A Redo (The Sterling Shore Series #6)

by C. M. Owens

That’s when I look around to see the entire party is silent, and all eyes are on us. We’ve garnered more attention than Erica’s tantrum.

  My face flushes as Wren pulls me closer, tucking me against him as though he’s trying to shield me from the numerous pairs of curious eyes.

  “Now that’s a helluva mistletoe kiss. What’d I miss?” a new dark-haired guy asks with an amused smile on his face. When did he get over here? How long was that kiss?

  “Ethan, welcome to the fun. You just missed Wren cracking. But not breaking… Yet,” Tag tells the guy, but his eyes are on Wren, who is rolling his eyes at him.

  “What’s he talking about?” I whisper, wishing my skin didn’t look sunbaked right now. Sheesh. You’d think I’d never been kissed before. Though, I don’t think I’ve ever been kissed quite like that.

  “Nothing,” Wren says, shaking his head as he pushes me toward the stairs.

  I refuse to even look at Melanie. I can’t. There’s no way.

  Rain is biting back a smile that she ends up hiding behind her glass of champagne. Rye’s eyebrows are lifted to his hairline, and he doesn’t even bother hiding his wide grin, while Brin keeps her mouth covered.

  You’d think this group had never seen anyone get kissed before, which is utter bullshit. I think I’ve seen all of them making out. Hell, Tag’s tongue is now inside Ash’s mouth. That was quick.

  But no one else is looking at anyone except for Wren and me.

  Wren tugs me up the stairs. I stumble behind him until he turns to wrap his arm around my waist, lifting me like I’m weightless with just the one arm, and placing me in front of him. His hands go to my waist as he guides me, softly urging me to move fast and escape the whistles and catcalls that are breaking out behind us.

  My body is almost vibrating with adrenaline. I’m fairly sure my heart is trying to beat out of my chest.

  “Sorry,” he says again when we top the stairs.

  My heart is racing, my body is aching for more, that was the best kiss I’ve ever had, and he’s sorry. Fantastic.

  “I thought you weren’t much of one for PDA,” I mumble, resisting the urge to shove him against the wall and resume the damn kiss that he’s so sorry about.

  I look over to see him frowning, his eyes trained on the massive hallway in front of us.

  “I’m… not.”

  He clears his throat and tugs at his tie as though it’s choking him. Then his hand slides back down to my waist as he continues guiding me. His grip is strong on my hip, and he keeps our sides touching, as though we’re supposed to be pushed close together inside this wide hallway full of endless doors.

  For someone who isn’t big on public displays of affection, he never seems to stop touching me. And that kiss certainly wasn’t meant for the public eye. Hell, we’re not dating, and he’s very hands-on. Erica must have expected him to screw her in front of everyone if she didn’t think he was affectionate enough in front of people.

  “She should be two doors down from my room here,” he says, still seeming a little tense and possibly… angry?

  “Are you mad?”

  His look softens immediately, and that grin he has mastered slips into place. “Of course not. Just… I shouldn’t have caved to peer pressure.”

  He laughs as though it’s funny, and I force a smile. That didn’t feel like a kiss to appease the crowd. That felt passionate, hot, and so damn real. I stupidly keep forgetting how dangerous Wren Prize is to me.

  Two men in black suits stand guard in front of a door, and before I can ask, Wren motions to them. “They’re just security. Mom never takes chances.”

  Wow. Talk about culture shock.

  Both men grunt greetings to Wren and nod toward me as they step aside to let us by. Wren pushes through the door, and my breath catches in my throat. Diamonds and pink lace are everywhere, and right in the middle is my perfect girl and the other little girl that I assume is Carrie Sterling. An elderly lady smiles warmly at me from her spot on a rocking chair as she pauses something on the TV.

  “Hey, Mommy,” Angel says sweetly, but she’s watching me like I’ve come to tear her away from the fun.

  “We just came to see if you girls are ready to join the party.”

  Angel looks to Carrie, and she shakes her head to the silent question that has been passed. Wren bites back a grin when Angel turns to shake her head as well.

  “We want to play here some more.”

  I look down at the dolls and the magnificent dollhouse they’re playing with. Holy shit. That thing looks so real.

  “Are you sure? Your grandmother seemed to think you wanted to make a big debut.”

  Carrie looks down, clearly not one to talk to strangers, and Angel answers again.

  “Carrie doesn’t like being around crowds of people. I like it up here. And there aren’t dollhouses down there. Can we please just stay up here?”

  Wren smiles over at me, shrugging as though he has no input.

  “Greta, if you’re tired, I can stay up here with them,” Wren tells the elderly lady who laughs loudly.

  “Tired? I dealt with two rambunctious boys that were constantly at war when I cared for you. Then three boys when Tag came along. These girls are a godsend. I’m not tired in the least. Go on back to the party. You two have a good night. From what I hear, this one deserves a night off,” the kind lady says while motioning to me.

  “Mommy works too hard,” Angel confirms, smiling over at me. “And Wren needs to learn what fun is. His house is so boring.”

  Wren chokes on a laugh as I stifle a smile.

  “It’s gotten better,” he says, mocking offense.

  “A little,” she admits. “Can Carrie come over and play with us some?”

  Carrie’s eyes immediately dart to Wren’s, and he nods to the little girl who smiles at him.

  “Of course. Carrie’s your second cousin, so she’s family, and our family is always hanging out. In fact, we’ll all be…”

  His voice trails off, and he doesn’t finish that statement.

  “We’ll let you get back to having fun,” Wren says instead of finishing what he was going to say, his smile forced now.

  We back out of the room, and Wren stares off into space before pointing to another room. “That’s the one I use when I stay here,” he says, but he doesn’t ask if I want to see it.

  No way do I want to be in a bedroom with him right now. There’s no doubt that I’d act like a complete fool who has lost control of her hormones. Just to punctuate the point, my lips throb as if on cue, still swollen from the mouth-fucking. Yes. That’s what I said. It sure as hell wasn’t a typical kiss.

  “What were you going to say in there?” I ask, ignoring the room comment.

  “I… um… I almost told Angel that Carrie will be with us when we go to Aspen, but then I remembered that Angel wouldn’t be there.”

  My blood chills in my veins. Angel might really want to go to Aspen. I’ve had six Christmases with her. It kills me to think of giving one up with her, but she deserves to have one Christmas with her father and new family.

  “We can talk about that later.”

  His head whips to me. “You’d go to Aspen?”

  Me?

  “I was thinking Angel could go. Most custodial agreements usually involve things like this—alternating holidays, I mean,” I ramble, not really forming a very well structured statement.

  His fists clench at his sides, and he tightens his lips. I’m not sure what is wrong.

  “As much as I’d love that, I couldn’t take Angel away from you on Christmas. I’ll come home before Christmas. I won’t stay the two weeks. And I’ll swing by your house on Christmas day if that’s alright.”

  Before I can answer, laughter fills the hallway, and everyone is shouting for Wren to return.

  Chapter 19

  WREN

  “Angel is asleep on the bed with Carrie,” Allie says with a smile as she, Rain, and Tria join us in the massive basement.

 
We’ve all hidden downstairs to escape the talk of politics, business, and real-world shit.

  Raya lines up her next shot on the pool table, and I groan when she sinks it effortlessly.

  “We can go if you want to,” I tell Allie.

  She comes to my side, and her hand grazes my back. I swear we touch each other like a couple. Well, like a normal couple. I’ve never really felt the need to touch someone so much. It’s as disconcerting as it is fascinating. I want to explore it and ignore it at the same time, as logic and desire battle for dominance. I’m half afraid desire will win, just as I’m equally afraid logic will win, so I have no idea which one I’m actually cheering for.

  “Your mother wants Angel to spend the night. I’ve never let her spend the night with anyone. But Melanie says we can stay, too. I wanted to see what you thought.”

  I think that’s a fucking terrible idea. How am I supposed to keep myself from going into her room if I know she’s in the same house as me?

  “It’s completely up to you,” I tell her, gripping the pool cue a little too tightly.

  “I think I’d like to stay. Angel loves it here, but I don’t want her to spend the night with your mother before she spends the night with you. And if you’re here with her, then I won’t feel that way. Melanie already gave me something to sleep in.”

  Ah, hell. Looks like I’ll be getting drunk tonight to keep myself from being able to walk to her room. Especially when she holds up a black lingerie bag. There’s no telling what my mother has put in there, because I can tell she’s fucking taunting me.

  Does she not realize what a disaster that could be? Or is she just testing my limits? Or maybe this is some form of punishment. Because I know she’d kill me if I made a mess with Allie.

  “I think that sounds like a plan,” I finally say, shifting uncomfortably.

  “We’re staying, too,” Tag announces, kissing up the back of Ash’s neck. “As a matter of fact, I think most of us are.”

  Rain and Dane are in some heated kiss, and I have to look away, trying not to get envious of all the couples.

  Kode starts dragging Tria out of the room. “We’re heading up to our room now. We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  I roll my eyes while Allie leans against me, yawning as though she’s exhausted.

  “Those security guys are at the entrance of the hallway now. They said they’d be blocking that wing for the family only. I was going to sleep in there with Angel, but there’s no room. Plus, I think she really wants to have her own sleepover type of deal. She really likes Carrie.”

  Carrie doesn’t speak often to anyone but a few of us. Well, she talks to Rain and Dane just fine, but the rest of us she’s still wary of. But, I don’t know the details of her life before she was adopted. Hell, she’s probably terrified of the huge family she suddenly found herself in. It’s a big adjustment for a six-year-old.

  A pang of sickness hits me as I start leading Allie out of the basement. Carrie’s the same age as Angel, yet she carries the scars of rejection and pain under the surface. Angel has a fire in her eyes, but Carrie has fear and worry.

  It makes an image of a younger Allie pop up in my mind. She went through what Carrie has. I’m sure the details are definitely different, but the feeling of rejection, dread, and fear most likely interlope. The look in Carrie’s eyes is often the same one I see in Allie’s when she lets her guard down. It always tests my resolve, because I want to do everything possible to banish that look from her eyes.

  Allie leans on me all the way up the stairs as I keep my arm draped around her shoulders. I contemplate putting her in a room close to me—close to Angel. But then I realize what a bad idea that is.

  If she’s close, I might not be able to resist the urge to go to her and finish that fucking kiss that I never wanted to end. And I’d be kissing her like that while taking her body without any restraint. I swear I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want her right now.

  If she’s on the west wing of the house, there will be plenty of time to talk myself out of bursting into her room, throwing her over the bed, and pounding into her like a savage animal.

  “I think most of the east wing rooms are taken,” I lie, shifting so that I can turn us.

  She follows me down the long hallways, talking about the beautiful Christmas party and how nice everyone is. I barely left her side just to make sure no one took that chance to make a nasty remark. If she wasn’t with me, I made sure Tria was with her.

  Everyone is fucking terrified of Kode, after all. Kode doesn’t think before he hits, and if someone upset Tria, they’d have a bloody mouth shortly after.

  “Tria was telling me about some psycho ex that is in jail now. She told me that’s how she originally ended up living with Kode after only dating him a little while. And I thought Bella had some bad boy stories.”

  I tense immediately. “Would anyone from Bella’s past ever come after you? After the three of you?”

  I hadn’t even thought of this. My blood boils, but it simmers when she finally answers.

  “No. No one like the Pete Mercer guy that Tria was talking about. Bella has dated some terrible losers, but not violent ones. Cheaters and thieves are her specialty. She keeps learning that the bad boy look isn’t as hot when they turn out to be actual bad boys. That’s why she keeps saying she’s done with her type.”

  I relax, slowly getting my temper back down. Thinking of anyone like Pete Mercer around Allie… I don’t know how Kode didn’t kill the son of a bitch.

  “Is Tria safe now?” Allie asks, genuinely concerned.

  “Yeah. Pete’s not getting out of prison this time. Not for a long, long time. He violated parole, violated a restraining order, trespassed on private property, assaulted a Sterling… The list of things Kode’s lawyers added to the charges is unbelievable. You wouldn’t believe how many laws are actually out there to be broken. Piss off a Sterling, and you seem to find out. He was back in prison quickly just for violating parole, not counting all the other things.”

  Silence envelops us as she processes that for a moment. So I’m surprised when she suddenly shifts the subject.

  “So that Ethan guy is your cousin?” she asks curiously, and I tense again.

  She’d better not be fucking asking about Ethan Noles because she’s interested.

  “Not technically, but we claim each other. Ethan’s dad was Tria’s late father’s brother. Tria’s adoptive mom is my real aunt. But when we were little, my mother always referred to Tria as Ethan’s little cousin. Since I was Tria’s cousin, I assumed that meant Ethan and I were also cousins. He thought the same thing. So now we actually claim each other.”

  “I can see how that would be confusing,” she laughs, which confuses me. But to clarify, she adds, “I’ve never really been around a big family. Bella’s family is small. And the Johnsons didn’t have any family outside of each other.”

  She pauses for a beat, as I think of which room to put her in.

  “How old is he?” she asks curiously. “Ethan, I mean.”

  Shit. “Twenty-seven. Same as me. Why so curious about Ethan?”

  Don’t get pissed.

  I wanted to strangle Roger that day he showed up at her house. And that was before… Shit. No. No. No.

  “Just two years older than me and Bella,” she says idly, and my jaw grinds.

  She didn’t answer the important question.

  “Why so curious about Ethan?”

  She shrugs. “Just seems like Bella’s type. Tattoos, cocky, crude, direct, and completely unobtainable. I was wondering if I should keep her away from him or introduce her.”

  Again, I relax. “Ethan has been a workaholic since the day he graduated. He’s known his father’s business backwards and forwards since he was a kid. When his dad got sick, Ethan was eighteen and barely graduated from high school, but he still took over because his dad wouldn’t allow anyone else to do so.

  “He can’t dissect a frog, explain Einstein’s theory of
relativity, or quote Shakespeare, but he can handle a multi-million dollar merger like no one else. But he’s a wildcard under a business suit. He’s had to work hardcore since his dad got sick. He turned his dad’s business into an empire. The Noles men aren’t originally from money. Now it’s a prominent name in Sterling Shore, especially since Tria’s father married my aunt. Ethan is close to stepping down from his business which is based in Chicago. He’ll start taking a role like what I have. But he’s ready to finally party full time like he parties when he comes home.”

  She nods, taking it all in. “Then I won’t introduce them. Sounds like he’s ready to be wild.”

  I laugh at that. “Ethan has always been wild. He’s just going to have more time to do it when he moves back home for good.”

  I finally reach a room on the far west end. Kode and Tria will be in the room on her right. Dane and Rain will be in the room on her left. And Rye and Brin will be in the room across from her.

  At least all the talk about Ethan and Tria’s psycho ex has calmed my need to take her like an animal.

  Kode and Tria left before us, but I doubt they made it all the way to their room, since it’s quiet in there.

  “You’ll be fine here. But you know where my room is if you need me.”

  She takes a shaky breath before pushing open the door, and she turns to lean against the jamb, facing me. She starts to say something, but she seems to decide against it.

  “Will you check in on Angel before you go to bed?” she asks softly.

  I smile while leaning just a little closer, putting my shoulder on the other side of the jamb while slanting my body, putting my face almost even with hers.

  “Of course. Anything else you need?” I ask softly, enjoying the small shiver she doesn’t mean for me to see.

  She shakes her head, her lips not moving, and I stare at her mouth as the inner battle within me rages on. Finally, I sigh while pushing off from the wall, and I walk away before I say or do something stupid.

  Allie Thrash is a problem for me, and I don’t know what the hell to do about it.

  The sound of Maverick’s laughter hits me just as he and Corbin head through the east wing, moving down the hallway.