’d confided in, apart from Lydia, who asked him the same question every week without fail.

  It would be a relief to tell her yes, he had.

  “Just on my way,” Griff murmured to Lucas.

  “Good luck. She’s a lucky woman.”

  “I’m the lucky one.” Of that he was sure.

  He found her leaning on the painted blue railing, staring out at the dark blue ocean, her face illuminated by the string of lights swaying in the breeze above her.

  “Hey, I’ve been looking for you,” he said, passing her a glass of champagne. Autumn stared down at it as though she couldn’t work out what it was. “It’s for a toast,” he told her.

  “What toast?”

  “That’s what I’m getting to,” he said. His stomach did a little flip. Were those nerves? He never got nerves.

  Though he’d never asked the woman he loved to marry him before, either.

  “Before you do, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said quickly. She was biting her lip the way she always did when she was worried.

  He smoothed a lock of hair from her face. “What is it, baby?”

  “I can’t drink this.” She passed him back the glass.

  He sniffed it in case it was off. Then he looked back up at her, a question on his face.

  “Do you remember how I promised to never keep secrets from you?” she asked. She looked as nervous as he felt.

  “Yeah.” He nodded, perplexed.

  “I’ve kind of been keeping one all day. Since this morning. Though I’ve suspected a little longer.” She ran her hand down her front, lingering on her stomach. “I’m pregnant. Or we’re pregnant. How the hell does this even work?”

  Griff opened his mouth but nothing came out.

  “Oh god, you’re angry, aren’t you?”

  He shook his head. “Not angry. Just confused. How did we…”

  “I think it was when we moved out of your apartment. Remember we wanted to say goodbye to the bedroom?”

  Yeah, he remembered. He still had dreams about it. “We didn’t use something then?”

  “I’m guessing not.” She looked at the champagne glasses he was holding. “I’m guessing we’re going to be toasting a different future now. Or you are. I can just watch.”

  That’s when it hit him. Autumn was carrying his baby. Warmth washed over him like a wave and he grinned like crazy. “We’re having a kid?” he asked, putting the champagne glasses down on the wooden plank at his feet. His eyes were wide as he held his hand to her stomach. “Seriously?”

  She put her hand over his, pressing it against her abdomen. “There’s nothing to feel yet. But there will be.”

  “Yeah, there will.” He felt like he’d grown ten feet taller. He wanted to shout it out to the world. That this beautiful woman was his, and she was carrying his baby. God, it didn’t get any better.

  “What was it you were going to tell me?” she asked him as he caressed her belly.

  “What?”

  “You said you were getting to something when you gave me the champagne,” she reminded him. “What was it?”

  The ring! He ran his hand down his pocket. It was still there. Still waiting. The same way it had been all day.

  “I wanted to ask you something. And I need you to know it’s not because of the baby, as freaking excited as I am.”

  “Okay.” She gave him a confused smile.

  He pulled the box from his pocket, then dropped to his knee, his face in line with her chest. Angling his head, his gaze met hers.

  “Autumn Paxton, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You’re the first thing I think about in the morning, and the last thing at night. I didn’t know what real love was until I met you. And you’re the only woman I’ll ever want to spend the rest of my life with.” He opened the box, and the ring glittered beneath the string lights. “It would be the greatest honor if you’d agree to marry me.” He leaned in to kiss her stomach through her satin dress. “If you’d both agree to it,” he said, his voice cracking.

  Her eyes glinted as she reached for him, a half-laugh, half-sob escaping from her lips. “This isn’t just because of the baby?” she asked as he stood and pulled her into his arms.

  “How could it be? I had no idea.” He pulled the ring out of the box and she held her hand out, swallowing hard as he pushed it onto her finger. “I know I said I never wanted to settle down, and I know you’re wary of ever marrying again, but I want to be your husband, and I gotta tell you, I’m desperate for you to be my wife.”

  “I want that, too,” she said, rolling onto her toes to kiss him. “So much.”

  He kissed her back, marveling at how soft her lips were. Then he touched her stomach again, amazed that a tiny life was growing in there. A little baby they’d made together.

  A child who would always know how much it was loved. A child who would always be wanted, taken care of, adored.

  For years he’d thought he’d never have that. Never have this overwhelming love that he both gave and received.

  It was a brand new life – one he’d never dared to dream of. And he couldn’t wait for it to begin.

  He brushed the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs, pressing his lips to her nose. “I love you, baby,” he whispered to her, then looked down at her belly. “And you, too, baby.”

  Autumn laughed through her tears. “And we love you, too. So much.”

  Then she kissed him hard, as though she could never get enough of him.

  “Come and dance with me,” he murmured against her lips. “We’ve got some celebrating of our own to do.”

  They really did. As far as he was concerned, he’d be celebrating forever. Because his life was finally what he’d wanted it to be all along. Happy and complete.

  Thanks to her.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading! I hope you loved meeting Griff and Autumn. The next book in the Angel Sands Series is CHASING THE SUN. Find out what happens when Lydia and Jackson finally spend some time together!

  CLICK HERE TO PREORDER NOW!

  And if you enjoyed Pieces Of Us, you’ll love the sexy and emotional Heartbreak Brothers Series. TAKE ME HOME is available to read right now!

  Excerpt from TAKE ME HOME…

  CHAPTER 1

  The auditorium resounded with cheers, whistles, and catcalls. The thump of feet on the sticky tiled floor echoed with the sound of blood rushing through Gray Hartson’s ears. He stood for a moment, his guitar hanging from his shoulder, his hands wrapped around the microphone, and let himself take it in.

  This was the high. The rush that never lasted. But he’d take it while it did. For as long as it did.

  “Sydney, you were awesome. Thank you and good night.” Even with ear monitors in, he couldn’t hear his own voice over the crowd. It didn’t seem like they would be stopping any time soon. He lifted his hand and turned to go, but the noise increased, wrapping
him like a blanket as he strolled off the stage.

  In the wings, one roadie removed Gray’s ear monitors, the other lifted his guitar over his head to carefully place it on a stand. Gray took a towel from somebody’s hands and wiped the sweat from his face, then grabbed a bottle of water and swallowed the whole thing in one go.

  “They’re gonna have to turn the lights on if they want them to go home,” his manager, Marco, said, grinning at Gray as they walked down the hallway toward the dressing rooms. “Three encores. Three! Thank god we rehearsed them all. They’re in love with you out there.” Once upon a time that would have made him feel ten feet tall. Now he was just exhausted.

  Gray pushed the dressing room door open, frowning at all the people inside. The guys from Fast Rush, the up-and-coming band that played his opener for the last leg of his world tour, were already on their third – or possibly fourth – drink, surrounded by a group of women who were giggling with them. He recognized the A&R guys from his record label, and a whole other bunch of groupies who were turning the dressing room into a party. He tried not to sigh.

  It wasn’t their fault the low was already hitting.

  “Oh my god! It’s Gray Hartson!” One of the girls surrounding Fast Rush had noticed him. All of a sudden, the support band was forgotten as the women surged forward.

  “Is the other dressing room empty?” Gray asked Marco, his voice low.

  “Yep.”

  “Okay, I’ll use that one.”

  The second dressing room was used by the local musicians who’d supported the final part of the tour. He turned to leave, but one of the girls grabbed his arm. She slid something into his jeans pocket, and he found himself recoiling at the pressure of her fingers against his hip.

  “Something to make you happy,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling. “And my number. Call me.”

  Marco closed the door to the first dressing room and rolled his eyes. “I told them not to invite people back. I’m sorry, man.”

  “It’s okay. It’s their first major tour.” Gray shrugged as they walked down the hallway. “Can you make sure somebody stays sober to look after them? And to make sure they get back to the hotel safely?”

 

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