Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) (58 page)

“Damn. That’s insulting,” he stated and she grinned.

“I only speak the truth.”

Batting her eyes at him, she turned just as the door opened and Regina came through with a huge grin on her face. “There is my favorite daughter-in-law.”

“I’m your only one,” Lacey laughed as they wrapped up in a tight hug.

“Thank God,” she said, squeezing Lacey tightly.

“Not if Kacey gets married,” Karson called, and when she heard an umph, she laughed as Regina rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, how are you?”

“Good, it’s great seeing you,” Lacey said and meant every word; she loved her mother-in-law.

“You as well, my love,” Regina said with all the adoration in the world in her eyes.

“Have you lost weight?” Karl barked, making Lacey jump.

“No, sir.” She yelped as he hugged her tightly.

“I don’t believe you. Karson, you feeding this girl?” he yelled as Karson walked in with Kacey trailing behind him, both carrying the bags.

“Yeah, Dad, she eats,” he said, dropping the bags. “Ma, you are only staying for the weekend. What’s up with all the bags?”

“Oh, I brought Lacey all my cookbooks and then some odds and ends for this gorgeous house. I can’t wait for the tour,” she gasped as she took in the exposed white wood beams above them. They were Lacey’s favorite thing about the kitchen.

“Good purchase, son,” Karl said with a nod, and when Lacey’s eyes met Karson’s, he grinned. Coming toward her, he took her in his arms, kissing her lips.

“Figured the most amazing woman in the world needed the best house money could buy,” he muttered against her lips.

“Oh, how sweet,” Regina cooed. “We did a good job with him.”

“Gag me,” Kacey added with a roll of her eyes.

“Fucking pussy,” was Karl’s answer as JT nodded.

“Yeah, he is,” he said as Karl grinned. “How you doing, King?”

“Good, how’s the leg?”

“It’s hanging on,” JT said with a wink.

“By a thread,” Karl said with a nod. “Be careful next time.”

“Will do,” he promised.

“Yeah, if you’re going to play hockey, you should probably know how to skate,” Kacey said, coming to the counter and grabbing JT’s sandwich before taking a bite. “Usually you push people into the boards, not run into them.”

JT glared. “I didn’t run into it. I was pushed, and my leg snapped.”

“Good story, bro. Keep with that,” she taunted and Lacey tried to hold in her laughter.

“Please, I could skate circles around you,” JT laughed as he sized Kacey up. While JT was a big dude, Kacey played dirty, and Lacey wasn’t sure who would win out of the two of them.

“Um, sorry, but you can’t,” she said, pointing to his cast leg. “You pretty much can’t do anything.”

His mouth turned up into a sinister grin before he said, “Oh honey, I can do anything I put my mind to.”

Kacey’s cheeks reddened and Lacey didn’t miss the way she looked at JT. Like she wanted to gobble him right up. Before they could say anything else, Karson said, “Thomas, stop looking at my sister like that, and Kacey, stop poking the bear.”

“Aw, are you the bear, Thomas?” she cooed, bringing his sandwich to her lips and taking a bite of it in a very suggestive way. Lacey couldn’t help it, she giggled before Kacey asked, “Am I supposed to be scared of you?”

“Yeah, you should be,” he said with a wink before snatching his sandwich back. “I’m very rough.”

“Okay then,” Karson said, taking Kacey by the back of her arm. “Let’s go. Baby, I’m gonna show them their rooms and then go get your family.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, leaning into him as Kacey shook her arm out of his grip. “I can go.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re busy. I don’t mind at all,” he said, kissing the side of her mouth.

“You’re the best,” she said before kissing his lips.

He grinned as he kissed her again. “Only for you.”

Her heart warmed as he winked before leading his parents and sister out of the room. Once they were gone, she looked back at JT as he watched Kacey walk away. Smacking his shoulder, she scolded, “Don’t look at her like that.”

JT laughed. “You her keeper?”

“No, I’m yours, and I’m trying to protect you from the wrath of Karson.”

JT continued to laugh. “I’m not worried about your husband. But his sister, yeah, I’m gonna get me a piece of that.”

She made a face, shaking her head. “Doesn’t it weird you out, though? She looks like Karson, just a girl.”

“Hey, Karson is hot, and if he were a girl, I’d do him. You aren’t a dumb chick, Lacey. You know how to pick them.”

“I think I just threw up in my mouth,” she muttered, holding her stomach. “It’s not every day you hear a straight guy say he’d do your husband.”

“If he were a girl,” JT reminded her with a grin.

She shook her head. “Whatever. I’m telling you it’s a bad idea. Stay away from her.”

“Nah, she wants it. Always has. We’ve been hot for each other for a while. It’s bound to go down since we are both in this house tonight.”

Lacey groaned, shaking her head. Karson was going to go ballistic if they did do something and he found out. Her Thanksgiving was already on thin ice; having JT shack up with Kacey was sure to blow the ice to hell if her family didn’t do it first. But she knew JT, and what he wanted, he got. Plus, she saw the way Kacey looked at him, and it meant nothing but trouble.

“Damn it to hell,” she muttered before meeting JT’s playful gaze. She then said, “Be careful and please don’t get your yuck on anything.”

Smirking, he teased, “Don’t worry, I’ll use lots of tissues.”

Glaring, she declared, “I hate you, Jordie Thomas.”

But by the look on his face, she didn’t think he cared.

This was going to be a great holiday.

Not.

After getting his parents settled, Karson went back toward the kitchen with Kacey on his heels. Looking back at her, he said, “What are you doing?”

“Going in the kitchen.”

“Why?”

“Because Lacey is in there, and unlike the old folks, I don’t need to settle down.”

He glared. “Stay away from Thomas.”

She laughed. “I thought I was gay.”

“You are, so stay away from him.”

She rolled her eyes as they entered the kitchen and then she called out, “So my brother says to stay away from you.”

JT looked up, a smirk forming on his face, causing Karson’s brows to furrow even more. “Aren’t you gay?”

She glared and Karson choked on his laughter. “She is, so stay away from her.”

“I can bring you back to the dick side of life, you know,” he said to her, pissing Karson off.

“No, leave her in carpet town, please,” he said before wrapping his arms around his wife, but before he could fully hold her, Kacey punched him in the middle of his back. Of course, it hurt like hell, but there was no way he was going to let anyone know that.

“I’m not gay! And I’ll show you. JT, wanna come fuck me?”

“Hell yeah.” He scoffed as Karson shot him a look of death.

“Oh wait, you can’t move well. I need a man who can put it down. You obviously aren’t that,” she said with a shrug, acting as if she was talking about the weather and not having sex with her brother’s best friend. “Lacey, is this done?” she asked, pointing to the soup.

“You guys are insane. Please don’t do this in front of my family,” she begged and her nervousness was coming off her in waves. “But yes, it’s done.”

“Yeah, really. Don’t be an asshole when her dad gets here,” Karson warned and one of Kacey’s brows came up.

“Isn’t this the dude who broke you two up?”

“Yeah,” Karson said with a nod.

“Then screw him. I’m going to ride JT right in front of him and wave,” she said before making a crude motion and waving her hand.

“Sweet baby Jesus, yes, please do,” JT begged until Karson shoved him in the shoulder.

“No, and fuck no,” he said, setting JT with a look. “We are trying to turn over a new leaf.”

“I’m sorry, no leaf-turning for me. You don’t break my brother’s heart and get away with it.”

He loved his sister, he did, but this was not the time for ultimate loyalty. “Please be nice, for me?”

“I don’t even like you,” she said with a shake of her head. But when her eyes met his, he knew the truth. “But I’ll be nice. I can’t speak for the old folks though.”

“Oh God, this is going to be a train wreck,” Lacey groaned, leaning her head into Karson’s shoulder.

“No, it’s going to be great,” he promised, but he wasn’t sure if he could keep that promise.

Waiting out by the rental car counter, Karson played on his phone while he waited for his in-laws. Grady had rented a car for him and his family, while Karson had the pleasure of driving Nate and his new fiancée back home. The idea of acting as if he didn’t see the Martin family had Karson wanting to entertain it, but Lacey wanted her family for Thanksgiving. So he would deal. Just as long as she kept smiling.

She hadn’t stopped since the moment in the car when he came home a little over a week ago. Every time he looked at her, she was grinning and looking every bit the gorgeous, happy wife he wanted. Their time in Florida was amazing, but it pulled at his heartstrings. They would have started their lives together in Florida if Nate hadn’t have interfered. He knew he shouldn’t have thought that, but as he sat on the beach, his wife in her yellow bikini looking fucking hot, he could imagine their doing just that as kids. She probably would have been pregnant because they were kids and careless, but he would have loved every second of it.

They would have been happy most of all, but that was the past. They had each other now, and no matter how much Karson hated Nate Martin because he was the man who had tried to steal his forever, he smiled as he headed toward him. Because he was his wife’s dad and he loved her.

“Welcome to Nashville,” he said, but only the boys smiled.

“It’s not cold here!” Zander called out to him before fist-bumping him.

“Yeah, it’s really nice,” Flynn agreed and Karson grinned as they bumped fists too.

“Yup, and as long as it’s cool with your parents, we have this huge backyard full of stuff you guys can discover,” he said, and the boys seemed pretty excited about that.

Meeting Grady’s gaze, he sucked in a breath, waiting for the insult, but to his surprise, Grady held out his hand to Karson. “Thanks for having us,” he said as Karson took his hand.

“Thanks for coming. It means a lot to us,” he said with a nod. Looking at Rachel, he said, “Always a breath of fresh air, Mrs. Martin.”

She didn’t seem impressed with him and said, “Hey, Karson. Where’s Lacey?”

Yeah, he didn’t trust Rachel as far as he could throw her.

“She’s at home with my parents. They are getting ready for tomorrow. Plus my buddy is staying with us since he got hurt, so she is babysitting him.”

“Keeping her locked up then?” Nate asked and Karson wouldn’t let that bother him.

Shaking his head, he took Nate’s bags. “Nope, I volunteered to come get you guys so she could feel good about tomorrow. She’s nervous about cooking and it all going well.”