Juicy Rebound (IceCats Book 1)

by Toni Aleo

  “Stay the fuck away from her,” Chandler grits out. “Next time, I’ll rip you apart, piece by piece.”

  “Couldn’t resist?” I ask as Drew ignores him and walks away. It feels like, with each step Drew takes, the weight of our relationship goes with him. I feel so much better.

  “Nope. I hate that fuckface,” Chandler spits as if his words are venom. He looks down at me, and aggravation is all over his face. “I thought I told you I don’t want you near him?”

  “I needed to have that conversation,” I say, standing up beside him.

  “He could have hurt you. Stay away from him.”

  “I can handle myself,” I assert as our eyes lock.

  “I didn’t say you couldn’t. I said I don’t want you near him.”

  I lean into him and rise to my tiptoes as I take his face in my hands. He’s upset, and I can see that all over his handsome features. I press my nose into his and whisper, “I love you.”

  “You can’t distract me with that, Amelia. I’m serious—”

  “I love you,” I repeat, kissing his bottom lip. “I do. So much.”

  His shoulders fall. “You’re mean.”

  I grin. “But you love me too.”

  He wraps his arm around my waist, the bags he’s holding hitting me in the hip. “More than I can ever put into words.”

  My heart sings for him as our lips meet. The kiss is dangerous and beautiful all in one. We part ever so slightly, and I whisper, “I’m strong because of you.”

  He shakes his head, though. “No, you’re strong because that’s who you are.”

  My lips start to wobble as I get lost in his eyes, feeling every emotion imaginable.

  Love, completion, trust, heat, wholeness, lust, need, perfection…everything. I feel everything because of him. He has the power to knock down every one of my defenses. And when he gets inside my soul, I am there, ready to welcome him.

  I want him.

  “I do love you.”

  “Good. That was the master plan all along.”

  We both smile, our gazes locked, and his stunning topaz eyes are like coming home. In this moment, I know something I didn’t before.

  I am back to who I was.

  And no one will ever take that away from me again.

  Since we’re running late, we go straight to Uncle Shea’s. His house is over the top in the most wonderful way. Aunt Elli’s favorite time of year is Christmas, and my uncle always says it looks like Santa threw up all over their house. He isn’t lying. The house is lit up with the brightest white lights. A huge inflatable snowman, along with Santa and his reindeer, is out front. By the sidewalk is a nativity scene, and there are wreaths on every window. I know the inside matches the outside. Aunt Elli really loves Christmas.

  “Wow, this is impressive.”

  “It is,” I say as I take Chandler’s hand and get out of the car. I turn back to get the bags of presents for my family, and my stomach aches with nerves. Since we got off the highway and ended up on my aunt and uncle’s street, I have been dreading it. I haven’t spoken to either one of them since I left to be with Drew. Everyone said things they didn’t mean, and it’s awful because I was very close to them. They were like a second set of parents. We grew up as a whole, a unit.

  I shouldn’t be nervous to see them. I should be excited, but I don’t know what they’ll say. Do they hate me? Are they disappointed? I don’t know, and I honestly don’t want to find out, but Chandler missed that memo. He’s pulling me toward the house, looking like a kid who’s about to get the last Christmas cookie.

  “You’re excited,” I say.

  He grins back at me, his nose red from the cold. “It’s Christmas. Plus, food. I’m hungry.” His grin is intoxicating. Almost calms my nerves. “Are you not excited? You’re not still thinking about Fuckface, are you?”

  I laugh. “No, just a bit nervous… I haven’t seen them in a while.”

  He wraps his arm around me, and I lean into him. “It’s gonna be awesome.”

  Or a train wreck.

  I don’t want to ruin his excitement, so I just smile as we head up the walkway. Inside, I can hear my cousins running and screaming. This house is never quiet. Ever. The boys are rough, and the girls are loud. Add in Ryan and me, and no one gets a word in. I’ve missed this house, my family, but still, I’m terrified.

  When we reach the door, I’m unsure if I’m supposed to knock. I look at Chandler as he takes the presents from me. “Figure you need your hands.”

  “For what?”

  “To hug people.”

  I snort. “Doubt anyone will want to hug me.”

  He scoffs before grabbing my body with one arm. “I always want to hug you.” God, he’s perfect. “Do you knock or walk in?”

  I usually walk in. Don’t make this weird. This is your family’s home, I tell myself. I bite my lip, and then I push the door open. Just like the outside, the inside is fully decked out in Christmas joy. The twins, Evan and Owen, are tag-teaming their baby brother, Quinn, on the floor in front of the TV. Those two are always beating up their brother. Posey, Shelli’s only sister, is in the corner on her phone. Ryan is sitting with Sofia in his lap next to Posey, and all of them are laughing at whatever is on her phone. Shelli, in all her beautiful glory, stands in the middle of my aunt, uncle, and Mom, with a look of pure exasperation on her face.

  “Guys, he dropped the charges from what my lawyer is saying,” she explains, but my uncle isn’t having it. Shea Adler is a large man, bigger than Chandler. He’s put on some weight through the years, and his hair is a lot grayer than it was four years ago. My aunt is petite beside him, curvy as all get-out with long, beautiful auburn hair. Uncle Shea has his arm around Elli as they both scold my cousin.

  “You never should have hit him,” my uncle stresses. “You’re lucky this time.”

  “Shelli, honey, you are better than that,” Aunt Elli reminds her, but Shelli doesn’t care.

  When Shelli’s gaze meets mine, she grins. “Oh, thank God you’re here. Look, Amelia’s here!”

  Asshole.

  It’s like that awkward moment in a movie when a person who isn’t supposed to be there arrives at the party. Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks at me. I glance from where my mom is grinning at me to my uncle, who has a stern expression on his face. His blazing blue eyes burn into mine, and then he is moving. I widen my eyes because I don’t know what is happening. He stops before me, looking me over as he slowly shakes his head. I brace for impact, waiting for him to start yelling, but then he pulls me forcefully into his arms. The air is promptly knocked out of me as he holds me tight to his strong chest.

  “Damn it, Amelia, I’ve missed you,” he whispers into my hair. When he pulls back, his eyes are full of tears. “I’m sorry. Really. But don’t you ever leave like that again. I’ve missed you. We need you.”

  I’m bowled over by emotion. My heart seizes in my chest, but before I can say anything, Aunt Elli comes and wraps her arms around us. She kisses my head, her sweet green eyes meeting mine. “I love you, Amelia.”

  My lips curve as my own eyes fill with tears. Shelli comes over next, embracing us, and then Posey. My mom laughs around a sob as she wraps her arms around us. Quinn joins in, along with Evan and Owen. Ryan is the last one to encircle us with his arms, a massively suffocating hug only my family would do. When I hear the snap of a shutter, I know someone has taken our photo. If I still had Facebook, it would be my profile picture. Instantly.

  Because it’s the moment my family is whole again.

  Chapter Thirty

  Chandler

  “Merry Christmas.”

  Amelia’s lip curve against mine as my hands move along the small of her back, pulling her closer. “Merry Christmas.”

  Our mouths meet, and I slowly shut my eyes as I kiss her. She feels absolutely amazing. Perfect, even, and she looks damn good tonight. Well, every night. As we stand under the mistletoe in the hall where Sofia and Ryan will be marr
ied tomorrow, I can’t help but feel like the luckiest guy on earth. In a tight black dress that hugs her hips and thighs, Amelia is stunning. She has on sky-high silver heels, showing off those incredible legs of hers. Her hair is down, just the way I love it, framing her face with curls, while her makeup is dark and sultry.

  She looks way different than she did this morning when we sat by the tree and opened gifts with my parents. She wore the Christmas onesie my mom got each of us. The pictures are amazing, but even in a fuzzy onesie that had reindeer on it, I thought she was stunning. My girl just exudes beauty. All the time.

  She thought it was cute to get me a Google Home, claiming when I have a tough question about laundry or cooking, I can ask the little machine that holds all the answers. She also got me a really nice watch I’ve wanted to buy, but it kept slipping my mind. When she opened the Tiffany’s box with the gift I got her, her eyes lit up at the sight of the diamond-studded “C” pendant on a beautiful platinum necklace. When I told her it was C for Chandler, she laughed.

  “Well, duh. I love it. I love you,” she gushes, kissing me hard on the lips.

  I know we have plenty of Christmases ahead of us, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one. Our first. She’s wearing the necklace now, and I don’t know why it pleases me so greatly to see it. I don’t need her to wear the necklace to know she’s mine; all I have to do is look at her, and her eyes say it all.

  Last night in the Adler household, I got to see the Amelia I remember in full force. She was happy, she was laughing, and she wouldn’t stop smiling. Family does that for you, though—reenergizes you. While I think it was being with her family that woke up the rest of the real Amelia, I have to admit it was also Drew. As much as I hate that fuckface, for her to get closure was huge. I still want to rip the guy’s dick off and shove it down his throat—and I’m not ruling that out—but I know that won’t do anything but upset my love. I don’t want to upset her. I never want to, though I know at some point I will.

  I’m only human.

  I stroke my fingers along her bare back as she gazes up at me. Everyone is moving around us, setting up and talking about the wedding. When Amelia and I found ourselves under the mistletoe, we had no choice but to kiss. Too bad we’ve been standing here for about ten minutes, not helping at all. Though I know I don’t care. I don’t think she does either. She cups my face as our lips meet once more, and everything inside me catches on fire.

  “Jesus, get a room! You’re wearing out the mistletoe!”

  I grin against her mouth at Ryan’s words. She opens her eyes, pressing her face into mine as I hold her close. “Maybe we should help?”

  I shrug. “I like where we are.”

  “I do too,” she says, sliding her hands along my shoulder and cupping the back of my neck. “Though, I doubt everyone wants to watch us make out.”

  “So?”

  She grins as she kisses my bottom lip before her eyes meet mine. Such love and admiration swirl deep in her blue eyes. I swear I’ve never seen more stunning blue eyes than those on this beautiful woman who is all mine. Her thumbs caress my neck as she whispers, “Today has been so magical.”

  I nip at her bottom lip. “I have to say, it’s one of my top three Christmases.”

  Her eyes light up. “What’s your number one?”

  “When Santa brought me a new hockey stick and skates.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Figures.”

  I wrap my arms around her tighter, wanting so desperately for her to become one with me. “But this Christmas, with you, has moved up to number two.”

  She giggles before pressing her lips to mine, and within seconds, our kiss deepens again. I squeeze her ass in my hands, pressing her into me and wanting so much more than just her lips. I’m tempted to find a dark closet or something, but of course, Ryan has more to say.

  “So whenever my sister and my best friend want to stop making out, maybe we can get started.”

  Amelia pulls back, her face deep red as she covers her mouth. “Oops.”

  I don’t let her get far. “No, no oops. Just wow.”

  Her eyes sparkle as she rubs her thumb along my bottom lip. “Lipstick.”

  I shrug. “Does it match my eyes?”

  “Totally,” she giggles as she wipes it off. Once she’s done, I wrap my arm around her waist, and we head to where everyone is waiting. Amelia is carted off to the back so she can walk up the aisle. I head to where Ryan is standing under the stunning altar made up of poinsettias and tiny white lights. Ryan raises his eyebrows as I come to stand beside him.

  “Leave any magic under that mistletoe?”

  I shake my head. “Nope, we used it all.”

  Ryan chuckles ruefully. “I thought it would be weird seeing you two together.”

  I glance at the side of his face. “Is it?”

  “No, not at all. It works. It’s right.”

  I couldn’t agree more. I knew I already had Ryan’s approval, but hearing him say that makes it more real for me. It makes me realize that I can have this girl for the rest of my life, and everyone will support us. When Amelia starts down the aisle, my lip quirks to the side as I let out a happy sigh.

  “She’s absolutely stunning.”

  Ryan chuckles softly. “Man, you got it bad.”

  “So damn bad.”

  Amelia gives me a cheeky grin as she goes to her spot. I probably should have been paying attention, listening as Mrs. Justice went over what we were supposed to do and what would happen when. Instead, I’m completely enraptured by Amelia. Stunning isn’t even a good enough word to describe how gorgeous she is. She knocks me on my ass.

  And she’s all mine.

  The rehearsal goes fast, the upside to having an event planner who has been doing this almost her whole life. I’ve never been in Calderwood Hall, but I can see why Ryan and Sofia picked it for their wedding venue. It’s pretty damn cool, with its warm, vintage-style rooms. The hall where they’ll marry tomorrow is intimate, which is perfect since there are only going to be about a hundred people. The reception will be held outside with heaters on full blast but with the winter sky as a backdrop. They selected a clear tent. I didn’t even know that was a thing until I saw it set up for tomorrow. It’s going to be pretty amazing.

  Plus, there is an open bar.

  We all gather in the dining room for the rehearsal dinner. The conversation is great, Amelia’s family is a hoot, and I’m having a wonderful time. I forgot how much I love spending time with Amelia’s family. I love talking hockey with Shea and his boys. Posey plays in the women’s league, and she’s pretty damn good. Ryan and Sofia are the perfect couple, grinning and totally in love. The only problem, if it even is a problem, is I can’t keep my hands off my girl. I don’t think she minds, though. We’re so close, we might as well be sharing a chair.

  When Amelia taps her fork to her wineglass, everyone looks at her as she stands, giving me a sweet smile. She clears her throat as she looks to the head of the table where Ryan and Sofia sit, hand in hand. “There is a memory that I hold very close to my heart. When I was twelve, which means Ryan would have been fifteen, our dad took us shopping for our mom. He always bought her lavish gifts and loved the look that would come over her face.” I look at Mrs. Justice, and her eyes are full of tears. “This particular time, he bought her these black diamond earrings, and when the price flashed up on the register screen, I almost choked on the gum I was chewing.” Laughter fills the room as Amelia grins. “Ryan was flabbergasted and said, ‘Dad, why in the world would you spend that much?’ Hell, I agreed with him. Seriously, I’m pretty sure those diamonds were more than my first car!”

  More laughter follows, but I notice Mrs. Justice is dabbing her eyes free of tears. It guts me to see her so sad, especially on such a joyous occasion. Amelia swallows hard as she looks to where Ryan and Sofia sit. “Dad just looked at the two of us and said, ‘One day you’ll fall in love with a person who makes you want to spend every moment, every second, and
every cent on them. I’m buying these because I know your mom will love them, and I love making her happy. You’ll see. You’ll want to make your soul mate happy.’”

  Amelia inhales shakily, her voice rough as her gaze stays glued to her brother. “If Dad were here, he’d agree with me that you’re marrying your soul mate. That you’re lucky you get to spend every moment, second, and cent on her.”

  Ryan’s eyes are shiny with tears as he holds Sofia in his arms. “I’m thankful I get to watch, and I know he is too.” Amelia presses her lips together, and I reach up, taking her hand in mine. She looks down at me, and I know she’ll always be mine.

  Our souls are meant to be together.

  She tears her gaze from me to look down the table at Sofia. “My dad would be proud to call you his daughter-in-law, Sofia. You complete my brother in a way no one else could ever do. I am thankful, and I am blessed to be able to call you my sister. So, let’s all lift our glasses and wish these two the best. Tomorrow will be one hell of a happy day, and I can’t wait to watch y’all become one.”

  Everyone cheers loudly as they raise their glasses. When Amelia sits down, I pull her in, kissing her cheek. “Not a dry eye in the house.”

  She looks at me, her lips quivering. “I love you.”

  It’s like she’s punched me dead in the chest. Her words are so raw, so full of emotion. “I love you.”

  Her grin lights up her eyes, but then she is being pulled up into a tight hug by her brother and then Sofia. Cameras are going off everywhere, and I know those pictures will be cherished. The conversation sparks back up once dessert is served. I’m halfway through my banana pudding when I notice Ryan get up and head out the back. I draw in my brows, confused, before I get up and follow him. Amelia is chatting with Shelli and Sofia, so I’m sure she won’t notice.

  It’s chilly out, but the heaters make it tolerable. I step out onto the terrace to find Ryan leaning on the railing with a beer in his hand. I walk up beside him, and he looks over at me, his face melancholy. “You all right?” I ask, my heart aching for the dude. I’m pretty sure I know what’s wrong.