The Rebel’s Redemption: Mershano Empire Series

by Foss, Lexi C.

  “Says the man who checked me out blatantly on a game show for his cousin,” Sarah returned, causing the male inside to chuckle.

  “Minx,” Will Mershano teased as he stepped onto the balcony.

  They embraced each other in a quick hug before a series of squeals broke out between Sarah and the blonde woman who had entered beside him.

  “Rachel,” Will supplied, following my gaze.

  “Your fiancée,” I translated, aware of their engagement. As Garrett said, all the Mershano men appeared to be getting engaged. Maybe that was a sign I should follow suit. “How’ve you been?” I asked, shaking off the thoughts.

  “Wonderful,” he murmured, his gaze on the two women speaking in rapid female tongues that I couldn’t understand. “You?”

  How have I been? I wondered. “Happy,” I said, meaning it.

  Because of Jamie.

  Because of Avery.

  Because of the new family I’d found—a family I missed right now.

  A family I may want to become permanent.

  “Hmm. I need to talk to Evan.” I didn’t bother saying a goodbye to anyone. We’d be spending the next two weeks together pretty much nonstop. I could catch up with my cousin and his future wife then. Right now, I had more pressing things on my mind.

  Like my own future.

  “He’s on the phone,” Sarah called after me.

  “I’ll wait for him to hang up,” I promised with a wave. “And I’ll tell him to stop taking work calls during his wedding.”

  She muttered something in reply that I didn’t hear, my feet already carrying me into the stairwell at the corner. Everyone else in this fucking hotel seemed to be allowed to barge into my room. Time to repay the favor to my big brother.

  And then ask him for advice.

  A lot of it.

  26

  Avery

  “Miss Perry, we’ll begin our descent into Maui in about ten minutes.” Wendy, the flight attendant, glanced at Jamie sleeping in the executive chair beside me and smiled. “He’s going to be well rested when we land.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be bouncing around all night,” I admitted. After getting over his initial excitement during takeoff, he’d slept most of the flight. Which had been both good and bad.

  Good because it gave me a chance to catch up on some reading.

  Bad because it meant I didn’t have any distractions when my mind decided to wander to Wyatt. Something that happened often considering he’d arranged both our transportation to the airport and our private jet to Hawaii. I thought we were flying commercial. How wrong I’d been.

  It scared me how easily I could grow used to this treatment.

  We weren’t officially dating, but we weren’t not dating, either. We were… undefined. Living together, sleeping together, raising a child together, calling each other every day while apart, and texting each other “I miss you” randomly, too.

  It definitely felt like we were in a relationship. But I had no idea what to expect from him this week. What would his family think? Most of them would be meeting Jamie for the first time—including Ellen and Jonah Mershano. How would Jamie react to that? Would he be overwhelmed? Excited?

  He was over the moon about having a dad. Would he feel the same way about grandparents? He never had them on Jean’s and my side of the family. Our parents died before he was born.

  How quickly his family had grown… replacing me.

  I pushed that thought away, refusing to acknowledge it. I would always hold a place in his heart. I didn’t need the title of Mom to achieve that. Even if it was all I ever wanted.

  Stop, I told myself. There’s nothing that can be done.

  I had to live in the moment. Breathe. Focus on Jamie. Smile. And remain supportive.

  The jet shifted, indicating we were descending, just as the flight attendant had warned. Jamie’s chair was flat, like a bed. It made it easier for him to sleep, especially since the oversized cushion dwarfed his little body. I probably should have napped with him, but I would have wanted to move to the bedroom at the back. Instead, my brain had kept me awake. Too many scenarios running through my head, most of them starting with the moment we landed.

  Wyatt said he would handle our pickup from the airport. By sending a chauffeur? By showing up himself? How would he act? How should I act?

  Crap, I hated all of this. Why did life have to be so damn confusing?

  Just act normal, I thought. Right, but what is that, again?

  I busied myself by righting Jamie’s chair, which amazingly didn’t wake him. The kid could apparently sleep through a tornado. Something I’d learned over the last month… because Wyatt and I weren’t always quiet.

  My cheeks heated as a graphic image of Wyatt between my legs blossomed behind my eyes. We had sort of taken an intimacy break after Jamie’s “mom” incident. Mostly because my emotions were all over the map. However, this past week without Wyatt made a few things clear to me.

  First, sulking solved nothing.

  Second, just because Jamie couldn’t call me Mom didn’t make me any less valuable in his life.

  Third, I missed Wyatt.

  Fourth, my vibrator did not compare to Wyatt’s mouth.

  And finally, I liked the life Wyatt and I had built over the last few months. Whatever it was, whatever it meant, really didn’t matter. Because I enjoyed it. Jamie did, too. And maybe, well, maybe Wyatt did as well.

  Jamie began to stir as the jet touched the ground, his eyes finally popping open to take in our surroundings. He blinked sleepy eyes, his brow puckering as if he forgot where we were, then widened when the window revealed we were at the airport.

  “Wooooow,” he marveled, causing my lips to curl. “Why’s it dark?”

  “Because we flew overnight.” We’d left after dinner, then flew across the country, directly to Maui. That left my brain very confused about time zones. It was maybe eleven o’clock in the evening here? I checked my watch and did some quick math. Yeah, that seemed right.

  The jet came to a standstill near the building but didn’t connect to it. Instead, a set of stairs were rolled over to help us disembark.

  “You ready, dude?” I asked.

  “Yeah!” He tried to unbuckle himself. I leaned over to help just a little, and he practically sprung out of his seat. After unfastening myself, I went over to retrieve our bags from the closet and waited for the door to open beside him and Wendy.

  “Thank you for everything,” I told her.

  She laughed. “I barely did a thing. You might be one of the easiest pairs of clients I’ve ever had.”

  It was true. I barely ate or drank anything on the flight. “I’m not used to… this.”

  Her resulting smile was kind. “Something tells me you’re about to get used to it.” She winked as the door opened to reveal an aircraft worker waiting to take the bags for me.

  I wanted to argue, but Jamie had already taken off down the stairs. “Ah, sorry!” I said, chasing after him. “Jamie!”

  “Daddy Wyatt!” he yelled, throwing his arms around the man standing beside a black car with tinted windows.

  Oh. I hadn’t seen him waiting for us near the bottom of the stairs, but Jamie apparently had. I slowed my pace, my heart galloping for an entirely different reason.

  Because Wyatt looked amazing as ever in jeans and a fitted gray T-shirt. His hair was windswept as if he’d been driving with the windows down. He lifted Jamie into his arms with an affectionate expression. “ ’Sup, little man?”

  “We flewwwww,” Jamie said excitedly. “Like, super high!”

  “Yeah?”

  “Uh-huh. And it was super fast, too.”

  “Was it?” He glanced at me as I stopped before them. “He slept the whole time, didn’t he?”

  “Yep.” Which was going to throw Jamie off completely for the time change, but he’d eventually adapt.

  Wyatt chuckled. “He did that on our last flight, too.” He set Jamie down. “Little man?”

/>   “ ’Sup?” Jamie asked, sounding just like his father.

  “I’m about to kiss your Auntie A, so if you don’t want to watch, then look away.”

  “Ughhhhhh…”

  I barely had a moment to laugh before Wyatt’s lips were on mine. His palm branded the back of my neck as his opposite arm wrapped possessively around my waist to yank me against him.

  Yessss…

  I’d missed this—the total abandon that came with Wyatt’s kiss. He practically devoured me, not caring at all who saw us, his tongue almost desperate, as if he needed this more than air. Or maybe that was me. Because I couldn’t stop him, let alone myself. I wove my arms around his neck, clinging to him, consuming him, worshipping him.

  Perhaps even loving him.

  But I refused to let that little thought interrupt the flow.

  I needed more. I needed Wyatt. I needed—

  Someone cleared a throat. “Seriously?” a feminine voice asked, causing me to frown and Wyatt to chuckle.

  “You’re the one who insisted on tagging along for the ride,” he replied against my mouth. He kissed me again, softer this time, then pressed his lips to my ear. “I missed you, Avery.”

  “I missed you, too,” I whispered as Jamie grabbed my jeans and gave them a tug. He’d moved behind me when the other woman started talking. I finally glanced over the hood of the car to the gorgeous brunette smiling widely at me. “Uh, hi.” I think?

  “Mia, stop scaring Avery and Jamie,” Wyatt said without looking back at the woman.

  “I’ve literally done nothing other than smile,” she replied.

  “Uh-huh.” Wyatt pressed a final kiss to my temple before moving to my side. “Avery, this is my little sister, Mia. I’m sorry in advance for whatever she says to you.”

  His sister snorted. “He just doesn’t like that I call him on his sh—uh…” She glanced down at the little boy hugging my leg. “Stuff.”

  I smiled. “Then we should get along fabulously.”

  Wyatt just shook his head. “Come on, little man.” He squatted to Jamie’s level. “I want to introduce you to Mia.”

  “Why?” Jamie asked in his infamous whisper.

  “Because I think you’ll like her. She’s my sister, which makes her your aunt.”

  Jamie tensed against my leg. “Aunt? Like Auntie A?”

  “Sort of, yeah,” Wyatt replied, suddenly sounding uneasy.

  “But I don’t want another Auntie A.” The little arms around me squeezed tighter. “This my Auntie A.”

  His words warmed me, mostly because it was nice to know he didn’t want to replace me.

  “Oh, no one will ever compare to your Auntie A,” Wyatt said, a smile in his voice. “She’s too awesome. But Aunt Mia can be a friend.”

  “Friend?” Jamie repeated.

  “Yeah, she’ll play with you, too. You want to know how I know that?”

  Jamie nodded against me.

  “She used to play with me when I was younger. She stole all my toys, all the time.” Mia made a derisive noise, but Wyatt ignored her, adding, “She’s not very good at race cars. But maybe you can teach her.”

  “I love race cars,” Jamie replied, his voice a little more confident now. “But…” He tugged on my pants again. “Did we bring my race cars?”

  That hadn’t been on my packing list. “Uh, no, I—”

  “You’re all set up at the hotel, little man.” Wyatt ruffled his hair. “I hid them from Aunt Mia so she didn’t steal them.”

  “Good, ’cause stealing is bad,” Jamie proclaimed.

  “That it is,” Wyatt agreed, standing. His lips were warm against my ear as he murmured, “Mia has agreed to babysit tonight while you and I have a little adult time.” He left my side before I could reply, my lips parting on silent words that jumbled in my thoughts.

  That’s a little presumptuous, isn’t it?

  Thank you.

  Can we trust her with Jamie?

  Adult time? Yes, please.

  I shook my head to clear it and caught Mia’s knowing expression. “Since Wyatt wants to jog down memory lane, I think you and I have a lot to catch up on,” she said. “Oh, the stories I could tell you…”

  “That implies I intend to leave you two alone together,” Wyatt cut in, taking Jamie’s hand. “Which is not happening.” He looked down at his son. “Ready to meet Aunt Mia?”

  “Okay, but only ’cause of race cars,” Jamie said, his other hand still on my leg. “ ’Cause I already has an Auntie A.”

  “And no one will ever replace her. I promise,” Wyatt said, winking back at me. “She’s too awesome, remember?”

  “Auntie A is sooo awwweee-some.” Jamie nodded as if pleased with the statement. “And she plays with race cars, too.”

  “Sir, where would you like Miss Perry’s luggage?” The airline attendant asked gruffly.

  “In the trunk, please,” Wyatt replied, sliding his hand into his pocket and popping open the compartment with, I assumed, a key fob. Sleek, sexy, black. Yeah, this must be his rental car for the week. And the car seat in the back proved it.

  After Jamie’s tentative introduction to Mia, Wyatt buckled him in and grabbed me before I slid into the backseat beside him. “Aunt Mia can entertain Jamie while you entertain me up front.” He kissed me soundly, eliciting a not-so-pleasant sound from Jamie.

  “Right? Wyatt is so gross,” Mia said, slipping past me.

  “He does that allllll the time,” Jamie replied. “It’s so yuck.”

  A statement I did not agree with, especially as Wyatt pulled me even closer, his mouth curving against mine. The back door closed, silencing whatever response Mia had for Jamie.

  “I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than kiss you tonight, Miss Perry,” he whispered.

  “That sounds like a threat.” And a good one at that.

  “It is.” He tugged my bottom lip into his mouth and gave it a nibble. “I intend to demonstrate how much I’ve missed you—with my tongue—and allow you to return the favor with your mouth.”

  “Oh? Is that how it’s going to go down?”

  “It’s certainly how you’re going to go down,” he replied, his chuckle deep and sexy. He started to pull away, then paused, a smolder darkening his gaze as he studied my lips. “By the way, our suite is huge, which means you won’t have to worry about your screams waking up Jamie tonight. And I look forward to taking full advantage of that, Miss Perry.”

  And there went my panties.

  Soaked through.

  This man, with his devious intentions and filthy mouth, had ruined me for anyone and everyone else.

  And I accepted that.

  Just as I accepted his place in Jamie’s life.

  This was my world now, and I welcomed it with open arms. Because it was the only way to truly live.

  27

  Wyatt

  My plan to spread Avery out naked on the king-sized bed in the other room went to hell in a handbasket the second I opened the door to my suite.

  “Seriously, do you all enjoy finding ways to infiltrate my personal space?” I demanded as we entered the living area. Evan, Garrett, Will, Rachel, and Sarah were all playing some sort of card game on the coffee table.

  None of them bothered to reply to me, too enamored with Jamie—who had ducked behind Avery’s legs. She looked just as unnerved as him, causing me to curse internally at the idiots on the couches. As if this wasn’t nerve-racking enough, they had to bombard them, too. And directly after their flight. Jackasses.

  Evan stood first, his eyes kind. “Hey, Jamie. Remember me?”

  “No,” Jamie said immediately, clinging harder to Avery.

  “I’m Evan. This is Sarah. You met us in New Orleans.”

  “Or-linz,” Jamie repeated, sounding confused.

  “That’s where you got my necklace,” Avery reminded him, touching the key hanging from her neck. “The last time you went on the plane. Remember?”

  “Ohhhh!” Jamie smiled. “I
like flying!”

  “I know.” Avery put her hand on his head, combing her fingers through his hair. “And you like Sarah, too. You told me all about your new friend when you got back.”

  “Sarah.” Jamie scrunched his nose up at her. “New friend?”

  “Yep. You said I would like her.”

  “I did?”

  She smiled. “Yes, you did.”

  “Then she can be a new friend,” he decided. “Like Mia. And play race cars.”

  “Exactly,” Avery replied. “Assuming she wants to play race cars.”

  “Oh, I’ll play whatever the little man wants.” Sarah joined Evan, her grin reaching her eyes. “I’m Sarah, by the way.”

  I sighed. “I wasn’t planning to play the introduction game tonight, but as you all have left us no choice… This is Avery and Jamie.” I pressed a palm to Avery’s back and pointed to the corner by the open balcony door. “You already know the jackhole lawyer over there. Beside him is my cousin, Will. And that’s his fiancée, Rachel. Lastly, my brother, Evan, and my future sister-in-law, Sarah.”

  Avery gave a little wave. “Hi.”

  “We’re excited that you could make it,” Sarah said. “And I can’t wait to see Jamie in his little-man tuxedo.”

  Ah, yeah, I hadn’t told Avery about that yet. As was evidenced by the look of panic she flashed me. “I already ordered it,” I told her. “He can try it on, and if it doesn’t fit, there’s a tailor on standby.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “Right.”

  I kissed her cheek, sensing her unease in the tension of her spine. “It’s going to be fun. You’ll see.” The words were a breath against her ear. “Trust me.” When I stood up straight, it was to see everyone in the room giving me a knowing look. Yeah, this welcoming party was done. “Seriously, I need you all to leave.”

  “Except me,” Mia piped up from behind us. “Because I promised to watch Jamie.”

  “How appropriate,” Garrett drawled, his blue eyes simmering with disdain as he looked at Mia.

  “And what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.