by Sandi Lynn
“No. She didn’t,” I said. “She chose to swim instead of sink.”
“Anyway, I have to go.” Simon got up from his chair.
“Thanks for coming over.” I stood up and gave him a hug.
“No problem. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
It was Wednesday night and we gathered at Sebastian’s house to celebrate our mother’s birthday.
“So, when am I going to get another grandchild?” she asked as she stared at Julia and Sam from across the table.
“Mom, we aren’t even married yet,” Sam spoke.
“So what. That doesn’t matter in today’s age. Look at your brother. If it wasn’t for him being careless, I still wouldn’t have any grandchildren.”
“Mom, stop.” I shifted in my seat.
“Julia and I have talked about it, and we’d like to wait at least a year,” Sam said.
“Well, as far as I can tell, you two are my only hope. I’m not getting any younger you know.”
“You’re plenty young.” Alex smiled at her.
“Thank you, dear. But I want more grandchildren.” Her brow arched as she looked at the four of us.
“Don’t look at me,” I said.
“Me either,” both Simon and Sebastian spoke at the same time.
After dinner, we gave our mother her gifts and topped the celebration off with a two-layer fancy decorated cake that one of the girls at the restaurant made. It was a beautiful night as we gathered outside on the patio that was decorated with lights and a roaring fire in the firepit.
“Will you sing me a song?” Lily grinned as she sat next to Alex.
“How about later,” Alex spoke.
I walked over, picked up Sebastian’s guitar and handed it to her.
“My daughter wants you to sing to her.” I smirked.
She took the guitar and set it on her lap. I went inside the house to grab a beer, and when I stepped back onto the patio, Alex was singing You Are My Sunshine to her. I stood back and stared at her as I listened to her beautiful voice.
“She’s a nice girl.” My mother walked over to me.
“Yeah, Mom. She is.”
“Lily seems really happy. She talks about her all the time. How did you find her again?”
“I ran into the back of her car.”
“That’s right. And now look, it’s almost like fate. Wouldn’t you say?”
“I guess.” I furrowed my brows at her.
“She’s young, she’s beautiful, she takes care of your daughter, you seem happy, Lily is happy.”
“What’s your point, Mom?”
“She’s perfect wife material.”
“Okay, stop right there. She’s Lily’s nanny and that’s it.”
“If you say so, my darling son.” She patted my face before walking away.
As Alex strummed the last chord, Lily wrapped her arms around her and gave her a hug. It was getting late and way past her bedtime.
“Come on, baby girl. We need to get you home and into bed. Go say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Curtis.”
After we all said our goodbyes, we walked over to my house.
“Go change into your pajamas and brush your teeth,” I told Lily.
“On it, father.” She saluted me, and Alex let out a laugh.
“What a great party that was,” she said as she took a seat on the couch. “Your mom was so funny how she was asking for more grandchildren.”
“She has a knack for making us feel uncomfortable. Saying it to Sam and Julia is one thing, but to look at the rest of us, she’s crazy.”
“You don’t want anymore children?” she asked.
“Nah., I have Lily and she’s all I need. So, unless Julia gets pregnant, my mom is out of luck.” I smirked.
“I’m ready for bed,” Lily spoke as she walked into the room.
“Let’s go, baby girl.” I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder as I carried her up the stairs.
After we tucked her in and said goodnight, Alex went to her room and I went downstairs, poured myself a scotch and took it into my office to deal with some emails that had come through earlier. Just as I finished, I looked up and saw Alex standing in the doorway in her black silk robe.
“The shower in my bathroom is leaking.”
“Okay. I’ll look at it tomorrow,” I spoke as I stared at how beautiful she was.
“Thanks. I’m going to head to bed.”
“Alex, wait.”
I stood up from my seat, walked over to where she stood, grabbed her hand and pulled her inside my office.
“Do you really want to go to bed this second?” My hand trailed inside her robe and stroked her breast.
“But Lily.”
“She’s upstairs and we’re down here.”
I shut and locked the door.
“We can pretend we’re two teenagers having forbidden sex while our parents are home.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind and my tongue stroked the flesh of her soft neck.
“You’re such a risk taker, Mr. Kind.”
“Some risks are worth it.”
My hand traveled between her thighs and up to her the edge of her panties while my fingers pushed them to the side.
Chapter 27
Alex
Our bodies were interlocked as we sat on the soft rug that laid on his office floor. My nails dug into the flesh of his back as my hips rocked back and forth.
“My god, you feel so good,” he moaned. “Come for me.”
I was already teetering on the edge of the cliff as it was, and the words he whispered in my ear sent me over the top and into oblivion.
“That’s it. Oh god, that’s it,” he moaned as his arms tightened around me and we both came at the same time.
I brought my hands up to his face and stared into his sexy blue eyes. It was in that very moment I knew it was too late. I’d fallen in love with this man, and nothing could be done about it. He brushed his lips against mine before getting up.
He went to his room, and I went to mine. I understood why we couldn’t sleep in the same bed with Lily in the house. She was too young to understand and very impressionable. Plus, Stefan protected her at all costs from anything that might damage her fragile little mind.
Friday had come and it was time to board the private jet and head to Vegas. When I stepped on the plane, I was enthralled at the luxury of it, but I was also extremely nervous for I’d never been on an airplane before. I sat with the girls while the guys sat on the other side, talking, laughing and making jokes to each other. Stefan didn’t even attempt to sit by me. Did I really expect him to? I wasn’t sure.
As I sat in the seat, I gripped the leather arms until my knuckles turned white. I stared out the window and tried to divert my mind to something else other than how the plane was going to lift off the ground. The girls around me were talking and laughing, but soon, they became nothing but distant sounds in a tunnel.
“Hey, are you okay?” Stefan asked as he walked over.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” A fake smile crossed my lips.
“No, you’re not.”
He asked Kirsty, one of Julia’s friends, if she could sit somewhere else. After she exited the seat, he sat down, buckled his seat belt and placed his hand over mine which tightly gripped the arm rest.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were a nervous flier?”
“I didn’t know I was. I’ve never flown before.”
“Oh. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
“Easy to say coming from someone who is a frequent flier.”
“True. But I promise you’re going to be okay.”
The plane started to taxi down the runway and my heartrate sped up. My skin instantly became heated, and the air constricted my lungs. I felt as if I was suffocating.
“Look at me, Alex.”
Slowly turning my head, I stared into his eyes.
“It’s going to be okay. As long as I’m here, you have nothing to fear. I promise I won’t let anythi
ng happen to you. You’re safe with me. Breathe with me.”
My heartrate began to slow down with each deep breath I took.
“There you go.” He smiled as his thumb swept across my cheek.
“Thank you,” I whispered in humiliation.
“You’re welcome. See, no big deal, right?” he asked as we were up in the air.
“Are you okay?” Julia asked as she walked up.
“Yeah. I’m sorry.”
“Oh my gosh, don’t you dare apologize. I know exactly how you feel, except I freak out driving during rainstorms. I’ll tell you all about it one day.”
“Thanks, Julia.”
The weekend had gone by quickly and I had an amazing time in Vegas. Stefan and I shared an incredible suite and had more sex than we should have. But the most amazing part of the trip besides spending it with friends was when I put a twenty-dollar bill into a slot machine and won a jackpot of five hundred and sixty-four dollars. After I cashed out, I followed Stefan over to the Roulette table where he won two thousand dollars and called me his good luck charm. I was genuinely happy. For the first time since my mother died, I was happy with my life.
It was Monday morning and as I was packing Lily’s lunch, I reminded Stefan about career day at her school.
“Don’t forget. You and your brothers have to be there at ten o’clock.”
“I know.” He let out a sigh. “I don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“Just explain to them what you do. Use a lot of hand action.” I smiled.
“I’ll show you a lot of hand action.” His arm wrapped around my waist, and he quickly took a step back when Lily walked in.
“I’m so excited you and all my uncles are coming to my school. I wish Alex could come.”
“Well, I don’t see why she can’t. She has a career. She’s a nanny.”
“I’m good.” I put my hand up. “Her teacher specifically requested you four boys.” I laughed. “Come on, Lily. We have to go.”
“See you later, Dad.” She hugged and kissed him goodbye.
“See you later, baby girl.”
“Oh, Dad?” She stopped and turned around.
“Yeah, baby girl?”
“Can you please not call me that in my classroom?”
Stefan placed his hand over his heart.
“You’re breaking my heart, baby girl.”
“Dad, stop.”
“Fine, Lily. I will refrain from calling you that in front of your class.”
“Thank you.” She gave him a nod as she walked out the door.
I was sitting in Julia’s coffee shop talking to her when a text message from Stefan popped up on my phone.
“This classroom is filled with moms. You need to come here.”
“Why are there moms there?”
“I have no idea. But if they’re allowed, so are you. Get down here.”
“Sorry, no can do. I’m in the middle of a conversation with Julia at the shop. It’s important. I’ll tell you when you get home.”
“Ugh, ALEX!”
I laughed as I set down my phone.
“What’s going on?” Julia asked.
“Stefan said Lily’s classroom is filled with moms and he wanted me to come down.”
“So? Why does he want you to come there?”
“Probably to protect him from the unsatisfied horny moms who want to do bad things to the boys.”
“You’re right!” She laughed. “I was around those women at Lily’s birthday party.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t believe the way they were flirting.”
I finished my coffee and grabbed my purse.
“I better get going.” I gave Julia a hug.
“Thank you, Alex.”
“It’s my pleasure and honor. It’s going to be a beautiful wedding.” I smiled.
Chapter 28
Stefan
When I stepped through the door, I asked Alex to come outside.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“You’ll see.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.
She stepped out the front door and smiled when she saw her car sitting in the driveway.
“Oh my God, my car!”
“They called today and said it was ready, so I had Sam drive me to the body shop to pick it up.”
“What about your car?”
“They said it’ll be ready next week.”
“Thank you, Stefan.” She gave me a hug.
“You’re welcome. I’m happy you have it back. I’ll take your rental back to the rental shop in the morning and have Sam meet me there.” He handed me my car key. “Now, tell me what you were doing that was more important than coming to Lily’s school,” I asked as I followed her back into the house.
“I was at Mojo Madness because Julia asked me if I would be a bridesmaid in her and Sam’s wedding.”
“Really?” I cocked my head. “Isn’t it a little late?”
“You know her friend, Kirsty?”
“Yeah. She’s the girl I’m standing up with.”
“Her mother is in the hospital and she’s failing quickly, so, Kirsty has to fly to Minneapolis to be with her. She’ll be gone for the wedding.”
“That’s too bad. I’m sad about her mother, but I’m happy you’re taking her place.” My arm wrapped around her waist. Where’s Lily?”
“She’s over at Hannah’s house. Hannah’s mom said she’ll bring her home after dinner. I heard career day was a success.” A smirk crossed her lips. “Lily said Sebastian was the favorite.”
“Only because he brought in a variety of desserts for the class. Show off.”
“Don’t hate. I ordered us some Thai food for dinner. It should be here shortly.”
“Pad Ped with shrimp?” I asked.
“You bet.”
“You’re the best. I’m going to go change.”
The Wedding
Sebastian, Simon, Grayson, and I were the four men standing up for my brother.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married.” I smiled as I straightened Sam’s bowtie.
“Right? You broke our pact, bro.” Sebastian patted Sam’s back.
“I know, and I’m not sorry. You’ll understand one day.”
“Shit. Count me out,” Sebastian said.
“Me too.” Simon sighed.
“I’m with them.” I pointed at Sam. “I’m going to get some ice.”
I grabbed the ice bucket and as I was walking down the hall, the elevator dinged, and Alex stepped out. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Hi.” My eyes raked over her. “You look stunning. Wow.”
“Thank you. You look very handsome in that tux. Where are you off to?” she asked.
“Just to get some ice. Care to join me or is there somewhere you need to be?”
“I can tag along for a minute.” She grinned.
She looked incredibly sexy in the long strapless gown with the sweetheart neckline in the color Petal pink. A gown that accentuated her hourglass figure. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant updo full of curls with just a few pieces that hung down by her face. The only thing I could think about was taking her out of the dress after the wedding.
“How’s Julia doing?”
“She’s a nervous wreck. How’s Sam?”
“He is too. He won’t admit it, but we can tell.”
I filled the ice bucket and we started back down the hallway.
“I need to go this way,” she said. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah. See you soon.”
Damn. I couldn’t wait until tonight.
It was time for us to head down to the Crystal Gardens. Taking our place under the arch that was decorated with white florals, I looked over at Simon who stood next to me.
“Doesn’t it feel like we were just here?” I asked.
“That’s because we were. I never dreamed we’d be back here so soon with one of our brothers.”
>
“No shit.”
Our father walked over to where we stood and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder.
“You got this, son. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“And how many times was it the beginning of the rest of his life?” I whispered to Simon.
“Right?” He chuckled.
The music started to play, and Lily walked down the aisle first. A tear sprung to my eye for she looked so grown up. She gave me a small wave and smile as she took her place across from us. After her, the bridesmaids headed down the aisle one by one.
“Damn. Look at Alex,” Simon said.
“Hot damn.” Sebastian grinned.
“You two better shut the hell up and keep your eyes to yourselves.”
I couldn’t stop stealing small glances at her. She was that damn gorgeous. The bridal song started to play, and everyone stood up from their seats as Julia’s father walked her down the aisle. Looking over at Sam, his eyes were filled with tears and a smile graced his face as he waited for his bride.
After the minister said a few touching words, Sam and Julia recited their vows, exchanged rings and they were pronounced husband and wife.
“I give you Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kind. You may kiss your bride.” The minister smiled, and everyone shouted and clapped.
After taking pictures, we headed into the Crystal Ballroom where three hundred guests waited for Sam and Julia’s arrival.
Chapter 29
Alex
The wedding was every girl’s fantasy and Julia was a picture-perfect bride. The Crystal Ballroom was decorated with elegance in colors of pink and gold. I’d never seen anything like it in my life, and I took in every moment of it. After enjoying an elegant dinner, it was time for the bridal dance. After Sam and Julia finished their dance, it was time for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to join them in the next song. Stefan wrapped his arm around my waist and held my hand as we danced together for the first time. Our eyes stared into each other’s as a wide grin splayed across his face.
“What?” I smiled.
