by L. P. Dover
My whole body tightened in anticipation. “Why don’t we go and find out.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lucas
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay without me?” Aiden asked, finishing off the last of his bacon. We were having one last breakfast before they headed back to Charlotte.
“Seriously?” I threw a grape at him. “I’ll be fine. I think I know how to play golf without you. Besides, it’s only for a few weeks.”
He slapped a hand over his chest. “Ouch. That hurts. And here I was thinking you couldn’t play without my expertise.”
“Give me some credit. I do know how to swing a club on my own. Who’s the professional here?” I winked at him and he flipped me off.
Grinning wide, he glanced back and forth at me and Noah. “How in the hell did we get here?”
Noah snorted and shook his head incredulously. “Tell me about it. We went from the hottest bachelors in Charlotte to domesticated boyfriends in Myrtle Beach.”
A smile lit up my face. “I wouldn’t change a second of it.”
Noah and Aiden both chuckled. “Neither would I,” Noah agreed.
They both were headed back to Charlotte for a couple of weeks to gather some of their things before they moved to Myrtle Beach. Since Noah was a physical trainer, he could get clients anywhere. And now that Aiden was back with Meredith, he planned on moving to Myrtle Beach to be close to us, as I’d found her a journalism job nearby. She was already in California, getting all her affairs in order, and Aiden was going to join her next week to help.
Noah’s phone beeped and when he looked at it, I could tell it was Harper. It was crazy how much had changed in a month. Both Aiden and Noah had grown before my eyes. What was even crazier was how different I’d become. Ashley made me a better man, and I’d be forever grateful to her.
“What did she say?” I asked him.
Noah grinned and sat back on the couch. “To be safe on the way back, and that she loved me.” He typed out a reply, smiling the whole time. “We said goodbye last night. When I come back, we’re going to look for places to live together. Her apartment’s too damn small for the both of us.”
“I found a place to rent in Crescent City, right on the beach,” Aiden added. “Meredith loves it.”
I was glad to see they’d worked everything out. Since the day she apologized, they’d been inseparable.
“Well,” Noah said, stretching as he stood. “Guess it’s almost time to roll out.”
Aiden nodded and set his breakfast plate on the coffee table. “Yep. We have lots to do when we get back.” He looked over at me. “What does Dad say about all of us moving?”
I shrugged. “Nothing much. Ashley and I plan on visiting on the weekends. We’re actually driving up next week, so I can bring back my Escalade.”
Noah chuckled. “Now that you bought that jet, your trips should be a piece of cake. I’m thinking a trip to Hawaii’s in order.”
I patted his shoulder. “January, man. Aiden, Ashley and I will be going there for the first tournament of the year. You and Harper could always come along.”
Noah slapped my shoulder. “Hell, yeah. I’m your bodyguard, remember?” He winked, and I laughed.
“Yes, nothing but the best for me.” I helped them carry their bags down to my Escalade and loaded them in the back.
Aiden walked over and hugged me. “See you soon, brother.”
“Be careful going home,” I said, patting his back.
Noah hugged me next. “Thanks for the best fucking trip of my life.”
I couldn’t agree more. “You’re welcome. When you come back, Ashley and I will cook dinner for you. It’ll be a welcome home party.”
Shaking his head, he laughed. “I think I like this side of you. Just make sure you’re still a badass on the golf course. We don’t need this taming to interfere with your game.”
“Don’t worry,” I cracked my knuckles, “if anything, I’ve gotten more aggressive. I’m ready to win.”
“That’s what we like to hear.” Noah grinned. “See you soon, man.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ashley
New Year’s Eve
So much had happened in the past few months. We’d raised over two million dollars through my father’s golf tournament for the Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness fund. Lucas had been a tremendous help throughout the whole ordeal and kept up his agreement to help caddie an amateur—as his father did as well. Turned out, the young man he helped won second place. Lucas awarded him with a long weekend at our private island, which we had renamed Secret Isle. If we ever got married, that was where I wanted it to be.
Lucas’ dad came down and spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with us, but we decided to travel to Charlotte for New Years to surprise him. I loved spending time at Lucas’ house. It felt like home, just as much as Myrtle Beach. What made it even better was that Aiden, Meredith, Noah, and Harper all came with us to ring in the New Year.
“When are you going to tell him?” Harper whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the guys in the kitchen.
Meredith snickered and hunkered in closer. “Lucas is going to be so excited.”
Sliding my hand under the couch cushion, I could feel the envelope. “I’m going to give it to him a couple minutes before midnight.” Which was only in about ten minutes. We had the TV tuned into the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show. I loved listening to all the different artists sing, but the guys didn’t care one bit about it. That was why they were in the kitchen drinking their beer.
Harper sucked down the rest of her Bloody Mary. “I bet Lucas proposes to you tonight.”
My heart stopped. “No way. I haven’t seen any signs of that.”
Meredith snorted. “Please, if it’s not tonight, it’s going to be soon. You already live together. The next step is marriage.”
“What are you ladies talking about?” Lucas called out. All three of us lifted our heads and looked at them, standing around the kitchen island.
Noah elbowed Lucas in the side. “Can’t be anything good. They’re whispering.”
Harper waved her hand dismissively. “Please. Stop being so paranoid. At least, we weren’t talking about you.”
“Fine. Be that way.” Noah winked and Harper blushed.
She grinned at me and Meredith. “God, I love him. I could see myself marrying him. Wouldn’t that be something? Imagine if all of us got married. It’ll be like our own little family.”
Just thinking of it made my heart flutter. “That would be awesome.”
Meredith sighed and glanced over at Aiden. “I know what you mean. You have no idea how grateful I am that everything worked out.” She met my gaze. “I almost ruined it all.”
I grabbed her hand. “It’s over now. With your help, Lucas was able to accomplish something I never thought possible.”
Her eyes glistened. “Thanks, Ash. It’s crazy how things worked out the way they did.”
“Almost like fate intervened,” Harper added.
“All right, it’s almost time,” Lucas shouted excitedly. “Are we ready to open the champagne?”
Harper jumped up. “Hell yeah!”
Meredith leaned into me. “Five more minutes. Don’t you think it’s time?”
I bit my lip and smiled. “I sure do.”
She hurried over to Harper and joined the guys, as Lucas worked on opening the champagne bottle. Nobody paid attention to me when I slid the envelope from under the couch and stuck it behind my back. Lucas pointed the champagne bottle away from us and the cork popped out with a loud thunk. He filled up all six champagne glasses and we each took one.
Lucas raised his glass. “How about a toast?”
I held up a hand. “Actually, before we go into that, I thought it’d be a good time to share some big news.”
Harper gasped. “Oh my God, you’re pregnant!” The guys all froze, and Lucas stared at me, mouth agape. I glared at her and she winked. “Just kidding, everyone. S
he’s not pregnant.”
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and kissed my head. “Don’t get me wrong, sunshine, I’d be happy if you were, but I want more time with you before we take that step.”
I winked up at him. “I completely agree.” I wanted kids, but we were still young. There were too many adventures I wanted to take with Lucas before we settled down like that.
Harper waved a hand at me. “Your news, Ash. It’s time to announce it.”
Lucas stared at me curiously, and I slowly pulled out the envelope and waved it in front of him. When he saw the logo on the front, he burst out laughing. “Holy shit. Is this what I think it is?” He grabbed the envelope and ripped it open.
“You forgot to get the mail when we arrived, so I went out and saw this. Figured it’d be a nice New Year’s Eve surprise.”
Aiden rushed over to his side and looked at the invitation over Lucas’ shoulder. He side-hugged him and smiled. “Told you you’d get it. Don’t know why you were so worried about it.”
Lucas handed it to Noah, so he and the girls could see it. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “I guess I knew I’d get one, but it’s a whole different feeling when you actually see the invitation in person.” Pulling me into his arms, he kissed me hard. “I can’t believe you hid that from me.”
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “It was hard, but I thought you’d want to celebrate with friends and family.”
Harper gasped. “Thirty more seconds, guys. Grab your champagne.”
We all picked up our glasses and turned to the TV. Counting down the last ten seconds, cheers erupted from the TV as the ball dropped in Times Square. Lucas grasped my chin and kissed me, his tongue gently searching for mine. “Happy New Year, sunshine.”
“Happy New Year,” I whispered back.
We tapped our glasses together and drank the sparkling champagne, watching our friends as they did the same. Taking my glass, Lucas set them on the table. Turning back around, he lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder, completely catching me off guard.
I squealed and held onto him. “What are you doing?”
The others burst out laughing as he carried me down the hall. “Sorry, guys,” he called from over his shoulder. “It was fun while it lasted, but I have my own celebrating to do. See you in the morning.”
“Have fun!” Harper shouted as the rest of them continued to laugh.
Lucas carried me into his bedroom and tossed me onto the bed. My cheeks burned, and I knew they had to be bright red. “You are such a nut,” I teased.
He shut the door and locked it, his gray eyes full of raw passion. “I can’t help it. I’m happy as hell, and I want you so fucking bad right now.”
I slid further back onto the bed. “I’d say that’s a good combination.”
Slowly, he crept over the bed and hovered over me, straddling my body. “What do you say we bring in the New Year the right way?” He took off his shirt and tossed it onto the floor.
My whole body shivered, and my insides clenched. Grabbing his face, I pulled him down, sucking his bottom lip between my teeth. A low growl erupted from his chest and I chuckled. “I’m ready if you are.”
He glanced down at his arousal which pushed against his zipper. “Oh, baby, I’m ready.” He went directly to unbuttoning my jeans. As soon as he was done, we worked together to push them down enough to where I could kick them off.
Crawling backward, he caressed his fingers down my legs until he was completely off the bed. Never taking his gaze off mine, he unbuttoned his pants, letting them fall to the floor. His cock bulged behind his boxers and I bit my lip as he rubbed his arousal through the material. Slowly, he slid his boxers down and smirked as he gave himself a few pumps up and down this length. He watched me watch him, and it was the single most erotic thing I’d ever seen.
“Come here.” I called out, touching myself over my wet panties, needing him now.
Lucas wasted no time and crawled on the bed. I slid my underwear off and threw it across the room, opening wide for him. His tongue trailed up my inner thigh and passed over my clit with one quick flick. My body jerked at the feel of his breath, and he let out a moan that made my toes curl. It was so hot hearing his satisfaction.
Delving deep, he buried his tongue inside me and swirled it around, fucking me. His tongue was so warm and needy, it drove me to the edge. My clit ached for release and when he pulled his tongue out, he sucked on it. My body exploded. Fisting my hands in his dark hair, I screamed out my pleasure. He slowed his pace and lazily licked me as my body shook, tasting my desire for him.
When I looked down, his gray eyes blazed with an intensity that made me tremble. I’d never seen anyone stare at me like that. It was kind of scary, but in a good, primal way . . . almost possessively.
Covering me with his body, he closed his lips over mine, then pulled back. “You are so fucking sexy,” he murmured low. “I love being able to make love to you every night.” He brushed my hair to the side, and gently kissed my neck. “But first, there’s something I want to ask you.”
My breath hitched, and I froze. Thoughts of him proposing ran all through my mind. “Yes?” I replied, feeling my heart race.
He nipped my ear. “I want you to be by my side at the Masters.”
My heart dropped, and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “Of course, I’ll be with you. It’s a big deal. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
He shook his head. “No, I know you’ll be there, but I want you by my side through the entire thing.” Taking my hand, he kissed my palm. “You’re my good luck charm. I need you with me.”
At first, I didn’t realize what he was asking, until it hit me. “Oh, my God, you want me on the course with you?” Nodding, his eyes sparkled. I’d seen it a few times on television, where the pros had their significant others as their caddies. “What about Aiden? He’s going to want to be there with you.”
He caressed my cheek. “He’ll understand. I want you with me.” His lips gently touched mine. “Please say yes.”
It was an honor I couldn’t refuse. “Yes,” I breathed. “I’ll be happy to.”
Epilogue
Ashley
The time had finally come. I’d never played at the Augusta National Golf Club, but it was breathtaking. The grass was greener than emeralds, and the fairways were vibrant with color. We’d spent the prior week in Augusta, so Lucas could practice on the course. I’d met most of the other pros by that point, and I knew it was going to be an interesting tournament.
So far, Lucas had taken the lead in the first and third rounds, but not by much. Overall, he was tied with two other players. Lucas seemed so calm and collected as he teed up for the first hole. I was the one with a racing heart, feeling as if I would pass out. The cameras had followed us around so much the past week, my face had been plastered everywhere. It was strange and a little unnerving at first, but I’d gotten so used to it I was at the point now where I could pretend they weren’t even there.
Lucas stepped back from the tee and smiled at me. There were people everywhere watching, but they were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Wish me luck, sunshine.”
I shook my head. “You don’t need luck. You got this. Hit toward the middle, maybe even a little to the right to avoid the trees on the left. You did it perfectly yesterday.”
He kissed me, and a few snickers erupted from the crowd. “Got it.”
Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the way, knowing my cheeks were flaming red. The first hole was a par four, with a row of trees to the left and a large sand bunker to the right. Lucas lined up with the ball and swung. It went straight toward the middle of the fairway and curved at the end. Landing right by the sand bunker, it left him a perfect pathway to the green.
I wanted to squeal with excitement, but I had to contain myself. It was the hardest part about being his caddie. Grinning wide, Lucas handed me his driver and I put it back in his bag. “How was that?” he asked, knowing
very well it was perfect.
I giggled. “All right, don’t get cocky on me. You still have seventeen more holes.”
He nodded, his gaze serious. “I know. I’m just nervous as hell.” I knew he wanted to win, so he could join his father as one of the Masters’ champions. It was a great honor to wear that green coat at the end.
We walked down to his ball and I handed him his nine iron. He lined up perfectly with the green, and the ball landed five feet away from the hole. If he could do that with all the holes, I had no doubt he’d win.
Once he birdied the first hole, it was a battle to the end. Being neck and neck with Jordan Fowler didn’t help matters. He was a nice guy and had joined us for several drinks over the past couple of days, but he was there to win.
The eighteenth hole had come upon us, and both Jordan and Lucas were three strokes under par. It was one of the most famous finishing holes in golf. Jordan teed off first, and his ball went to the middle but then turned right, landing him right in the middle of a line of trees.
I handed Lucas his driver. This hole was his nemesis, and obviously, Jordan’s as well. Maybe it was because it was the last hole and it would determine the win. I wasn’t the one playing, and I still felt the pressure.
“Any advice?” Lucas asked, focusing on the fairway.
I placed a hand on his arm. “Yeah, don’t stress. This hole has been psyching you out all week. I’ve never seen you so nervous before.”
His gaze met mine and he smiled. “Are you still going to love me if I lose?”
“Always.”
He kissed me again. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
Confidence radiated from him and it was a welcome sight. He hit the ball and it went straight to the middle and past the huge bunkers on the left. It had gone farther than Jordan’s ball, but with his position, he had a sand bunker in front of the green and one behind it. He had to hit it just right for it not to go into either one.