Suddenly feeling exposed, he thought of all the different ways to take her. “Want to move this to the shower?” he asked.
“I’m comfortable right here,” she said, letting go of him.
“Seriously, I have this vision of you on that seat, sucking me off while I—”
“Lennon, stay here with me,” she whispered, grabbing his wrist and stopping his movements within her. “Make love to me, please.”
He ran his hand across his face, the scent of her on his fingers doing nothing to ease the flutters of panic. “I’m worried.”
“I know you are,” Georgia said. She pushed herself to sit upright, her legs either side of his knees. “Why?”
“I guess it’s the meeting with your brother.”
“You think he’s going to offer me a job?” She pressed her palm to his cheek, and he allowed himself to lean into it, to allow himself the comfort from another person he’d once been unable to take. In the steps and moments of his life, it was definitely progress.
“I do.”
Georgia climbed up onto his lap, her legs over his thighs. He placed his arms around her waist, wishing he’d thought to put on a prosthetic. He could hold her better with one on.
“Let’s say he does. Let’s imagine the worst outcome of breakfast is that he offers me a spot. What do you think will happen?”
Lennon studied her sincere coffee-colored eyes. “That you take it.”
Georgia shrugged. “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. But I won’t do anything without talking it through with you. I can’t guarantee that my career is never going to take me away from Toronto. But I will guarantee that we’ll figure it out together.”
It had been two years since she’d finally moved to Toronto to be with him. Her job at Sick Kids Children’s Hospital was vitally important to her. More than that, it was a part of her, just like music was a part of him. She couldn’t live without it. He knew that. And he was a different man to the man he had been two years ago. That man had finally opened himself up to the idea he was worth loving, and he’d wanted to be surrounded by the men he loved most while he figured that out.
But now…
Now, he understood his worth. That he was worth loving, that he was worth listening to, that he was worth the commitments of friendship and love in all its forms.
He sighed and allowed the tension that had been building in his shoulders to drop. “You’re right.” He kissed her chastely. “I’d support you, you know. If it was a job-of-a-lifetime offer.”
Georgia smiled. “Thank you. And I love you for saying that. My career is so very important to me, Lennon. It’s a part of the way I define myself. It’s the reason I had my eggs frozen last year, just in case the clock runs out before we decide if we are ever ready for kids. But you…” Her eyes misted over. “You are my reason for being, Lennon. If I had to choose between my career and you again, I’d pick you a thousand times over.”
Lennon felt the sting of unfamiliar emotions, a sensation he struggled with despite years of therapy. Instead of finding the words, he lay her back down on the bed and kissed her in a way he hoped conveyed the wordless emotions he struggled to express.
Her hands came around his back as she moved against him, and this time he lifted his hips and eased into her, inch by inch. Goddamn, if being inside her wasn’t the best place on the fucking planet. He wanted to stay here, deep inside her where the world didn’t matter, his past didn’t count for shit, where he was loved for every imperfect part of his being.
She moved against him and he rolled them onto their sides, his arms around her, holding her pressed tightly against him. They could barely move, apart from their hips that moved slowly and oh-so-fucking-deeply against each other.
He barely withdrew, maybe halfway, keeping Georgia on edge and filled.
“Lennon,” Georgia gasped against his lips as she ground against him.
“I know, Babe. I love feeling this… connected.” God, he was so deep, as deep as he could get. And it still wasn’t enough. He pulled back an inch and pushed home again, savoring the way his body felt as it collided with hers.
He gripped her ass, pinning her in place, opening her to him.
Her wide eyes locked on him, her pupils dilated, lashes fluttering. “Mmm,” she moaned. “It feels so good.” She pressed a series of kisses to his neck, to his jaw, to his throat where it felt as though it were stuffed with cotton wool. He couldn’t speak. He had no words or music or rhythm to describe the way his world fell into place in moments like this. To the peaceful silence of his mind, to the way his heart literally expanded from the love flowing through it, so much so it felt as though it were likely to explode.
Gia was so wet for him, easing his shallow movements as he stayed so deep within her, his dick clambering for release. But he needed a few precious moments longer, a few precious moments where it was just him and Gia.
“I love you,” she whispered, running a hand through his hair the way he liked.
The words reached him, ricocheted around his brain. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that,” he gasped, increasing his pace to match hers, thrust for thrust.
Gia’s mouth met his, an opened mouth kiss that was more about connection than movement. “Lennon.” The word came out on a gasp as her hands moved to his ass, her short nails digging in as he drove in harder. “Lennon, please,” she begged, the sound reaching his soul. Only he could give her what she needed.
His thrusts became hard and forceful, deep and frantic.
“Yes,” Georgia cried. She placed her hands on either side of his face, her eyes bright and open and focused on him. Despite the fact his own orgasm was bearing down his spine, he stayed with her, his gaze holding hers as she came, shuddering against him. It was enough to tip him over the edge, and as she gasped for air against him, he came in forceful spurts inside her.
“I love… you… too,” he gasped as he rode out the waves of ecstatic pleasure.
Eventually, his movements slowed and then stopped, leaving them wrapped in each other’s arms. All that was left was a calm that soothed his body and soul like a balm.
Georgia’s fingers ran along his sensitive skin, a steady caress that prolonged the peace.
“Thank you,” Georgia whispered against the crook of his neck.
He pressed a kiss to the side of her face, unable to find words.
An hour later, Lennon found himself seated across from Randall. Being a petty asshole, Lennon had still not forgiven Randall for the way he had stood beside his father instead of with Georgia when their father had sued her over the rights to her grandfather’s New York apartment.
Gia took the seat next to him but didn’t open the menu.
Randall straightened the collar of his preppy short-sleeved shirt. “Merry Christmas, you two.”
“Thanks, and to you. Where are Meredith and the kids? We brought their gifts,” Gia said.
Randall shrugged, and something about the action made Lennon uncomfortable. “I figured we could talk first.”
Lennon leaned forward. “About what?”
“I want to offer Georgia the Head of Neurology position I currently hold. I want you to replace me.”
Lennon’s stomach dropped, but Gia immediately placed her hand on his thigh, soothing him.
“What are the terms?” Gia asked. Randall grinned as if he saw something positive in her answer, but Lennon knew Georgia well enough to notice the slight shift in her posture. Her back was now perfectly straight. And she brushed her hair off her shoulders so it fell straight down her back like a waterfall, something she did when she was about to argue with him.
They listened as Randall reeled off a whole list of perks that beat her current position at Sick Kids. But the way Gia kept moving her jaw from side to side, ever so slightly, told Lennon everything he needed to know.
She wasn’t moving… He just didn’t know why not. Yet.
“That sounds impressive, doesn’t it, Babe?” He turned to look a
t her and grinned. When she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes, he could tell she was up to something.
“It does, doesn’t it?” she said. “Almost too impressive. What’s the catch?”
Randall shook his head. “Catch?”
Lennon raised an eyebrow. On a scale of one to what-the-fuck-was-Gia-doing, he had no clue what she was up to.
Gia sighed and reached for Lennon’s hand beneath the white tablecloth of the restaurant. “I already know you’ve been tasked with finding your own replacement. I happen to know that you contacted one of my former colleagues for the role before me. So, why me? I’m definitely not your first choice.”
Randall leaned forward. “Honestly, you are really a year or two away from this job.”
Lennon coughed. “No, she’s not.”
Randall glared in his direction. “Because the drummer knows brain surgery.”
Lennon laughed, clearly the opposite reaction to what Randall wanted. “I know fuck all about brain surgery. But I know how good Gia is at what she does.”
“Boys,” Gia said, as the neighboring table looked over.
“What’s the catch?” Lennon asked.
Randall sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I’ve been offered a bigger role in New York. I’m willing to recommend you take my place in Atlanta, if you sell me the apartment in New York for fifteen million.”
“It’s worth at least twenty, and not for sale,” Lennon said.
“Neither am I. He knows it’s worth twenty. The five million discount is payment for fast-forwarding my career a couple of years,” Gia said. “I’m not going to buy my way into your job, Randall. And please, don’t even pretend to me that you want to live in the apartment. You complained about how cold it got in winter and hated the greenhouse. I’m sure this is a scheme by Dad to get his hands on it. You buy it for fifteen from me, he buys it for twenty from you. That’s how you get the five million out.”
Lennon could see the moment Randall realized how badly he’d misplayed the situation. “Gia. I’m not trying to buy you. And, Dad…he—”
“Stop.” Gia stood and Lennon immediately stood with her. “I’d love to see my nephews. I want to be a part of their lives. But I don’t know how to do that if it means I have to be around you. Good luck with the move to New York.”
Lennon followed her but then turned to face Randall. “My sister died when I was young, and I would give my other arm for her to still be a part of my life. Your sister is the most incredible woman, surgeon, lover, and sister-in-law to my brothers, and yet all you want to do is take advantage of her, belittle her, and force her out of your life. You think you’ve won, you and Ezra and your dad. But you’ve lost. Because you don’t have her anymore. We do. My family does. We’re the fucking lucky ones because we get to spend time in her presence. So, merry fucking Christmas, Randall. The best Christmas gift I’ll ever get just turned her back on you and walked out the door.”
He patted Randall on his shoulder twice and then left to find Gia. She was seated on a low wall outside the restaurant, her gold skirt skimming her calves as she twirled her sunglasses in her fingers.
Lennon sat down next to her.
“Is he bleeding?” Gia asked, glancing over at him.
Lennon shook his head. “Remarkably, no. I think my days of laying out people who piss me off have passed. I’m going to be a motherfucking paragon of sage wisdom from now on.”
Gia laughed, just as he’d intended. “It’s nine o’clock. I’m hungry for breakfast. And I want to see our real family.”
Lennon pulled out his phone and called up Nik’s number. When he answered, Lennon could hear the squeals of excitement of the boys and it made him grin, made him think back to their Christmas morning breakfasts with Ellen and Maisie when they were kids.
“Lennon, Merry Christmas. What do you need?”
“Merry Christmas, Brother. Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?”
“No. Jenny was just about to get on ordering it.”
Lennon pressed a quick kiss to Gia’s cheek. “Can me and Gia come over and join you?”
“Of course. Elliott’s lot is coming, too. Pajamas only, though.”
Lennon grinned. “We’ll be there.” He hung up the phone. “Want to go get changed into pajamas?”
Gia stood. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”
He slid his arms around her. “He might treat you as a disposable asset,” he whispered against her ear, “but to me, you are the fucking sun and the moon. You’re Dave Brubeck jazz on a Sunday afternoon, and bonsais in a greenhouse, and my literal left arm.”
Georgia relaxed against him. “Don’t be too nice to me, Lennon.”
“Want to skip breakfast and let me show you how nice I can be to you?”
Gia laughed softly. “As tempting as that sounds, I need noise and chaos and kids covered in chocolate… And then a wedding. Because all of those things are family.” Her stomach rumbled. “And food.”
Lennon signaled the valet to get them a cab. “Then, that’s what we’ll do.”
He took her hand and helped her into the cab before walking to the other side to seat himself. Gia leaned her head against him. “Am I really your sun and moon?”
“Yeah, Babe,” he said, placing a kiss on top of her head. “You’re my fucking everything.”
9
“More champagne?”
Lia held her glass towards Harper and let her fill it. Her condo was a hive of the girliest activities. The scent of nails getting done and the sound of the hairdryer and chit chat made her heart soar. Getting married at four in the afternoon on Christmas Day would be some people’s idea of a nightmare. When she and Reid had picked the date and time, they’d half expected people to bail.
But they hadn’t.
There hadn’t been a single decline on the wedding invite. And given the wedding meal was a full-blown Christmas dinner, meaning nobody had to worry about their turkey and trimmings, everybody won.
Drea was the first to slip into her dress, the warm ivory silk complementing her tan skin. Harper was still in the red silk robe Lia had provided for all the bridesmaids. Pixie was just finishing up getting her nails done, while Petal hurtled around the spacious penthouse on a bright red scooter that Jordan had gotten her for Christmas.
“Auntie Lia,” Petal said, as she came to a stop in front of her. “Do I get to keep this robe?” She ran her hand down the miniature red silk robe Lia had gotten for the little girl she considered her niece.
“Yes, you do. And the dress I got you for last night, and tonight.”
Petal smiled brightly, and then almost as quickly frowned. “I’m so sorry I made a mess of my shoes last night.”
Lia placed her hand to her heart. The thirty minutes she’d been missing had been the most agonizing of her life. “I know you are, Sweetie. But you learned a really important lesson though, right?”
“I can’t run off without telling a grown-up where I am going.”
“That’s right. Now, it’s probably time to get our dresses on. What do you think? Do you think you could go and get dressed?”
“YES!” Petal threw down her scooter and ran toward the bedroom that used to be Pixie’s room before she moved out. All the dresses, with the exception of Lia’s, were in there.
Lia wandered into the bedroom and released her dress from its many layers of wrapping.
“Are you ready to put it on?” Pixie said, following Lia into the room. “Petal wants Harper to help her put her dress on, so I’m redundant.”
Lia grinned. “You are doing good with her, Pix. So very good.”
Pixie smiled. “I honestly didn’t know whether I’d make a good mom or not. It’s not like I had a great role model.”
“But you’ve always cared. You’ve cared for us, making us those magic potions you always do when we are sick. You care for Trent and Cujo and have been loyal as hell to them and the studio. Why on earth would you think you wouldn’t be able to
bring those natural talents you have to children?”
Pixie ran her fingers over the deep-red wedding dress she’d spent hundreds of hours sewing. “When you put it that way…”
“I miss you,” Lia said, letting honesty bleed through. “I know we chat all the time, but this, you and me in the same space, it’s everything. It’s not the same to see you over a video.”
“Dred and I talked about the same thing last night. Being back here for this made me realize all the small moments I’m missing. I’m going to miss Trent taking Travis to his first softball game. I miss barbecues in Cujo’s yard. I miss time with you sipping whiskey and just talking. Your friendships are all continuing on, and I’m missing out. I’m homesick.”
Lia pulled her best friend into a hug. “I know. But I also understand why you need to be there.”
Pixie squeezed her friend in return before stepping back. “Me, too. But I also need to be here. We agreed that in the New Year, we’ll try and plan longer trips than quick long weekend visits. Make more use of our apartment downstairs. Perhaps sometimes I’ll fly down on my own when Dred is away. I kinda got used to staying put in Toronto because it seemed easier than traveling with two kids and all the shit I need for work, but I can make and design clothing anywhere and I’ll hire a full-time manager for the factory so production doesn’t stop while I’m away.”
“Well, that makes me happy, too. Will Jordan be okay with that?” She knew about Jordan’s need for order, of knowing where everybody is.
“I think so. He does so much better now. And I also think he’ll be distracted because Lexi is pregnant. Anyway, I need to give it a shot for me.”
“Good,” Lia said, relieved she’d get to see more of her friend. “Because I think I am going to be a terrible wife. Honestly, I don’t know why Reid picked me for the job.”
Pixie eyed her carefully. “Are you messing with me? You’re going to be an awesome wife.”
Lia slipped her robe off. “No. I have zero wife skills. No, wait. I’m great in bed and Reid can’t get enough of this, but I’m a terrible cook.”
Pixie began to open the buttons down the back of the dress. The beaded bodice with cap sleeves had sixty-eight buttons down the back. It was a good job she’d just had indestructible nails put on. “Do you still keep your off-season sweaters in the oven?”
The Sweetest Gift: A Second Circle Tattoos/Preload Crossover Novella Page 9