Everyone laughs and all I can do is shake my head.
“I’ve known Cane my whole life,” he continues, “or it feels that way, anyway. Although he can come across as an arrogant prick a lot of the time, I’ve known him long enough to know that’s not completely true. He’s also smart, loyal, and the best friend a guy could want. I’m proud to be standing here with him today.
“When I met Jada awhile back, she was gorgeous, intelligent, and, like her sister, didn’t take any crap. Naturally, I thought she could be Cane’s kryptonite and I was right. Between you and me, I knew from the minute he looked at her that it was over. His stupid rules were about to be broken. But it was Jada I wasn’t so sure about.”
He looks at my girl and smiles. “Jada did exactly what she had to do, whether she knew it or not. She was the first woman to put Cane Alexander in his place. She took his game and taught him a few things about how to play, how to live, and, ultimately, how to love.
“Cane, I’m happy for ya, man. As much as you make me crazy, you inspire me. I wish you the best in this new life you’re creating. And Jada, I’m honored to welcome you into the Alexander family. While I may not technically be an Alexander, Cane is my brother and I will always think of you as a sister. May God bless ya with the patience of a saint because I think you’re gonna need it.”
He sits down as the room erupts in laughter. Max scans the table until he lands on me. A moment passes between us, a nod to our friendship and the understanding that comes with years of ups and downs.
Kari raises and clears her throat. “Okay, well, Max got to talk so do I.”
She winks at me and I grimace, not sure what she’s going to say. She’s as gorgeous and feisty as her sister but there’s a touch of unpredictability with Kari that always makes me nervous.
Jada grabs my arm and squeezes my bicep before laying her cheek against me. I wrap my arm around her and bring her in close, planting my face in her hair and breathing her in.
“I never pictured my sister getting married in Vegas. But, then again, I never pictured her marrying Cane, either.”
“Kari . .” I warn, my voice trailing off. Everyone laughs, but she laughs the hardest.
“I’m an ER nurse, so I’m in stressful situations every day. Nothing I’ve ever done has been as stressful as putting together a wedding, for my sister no less, this quickly. But it came together beautifully and it came together in the way that I think is so demonstrative of Jada and Cane. It was a whirlwind, a touch impulsive,” she glances at me and I grin, “but absolutely perfect.
“Jada asked me earlier today if our mother would’ve liked Cane and I said no.” Her voice breaks and she takes a second to recover. Max’s hand finds her waist and she looks at him with tear-filled eyes. “I told her Mom would’ve loved Cane because he loves her so completely. Even though I give him hell, I’m so proud to welcome him into our family.”
Tears flow down her cheeks and Jada wipes her eyes, too. I can’t help but bat back a few of my own.
Fuckin’ Kari.
“Thank you both for letting me share in this day with you. And thank you, Cane, for being the best thing to ever happen to my sister.”
Jada looks at me and smiles, her eyes saying everything I feel.
This is love. This is the feeling of being completed by another human being. This is what I’ve not had my whole life and will fight until they day I die to keep.
“She’s right, you know,” Jada whispers. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”
I kiss her forehead and push back my chair. I take her hand, pulling her to her feet, too.
“Thank you all for coming,” I say. “And thank you to Max and Kari for not only helping put this together, but for their words, more or less.” I wait for the laughter to subside before I continue. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to dance with my wife and then whisk her upstairs.”
I guide her to the open area of the room and turn her to face me. I wrap my arms around her as she drapes hers around my neck.
“You’re going to dance with me?” she asks, her voice full of astonishment.
“It’s your wedding day, beautiful girl. I’m going to give you every part of it that you want.”
“I want to dance and then go to the honeymoon phase.”
My cock hardens immediately and I press it into her leg. Her eyes widen as she feels what she does to me.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
The first few notes of “How Long Will I Love You” by Ellie Goulding begin on the piano, Brian starting to sing the lines. Jada’s eyes sparkle.
“How did you know?” she whispers.
“Know what?”
“This song. I always think of you when I hear it! Why did you pick this?”
I smirk, letting my fingers play against the top of her back. Her skin is warm, silky, and the intimacy of the wedding is starting to wear off. I want to be with her intimately. Now.
Just a bit longer.
“Well, honestly, Kari gave me a list and let me choose. I wanted it to be “Gorilla” by Bruno Mars but she nixed that.”
“Thank God,” Jada giggles. “That would be weird with my father sitting over there!”
I shrug. We sway to the music and I try to do what Max said and commit this to memory.
“What are you thinking?” she asks, watching me closely.
“That I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the world. That I don’t know how I managed to get you to say yes, but you did, and I’ll never let you go back on all the promises you made to me today.”
“I’d have to want to in order for you not to let me.” She rises up and kisses me sweetly. “Thank you for everything today. Everything was perfect, just beyond anything I ever expected. You blew my mind today, Mr. Alexander.”
“Let’s ditch this party and go upstairs so I can blow it again, Mrs. Alexander.”
JADA
The room is cool and dark when we arrive. The bedroom double doors are open and candle light flickers inside, casting shadows over the walls. The blinds are pulled shut, the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Sin City, out of reach. It’s just my husband and I.
Cane closes the door behind him and I feel him nearing me. I stand in the center of the room, my breath rushing in and out in anticipation.
He plants a tender kiss on the back of my neck, sending a jolt of energy through my body. I moan softly, not for the eroticism of the act, but for the sweetness of it.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?” His words are hot on my skin, his voice barely above a whisper. “Have I told you how amazed I am that you actually went through with it?”
I grin, turning to face him. His features are even sexier in the dim light, his jawline catching the rays of light and appearing even more angular than normal. A touch of scruff is just beginning to appear and I reach out and run the pads of my thumbs across his cheeks.
“Have I told you that you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen?”
His lips touch mine, his kiss as tender as his words. When he pulls back, his eyes are full of what only can be called reverence.
“I never thought I’d get married, Jada. And I sure as fuck didn’t think I’d be this damn happy about it.”
I laugh, watching his lips upturn. The boyish smile, the one I love more than all the others, the one I’m sure no one sees but me, becomes visible.
“I’m glad to hear that, considering we’ve only been married a few hours. There’s still a lot of time for you to get sick of me.”
“Not possible, beautiful girl.”
I bring my face inches from his, our lips almost touching. “Even if you do,” I say, letting my words hit his mouth, “Too. Damn. Bad.”
A growl escapes his throat and his mouth crashes into mine. He works me over like I’m his to take, his tongue passing between my lips abruptly, causing me to lose my breath.
My hands lock against the back of his neck, encouraging him to continue. His assault i
s more than welcome; it’s needed. I know he speaks with physical gestures and today, I need it, too. I need to not only look the part of his wife, but to feel it, too. I want to feel like Jada Alexander in every sense of the word.
“I love you,” I say, through kisses, feeling his hands run down my back.
I squeal as Cane lifts me off my feet and carries me into the bedroom. We cross the threshold and I laugh.
“Max told me I was supposed to carry you in the room, but I forgot. So this will have to do.”
“It’s into the house for the first time, not the hotel room, babe.”
“That shit doesn’t mean anything to me, but I’m going to do it in case it does to you.” He sets me down on my feet and takes a couple of steps back. “This marriage thing is something I’ve never done before. Therefore it’s the one thing I’ve never fucked up. And I’m going to do my best not to do it wrong.”
“You won’t.”
He shakes his head, the tiny amount of insecurity I know is buried inside him starts to surface. “I might. You know how things get with me. I try and then before I know it I—”
“You won’t mess this up. I won’t let you. If you start to get out of line, I’ll just crack you back in again. I’m the coach this round, remember?”
He blushes, his secret grin gracing his lips. “This is one game I’m ready to get schooled in: how to please my wife.”
“Oh, baby,” I say, stepping out of my heels and kicking them to the side. “You already know how to please your wife.”
His eyes heat, his blues darkening. The grin moves quickly to a smirk, my heartbeat quickening. “Do I?”
“Mmhmm,” I say, taking a step backwards as he takes one towards me. His smirk deepens, the bubble of anticipation in my core building. “You do.”
“I’d like to please her right now. It seems like the husbandly thing to do.”
“Well, as your coach, I’d recommend you helping your wife out of this dress.”
He watches me, his gaze locked on mine, for a long second. Finally, he moves behind me.
I don’t move; I can barely breathe. I watch the wall in front of me, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I’ve been with this man so many times before, but for some reason, this feels like the first.
His fingertips slide from one shoulder blade to the other, causing me to shiver. He plants a soft kiss at the nape of my neck, blowing on the dampened spot as he pulls away.
“Cane . . .”
“Shh.”
His fingers dance across my skin, from the top of my shoulders down my spine, ending at the top of my dress at the middle of my back. I feel him lift the zipper and hear it lower. The top half tips forward and then the entire thing melts, inch by inch, to the floor.
I hear him take in a ragged breath as he sees the white lingerie wrapping my body. I still don’t turn around.
“My God,” he rumbles. “I don’t know if you’re an angel or the devil.”
His lips find the back of my neck again, his hands roaming freely over my body. Each touch fires my nerve endings, my body revved and ready for action.
“All I know,” he says, turning me around, his hands never stopping their frenzied path across every inch of my skin, “is that I’m gonna be a fucking sinner tonight.”
CANE
The candles burned out hours ago. The sun is probably starting to rise, but the blinds are still drawn so I can’t see. I’m glad for that. I want to stay tucked away in this hotel room for as long as I can.
It isn’t the room that makes me want to stay. It’s just another fucking room in another fucking hotel. But what this room does have that no other room I’ve ever been in has is this feeling.
Jada’s naked body is tucked against my side, a sheet haphazardly tossed across her. I can feel her breathing, so sweet and peaceful, drift across the room. Her scent is all over me and I have no need to wash it off.
Maybe ever.
I settle against the pillows and try to make sense of everything.
How did I get here? What did I ever do to deserve this?
What if I fuck this all up?
I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t know how I got here and I’m sure as shit certain that I don’t deserve this. All of the debauchery and crazy shit I’ve done in my life, I don’t deserve this woman lying beside me.
I can’t help the grin that tugs my lips when I think back to her thanking me for the wedding. Doesn’t she know she gives me more than anything I could ever give her?
She stirs against me and I still, not wanting her to wake up. Not yet. I just want to enjoy this . . . this peace, for a little while longer.
JADA
“Are you ready to go?” Cane kisses me quickly as he walks by. His hair is still damp from the shower. He smells so fresh and clean, yet the musky scent that is Cane is still here. It’s my favorite scent of all.
He’s walking around the room in a pair of jeans and a blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled to mid-forearm. His sunglasses are tucked inside the top and he seems a bit flustered. He’s tossing his remaining belongings in his open suitcase and stops, scratching his head.
“I am. But I have to admit, I hate we have to go home so soon.”
I pick up my bag and toss my brush inside, scanning the room to be sure I didn’t forget anything.
“Who said we’re going home?” He turns to look at me and smirks.
“Well, you did.”
“No, I said we have to leave. Our flight leaves in two hours.”
“Yeah . . .”
He laughs, puzzling me even more.
The door to our room pops open.
“Good morning!” Kari chirps, walking in with Max behind her. She hands me a cup of Starbucks and kisses my cheek. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, I think so.” I shoot Cane a look. “But it seems we aren’t going home . . .”
Kari laughs and walks back to Max. She leans against him, the side of her head against his chest. “Is that so?” she asks.
I shrug helplessly. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I am sure I’m the only person that doesn’t get it. “Max? Help a girl out.”
“He’s taking you to—”
“Don’t you dare,” Kari says, elbowing him in the ribs.
Max laughs. “Ah, sweetheart. Are you gonna get mad? Because that just might make me tell her. You’re stuck here, alone, with me for another day. Think of the make-up sex we could have.”
“We don’t have to fight to have make-up sex, Max.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Cane interrupts. “Nobody wants to hear that shit right now.”
“I do,” Kari smiles. “I want to hear about all the things Max wants to do to me.”
Cane narrows his eyes playfully and slams his suitcase closed. “You, my beautiful sister-in-law, and I have some things to discuss.”
“Oh, do we now?”
“Yeah, we do. You about fuckin’ killed me yesterday with your lack of fucking texts. I was sweating balls up here, going outta my mind, waiting on some indication of how things were going downstairs.”
Kari tosses her head back and laughs. “Yeah, well, my nails were wet. Sue me.”
“I would,” Cane says, coming up behind me, “but I forgive you. You called me amazing in your speech last night.”
“Oh, I surely didn’t.”
“No. You did. I heard it.”
“It was the champagne talking.”
“It’s a win for me. I’ll take it.” Cane kisses the top of my head. “You ready to go?”
“Depends on where we’re going,” I huff.
“Rome. He’s taking you to Rome,” Max blurts out, wincing as Kari elbows him in the stomach again.
I whirl around, my pulse rapid-firing. “Rome? Is he joking, Cane?”
He pulls me into him, winding my hair in his hands. “No, beautiful girl, he’s not. We’re going to Rome in a couple of hours.”
I squeal, much to my own embarrassment, but I can’t help
it. I bounce up and down and kiss him on the lips. “I’ve always wanted to go to Rome! Oh my God! Cane! Thank you!”
“Someone told me that one night at a restaurant. Right before they told me they didn’t see me enough. So I’m taking you there and you can see me the entire time.”
“You are amazing. Absolutely amazing.”
“It’s my job to make sure you keep thinking that,” he winks.
“Wait,” I say, pivoting on my heel, “I can’t go to Rome! I don’t have any clothes for a trip like that!”
Panic ensues. I do a quick mental recap of everything in my suitcase, of the things I packed away in the box to UPS back home with my wedding dress.
I have nothing that will work.
“I don’t have—”
Out of nowhere, Kari scoots a large orange suitcase across the floor. “You have everything you need in here.”
“What?”
“Our little shopping trip the other day? That was your honeymoon shopping expedition. You’re welcome.”
I’m shocked in the very best way. I walk across the room and hug my sister, my heart filled with more love than I’ve ever felt in my life. She pulls back and I head to Max, wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging him, too.
“Thank you, too, Max. I can only imagine what you’ve put up with over the last few weeks.”
“You have no idea, darlin.’”
I laugh. “I do. I really do.”
“Well, I’d do anything for you. You know that. We’re family now.”
“You know,” Cane says, his voice full of mischief, “if you two’d get married already, we really would all be one happy family.”
“One wedding at a time, Cane,” Kari says, rolling her eyes.
“What? You’ve just proven that you can plan a helluva wedding in a couple of weeks. I say let’s do it again.”
I wait for them to answer, but it never comes. Max has a small grin on his face and Kari looks at the floor. I’m not sure how to read her response.
The Connection Page 7