McKenzie Cousins Box Set One: Books One, Two, Three

by Lexi Buchanan

  “Alexander is going to work on the project with me, but from the states. Charlotte and Olivia will also be around in the office here. As long as I have an Internet connection then I can pretty much work from anywhere.”

  “It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”

  “I want to do this. It’s a huge challenge that I’m desperate to get my teeth sunk into. I’m even wondering whether or not I’m imagining his intention with his daughter.”

  “You’re a businessman, Michael. Trust your judgment.”

  “Hmm.” He rests his head back against the chair and stares up at the ceiling. “If my sisters knew about my quandary they’d be having a field day.”

  Chuckling, I add, “I can imagine. Those two when they’re together could probably cause a whole boat load of trouble.”

  “God,” he groans, “you have no idea.” He laughs. “But you’ll find out soon enough.” He eyes me. “What’s this I hear about a wedding at the weekend?” he changes the subject.

  “Charlotte sure didn’t waste any time in spreading the word.” I chuckle.

  “She doesn’t. When she has something to do, she does it like you’d imagine a commander in the navy.” He smiles. “I hope you know what you’ve let yourself in for with asking Charlie for help.”

  “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you call her Charlie.”

  “Probably. She hates it now that she’s ‘grown up’ but she’ll always be Charlie. It just slips out every now and again. Just don’t let on that you know she has a nickname. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Your secrets are safe with me.”

  He does have me worried about Mitchell Jordan though. The man is a businessman first and foremost, and others would give their right arm to be able to say they’ve worked with or for him. So I offer, “If Mitchell says that he wants you over there and heading up this project, then, my personal opinion is that he’s serious. He might just be trying to encourage something with Carrie, but I don’t seriously believe that he’d go back on a business decision because you haven’t followed anything up with his daughter.”

  Michael loudly exhales. “I hope you’re right.” He stands. “Thanks for listening.”

  I take his offered hand and tug him into a hug, hitting him on the back. “You’ve got this, and I’m only going to be a phone call away.”

  “I appreciate that.” Michael steps toward the door.

  “Should I expect a visit from your brother next?” I joke.

  Michael laughs. “I think you’re safe. He isn’t in Lexington right now.”

  “Good to know.”

  Michael leaves as I drop back onto the sofa.

  It’s been a strange day so far, and nothing that I’d come into the office to do has been done yet. At least I know Sirena will be distracted for a good few hours.

  22

  Sirena

  “Charlotte!” I hiss between my lips.

  The bridal store that my sister and Mom had insisted we come to is exclusive and serene. The woman who keeps insisting on us looking at wedding gowns that look like the meringue on a cake, will be getting a piece of my I’m-pregnant-I-don’t-care-mind, if she doesn’t stop.

  Jumping up, my sister runs over to the assistant, and in a pleasant voice that speaks volumes says, “My sister isn’t into little bo peep dresses. She’s into elegant but something that of course needs it to fit and flatter her beautiful pregnant belly. You hearing me?”

  Mom pats my hand and chokes back a laugh so I avoid looking at her otherwise I’ll end up in a fit of laughter.

  The woman facing my sister looks flustered, but after replying, “Yes,” she rushes into the changing rooms while Charlotte grins and drops down next to me.

  “Beautiful pregnant belly, huh?” I snicker.

  “Seriously Sirena! That woman has no taste whatsoever if she likes all that fluff and frills. Also, how does she expect you to fit in any of them? I told the woman it was a maternity wedding gown that is needed.”

  My Mom and sister know something and I’m sure Garrett has gotten to Charlotte about our wedding. I’ve discovered a side to my future husband that loves nothing more than to create amazing surprises for me. “When?”

  Charlotte frowns. “When what?”

  I face Mom and raise a brow. “Mom?”

  “Um,” Mom hesitates.

  I roll my eyes. “Garrett is planning the wedding, right? That’s why we’re here and why you’re wanting to make sure that I choose a dress that fits and so quickly.”

  “You need to talk to Garrett.” She smirks, her eyes drift to something behind me. Rapidly changing the subject, she exclaims, “At last.”

  The woman has reappeared with some dresses in her arms followed by another woman who is also loaded up with dresses. “As we don’t have any pregnant models, I’m going to show you what we have and I’ve tried to judge the size.”

  I leave Mom and Charlotte to hunt through the dresses, but one made of a plan white silk catches my eye. Charlotte has spotted it too. She pulls it from the pile and holds it up for us both to see. My eyes light up at the beautiful dress. It has everything that I like: elegance, class and silky—and not one frill in sight.

  All three of us say, “This is the one,” and start laughing.

  “This has to be a good omen,” Mom adds, grinning.

  “Try it on,” Charlotte urges while I’m trying to get my pregnant, uncooperative, body up from the sofa. “Here,” my sister bristles, “let me haul you up.”

  If I weren’t so excited to try the dress on I’d have something to say to her, which she knows.

  “We’ll help you.” She giggles and grabbing my arm drags me through into the dressing room. “We don’t have much time.”

  “Charlotte,” I moan, exasperated. “I don’t have the energy in me right now.”

  “Of course.” She shoves our purses to one side and starts unfastening my blouse. “Sirena!”

  Mom snickers. “It’s nice to see nothing changes.” She shakes her head. “You where born bossy, honey.” Mom takes Charlotte’s face into her hands and kisses her forehead before pulling away. Mom says to me, “And you are going to make a beautiful bride, and afterwards I want you to find your sister here a nice man.”

  Charlotte groans while I laugh, and lightly smack her hands away from my shirt. “I got this. You work on getting the dress out of the packaging.”

  Shucking the shirt, I hang it up on a hook. I reach my hand out and rub the silk of the dress between my fingers. It feels so soft and the top layer is beaded lace.

  “You going to remove your leggings?”

  “Why?”

  Charlotte huffs.

  “Ugh, I can’t bend down to get the things off so I figured it would be easier to just keep them on.”

  “You’re stubborn! You know that, right?” Charlotte crouches in front of me, taking my leggings with her.

  Grinning, she steadies me as I step into the dress that Mom holds, and once it’s up and fastened, Mom starts crying. “Beautiful,” she mumbles.

  Charlotte for once is speechless.

  I turn and face the mirror and can’t believe how perfect the dress is. There is a satin band across my breasts, and then the dress is fitted over my baby bump and partway down my thighs where the dress fishtails out around my lower legs to the floor. There is a beaded lace overlay that sits over the dress from beneath my breasts to where it fishtails. It’s pure elegance and I know I won’t be leaving the store without it.

  “You look like a princess.” Mom wraps an arm around me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Your father is going to cry when he sees you.”

  “So will Garrett,” Charlotte adds wiping at her own eyes. “Gah . . . I can’t believe you’ve reduced me to tears.”

  “I can’t believe how right it feels this time,” I confess. “I want and need to be near Garrett all the time. Sometimes I have to stop myself from asking him to take me to work with him.” I chuckle softly, t
he happiness radiating from me.

  Mom smiles. “Oh, honey. I still feel like that about your father. He was all work until he met me, and then he didn’t really know what to do with me.” She smiles fondly. “You’ll get used to it, but isn’t he starting to pass things over?”

  “He is, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he seems really happy to be doing so, I’d worry that I was forcing him in someway. But he is genuinely happy to be freeing up his time.”

  Mom takes my hands. “He’s a good man, Sirena, and I’m sorry that I didn’t support you at the beginning. It was a shock to realize that he is closer to my age than yours, but at the end of the day, I can see how much he loves you, and how much you love him.”

  “Thanks Mom. That means a lot.” Kissing her softly on her cheek, I take one last look at myself in the mirror before I turn and let them help me out of the dress and back into my clothes.

  “I’ll take this to the sales woman who can help us select some shoes and accessories,” Mom says, leaving me alone with Charlotte.

  My sister looks whimsical as she watches Mom leave before she deeply inhales and forces a smile. I watch her closely as she helps me dress, and then I gently hold her arms and push her into one of the chairs in the room. “We’re not leaving until you tell me why you look so sad?”

  “Sirena, I’m fine.” She tries to get up, but I give her the don’t-mess-with-me look so she settles back into the chair. “I really am fine and I guess that I’m a little jealous if I’m honest.” She takes my hand in hers. “Growing up it was always you who had these big ideas of a wedding. Of getting married to the man who’d love you like Dad does Mom. Whereas I was always the one who wanted the big office at McKenzies with our brother, Michael. We both finally have what we dreamed of, except, I think I want more. I think I want what you have.”

  I sit here surprised and wonder what to say next to make her smile again.

  “I don’t know how to relax or meet the right guy. Even when I go out for drinks with Michael or Alex, I’m always passed over for the women with curves and big boobs.”

  Giggling, I try my best to hide behind my hand but it doesn’t work as she gives me an evil look. “I’m sorry,” I apologize. “But one, why would anyone hit on you when you’re sitting with our brother, and cousin? And, you completely underestimate yourself. There’s nothing wrong with your boobs, or your figure for that matter. You need a make over though.”

  “What?” she mumbles.

  “You need to wear sexier clothes,” I point out.

  “I’m an architect, Sirena. I can’t walk around in sexy clothes.”

  Rolling my eyes, I tug her from the seat. “C’mon before Mom comes looking for us . . . and yes you can wear sexy clothes.” I grin. “I have a plan.”

  “Why does that make me nervous,” she grumbles.

  “Don’t be silly.” I grin as we leave the dressing room. “This is going to be fun.”

  “I thought that you’re supposed to be resting.” She raises a brow.

  “I can rest in the store with Mom while you try clothes on.”

  “Oh God! Mom as well? I’m going to have no chance am I?”

  “None.”

  “Why are you grinning so much and why are you,” Mom glances at Charlotte, “looking like you’re heading in front of a death squad?”

  “We’ll tell you once we leave here,” I reply, and then whisper, “these walls have ears.”

  Mom glances over her shoulder. “Yes, they do.”

  The store assistant hovers in the background with a fake smile on her face, probably waiting for us to pay so she can count up her commission on the sale.

  Thirty minutes later we’re in Mom’s car with the air conditioning blowing directly onto my face after the heat had become too much during the two-minute walk from the store.

  23

  Garrett

  I stand at the front door and quietly observe Sirena through the glass. She’s lying back on the sofa with her feet propped up on some cushions, a secretive smile on her beautiful lips. I feel as though I’m in a dream when it hits me that she will be my wife—my family—at the weekend.

  I’d given up hope of ever having someone, but now that I’ve found her, I can’t imagine her not being by my side.

  Her smile widens as she turns toward the door and spots me watching her. I quickly enter and dropping my bags to the floor, I move closer.

  At the feel of her hand on my leg, my eyes fill with amusement as she slowly slides it further up my thigh. Her eyes fill with mischief as I lean over and cup her face in my hands. “You are so beautiful,” I whisper just before my lips capture hers in the sweetest of kisses. “I missed you today,” I admit, placing feather like kisses over her face before covering her waiting mouth once more. I deepen the kiss, and groan into her mouth when her wandering hand makes contact with my erection.

  “Mmm,” she mumbles, licking around my bottom lip. “You feel really, um, excited.”

  “The minute you touch me, I am.” I kiss along her cheekbones, and whisper into her ear, “It’s a huge turn on when you look at me the way that you do. As though I’m everything to you. That’s what makes my heart beat rapidly in my chest. That’s what makes me aroused to the point of pain.” I kiss her cheek and grin. “I love you, honey.”

  She removes her hand from my cock and slides her fingers through my hair, holding me in place. “You make me happy, Garrett. With you, I have everything that I ever dreamed of and sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure that I’m not dreaming.” She chuckles lightly, running her free hand lovingly through my hair.

  “I have no objection to pinching that sweet bottom for you.” I nuzzle into her neck and placing a kiss to her collarbone, I sit on the coffee table, wincing when I do.

  She giggles, watching as I adjust the bulge in my pants. “I can help you out with that,” she teases.

  I take her hand into mine and kiss her fingers. “Hold that thought.”

  Sirena frowns and starts to straighten, which I help her with. Once settled, I gently cup her face and trace her delicate cheekbones with the pad of my thumb. My other hand moves to cup the back of her head, my fingers twisting into her soft tresses. “I want to talk about the parents of your ex.”

  “That’s what I was thinking about before my mind wandered to you as you arrived home.” She smiles. “I really don’t know what to do.” She pauses. “I know the right thing to do would be to let them be the grandparents that they are because they haven’t given up their rights, it was Harry who did that to them . . . but I’m worried that if we allow that, then Harry might be around and realize what he gave up, and cause trouble . . . and then I don’t know what you want. You’re just as important as this baby is to me and the last thing I want is to upset you.”

  I move closer and with my thighs on either side of Sirena’s, I take her hands into mine and rest them on her lap. “I knew going in to this relationship with you that you were pregnant, and that the father of your child might be constantly in and out of our lives. Whatever decision is made, you have to be one hundred percent okay with it.”

  Sirena searches my gaze. “You are going to be our baby’s father in every sense of the word and that’s what matters the most to me, okay?”

  I smile at the determination I hear in her voice. “I know, honey.” I kiss her knuckles. “So, do you want to let Tina and Charles spend time with their grandson?”

  After watching her ponder my question for a few minutes, she offers me a wry smile. “I don’t know them really as I only met them twice whilst I was married to their son, but I really want to do the right thing. I’ve been trying to put myself into their shoes and I can’t imagine what it must be like for them with what Harry has done.” She sighs heavily. “So, I’m thinking that they can come and visit providing we know beforehand. They’ll always have to come to us, unless we meet them elsewhere, but I don’t want to visit them at their home . . . what do you think?”

  Hearing h
er talk, I’m happy with what she has decided because the thought of another man having access to her and the baby makes me want to hit something. I shouldn’t be jealous, but when I’m so in love with the woman, I can’t hold it back.

  “That is a wonderful compromise, and it’s certainly okay with me as long as you’re happy. I can’t see them having a problem with it either.” I release the hold I have on her hands and slide my fingers along the outside of her thighs to her hips.

  “Mmm,” she mumbles, sliding down in the seat. “What are you after Mr. Hudson?”

  I chuckle. “I’m after you, honey. I was wondering how you’d feel about becoming Mrs. Hudson on Saturday. Does that sound like something you’d like, hmm?”

  She blinks and bursts into tears. My heart lurches in my chest at the unexpected sight, but while I stare at her in panic, she starts laughing. “Yes,” she mumbles through her chuckles and tears.

  “Here.” I reach and pass her a tissue and once her tears dry up the smile she gives me says everything.

  “We’re really going to be married this weekend?” she questions excitedly.

  I raise a brow and ask, “You have your wedding dress, right?”

  She gasps and narrows her eyes. “Charlotte and Mom, they’re in on it! I just knew that there was something going on,” she hisses playfully.

  Laughing and unable to keep the wicked intent from my face, I widen her thighs and slip my knees between them. I slowly tug her dress up as I move in closer to brush a soft kiss across her lips. “I figured your sister knows about the kind of wedding that you’ve always dreamed of, so I asked her to arrange everything.” I brush the hair back behind her ear with my fingers. “But now that you know, we’ll get Charlotte around here tomorrow and we’ll finalize everything.”

  “I can’t wait for you to see me in the dress. The minute the woman in the store held it in front of us, we all knew that it was the one.” Her smile widens.