A billionaire stay-at-home dad, my cousin Ethan is forever in graphic t-shirts and jeans, no matter how nice the restaurant. Standing with him is his redheaded CEO wife, Charlie, their daughter Kaya staring from her hip.
Ethan grins, “Look at you stealing my thunder. Beat me to the restaurant I’d specifically chosen because it’s new and no Cockers have been here before! Now how am I going to brag about it, huh? How?”
“You can’t,” I smirk. “So fuck off.”
He guffaws, chestnut eyes shining under a mop of sandy-brown hair. “From here on out, I call shotgun since I’m older than you.”
“On every new place that opens in Atlanta?”
“Yes!”
“Why don’t you just buy them out and guard them like a troll with his bridge?”
“I might do that.”
Laughing I wave him off. “Get outta here, I’m busy.”
“Screw that, I haven’t seen you in ages. And we didn’t make a reservation. My bad.” He glances to his wife, “Princess, slide in.” He calls out, “Oh, Barry, good! Is that wine for us? I’m parched! Bring it over. See, we had a place saved for us after all, buddy, what d’ya say to that?”
Sitting back in my seat, I stare as Charlie sits down and asks Barry, “Could you bring us a booster seat, too, please?”
Ethan cocks an eyebrow as he tastes my wine like he fucking ordered it.
“Mmm. Good year. Nice legs on it. Meaty.” To Barry he nods, “It’ll do. Oh, and put the tab on me.”
“No!”
“Don’t listen to Nicholas. He’s got bank, but I’m way richer, so please…on me.”
I glance to Madison who is highly entertained by us. She makes a face like what-can-we-do?
I sigh and get comfortable. “You know, Ethan, you’re not supposed to boast about your billions, you big-headed dork.”
His head rocks back on his neck, face confused—all an act. “Then what’s the point of having ‘em? Why do I work so hard if I can’t interrupt my cousin’s dates and make him look cheap? I mean, really? What’s the point in living if I can’t do that?”
Charlotte Cocker passes their daughter to her husband, “Ethan, stop it.” Kaya touches his face and he pretends to bite her hand. “I’m Charlie by the way, and this little one is Kaya.”
“I’m Maddie. She’s so sweet!”
“My husband’s not an asshole, he just pretends to be one, I swear.”
Maddie laughs, relieved they’re so easy going. “I nanny for a living so I can tell a good father when I see one. A good father is a good man.”
“You’re a nanny?”
Ethan eyes his wife, “Don’t even start, Princess. I’m raising Kaya. We don’t need help.”
She rolls her eyes. “You know how to dish it out but you sure can’t discern when it’s being dished out to you. And besides I was going to suggest she might want to work with Tanner and Emma at their orphanage!” To me she asks with sarcasm, “Nicholas, are you going to be this involved when you’re a father?”
I nearly choke on the wine glass and break it. Wiping my lips I announce, “Hey everyone, this is a first date.”
“Your date’s a nanny.”
Madison touches my arm, “Who leaves her work at work.”
My hand slides onto her thigh. “Thank you.” The hem of the dress was pretty short to begin with, but now it’s almost too high. Instantly I’m impatient, wishing this had gone a totally different way. As they pick up the menus I lock eyes with her and whisper, “My family, bunch of cock-blockers.”
She covers a laugh but it shines from her eyes.
Ethan corrects him, “Cocker blockers. If you’re gonna say the joke, go hard or stay home.” He grins and flicks a glance to my menu, which he stole.
I give Madison a quick kiss and whisper in her ear, “You’re beautiful.” Her eyes go wide as I turn to ask Charlie, “You not having any wine?”
“Can’t. I’m pregnant.”
My mouth drops, but Ethan nonchalantly pretends to read about risotto as he asks, “Yo, Nicholas, what’s this I hear about Nathan becoming a firefighter?”
“Shut up! You guys are having another kid?”
He sets the menu down as Charlie nods, leaning over to kiss her, his hand on Kaya’s forehead. “Who’s coming to stay with us, honey?”
Her squeaky voice says, “Brother!”
“That’s right!”
Elated for them I gasp, “You’re having a boy!?”
Ethan bites his lip on a grin. “Yep. Due in about five months. Guess you thought Charlie had been eating too much hummus.”
She hits him, “Ethan!”
He kisses her again, and Kaya watches them.
Our conversation for the remainder of dinner is light-hearted and never for a minute awkward.
But the entire time my mind is now on family.
It might have been the right thing for Ethan to settle down. And for Gabriel, Emma, Hannah, Eric…jeezus, the list of all the cousins who’ve bit the wedding-ring dust! Sofia Sol is even getting married soon. Max moved in with Natalie right before Christmas and he hasn’t proposed yet, but it’s only the end of March now. I’m waiting for the phone vine to let us know he bent the knee, too.
But that’s them.
Not me.
I might be the oldest of my siblings, but I’ll be the last of us to get married.
That I know for fucking sure.
CHAPTER 23
M ADISON
A s I tug my dress to modesty, Nicholas shuts the driver’s door and looks over the gear-shift at me. “I promised somewhere nice and then we got ambushed.”
“It was nice,” I smile, adding with genuine honesty, “I like them. They’re so in love. Kaya’s adorable.”
He pulls out of the parking lot while asking, “What’d you think of my cousin?”
“Ethan’s funny. So are you.”
“Yeah? My family keeps telling me I used to be funnier.”
“The two of you had us laughing our heads off.”
“Charlie’s a good egg,” he nods, distracted. “Never expected Ethan to marry someone so adult. She’s his age, but seems older, you know? The CEO of a company. My cousin is a fucking goofball. His patent and that genius mind of his, is what made him rich, but he’s not the team-player type so I’m surprised he locked it down so young, and so rich.” Glancing to me, Nicholas explains, “Ethan was a lone wolf, like most computer programmers. Loved his alone time. I guess it’s one of the reasons he’s happy to stay home with Kaya. He can work from anywhere and he loves that kid. Man, he loves her. And now he’s got a boy coming. I can only imagine how he’s gonna feel about that little guy.”
Thinking of Mr. Schweis, my gaze remains fixed on the sleek dashboard. “I don’t understand how some people don’t love their children.”
A car honks at us and we look over to see Ethan and his family, also in a Tesla. He flips off Nicholas, who returns the favor, laughing. “Yeah, go home, you jerk!” he shouts through the glass. They wave at each other before their car disappears. We turn in the opposite direction, merging with traffic on Peachtree. “I got this model because he has them.”
“Them?”
“He’s got three Teslas.”
“What?!”
Nicholas laughs, “We weren’t kidding about how rich he is. But it hasn’t gone to his head—that was a joke.”
“I figured.”
As he pokes around the playlist and drives with one knee, Nicholas shrugs, “Money just makes you more of what you are. If you’re a dick already and you get a bunch of cash, sure, you’re a bigger dick. I have this work associate, what an asshole. I literally walked out of a lunch on him. But he’d be that way even if he was poor, trust me.” Turning up the volume on an R&B hit, Nicholas mutters, almost to himself, “Your character is what defines you. That’s everything.”
Sliding my hand absently over my seatbelt I watch him, thinking, Yes, and that’s why I’m so reluctant to let you in.
>
“Ethan’s solid. You can trust him. I’d never doubt his word, ever. But I guess that’s true of most of us.” He flicks a proud look my way. “Good grandparents. And my Grams—she’s incredible. Fucking ancient and sweet as peach cobbler and whipped cream.” Driving with his wrist casually over the steering wheel, he throws me a gorgeous smile.
“Grams?” I ask, wanting to know everything about him.
“My great-grandmother.”
“She’s still alive?”
Appalled, he barks, “Fuck yeah she is! And she’d better stay that way. Grandpa Michael would lose it if she left.”
He reaches over to rest his hand on my thigh. I stare at his wandering fingers. An instant pleasure waves into me, which makes me hesitate. But I want to be certain he’s for real, so I force my reluctant fingers to pluck his off, and put them back on his own leg.
From the corners of his eyes he smiles, “Come on.”
“Humor me.”
“Fine.” He lays it flat on his leg and purposefully adopts a somber face as he watches the road, but his eyes are dancing with humor.
Chemistry is a funny thing. I can’t take my eyes off his hand because I wish I hadn’t been so quick to remove it. And as I stare and admire it, I spot light scars lining his knuckles.
“Have you been in fights?”
“A few.”
“Why?”
“Sometimes you’ve gotta take a situation by the fist.” His lips curve a little, glittering eyes focused ahead. “I’ve never punched anyone who didn’t need it. But none of them thanked me. Can you believe that?”
I chuckle, adjusting my tight hem. “Tell me about one.”
“Where should I begin?”
“That many?”
He laughs, shaking his head. “No, I’m kidding.”
“Pick one.”
“Hmm. The most recent time was this guy called me and Matt ’faggots.’ Dude was drunk so we told him to fuck off, but he wouldn’t let up. I was like, really, even in this day and age?” He throws me an irritated look. “I punched him. More than once.”
“So weird. Not you, him.”
We approach a stoplight, wheels slowing. “We’d just had two chicks talking us up before he got in our faces. I think he wished they were talking to him.”
We’re silent.
I get a cocked eyebrow.
Flicking his arm I smile, “Are you waiting for me to be mad at you? Come on, I’m not that uptight! I don’t care if you call us ‘chicks.’ But it would be nice if you learned our names.”
“I’m never gonna live that down.”
“Nope.”
“You remember everyone you ever slept with, Maddie?”
I chew on my lip a beat, staring out the windshield as the light turns green. “It would be pretty sad if I didn’t.”
He frowns. “Ah, okay.”
“No, I’m not trying to rub your face in…I mean, there haven’t been that many. I was talking about me. Not you.”
We lock eyes, and his narrow then return to the road.
For a little while we drive in silence, with me staring at the dashboard, embarrassed I told him that. But look at me, it’s not like I scream sex.
Before this dress, that is.
We turn into a shopping center, and I blink to his handsome profile. “Where are we going?”
“Chocolate cake time.”
I grab his bicep, squeeze it really hard. “Tell me you’re serious!”
“Deadly.” The Tesla glides into one of many empty parking spaces outside a diner with 1970’s orange and brown paint. “Might not look like much, but they make the best cake you’ve ever had. You like chocolate, don’t you?”
“Hate it.”
He laughs and jumps out of the car. “Wait there.”
I open the door and he starts running. Breaks into an actual sprint.
I freeze, one heel on the asphalt as I gape at him.
“No no no!” Nicholas offers his hand, palm up. “Fuck that. I get the door, Slugger.”
Snorting, I let him help me out. “Okay, you can stop the act. And don’t give me that innocent look. You aren’t this nice, Nicholas. So go ahead and show your stripes, Tiger!”
We stare at each other before he pulls me into his arms. I gasp and instinctively close my happy eyes as he kisses me. No tongue, only an urgent and very sexy, sweep-me-off-my-feet kiss. Electric currents zing throughout me and involuntary hands start to slide up to his hair. But they only find air.
I’m standing alone.
He’s already on the diner’s sidewalk.
I blink at him, aroused beyond comprehension.
He claws the air. “Rawr.”
Shaking my head, I silently tell my panties to stop smiling.
Chuckling, he holds the heavy door open. This place was made during a less convenient era where there was weight and struggle to most things. People would have no patience for that today. More’s the pity.
“Chocolate awaits. You ready for this?”
Under my breath I tell his smirk, “If this cake is anything like that kiss, I’m in trouble.”
Amber sparkles in his warning, “Then you’re in trouble.”
Fifteen minutes later and I am moaning over the richest, moistest, chocolatey-gooey deliciousness I have ever tasted in all of my sad years.
“Where has this been all my life?” I gleefully murmur.
The frosting is so creamy I dip my fingers in it just so I can lick them off. Catching the lusty look on Nicholas, I stop and wipe them on a napkin.
“I don’t usually take people on dates,” he announces.
“Ah.”
“But you know this.”
Blinking to his lips, just as scrumptious as this cake, I shrug, “I didn’t know that, no.”
“Can’t remember the last actual date I had. I know I won’t forget this one.” He leans in and kisses me over the table. A smile spreads from within me. Breathless as we come apart, I gaze at his sensual eyes slowly traveling the angles of my face, taking their time and making me very self-conscious.
“What are you doing?”
“Shhh,” he whispers, taking me in. “I like your nose, Madison.”
A shy laugh escapes. “My nose?”
“And your eyes. You might have walls but you don’t wear masks.”
He leans over and kisses me again. The pressure is firm. Our tongues touch, chocolatey and warm. This wonderful feeling tripled by those amazing compliments and that decadent cake, and I am a wreck of willingness.
His fingers slide along my face, and slip impatiently into my hair, cupping me so that he can control the kiss, turn us so that it’s always in hypnotic motion.
He breaks away, long eyelashes heavy. “Let’s get out of here.”
I swallow, feeling light and dizzy. “Okay.”
Turning in his chair, Nicholas shouts, “Can I get the check?”
CHAPTER 24
N ICHOLAS
Holy fuck, the way she was licking her fingers, leaning over the plate in that tight dress, soft breasts spilling over the top and promising to fall out any second, the tiny line between her eyebrows as she moaned at how good the cock tasted.
I mean cock.
Cake.
Cake tasted!
Paying the tab I adjust my weight on the seat because I’m painfully hard. As the server slowly hands me the slip I swear under my breath at the ache in my crotch.
“You okay?” Madison asks.
Scribbling my name I mumble, “Perfect.”
“You look…”
I slap the paper upside down, glance around and stand up, motioning to my bulging zipper. “I’m about to walk bow-legged. You ready?”
“For that?”
“To go. And yes, for this, too.” I take her hand. Leaning down, I whisper, “I am going to fuck you so hard, you have no idea.”
Madison tenses, so I glance to her face to check if that was a good muscle-flex or a bad one. Holding the door f
or her I watch her walk outside, jaw ticking.
“Maddie?”
In the cool night air, parking lot still and silent, she turns around, waving her hands a little, eyes distant. “Umm…”
“Hey,” I smile, “I know you haven’t been with that many guys. I’ll take things slow.”
She frowns at me. “It’s not that!”
I watch her walk to my car, her arms crossed. Dragging my hand through my hair I offer, “Look, why don’t we just watch a movie at my place? Hang out. I live just a few blocks away from you.”
She chuckles, “Oh come on, Nicholas. The old movie-at-my-place is the oldest trick.”
“Well, I’ve tried my newer ones but they’re not working so…”
My joke misses her funny bone.
Madison’s eyes steel. But she says nothing. This is a test, and I’m wondering how to pass. Clicking my tongue I stare back at her. “Is it a crime that I want you? Because I’m pretty sure you were telling me you wanted to, in there, just now.”
Her eyes slide toward the heavens. “I was.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I told you.”
“Madison!”
“This is so hard. Stop pushing me. Please. It’s not good. Not like this. I don’t sleep with people on the first date, okay? Let’s just go with that old line. It’s the truth anyway.” She kicks the asphalt with the toe of her heel. “I just want to go home, Nicholas.”
I open the door for her to climb in. She glances to me, mumbles a thank you and I’ve got nothing. Never been in this predicament before.
I walk around to the driver’s side and climb in, chewing the inside of my cheek. With no other vehicles in the spot ahead I drive forward. We ram into a cement brick, and bounce in our seats. My arm flies out to stop her from going through the window even though we’re nowhere near that speed. We meet eyes and something happens in my chest. My heart knocks my ribs a couple times and I frown. “You okay?”
She nods, blinking away. “Yes, I’m fine. Is your car?”
“I don’t care about that. I’ll look at it later.” Backing up I mutter, “I’ll get you home.”
She nods, staring out the windshield.
We drive back to her apartment in silence. I huff through my nose a couple times without meaning to. Once, I glance over and see her watching me at a stoplight, but she looks away and I don’t say anything.
Nicholas Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 16) Page 11
