Jace kisses up my torso and then leans over the bed to grab something from the side table.
Once he’s suited up, he covers me once again, kissing me as he guides the head of his cock to my pussy. He presses just the tip inside and his lips to my ear.
“You’re so fucking amazing.”
I pull my knees back, opening myself wider to him, and urge him to press in farther.
“In me,” I rasp. “Jace, I need you all the way.”
He links his hand with mine, pins it above my head, and pushes in, balls-deep, making us both groan.
“Jesus, Joy. You’re a fucking glove.”
He pauses, giving me time to get used to his size. I shift my hips and rake the nails of my free hand down his back to his ass, gripping hard, and he picks up a rhythm, moving in smooth motions. His ass flexes in my hand, and I immediately decide that the next time this happens, it needs to be when I can see what’s going on.
Because Jace’s body is something to fucking write home about.
He’s kissing and moving, and I’m trapped in the absolute ecstasy of being with him. It’s beyond anything that I’ve ever experienced before, and I doubt that I ever will again.
He presses deep and groans as his orgasm overwhelms him, and when we’re finally able to breathe somewhat normally again, he slips out of me, kisses me soundly, then rolls away and walks into the bathroom, turning on the light and letting it cast illumination into the bedroom.
He returns moments later with a warm washcloth, walking naked through the room.
Dear, sweet baby Jesus, he has a body on him. Clothes don’t do him justice.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly.
“I’m great,” I reply honestly as he cleans me up. “I could have done that.”
“I woke you up,” he says simply as if that explains everything. He finishes his task, then joins me under the covers, pulling me to him much like he had hours earlier, but this time, we’re both naked.
And we just had sex.
I had sex with the best friend I’ve ever had.
“Stop overthinking it,” he whispers before kissing my temple. “I’ve already done enough of that for the both of us.”
“That did not suck,” I admit, smiling into the darkness.
“So glad to hear it.” His voice is heavy with sarcasm, making me giggle. His dick twitches against my ass, startling me.
“You recover quickly.”
“With your sweet little body pressed to me? Fuck, yes.” He kisses my neck, in a new spot that is apparently my ignition button because, holy hell, my nipples pucker again, and I can’t resist grinding my ass against him. “Jesus, Joy.”
“Are you tired?” I ask, biting my lip and praying that he says no because I’m ready for round two.
“I’m never too damn tired for this,” he says immediately, rustling behind me. The next thing I know, he lifts my leg and slips into me from behind, and much to my surprise, round two is even better than one.
“I haven’t slept this late since I was a teenager,” I grumble as Jace passes me a steaming mug of coffee.
“We didn’t actually fall asleep until almost five,” he reminds me. “We had to get some shut-eye.”
“You do realize that I now have to do the walk of shame at my father’s house to get my car? At almost noon?”
He just smiles and sips his coffee, watching me with happy, smug eyes.
“I’m not sorry,” he says.
I climb into his lap, straddling him, and wrap my arms around his neck.
It feels so natural. So perfect.
“I’m not sorry either,” I clarify before I kiss his forehead. “That’s not what I’m saying. But he’s my dad.”
“Maybe he won’t notice.”
I stare down at him, blinking slowly. “Have you met my dad?”
He chuckles and kisses my cleavage. “Okay, he’s going to notice.”
I move to climb off his lap, but he clamps onto my ass, holding me in place. His fingers slide toward each other until they cover the crack of my ass over my jeans.
How is that the best thing I’ve felt in ever?
“I’m not ready to take you home,” he admits, pressing up to grind his already-hard cock against my core.
“No?”
He shakes his head and licks my collarbone. “No.”
“Well, it’s already noon. What’s another hour?”
His grin is full of mischief. “I love the way you think, Doc.”
In one smooth motion, he flips us over, and I’m pinned under him, lengthwise on his couch. His fingers make short work of my jeans, and I pull his shirt over his head.
“Are we actually going to make it out of your house today?”
He smiles against my skin. “That’s a fantastic new goal.”
“Sorry we didn’t come by sooner,” I say to my dad much later in the afternoon. “We got hung up working on Jace’s place.”
Dad’s grinning from ear to ear, standing on his front porch. Nancy stands next to him, happy to see me but doggy-smiling up at my father.
“Nancy isn’t a problem at all,” he assures me. “I didn’t have her regular food here, so I shared mine with her.”
“Which is why she’s looking at you like you hung the moon,” I reply with a laugh and call for Nancy to come down the porch steps.
She doesn’t budge.
“Why do I think that you may have just lost yourself a dog?” Jace asks quietly, for my ears only. I frown up at him.
“I didn’t.”
I don’t want to give up Nancy. She’s a great dog, and I love having her companionship.
But watching her with Dad is just . . . sweet. Nancy nudges Dad’s leg, wanting affection, so Dad squats next to her and kisses her head, scratching behind her ears and telling her what a good baby she is.
How can I take her away from him? It would be cruel.
“You know, Dad,” I begin, “I love Nancy very much, but I’ve begun to worry that she spends too much time alone.”
Dad’s eyes are hopeful when he looks up at me.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. She should have more companionship than I can give her because of my busy schedule.”
Jace slips his hand into mine, giving it a squeeze.
He thinks I’m doing the right thing.
“Would you mind adopting her? I’m happy to bring over all of her things. She won’t cost you anything, of course. I’ll continue to cover the cost of her food and stuff.”
Dad licks his lips, not able to look me in the eyes, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’ve done the right thing. He clears his throat.
“I suppose that would be just fine,” he says, still looking down at Nancy. “She’s sure a sweet girl.”
“I know.” I walk up the steps and sit next to Nancy, pulling her into my arms to hug her and whisper in her ear. “You take care of him, okay? I’ll still see you all the time. I love you, sweet girl.”
“Are you sure?” Dad asks as I stand.
“Absolutely. Nancy is clearly happy here, and I think you could both use the company. I’ll bring all of her things over later today.”
“Do I need to know anything about her eye?”
Sweet Nancy always looks like she’s winking at you.
“No, she’s all healed up. If it ever weeps or doesn’t look right, just let me know, and I’ll look at it. But she’s as healthy as can be.”
Dad pulls me in for a hug, surprising me. Mom was always the more physically affectionate one. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I walk down the steps and expect Nancy to follow me the way she always does, but when I turn around, she’s still sitting by Dad’s side as if this is home and where she’s supposed to be.
Because it is. I just didn’t know it.
“By the way,” Dad says before we can get into our cars. “It’s about damn time.”
“For what?” I frown up at him, but he just shakes his head
and smiles.
“Youth is wasted on the young.”
I glance over at Jace, who just shrugs and waves at Dad before sitting in his little sports car and firing the engine to life. I do the same with my vehicle and drive to my house, which is only about ten minutes away. Jace follows, parking behind me in the driveway.
Without any words, I unlock the door and step inside. Carl comes running to the door, happy to have me home.
To my surprise, he looks behind me, searching for Nancy.
And for the first time, tears come to my eyes.
“I’m sorry, little guy, she’s going to live with Grandpa.” I sit with him and cradle him in my arms.
“Hey, are you okay?” Jace asks as he sits next to us and wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“Yeah, I’m silly. I’d grown really attached to that dog.”
“Then why did you give her away? You could have gotten your dad another dog.”
I shrug one shoulder and kiss Carl’s cheek. “It wouldn’t have been the same. You don’t see a bond like that all the time, Jace. Dad and Nancy have something special. He’s her human. Bringing her back here would have been cruel. She loves me, and she was happy enough here, but her home is with Dad. They’ll be good for each other.”
“I’m sorry it hurts you,” Jace whispers and presses his lips to my temple.
“I’ll be okay,” I reply with a sigh. “I guess I was fostering Nancy, after all.”
He tugs me to him and hugs me close. Carl wiggles out of my arms and walks over to Nancy’s bed, where he curls up and takes a bath, which only makes me cry again because I’m convinced that he misses the dog.
In reality, he just loves that bed and needs a bath.
Or, maybe he misses her, too. Who knows?
I just know that I’m going to miss her.
~Jace~
“Let me do this,” Levi says as he fiddles with Wyatt’s bowtie.
“My hands are shaking,” Wyatt admits, taking a deep breath and looking up so Levi can fix the mess Wyatt made. “Why is it so hard?”
“Tying the tie, or getting married?” I ask with a grin.
“Both. We should have just gone to the Justice of the Peace and got it all over with.”
“Right, because Mom would have been okay with that,” Levi says.
“Not to mention Lia,” I add.
“She has a whole camera crew here, taking photos and videos of her getting ready for her YouTube channel,” Wyatt says with a proud smile. “She’s not sharing the ceremony or reception, of course. But she thought it would be fun to share the process of getting ready with her followers.”
“The women will eat that shit up,” Levi agrees. “She’s a smart woman.”
“So smart,” Wyatt agrees. “Do you have the rings, Jace?”
“For the sixth time, I have them,” I reply.
Wyatt nods, and Levi finishes the tie, then pours all of us a shot of whiskey. “I think we could all use this.”
“To Wyatt,” I say, holding my glass in the air. We clink glasses and then down the shots. The whiskey burns down my throat, immediately making me feel warm and a bit calmer. I don’t know why the hell I’m nervous. I guess Wyatt’s rubbing off on me.
“Do you have the rings?” Wyatt asks me. Again.
I pat down my jacket, the pockets of my pants, and turn to Levi. “Do you have them?”
“No,” Levi replies, laughter in his eyes. “I thought you did.”
“Huh.” I frown and pat my tux again, then look around the room. “I swear they’re here somewhere.”
“What the hell?” Wyatt demands, and Levi and I both laugh, fist-bumping each other. “That isn’t funny.”
“For the last time, I have the rings. I promise. I’m a doctor for Christ’s sake, I think I can manage to not lose your wedding rings.”
“Right.” Wyatt takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. “I wish Amelia would let me see her before the ceremony.”
“Isn’t that bad luck?” Levi asks.
“Some people do that first-look thing for photographs. But Amelia wanted to wait.”
“I think it’s nice.” I pat Wyatt on the shoulder. “And you’re going to be great.”
“Okay,” he blows out another gusty breath and walks to his suitcase. He and Lia are staying here at the vineyard tonight before leaving for their honeymoon tomorrow. He pulls out a wrapped box and a card. “I have something for you to take to her.”
“I’ll be back.”
I carry the box to the other side of the inn where the bridal suite is. Amelia’s cousin, Dominic Salvatore, owns the vineyard. It’s a beautiful spot for a wedding.
I knock on the door. “It’s Jace. I have a delivery for the bride.”
The door swings open to a flurry of activity. Wyatt wasn’t kidding about the video crew. There are several cameras and even a boom mic in the room.
But more than that, there are about thirty people. Amelia’s bridal party is small, with just her sister Anastasia and cousin Jules standing up with her. But she has a whole squad of women chatting and laughing, doing hair and makeup, and drinking champagne.
“Oh, Lia,” Jules says with a smile. “You have a surprise.”
I walk into the room and grin when Lia turns to me. She’s in an absolutely gorgeous white gown. It’s strapless with plenty of sparkle, and it hugs her curves down to her thighs before it flows out.
I’m sure the style has a name, but I couldn’t say what it is.
“You’re the most beautiful woman in all the land today,” I say as I lean in to kiss her cheek. “My brother is a lucky son of a bitch.”
She smiles widely, her eyes lighting up when she sees the wrapped box in my hand.
“This is obviously for you.”
“Photographer,” Anastasia says, looking around. “You’ll want to catch this.”
“This isn’t for my YouTube channel,” Amelia says to another woman standing by. “Please don’t record this.”
“No problem.”
She opens the card first, reading silently. When she gets to the bottom, she covers her mouth and sniffles.
“No crying,” Jules says. “Your makeup is perfect.”
“I know,” Lia says with one last sniffle as she puts the card back into its envelope. “I’m not sharing that. It’s too personal.”
I smile, proud of my brother for finding a woman who has found the balance of living a public life and valuing the things she wants to keep close to her heart.
Lia pulls the ribbon free, opens the box, and the room gasps at the pair of diamond earrings inside.
“Fucking hell,” Anastasia says, and the others nod in agreement. “Lia, those match your dress perfectly.”
“Looks like I have the perfect earrings for today,” Lia says with a grin and immediately turns to the mirror to pin them to her ears. They dangle and sparkle beautifully in the light.
“I’m so glad you’re having an evening wedding,” Jules says. “These earrings are going to sparkle like crazy.”
Lia blinks rapidly, warding off tears, and reaches for another wrapped box and card.
“This is for Wyatt.”
“I’ll deliver it now. See you soon.”
I wave to the ladies and hurry back to the groom’s suite where Wyatt and Levi are laughing.
“Have you been drinking more without me?”
“Only one shot,” Wyatt says. “What did she say? How does she look?”
“You choked her up, and she’s wearing your gift today. She looks like a bride, and that’s all you’ll get out of me.”
He smiles proudly, then frowns when I pass him the gift. “We weren’t exchanging presents.”
I roll my eyes. “Clearly, you both broke that rule.”
He opens the card, reads it, and grins from ear to ear when he puts it away. But when he opens the gift, he gasps.
“What is it?” Levi asks just as our mom and dad walk into the room.
“A watch
,” he says, shaking his head. “A very expensive watch.”
“Is she telling you that you’re always late?” I ask, earning a slap on the arm from my mom.
“He’s not late,” she says and then kisses my cheek. “Oh, my boys look so handsome.”
“You clean up pretty well yourself,” I reply with a smile, tucking her into my side. “How’s it going out there?”
“It’s beautiful,” Mom gushes. “Oh, my goodness, Wyatt, this wedding is just amazing. There are so many people bustling about, getting everything just so.”
“Are you guys in here?” Joy asks, poking her head around the door. She rode with my parents, but I’ll be taking her home with me later. “Sorry, I had to make a pit stop.”
“Hey.” I hurry to her, take her hand, and lead her into the room, excited to see her.
“This might be the fanciest party I’ve ever been to,” she says with a laugh. “And trust me, this guy has taken me to plenty of fancy parties.” She hitches a thumb in my direction.
“You are magnificent,” I say, taking in her emerald green gown and black heels. Her hair is down, framing her face in loose curls. But it’s her smile that always stops me in my tracks. “It’s not right to be more beautiful than the bride.”
“Now I know you’re lying,” she says with a laugh and moves in to offer Wyatt a hug. “Hey there, handsome. You look great. Are you nervous?”
“Nah, Levi’s been feeding me whiskey.”
“Levi!” Mom exclaims.
“What? It calmed his nerves, didn’t it?”
“Don’t worry, I’m done drinking,” Wyatt says. “And we have fifteen minutes, so we should make our way out there.”
“Let’s go,” Dad says, leading us through the inn and out to the area where they’ve set up about two hundred chairs for the ceremony. The reception will be held in a massive tent about a hundred yards away. It’s already lit up, the tables set, and I can see several people bustling about inside, putting the finishing touches in place.
Dad escorts Joy to their chairs down in front. Joy is my date, and she’s been close to my family for years, so she’s sitting with Mom and Dad.
I’d have it no other way.
The guests are seated, with a few stragglers hurrying in to find their seats. But before long, the music starts. Levi walks in first, then I escort Mom to her seat and join Levi at the front.
Love With Me (With Me In Seattle Book 11) Page 6