I step to her and drag my thumb over the apple of her cheek, enjoying her. She’s sans makeup today, and I secretly think she’s more beautiful this way, although I’ll never say that to her.
“Amelia, there are no bears or lions on this island. We’re not in Alaska. Or Africa, for that matter.”
“Nothing can kill me here?”
“No.”
She loosens up, her muscles letting go of the worry, and her whole face lights up. “Awesome. I’ll still talk, though, because that’s what I do.”
“I hope so.”
She turns and continues walking up the trail. “In fact, I think I’ll see if Jules and Nat want to shop sometime this week. The fall lines are starting to show up in stores, and I want a peek at them.”
“Have you enjoyed being home with your family?”
She nods. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t know them well when I was a kid because I was so much younger. But now as adults, we get along great, and have a lot in common.”
And how much longer are you here?
Rather than ask, I hurry to catch up with her and take her hand in mine, threading our fingers.
She’s here today, and I’m enjoying the hell out of her.
“Today was pretty great,” Amelia says. We’re sitting on the balcony of our room, which looks out to the ocean. We can’t see it now that it’s dark, but we can still hear the waves crashing against the shoreline.
We just finished dinner, and Amelia is sitting back in her chair, one heel tucked against her ass so her knee is up against her chest, and she’s sipping her wine.
“You even left your phone in the room.”
She looks down at the device sitting on the table. “Yeah, and I turned off all of my notifications, aside from text messages. This is a vacation, right?”
“I’m impressed,” I reply and reach over to tug her foot into my lap. I dig my thumb into her arch, and she sighs in happiness.
“You’re good at this pampering thing.”
“I just took you out of town and am rubbing your foot.”
“Exactly,” she says and takes a sip of wine. “You’re rubbing my foot. Good things will come to you, my friend.”
I frown down at her toes and then look up at her. I wasn’t going to ask this weekend, but I need to know how much time I have with her.
“How long until you go back to L.A.?”
She pauses, takes another sip of wine, and then sets the glass aside.
“I’m not sure.”
“Are you saying you’re in Seattle indefinitely?”
She frowns. “I honestly don’t know how long I’ll be here. I’ve planned on a couple of months at least.”
She climbs out of her chair and into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me close.
“I know that I’m enjoying you while I’m here,” she says. “And that sounds lame, but I really am enjoying you. And I will keep you posted when I know more.”
“I would appreciate that.”
Her small body fits perfectly against mine. She’s gently running her fingers through my hair, making me sleepy.
“I like your hair,” she says softly. “It’s one of the first things I noticed about you. You wear it long.”
“Would you prefer it short?”
She kisses my forehead. “I like it as it is. You don’t need a cut yet.”
Suddenly, her phone pings with a text. Without leaving my lap, she reaches over to snag it.
“It’s Samantha,” she says.
“Who’s Samantha?”
“Natalie’s sister-in-law,” she informs me as she opens the text. Her whole face breaks out in a happy smile. “Oh, she’s inviting us to go to a Nash concert next week.”
“Us?”
“Yeah.” She looks at me and bites her lip. “I might have talked about you during girls’ night out last week?”
“Is that so?” I press a kiss to her shoulder. “What did you say?”
“That you’re horrible.” She giggles as she replies to Samantha. “And not fun in bed at all.”
“So, the truth then.”
She laughs harder now, and my cock comes to full attention. It seems that happens no matter what we’re doing.
“Are you free on Wednesday evening?” she asks.
“Sure. How did she get Nash tickets? It’s been sold out for months.”
“Oh, she’s Leo’s wife.”
I’m certain I’ve misheard her. “What?”
She sets the phone aside after replying and wraps her arms around my neck again. “Yeah, she and Leo are married. So we’ll go to the concert, and then they’re having a party at their house after. I guess it’s the last show on his tour, so they’re celebrating.”
“You know Leo Nash.”
She frowns. “Yeah.”
“Luke Williams, the movie star, Will Montgomery, the football player, and Leo Nash, the rock star, are all part of your family.”
She shrugs one shoulder. “I know, they’re a lot. But, yeah, they’re my family.”
“You’re an interesting woman, Amelia.”
“Oh, you don’t know the half of it. That side of my family is full of all kinds of fun stories. Do you want to hear some?”
“Will there be a quiz later?”
“Possibly.” She laughs and then clears her throat. “Okay, Jules is the youngest sister. She married her boss, Nate, about five years ago. They started their own company, and they have a daughter.”
“Pretty normal stuff.”
She nods. “Natalie is Jules’ best friend. Her parents died when she was young, and Jules and her family pretty much took Natalie in as part of the family. So I really consider her a cousin. She’s the one married to Luke.”
“Get to the good stuff.”
“You’re not a patient man.” She reaches for her wine and takes a sip, emptying her glass, then reaches for mine. I just smirk and watch her sip my wine. “Will is next. You’ve met him. He’s married to Meg, who’s a nurse at Seattle Children’s. Now, Meg and Leo Nash used to know each other when they were kids in foster care. Like, way back in the day. They even had a band together, but then Leo went to L.A. to pursue music, and Meg went to college to be a nurse.
“They didn’t meet back up again until a few years later when Meg had already met Will. But Leo is like a brother to her. He met Sam through Meg, and it was love at first sight, or so the story goes. Actually, Sam was kind of a bitch to him, but he liked her.”
“Is there a book that goes along with this so I can keep it all straight?”
She just laughs and tucks her hair behind her ear. “I know, I told you it’s a lot. Let’s see. You’ve met Nic, and she’s married to Matt, who’s a Seattle cop. Oh! I bet he knows your brother.”
“I’m sure they probably know each other. You’ll have to ask Levi the next time you see him.”
She nods thoughtfully. “I will. Okay, Caleb is a former Navy SEAL. We don’t even want to know some of the things he’s seen. He’s married to Brynna, and they have three kids. Brynna’s cousin is Stacy, who is married to the oldest Montgomery brother, Isaac.”
“Jesus, I hope there’s no quiz,” I mutter, making her laugh.
“Isaac and Stacy have two kids. And then we have Dominic, who none of us knew about until like four years ago.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it seems my uncle Steven had a very brief affair early in their marriage. They already had a couple of kids, and they were separated. I don’t know the whole story, but lo and behold, there’s Dominic.”
“How did that go over?”
“I was already living in L.A. when all of it went down, so all of this is hearsay, but it didn’t go over well at first. But now, they’re just one big happy family. Dom owns a winery just south of Seattle and is married to Alecia.”
“Is that it?”
“I think so,” she says with a laugh. “You’re going to meet most of them next week, so I thought I’d give you a br
ief overview.”
“That wasn’t brief.”
“You know what else isn’t brief?” she asks as she slinks out of my lap and takes my hand, guiding me back inside.
“What’s that?”
“What I’m about to do to you in the shower.”
“Lead the way, sweetheart.”
~Amelia~
Vacations never last long enough. Especially the kind that is a surprise from a guy who you’re quickly falling for.
How did this even happen? Is it too good to be true? I’ve been pondering this since we left Seattle two days ago. I’ve never met a man like Wyatt. Aside from the men in my family, I thought such men were urban legends because I’d never met one in real life that I wasn’t related to.
And yet, here we are.
We’re on the ferry, headed back to Seattle, and I’m not ready for our little bubble to burst. I don’t even want to know what my notifications look like on social media. I didn’t even load a video for the week yet, and that’s absolutely not okay.
That’s my livelihood.
So, that’ll be the first thing I work on when I get home.
Wyatt went to find us bottles of water a few minutes ago, and I’ve just been enjoying the summer breeze on the water and watching the world float by us. It feels lazy. Indulgent.
Lovely.
My phone pings with a text from my attorney, Pam.
I’d like to chat with you tomorrow. What time works?
I scowl, feeling the bubble bursting already, and reply.
Morning is fine, just call when you’re ready.
I glance up as Wyatt turns the corner and tuck my phone away. I’m not going to think about this anymore today. I gave Vinnie years of my life, and I’ll be damned if he gets to interrupt one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long while.
No, I’ll tuck that away and deal with it later.
“Sorry, there was a line,” he says when he passes me the water.
I take a sip and then lean my head on his shoulder, tracing the ink on his arm. “How long have you had these?”
“I just finished it last year. I started it when I was in college.”
“Wow, that’s a long project.”
“Well, I never intended for it to be a sleeve. It just evolved over time.”
I nod.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly.
“Sure, why do you ask?”
“You’re quiet.”
“I don’t want to go home yet.” I chuckle. “I didn’t mean for that to sound whiny. I don’t remember the last time I took some time off from work, so this was a treat.”
“I had a good time, too,” he says and kisses the top of my head. “We can try to take more weekends off together.”
“I think I’ll be working long days this week making up for this weekend,” I reply honestly. “I’ll eventually need to hire an assistant.”
“I know that time off only adds to your workload, but you need it, Amelia. You need to recharge.”
“I know. This weekend reminded me of that. I didn’t intentionally become a workaholic, you know. I buried myself in work when I was with my ex because work was my happy place. And then things just exploded, and if I don’t work on it every day, I get so far behind that it’s maddening. So, it’s really a habit. Not to mention, when you work from home, it’s easy to become a workaholic.”
“I know,” he replies, nodding. “I’m the same way, for some of the same reasons. But it’s been . . . good for me to spend time with you. For many reasons.”
I need to hug him. I’ve never been a big hugger, but it seems that all bets are off when it comes to Wyatt.
I wrap my arms around his middle, the way I’ve come to love to do. He’s strong, and he wraps himself around me, making me feel safe and cared for.
Not that I need him to take care of me, let’s make that clear right now.
But I do need the hugs.
He rocks me slowly back and forth for a long while, with the wind blowing around us and the birds flying by. It almost feels like we’re the only two people in the world.
“You’re amazing,” he whispers before pulling away far enough to tip my chin up with his finger and lower his mouth to mine.
This kiss is sweet. Slow. Thorough. He’s always thorough when it comes to kissing me, his tongue and mouth exploring me as if he’s never kissed me before.
And when he comes up for air, we’re both panting.
“Stay with me tonight.”
It’s not a request.
“I’ll just have to go home and get a few things,” I reply. “And I will have to spend the day at home tomorrow.”
“I understand.” He leans his forehead against mine. “But I’m not ready for this to end. I want another night with you. Just you and me.”
“I’m on board with that.”
He sighs and brushes the hair from my cheek. He’s always finding ways to touch me, whether it be in the throes of passion, or on a ferry in the middle of the Puget Sound.
And I am soaking it up like a sponge that’s been left in the desert for a month.
“Hi, Pam,” I say the next morning. I’ve been home for an hour, and just got out of the shower and pulled on some shorts and a tank top. It’s hot outside today. I think I’ll work on the patio, next to the pool.
“How are things in Seattle?” she asks.
Too damn good.
“Fine, actually. How are things down there?”
“You haven’t had anyone try to serve you papers?”
“No. Where I’m staying isn’t in my name. It isn’t even in my family’s name. No one would think to look for me here.”
“Excellent,” she says, satisfaction in her voice. “So, the good news is you haven’t been served papers. But the bad news is, neither has he.”
“What? How is that possible?”
“He refuses them. Literally won’t take them.”
“He’s such an ass.” I sit and rub my fingers over my forehead. “Now what?”
“Oh, we’ll get him served. Don’t worry. It’s just taking longer than we thought. So the way it looks right now, you’ll be in Seattle for a while longer.”
“That’s fine, actually. I have a nice place, my family is nearby, and I’m working.”
I’m also fucking my neighbor, and I think I’ve fallen in love.
But she doesn’t need to know that.
“I’m glad you’re comfortable. Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks, Pam.”
I hang up and want to throw my phone across the room. Who the fuck does Vinnie think he is? And why is he doing this?
I would talk to him, just ask him, but frankly, I don’t know what he would do. I don’t trust him not to hurt me.
No, I’m safer here in Seattle, letting Pam handle everything.
Lord knows I’m paying her a pretty penny to take care of it.
The doorbell rings, and for a moment, I’m afraid again. Maybe it’s a process server. Or Vinnie himself.
But that’s just stupid.
I walk to the door and look outside. There are two men. One is a UPS driver with something for me to sign, and the other is my older brother, Archer.
I smile widely and open the door.
“Delivery, ma’am,” Archer says with a sarcastic grin.
I sign for the package, then walk inside, gesturing for Archer to follow. As soon as I set the box down, I turn and launch myself at him, hugging him fiercely.
“You didn’t even call to tell me you were coming over.”
“Surprise,” he says, then sets me down. “You don’t look like shit.”
“Did Mom say that I looked like shit?”
“She said you looked tired,” he says, his Montgomery blue eyes suddenly serious. “And she said you’re hiding something.”
“Mom’s always been a dramatic one,” I reply, rolling my eyes and walking into the kitchen to pour us each something to drink
. “Let’s sit out by the pool. It’s too nice outside.”
“How did you score this place?” he asks, looking around. “Wait. This is familiar.”
“It’s Natalie’s house,” I reply as we walk outside and sit in the shade, next to the pool. “She’s letting me use it while I’m in town.”
“Much better than a hotel,” he says with a nod. “So, what are you hiding?”
“Psh.” I shake my head and drink my lemonade. Archer is the one person in this world that I cannot lie to. I’ve always been closest to him. I tell him all of my secrets. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” He sips his drink and then crosses his ankle over his knee, waiting patiently. My brother is a big man. Tall and broad, he looks like he could play ball with Will. But he’s the gentlest man I know.
“So, remember when I got divorced, and you, Stasia, and the ’rents came to L.A. to throw me a small party in celebration?”
He nods, his eyes narrowing.
“And how I am about to sign with a cosmetics company for my makeup brand?”
“Of course.”
“Yeah, so, it turns out that I’m not actually divorced.”
He swallows, looks away, fisting his hands, and every muscle in his body tensing. If Vinnie were standing before him right now, he’d be unconscious.
“What the fuck did he do?”
“Contested.”
I tell Archer all about Pam calling me into her office, coming here, everything, and it feels better than I thought it would.
“So, Jules and Nat know.”
“Yeah.”
He swallows and rubs his hand over his face.
“But we don’t know.”
“Archer, there was no way in hell that I was going to bring you all into this. Not after all of the shit you already went through because of Vinnie. It was over. It is over. This is just a technicality, and my attorney is handling it.”
“You’ve been pushed out of your own home,” he says, anger vibrating off of him. “Don’t get me wrong, I love that you’re home, but Jesus, Lia, this isn’t something that you need to go through alone.”
“I’m not.”
“I’m so damn pissed at you for not telling me. You should have called me as soon as you got here.”
“I’m not nine,” I reply, angry myself. “I’m not a child, Archer. I’m handling this the best way I know how. I know you’re all here if I need you, but this is really just a technicality. I’m divorced. I worked too damn hard to get where I am to let Vinnie fuck this up for me. I’m moving on with my life.”
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