by Wolf, Alex
“Grandma is awesome, she just gets excited,” says Jenny, as she takes a drink of a flute with just orange juice in it.
Tate keeps eyeballing Quinn, but Quinn keeps looking away. “She’s obsessed with having more grandkids.”
“Would’ve never known.” I laugh.
“You’re lucky I pulled you out of there when I did. She was going to tell you what color eyes your and Donavan’s babies would have.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t mind having some cousins.” Jenny smiles.
Quinn keeps looking away.
Tate gets that sly smirk on her face. “Not thirsty, Quinn?” She eyes the full mimosa Quinn hasn’t so much as had a sip of.
“N-naw, not really, I’m…”
“Feeling a little under the weather?” says Tate.
“What?” says Jenny, oblivious. “What’s going on?”
Quinn yanks Tate aside, and leans in her ear and whispers something.
Tate rushes back over to us with Quinn on her heels.
Quinn says, “No, Tate, wait, please.”
Tate turns back to her. “What? It’s fantastic.”
Quinn looks around at all of us, then smiles bigger than I’ve ever seen her smile, and she smiles all the time. “I’m pregnant.”
“That’s amazing!” I say.
“Congratulations!” says Abigail.
Quinn turns to Tate. “We were going to take you and Decker aside, before you fly out, and then announce it after you leave. We don’t want to take anything away from your big day.”
“Oh horseshit!” says Tate. “I would kill for some attention to be off me right now.”
Tate walks toward all the family and friends and whistles so damn loud my ears actually ring. How the hell did she do that? Must be a Texas thing to call in the cattle or something.
Everyone freezes. Quinn is running after her. “No, Tate.”
“Everybody! Quinn has an announcement to make.”
“No, no I don’t.”
We all turn to Deacon and he looks like a deer in headlights. His eyes dart around then land on Quinn. She finally shrugs and then motions him over.
We all stand there, waiting, and Donavan walks up and puts his arm around me.
“What’s this all about?”
“You’ll see.”
Decker sneaks in behind us and I hear him say, “There better not be any champagne in that.”
“Dad, I don’t drink.”
“Mmhmm.” He eyes her skeptically. “I’d complain about your boyfriend not being here, but I’m actually relieved.”
“His band has a gig.”
Decker damn near chokes and I’m not even sure he took a drink of anything. “A gig?”
“Yeah, you know where four guys bring instruments, play music and sing songs, for a crowd?”
“I know what a damn gig is. Wasn’t aware he’s in a band.”
Jenny looks over at me and Abigail and grins. “It’s pretty hot.”
“Oh fu—” Decker stops himself. I glance back and his jaw is clenched shut.
Tate walks over to us, leaving Deacon and Quinn alone in front of everyone.
Before she even gets to us, Decker is marching toward her. “Did you know about a damn band gig?”
Tate smiles her ass off. “Not now. This is important.”
“Not now? Are you—”
“Decker, I said not now.”
Donavan’s practically trembling he wants to laugh so bad.
“Umm, yeah, so everyone, I guess we have an announcement to make.” Deacon glares over at Tate as he says ‘guess’, then turns back. “So… yeah, Quinn’s pregnant.”
“Oh! My! God! You had your sperm tested!” Mrs. Collins flies out toward them, arms extended at Quinn.
Quinn clutches her stomach, as if she’s protecting the baby, and everyone else is doing the same because they can’t stop laughing. Everyone except Mr. Collins, who palms his forehead, shaking his head as he walks out to congratulate them.
“Holy. Shit.” I glance up at Donavan, after seeing his mom sprint toward Quinn like a linebacker.
“Yep.” He grins at me, then leans down so we’re eye level with each other. He whispers, “Get ready, you’re next.”
Before I can respond, his mouth is on mine and he’s kissing me way harder than he should in front of his whole family, but my God, he knows how to kiss.
After a few minutes, everyone says their congratulations.
The women with the headsets are back and barking orders, wanting everyone to get ready to start rehearsing.
I give Donavan another quick peck on the lips. “I’ll hang out over here while you’re doing your thing.”
“Okay, babe.” He walks off.
Tate comes over and looks me up and down, from head to toe. “I have something to ask you, Paisley.”
“Umm, okay. You need me to get you something? Or take care of some errands?”
Tate shakes her head and smiles. “No, no. Nothing like that. I want you to be a bridesmaid.”
I must look like I’ve just seen an alien, because her request catches me off guard. “You umm, I’m sorry, what?”
“Yeah.” She nods. “You can’t say no to a bride. It’s against the rules, you know?”
“Yeah, but I mean, why? You barely even know me.”
Tate looks over at Donavan, then at Quinn, Abigail, Jenny, and Mrs. Collins. “You’re in love with a Collins boy. You’re one of us now.”
My chest swells and I can’t remember ever being so flattered, excited, happy. It’s like she’s asking me to be a part of their family, something I always wanted back in college, the same way he was with my family.
I shake my head. “But, a dress, I don’t…”
“It’s waiting for you. There’s a tailor on standby to get it ready for tomorrow.”
“Wait, wha-when did you order me a dress?”
Tate grins. “The first time I saw you and Donavan looking at each other in the office.”
Finally, I nod. Because what else can you do when the bride asks you for something?
Just as I start to smile, the guilt floods back into my system, crashing into me twice as hard as before. How the hell am I going to do this without having a panic attack? I really don’t know if I can go through with it.
Donavan
I usually hate weddings and big events, but this one isn’t so bad. I watch Pais from across the room at the rehearsal dinner and everything just feels—right.
I take another flute of champagne from a server who walks by with a tray while watching her laugh and talk to my family like she’s always been a part of it. How different would my life have been if I hadn’t walked out on her? Would we have five kids by now? More? Married with a big townhouse in Manhattan, working for Cooper and Associates? Manhattan was always the plan.
She would’ve talked me into it. She was the only one with that ability. It would’ve been a nice middle finger to my brothers for always looking down their noses at me.
Mom walks up from behind and bumps me with her hip. “So, she’s the one?”
I nod. “Yeah, always has been.”
“Why didn’t you ever bring her home to meet us? The way you talked about her when you told me all those years ago. I knew another girl would never have your heart.”
“You know why.” I look away from her, wishing I hadn’t spent the last seven years alone.
“Your brothers love you, Donnie. Yeah, they might’ve picked on you some, and I probably should’ve intervened more than I did, but that’s what older brothers do.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have come back to Chicago.”
She steps in front of me and squares up, so we’re face to face. “Is it worth it?”
I smirk. “Is what worth it?”
She pokes a finger into my chest. “Hanging on to all that resentment, right there.” She jabs me a little harder.
I stare right back in her eyes. “I would prefer there not to be a re
ason for any resentment.”
She shakes her head. “I love all of you the same. So does your father.”
I don’t want to get into this shit right now. This should be reserved for a shrink’s office, not Decker’s rehearsal dinner. “I believe you. Dad, not so much.”
“Donavan, I’m not going to sit here and pretend like your father couldn’t have done better. Every parent in history could’ve done better at some point. Yeah, maybe he related to Decker and Deacon a little more with the sports, but he provided for all of us. He tried and it eats him up that you think he casted you aside and only cared about your brothers.”
“Really?” I scoff. “You’d never know it from all the non-existent apologies. And I never complain to him. Collins men don’t complain, we get things done, remember? So why would he think I feel that way? He has no idea.”
“Is that what you need to make things better? An apology from him?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, Mom. I just…wanted to feel like a part of the family, and I didn’t. It is what it is. I’m fine, okay? I have a great job, respect of my peers, an amazing girlfriend. I’m happy. I just want to leave the past where it is.”
Her eyes narrow on me and she nods. “Okay. If you say so.”
She goes in for a hug and I squeeze her back. Honestly, it feels kind of nice to get some of that off my chest. She’s fooling herself if she thinks Dad ever showed even a remote interest in anything I wanted to do, but I can’t change any of that.
I catch Pais staring at us out of the corner of her eye, and she politely dismisses herself and walks over. With her black clingy dress and pointy heels, she looks so damn beautiful it hurts.
Mom releases me and walks over to talk to Deacon and Dexter.
Pais strolls up next to me and it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to whisk her away into a broom closet and yank that dress off her.
“Is that Tate’s family?” She nods off over to some men and women. There are three boys spread out a few years in age. The oldest one looks like he’s maybe fifteen.
“I think so.”
“They look nice.”
“Yeah.” I take another sip of champagne.
Just then, the oldest one walks over to Jenny. What the fuck?
Pais sees what I’m looking at. “Oh, the plot thickens. Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“And that’s Tate’s nephew, I’m assuming? The boyfriend isn’t around?” She turns and hooks her arms around my neck. “This is like a YA taboo love triangle, playing out right before our eyes.”
I laugh. “You look way too excited about this.”
Tate’s nephew reaches over and takes Jenny’s hand as they speak, running his thumb over her knuckles, and fuck this shit. I pull away from Pais and start over there when Tate comes out of nowhere and grabs her nephew by the ear.
I laugh just as Pais sees what happens.
Tate’s in the corner with her nephew shaking a finger at him, presumably telling him she’s off limits and about to be family.
Paisley frowns. “And just like that, Tate takes an axe to the plot.”
“So sad.” I mock her.
She swats at my chest, but I snag her arm and pull her in for a kiss. It’s really nice, but something seems off. I don’t know what it is, but it’s like there’s this invisible barrier between us. On the outside, everything seems fine, but it’s just like she’s got one foot in, afraid to take the next step. She’s distant. I can’t really blame her after everything that’s happened, but I’m not twenty-three anymore. Surely, she realizes that.
“What’s going on with you?”
“Huh?” Her eyes dart up to mine.
“I don’t know. Something just seems off.”
Pais shakes her head and fakes a smile at me. “It’s nothing, seriously. Just weddings and family, nerves, and it’s all happening so fast.”
It makes sense, I guess, she’s a little overwhelmed. I have the remedy to that, though.
* * *
Leaving the rehearsal dinner, I hail us a cab and whisper our destination to the driver before opening the door for Pais.
“A cab, huh? Can’t hold your booze?”
I slide in next to her. “Have a surprise.”
“Oh really? Something tells me I’m not going to make it to my apartment tonight.”
I nod slowly. “Your assumptions are correct.” I block the view of the cab driver, putting my back to him, and my mouth collides with Pais. That wall is still up but I’m going to knock it down.
I keep it PG rated all the way to where we’re going, even though it’s the last thing I want to do. What I want to do is rip her clothes off and bury my cock inside her, right here in this cab.
It seems like it’s only seconds later, but the cab comes to a halt, and I slide back over and open the door. I get out of the cab and hold my hand out. “C’mon.”
She grips me and steps out, then looks up. “Ohh, the Waldorf.”
“Let’s go. I need you out of that dress.”
She bites her lip and I pull her toward the front door. By the time we get to the entrance we’re practically running and she’s giggling, and fuck, there’s nothing I love more than her laughing and happy.
Someone greets us at the door and hands me the packet with our keys. I take it like a hand off and keep going.
“Don’t we need to check in?”
“Everything’s taken care of.”
She follows me into the elevator, and we head to the 26th floor, the presidential suite. It was the largest room they had.
I corner her in the elevator, backing her up against the wall and run my hands over her ass.
“You’ve been waiting all night for this, haven’t you?”
I nod, not taking my eyes off her, then yank her into me. I kiss down her neck, then back up to her ear. “Just you and me, all night.”
“We don’t have clothes for tomorrow.” She gasps when I nip at her ear.
“Won’t need them. I plan on keeping you naked.”
The elevator dings before I can make good on my promise right here. We step off and head to the room. I open the door and usher Pais inside.
“Holy… This place is amazing.” She walks a few steps toward the bedroom. “Oh my…”
I wrap my arms around her waist from behind, then peek over her shoulder to make sure these fuckers got every detail right.
There are candles lit everywhere, and a trail of rose petals down the hall. I nudge her toward the door to the master bedroom, and the petals lead up to the bed. On a side table there are champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Right in the middle, is a single slice of pecan pie.
Paisley sees it then turns to me. “Are you trying to ruin the evening?”
I shrug. “It’s like a tradition now. We don’t have to eat it.”
She laughs. “I do kind of like that we have a tradition, even if it’s a disgusting one.”
There’s just something about the moment, staring into her eyes, the candles and rose petals. All night, I thought I’d get her up here, rip her clothes from her body, and fuck her so hard she’d have trouble walking at the wedding.
But, right now, after all the shit with my family, the talk with my mom, I just want to kiss her, hold her. I just don’t want her to ever go anywhere or be anywhere else but right next to me. When she’s away, I feel like I can’t breathe. She’s the only person who really knows me. Gets me.
I unzip the back of her dress until it falls and puddles around her feet. She has on a pair of matching black lace bra and panties. I take my time, reaching around and cupping her breasts in my palms as I kiss down her slender neck. At the same time, I unclasp her bra in the front and let it fall from her shoulders.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I scoop her up in my arms, wedding-style and carry her to the bed. Her arms hook around my neck and she stares back at me.
I set her down gently on the bed.
/> She scoots back and props her head up on the pillows as I take off my shirt and pants until I’m in nothing but my boxer briefs.
I crawl up between her legs and kiss her, softly at first, until the kiss grows hungry. My hands roam her body, wanting to feel every square inch of her. My cock goes hard as a rock when she spreads her legs and grinds her pussy against me. She’s so hot and wet I feel it through the fabric of her panties.
Slowly, I lean back and pull them down her thighs, then all the way off and toss them aside. For a brief moment, I sit there on my heels, staring at her spread out in front of me. Fuck, she’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen, the perfect woman. She’s so damn beautiful it physically hurts.
I slide my briefs off and crawl up between her legs, until we’re face to face, and the head of my dick is pressed up against her. One small shift and I could easily glide into her she’s so hot and wet, but I don’t.
She stares back at me like she doesn’t even know who I am right now, like she’s expecting to be spanked or have her hair pulled. I kiss her again, even softer this time. I kiss down her neck, then exhale warm breath in her ear.
“I don’t want to control you. I just want to be with you.” I glide into her slowly as I say the words.
Our foreheads press together and our eyes lock as I slide in and out of her, in long, slow, deep strokes.
Her legs hook around my waist and her heels dig into my ass and it’s fucking amazing, just being with her, here in the moment, joined together. It’s cathartic, letting go, and for a moment I don’t feel any pressures of the world. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just here, present, sharing a connection between us. Something that’s ours and nobody else’s and nobody can ever take it away from us.
I push farther into her and a slight gasp parts her lips, and her eyes roll back for a second.
I glide into her, over and over in deep strokes. “I love you, Paisley. More than you’ll ever know.”
“I love you too.” Her eyes are still closed when she says it, but my heart comes alive.
Every time she says those words to me, it’s like a ray of sunlight in a dark cavern.
“I want you. Forever. There’s nothing else I want in this world. You’re it.”