Blended (Redemption #1) (48 page)

“Do we need to stop by your apartment for anything before tomorrow?”

“Oh, yes,” she says before she takes a drink of water. “I need to grab an outfit or two.”

“Or I could send men over to grab everything of yours.”

She pauses for a moment to think and finish chewing on the bite she took. “Are you sure?”

I tug her into my arms and kiss her cheekbones. “What did I tell you earlier?”

“I know, it’s just . . . it’s a lot. I mean . . . not my stuff, but us. I don’t want to ruin it all.”

“You would not be able to even if you tried. I’m sure that Lola will understand.”

She gasps and her eyes go wide. “Oh my God, Lo. How do I tell her? No, I need to go over there before we start moving my things.”

“We’ll go once you’re done eating.”

“I’m done,” she says, and she stands up suddenly. “I don’t think that I can stomach another bite until I tell her that I’m moving in with you. That I’m moving in with my fiancé,” she says excitedly before murmuring, “Holy shit,” underneath her breath.

“Come. I’ll drive us over.”

“Shouldn’t we tell Liam?”

“No.”

I take her hand and grab my keys on the way out to the foyer, stopping by the hallway closet to grab our jackets before we ride down the elevator to the lobby where I have my car brought up by the valet.

The drive is short, but I can tell that she’s anxious. I park in the lot before running around the car, opening the door for her, and taking her hand.

“It’s icy. Don’t slip in those heels.” She’s wearing my shirt, my sweat pants, my jacket, and her heels, and if we weren’t so fucking cold outside, I’d fuck her right here on the hood of my vehicle.

She holds onto my arms with a death grip as we walk to the entrance of her building and once we’re inside, she doesn’t let go.

“You’re nervous.”

She purses her lips as we ride up the elevator but remains quiet until we get to her door. She pauses as she’s about to unlock it and turns to me. “This is happening.”

“It is.”

“It feels surreal. I never thought that I would be, well, that’d I’d be hopelessly in love.”

I chuckle and lean down to place a chaste kiss on her lips before she unlocks the door, and we walk in together.

“Hads? Is that you?” Lola walks around the corner and smiles brightly when she sees the two of us.

“Hi, Lo.”

“I didn’t think that you would be coming back tonight. I’m having some people over for Christmas Eve dinner. Would you two like to join us?”

Hadley looks up at me, perplexed about what to do.

“We’d like that.” I say.

“Great. Holden and Owen are in the living room with a few other women from my boutique. Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Can I grab you a whiskey, Wade?”

“Open the Macallan that I bought last week, Lo, and I’m going to get changed. Would you mind pouring me some as well, please?”

“Sure thing.”

“Thank you.”

I take in Hadley’s stance. She’s shrinking into me with her hands stuffed into the pockets of my coat. I squeeze her hip through the fabric and lead her to her bedroom, closing the door behind us.

“Rye.”

“Yes?” she answers as she strips out of my clothing and folds each piece before placing it on her bed. My eyes are trained on her piercings as she crosses the bedroom to her closet.

“You don’t have to tell them if you’re not ready.”

“What? Why wouldn’t I tell them?” She turns to look back at me as I take a seat on the bench at the end of her bed. “Wade?”

“I understand if you think this is all happening too soon.”

She kicks off her heels and walks back over to me, completely naked. “Whiskey, it’s not too soon. Like you said, no one else matters, and I know that this is right. It’s good for us.”

My hands move to her waist as she leans down to place her lips against mine. “All right.”

“Quit it. I love you, Waylon. Nothing that anyone says is going to change that.”

I feel the corners of my lips arch upward. “Good to hear it. Now, get dressed before we make others fall asleep before I’m done with you.”

“Oh,” she purses her lips and wiggles her hips in front of me. “I could go all day with you.”

“I’ll be able to soon. I’ll need to up my hours of rehabilitation once the holidays are over.”

“You’re senseless.”

“Possibly.”

She steps out of my hold and starts to get dressed across the room from me. “You should call Liam and tell him to come over. We wouldn’t want to leave him at
our
place alone on Christmas Eve.”

“No, we wouldn’t.” I take my phone out of my pocket and dial his number while my eyes never leave her.

“Brass,” his voice comes over the phone.

“Liam, listen. Hadley and I are at her place, and we’ll be having dinner here with a few of her friends. You’ve been invited to join us.”

“Fuck. I hadn’t even realized that you guys left. Yeah, I’ll be over; just send me her address. You assholes didn’t even wake me.”

After picking out and putting on her gray underwear, she sits down next to me and pulls a pair of gray thigh-high socks up and over her knees. I watch her fingers move up along her pale legs, transfixed on the movement.

“I assumed that you’d need your sleep after the flight.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be over in a few.”

“Good. Just let yourself in when you get here, and we’ll let the doorman know to expect you as well.”

“Sounds good.”

I hang up with him as she stands up and runs her fingers along my jaw before returning to her closet where she picks out an oversized black sweater and pulls it over her head. The sweater covers her entirely; it’s more of a dress on her, but I don’t like knowing that other men will be seeing her like this. “Okay, are you ready for this?”

“That’s all that you’re wearing?”

I watch her frown and look down at her outfit. “You don’t like it?”

“I do, which makes me confident that other men will enjoy it as well.”

“Whiskey . . .”

“Allow me to be jealous of other men lusting after my fiancée, Hadley.”

She frowns at me before a small laugh escapes her and she’s standing in front of me. “All right. So I won’t change. I kind of like it when you get all assertive and possessive.”

I take her hand and place it on the length of my cock under my jeans. “I’ll be buried inside of you before the night’s end, and I’ll show you exactly how assertive I can be.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

I smack her ass once before standing and then grunt when a surge of pain runs up my body from my lower spine. “Fuck. We might have to put that off for a day or two.”

“Are you okay?” Worry crosses her face as she reaches for me.

“I’m okay. I’ll just need Liam to bring over my medications. I may have overdone it in the shower when I lifted you up.”

She smacks my chest before moving against my body and holding onto me. “I told you not to do that.”

“I think that we both enjoyed it too much for me to stop.”

“Maybe, but not if it will cause you to be in pain.”

“Agreed.” I take my phone out of my pocket and send Hadley’s address to Liam, as well as instructions on what medication to bring over for me.

She places a kiss on the underside of my chin before lacing her fingers with mine and dragging me to her bedroom door. We walk out into the living room together where more people than I expected are gathered.

“Lo likes to throw parties, just so you know.”

“I can tell.”

“There you guys are. Your drinks are in the kitchen,” Lo says from across the room.

“Thank you. I have a guest staying over for the holidays; I hope that you don’t mind that I invited him this evening.”

“Not at all. The more people, the better.”

I nod as Hadley comes back to me with two tumblers in her hand. “It’s just a 10-year, but I enjoy it.”

“It’s great, baby, thank you,” I tell her and Lola squeals besides us.

“God, I love you two together,” she gushes as she is joined by the man who shared the elevator with Hadley and me last night.

I offer him my hand, and he takes it with a nod. “Waylon Brass.”

“So I’ve heard. Owen Parker.” We shake and he smiles down at Rye. “It’s good to see you constantly smiling, Hadley.”

She blushes and rests her head against my bicep. “I blame him.”

“I see.”

“Okay, assholes, quit playing nice, and let’s have some fun, okay?” Lola says as she walks into the midst of the people gathered in her living room.

“I’ll introduce you around if you’d like,” Owen offers, but Hadley shakes her head.

“I don’t think I trust the ratio of two good-looking men in a room filled with women. I’m not letting this one out of my sight.”

“As you wish,” he says as he turns, but he stops when Hadley starts to twirl one of her curls around her finger. “That’s new. Is Lola aware?”

“What?” she asks.

“Your ring. I’m assuming by the size and location that it means more than just a piece of jewelry.”

She looks up at me and beams. “It’s much more than just a ring, Owen.” She says the words proudly, and it makes me want to ravage her this minute.

He nods without saying another word and walks off. I run a finger down her neck and smile at her. “That makes two people who know,” I tell her.

She takes a drink and leads me into the group of guests. She’s glowing as she introduces herself and me to those surrounding us.

“As in
the
Waylon Brass?” a woman asks me.

“The only one,” Hads answers.

“It’s so nice to meet you. I just started working for Mothers of Brass last week, and I was unable to go to the Christmas party last night.”

“Welcome. I trust that you are enjoying it thus far.”

“Immensely,” she says as she looks down at my left hand and then over to Hadley.

I watch as Hadley splays her left hand over my chest, staking her claim on me, not that it’s needed. I ring an arm around her and place my lips at the top of her head.

“It was nice meeting you,” the woman says before she walks off.

“I have to say that I’m rather enjoying this possessive side of you, Rye.”

“I’m sure that you do, so don’t complain.”

“I won’t, but I need to sit down right now,” I tell her as the same pain as before runs its way up my spine.

She takes my hand and leads me to a single chair. I take a seat, feeling ten times my age as she perches on the armrest beside me. “We can go back if you need to sleep, Whiskey.”

“No. Let me sit here for a while.”

Apprehension crosses her features again while she takes inventory of my body. “I love you.”

“As I you.” I get up as Lola approaches us.

“Is it true?”

“What?” Hadley asks as she looks up at her oldest friend.

“Owen just told me that you . . .” She gasps when she reaches for Rye’s left hand. “Holy fucking shit.”

I watch as Hadley lights up from the inside. “I was going to tell you . . .”

“Shut up and let me see it! Are you serious? You’re engaged?”

“I’m serious. We’re serious.”

Lola throws her arms around Hadley, and they hug for a moment before Lola hugs me in turn. I don’t necessarily approve of her touching me, but I won’t make her uncomfortable. She grabs Hadley’s hand to get a closer look at the ring I placed on her finger last night.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I know. I love it so much.”

I watch the two of them go back and forth for a while until Lola retreats from us to announce that dinner will be served buffet style, and it’s now that Liam walks into the room.

“I’m looking for Waylon Brass,” I hear him say to Lola, and she gestures toward Hadley and me.

He walks the length of the room until he’s standing in front of us. “’Evening.”

He’s tanked.

“Hi, Liam, did you sleep enough earlier?”

He raises his eyebrows and smirks. “Barely, but I’ll manage.”

“It seems like you’ve had one or two too many beers,” I say as I pull my fiancée down onto my lap.

“Probably five more than what’s good for me.”

“I can smell it on you.”

Hadley places her hand on my chest; I’m sure that she can sense my unease. After the last time he ran her off, I don’t trust him around her while he’s drunk.

“Should I strip then?” he slurs and starts to undo the button on his jeans.

“Liam,” Hadley complains, and he stops his hands before doing up the button again.

“If the lady doesn’t want to see what I’m packing, then I’ll keep it wrapped . . . for now.”

“I’ll fucking kill you,” I tell him under my breath.

Hadley turns to face me and cups my jaw in her hands. “Whiskey,” she says as she presses her lips to mine, pushing her tongue past my lips and into my mouth. She drapes her hands over my shoulder and then moves them until they are locked around my neck. She deepens the kiss and grinds her ass into my cock.

“Jesus, you two, it’s like watching a porno,” a female voice says, and I break away from her for a second to see who spoke—Lola, and standing next to her is Holden.

“You have a room, Hadley. Use it,” Holden says, and she turns to look at him.

“What is your problem?”

He goes to speak but stops himself when she brushes a few strands of curls out of her face.

“You’re going to fucking marry this douche?”

“Holden,” Lola says and tugs on his arm.

Hadley’s gaze finds mine and instead of the glow I saw in her before we left, there’s despondency behind her eyes. “Wade?” she says softly, “I’d like to go.”

“Hads, don’t be like that,” Lola says.

“No, Lo. It’s Christmas Eve, and I’ve just made the single most important decision in my life last night. I don’t need any of it to be spoiled because people are unable to keep their mouths shut.”

“I’m sorry, Hads. I know how happy you are.”

I watch Holden walk away, and Hadley stands up from my lap. “I shouldn’t need to explain myself to people who I thought were my friends.”

“Baby,” I get up and pull her into my arms, feeling her heart beat faster.

“Wade, please, take me back home.”

“Hadley, you are home,” Lola says.

“I won’t do this tonight.”