Blended (Redemption #1) (50 page)

I’m woken up by a repetitive thump on the door. I stir in his arms and push myself up, checking on Wade, but he’s still fast asleep. I throw the blanket off of myself and get up, trying to wake myself up as I crack open my bedroom door. “Yes?”

“I’m going to head out and back to Brass’s place. Are you both staying here tonight?” Liam asks.

I glance back over my shoulder at Wade before turning back and nodding my head. “I think so. He’s in a bit of pain, and I don’t want to wake him up.”

“I’ll write my number down and leave it in the kitchen for you if you need me or anything from Brass’s place.”

“Thank you, Liam. We’ll be back in the morning.”

He nods and steps away. I close the door and lock it before walking lightly back to the bed and climbing in, returning to my favorite place.

The next time I wake, there’s light spilling into the bedroom through the open curtains. I turn my head to look at my fiancé who is staring up at the ceiling.

“’Morning,” I mumble.

“Good morning, gorgeous.” I feel a warm blush sweep across my features as he shifts his body over mine. “Merry Christmas,” he adds.

“Merry Christmas, Waylon Brass.”

He chuckles to himself and kisses down the column of my neck.

“What’s so funny?”

“Mmm. I just thought that you’ll be Mrs. Waylon Brass someday soon.”

An unintentional squeal leaves my lips as he starts to dig his fingers into my sides. The fancy-ass is tickling me again.
Holy shit!
I try to nudge him off of me, but he doesn’t move an inch. “Wade, s-stop.”

“Not until you give me a date.”

“What?” I cry out as I writhe underneath him.

“Give me the date that we’ll be married.”

“I-I don’t mind. I just want you.”

His fingers are relentless as he continues to torture me. “I need a date. Now.”

“Fine,” I squeal, “Ju-June twenty-third.”

“No. Sooner,” he says bluntly as he continues his assault.

“Sooner? Like what? January?” I snap, derision dripping from my lips.

“Perfect,” he says as he stops and leans down to take my mouth.

“I was joking, Wade. That’s next month.”

He pushes up my sweater until he’s revealed my lace-covered breasts. “I don’t see the need to wait.”

“What will your mother say?” I ask him as I tug on his shirt to get it off of his muscular torso.

“I’m sure she’d enjoy having her hand in arranging things.”

My mind goes over how and when I’d like to be married, but I cannot think of anything. I’ve never been one to dream about a wedding as a young girl. The only reason I agreed when Lawson asked was because of the safety that he would provide me within my job at the resort.

“Where would we get married?”

“Anywhere in the world, anywhere that your heart desires,” he says as he takes my nipple between his lips before tugging on it with his teeth. I’m assuming that he’s feeling like himself again.

“Ahh,” I cry out as I run my fingers through his hair. “Whiskey.”

“Once I’ve had my way with you here, we’ll go back to the penthouse and get ready before heading over to my mother’s.”

“Please.”

He obliges me. Multiple times. I think he rather enjoys the pitch of my screams when he makes me orgasm in succession. And in the quiet moments, our souls unite and the softness of the seconds seems to be intoxicating as we climax together for an extended moment. We’ve become one, and we’re completely drunk on each other. Being able to touch him and have him touch me mends all of my wounds, both visible and not. If I fully immerse myself in him, then I often forget the troubles I’ve lived through as well as the past aches in my heart.

It’s just after noon when we arrive at Lillian’s home. She lives in the same building that hosts Mothers of Brass, in the penthouse. It’s decorated all in white, with a large Christmas tree in the living room. The fire next to the tree is lit, and stockings are hanging across the mantel. It’s not overdone or ostentatious, but it’s elegant, and I can tell that it’s her space.

“Merry Christmas, you four,” she says as she rounds the corner and steps into the living room where Adriana and Liam are standing next to us. She takes her time in greeting each one of us individually before we’re ushered into the kitchen with her.

“Ladies, did you want some tea or hot chocolate?”

“They both drink whiskey, Mother.”

“I know that much, Waylon. It’s Christmas, and having some variety would not necessarily be a bad thing.”

He chuckles and comes to stand beside me. “Fair enough. Hadley and I have some news for you if you’d like one of your gifts now.”

“Right now? It cannot wait until we open the rest of them?” She walks around the island and starts to work on something.

“Now would be best,” he says as he pulls me into his side.

I watch her expression change, and her head pops up from the pie crust that she’s been rolling out. “You’re pregnant?” she says with so much excitement in her voice that I almost wish that I were.

“No, Mother.”

“Well then? Spit it out . . . either of you.”

Wade glances down at me and nods as if he’s telling me that he wants me to be the one to tell her. I purse my lips at his notion before I decide on what to say or do. I glance up at Lillian and hold my left hand up, showcasing my engagement ring to her.

“You’re engaged?” She cries out and drops the rolling pin before leaning across the island and reaching for my hand. “Waylon! Oh goodness, this is . . . I . . . you’re getting married?”

“We are,” he tells her, pride laced in both of those words.

She lets go of my hand before running around the island and throwing one arm over each of us in a hug. “Congratulations, you two.”

“Thank you, Mother,” he says as he hugs her in return. Elation pours through me as she pulls back and grabs my hand to look at the ring, inspecting it closely this time.

“It’s stunning. Someone grab the champagne that I have chilling in the fridge. This is definitely cause to celebrate and get lost in the bottle.”

She turns from me and rushes to a cabinet in the kitchen, pulling out five champagne flutes.

“Congratulations, Mr. Brass,” Adriana says as Liam grabs the bottle of champagne and pops it open.

“Thank you, Adriana. Call me Waylon this evening, please.”

She nods slightly before she takes my left hand to get a better look at my ring. I can only assume that I’m glowing with pride and love, all because of Waylon fancy-ass Brass. I’m high on him. High on our relationship. I squeeze my thighs together at the sudden need for him that shoots through me. I swear I can feel my clit pulse under the lace of my panties.

He seems to notice the slight movement of my body because his hand slowly slides down from the small of my back, over my ass cheeks, to the back of my thigh. He pinches me there, and I flinch before he places his hand over my piercings again and runs his finger around them.

“Here we go,” Lillian says as she hands us each a flute filled with deliciously golden sparkling liquid. “Cheers to my son and my soon-to-be daughter-in-law.”

“Cheers,” we all chime in and clink glasses together before taking a drink. Wade sets his down and kisses my neck before letting go of me. He grabs a tumbler out of the cabinet before filling it with one of the bottles he brought with us, a Yamazaki 35. I know that it’s a rare single malt, and once I’ve had my champagne, I’ll more than likely steal a sip of his.

Lilly pulls me into the living room, and Adriana follows us. The three of us sit down, surrounded by the quiet hum of Christmas music. I stretch my toes closer to the fire to warm up some more as the conversations start to flow.

“Now, Addy,” Lillian says, “I do not recall your telling me that you were dating Liam Jensen.”

A blush kisses her cheeks as she takes a sip from her flute. “I wouldn’t call it dating, Lilly. It’s been going on for years; I just never thought it was anything serious. He’s a player, even at his own game, and he’ll never settle down, but I cannot deny that I enjoy being with him. I’ve been able to see him for who he is through all of his bachelor and drunken ways.”

“Waylon was telling me that he’s been drinking more than usual. The poor man. After losing his bride . . .” She stops speaking and takes a sip. “We’ll talk about that another time. We have a new bride on our hands.”

“Please, don’t let me interrupt,” I interject.

“You’re not, sweetheart. It’s simply a sensitive subject. Eight years’ worth of his searching for the woman he lost and finally coming to the conclusion that she’s not coming back must be hard to deal with. Addy, you’re good for that man. Don’t let him push you away.”

I watch her nod and take a drink. “Would you mind my asking what happened? I had no idea that he was married.”

“Oh no, dear. He never got married. It was a few days before his wedding that she disappeared in the south of Mexico to human trafficking. The poor thing, she was away with two other friends to celebrate her bachelorette party. They found her body six months ago.”

I gasp before downing the remainder of my champagne. Holy shit. “I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

Adriana shifts on the couch and crosses her leg over the other. “I think it’s why he’s been refusing the connection between us, or even more, refusing to admit that he has stronger feelings for me than just physical ones.”

“I’m sure that he will snap out of it, Adriana. I can’t even imagine what he must have gone through.” My heart aches for her and Liam. I didn’t know that I was capable of feeling so deeply for others’ loss, but this organ of mine has a mind of its own these days.

“Please, call me Addy. Only my boss and mother call me Adriana.”

I laugh, and I’m about to take a drink when I realize that my flute is empty. I stand and straighten out my black high-waisted pants, making sure that my black sequin blouse is still tucked in.

“You know,” she says softly, “Waylon helped him a lot in his search for her. He may be daunting and all too intimidating on the outside, but he’s truly a good man.”

I can’t help the smile on my face as I walk around the couch. “It’s why I’m getting married to him.”

I watch her smile change as if she’s been caught just as his arm comes around my waist from behind, taking the empty flute from my hand and replacing it with a new one. I’m sure it’s the one that he refuses to drink.

“Thank you, handsome.”

“You’re welcome, gorgeous.”

I turn in his arm and kiss him with reserve before Lillian applauds and pulls me from his spell. “I won’t ever tire of seeing the two of you together. I need to finish up the pie, and I’ll be back. Please, everyone, make yourselves at home.”

I take a seat again while Wade returns my empty flute to the kitchen and then goes to answer the door when there’s a knock.

I hear Isla wish him a Merry Christmas before they both walk into the living room, and she hugs Liam and then me before sitting down next to me. “I’m sorry that I’m late, but finding a taxi on Christmas Day is virtually impossible.”

“You could have driven, Isla,” Wade says as he motions for her to move aside so he can be the one to sit next to me while I hog the warmth of the fire on my other side.

“And lose the opportunity to get drunk? Yeah, no thanks, Brass.”

He shakes his head as he places a hand on my knee, and I take a drink. For some reason, I’ve convinced myself that this particular glass tastes better because he took a sip from it. It’s as if I can taste his kiss in the bubbles.

“Shut the fuck up,” Isla says and reaches over Waylon before grabbing my left hand. “Brass! You actually did it.”

We all laugh at how ridiculous she’s being. “Congratulations, you assholes.”

She still has my hand in hers before she lets go and throws her arms around his neck. I should be jealous or at least feel the smallest bit of envy roll through my body, but nothing comes of it because he’s mine. Entirely.

She pulls away from him and pats his chest once before relaxing against the back of the couch again. “Today just got so much more exciting. No wonder you all have champagne.”

Addy looks at Isla and then away again as if she’s grown uncomfortable with her being here. I make a mental note to ask Wade about it later. I lean my head against his shoulder as Lillian comes back into the room. “All right, kids. As we wait for the appetizers in the oven, why don’t we open a few gifts?”