by Layla Hagen
“Hard to miss it.”
“I love you so much, Liam.”
His shoulders dropped a little, as if tension just left them.
I poked them. “What’s this? You’re surprised too?”
He tilted his head with the cutest grin, saying, “I’m just fucking happy.”
I jumped him the next second, because why not put all this extra energy to good use?
He stumbled for a brief moment before regaining his balance. His hands went under my ass, and he carried me to the counter.
As soon as I was sitting on it, he took control of the kiss, deepening it until I gasped for breath. I was shaking slightly from his actions.
“You’re the most amazing woman, Tess. Warm and funny, and so damn caring that it brings me to my knees. Thank you for wanting to bring Gran with us.”
“You think she’ll want to go?” I asked.
“Let’s find out.”
Ellen was so ecstatic that she was ready to leave within fifteen minutes. She was certainly fast for her age, and she claimed the knee injury was actually slowing her down. We chugged our cognac right before heading out the door. Liam and I had initially planned to take a train to Brooklyn to avoid traffic, but we just missed it.
Our little episode in the kitchen had sidetracked us, but it was totally worth it.
He loves me!
I was floating on a cloud so high that I could tolerate even the traffic in this city with a smile on my face.
Uber had no cars available, but Liam flagged down a yellow cab, and the three of us slid in the back seat. I was in the middle, a bit squished from both sides, but I really didn’t mind.
I was still floating on my amazing cloud when I realized this was the first time Liam was meeting my brothers and Hunter. I told them more about him when we’d finally gotten around to having lunch together, but meeting him was different.
“Ummm...I forgot to tell you. All the male members in my family are going to pay extra attention to you. They might be a bit intense, but it’s just because they don’t know you.”
“I know Ryker,” Liam said, taken aback. “I’ve met him at a few industry events.”
“You know Ryker the investment banker, not Ryker the brother. Big difference.”
Liam cocked a brow, like he didn’t quite believe me.
Ellen nudged me with her elbow. “Full of himself, this one. Always been like this. Can’t wait to see your brothers in action.”
“I really like you, Ellen.”
She struck me as really lonely, and I immediately resolved to ask Mom to invite Ellen over often.
“Don’t you two band against me,” Liam warned.
To say Mom’s place was packed was an understatement. The whole family was there. But honestly, I loved that we were all crammed in here. No matter where you were in the apartment, you could just hear everyone’s laughter and joy. The place smelled delicious, of roasting turkey, baked apple and cinnamon, and even hot chocolate.
Isabelle, Dylan, and Ian were here too. Mom and her husband, Mick, were the first to notice us, and they immediately came to greet us.
“Liam, so happy to finally meet you. And Ellen, so delighted you could come,” Mom said.
Mick shook hands with Liam and kissed Ellen’s hand.
“Thank you for opening your home to me on such short notice,” Ellen said.
Mick nodded. “It’s our pleasure.”
Mom waved her hand. “We love big gatherings, though this place is bursting at the seams. Know that you’re always welcome here.”
While she showed Ellen and Liam where to put their coats, I caught Isabelle’s eye and waved at her. She immediately hurried over to us, checking out Liam appreciatively.
“Liam, this is Isabelle, my cousin’s sister-in-law and one of my favorite people.”
“Nice to meet you, Liam. Thanks for making my girl so happy and being such a sight for sore eyes. When I looked you up online, I rated you ten out of ten, but in real life, you’re like twenty out of ten.”
Liam’s eyes bulged, and I laughed. I was used to Isabelle’s balls-to-the-wall ways and sometimes forgot that others weren’t.
“I just have to make sure my brothers don’t scare him away. Then I’ll get on with Operation Dylan,” I whispered to Isabelle once Mom had Liam and Ellen engaged in conversation. We weren’t even out of earshot, but the constant chatter was loud enough to cover my whisper.
She grimaced. “Right... You know what? I think that can wait. I totally forgot that hottie here might get eaten alive.”
“I heard that,” Liam said, turning around.
I blushed. Isabelle held her chin high. “And yet you’re not cowering or even hesitating. Hmmm...can’t decide if you’re exceptionally brave or clueless.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Liam said, full of cocky swagger.
Aww, I loved him so much.
The chatter quieted down as we entered the living room.
My brothers, and even my cousin, were a bit of a wild card when it came to this. They were all welcoming with Rob, though they might have given him the talk behind Skye’s and my back. That was always a possibility.
“Liam, good to see you, man,” Ryker said, clapping one hand on his back.
Cole shook Liam’s hand, and then Hunter did the same. I was eyeing the two closely, trying to gauge their thoughts, but it was impossible. When had they perfected their poker faces?
At any rate, they were silent, which I took as a good sign. Neither of them was glaring at my boyfriend—also a good sign.
“The turkey’s going to be ready in about half an hour,” Mom announced from the other side of the room. “In case anyone’s hungry already, there are some snacks on the table.”
I wasn’t hungry, but I was so looking forward to Mom’s cheese crates. They were my favorites. I headed straight to the table, along with Avery, Ryker and Heather’s daughter. She and I had similar taste in food.
“How are you, Avery?”
“I’m so excited about my sister. I can’t wait to meet her.” Avery motioned to the couch, where a visibly pregnant Heather was sitting, hands crossed over her belly.
I winked at Avery. “I was very excited too when I was waiting for my siblings to be born.”
She loaded her plate with a dozen crackers.
“You’re going to eat all those cheese crackers by yourself?” I asked, not wanting her to get sick or ruin her dinner.
“No. I’m taking them to Mommy. If she eats a lot, maybe my sister will grow faster and come out sooner. She won’t fit anymore.”
Avery’s tone was very serious. Clearly, she’d given this a lot of thought, and I was fighting laughter with all I had.
When she ran toward Heather, I put two crackers on my own plate. Mom had this amazing recipe where she mixed raisins, almonds, and three types of cheese. I hummed on my first bite. It was just as delicious as I remembered. As soon as I swallowed it down, I became aware that Liam wasn’t next to me.
Turning around, I saw him surrounded by my brothers and Hunter, who seemed very chatty. Really? They’d been waiting for me to leave?
Mick came up to me, taking a few crackers for himself and laughing when he saw me watching the guys.
“It’s just a sign that they take him seriously,” he said. “After all, they gave me the talk too when I first started dating Amelia.”
“Yeah, but I think I’m gonna go play referee anyway.”
With a sigh, I put down my plate, tiptoeing toward the group. I was hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation before they noticed me.
No such luck.
“Tess is behind you,” Ryker told Cole.
I rolled my eyes, putting my hands on my hips. “Really? What is this?”
“We’re just getting to know Liam better,” Cole said nonchalantly.
“And I can’t hear that conversation?” I challenged.
“Well, you can. But then you might kick our ass,” Hunter said.
&nbs
p; I glared at him. “I might do it anyway. Just for fun.”
Ryker winked. “Well, I think we’re about done anyway.”
I looked at Liam, noticing the corners of his mouth tilted up in a smile.
“Really? You didn’t sound done to me. Tess, I think they’re just waiting for you to leave again. They were just explaining to me all the ways they’ll make me pay if I mess up,” he said casually.
I ran a hand through my hair, at a loss for words. My brothers seemed proud of themselves, as did Hunter.
Behind us, someone chuckled. Dylan. He, Ian, and Isabelle were just one foot behind me and had clearly heard everything.
“You guys gave him the talk and he’s not even a little worried? You’re losing your touch,” Ian said.
“Oh no, no. We’ve got enough with Hunter, Cole, and Ryker on his case. No one needs more testosterone,” Isabelle declared.
Ian smirked. “Want us to keep it all for the next guy you introduce to us?”
Dylan grinned. “You don’t want to bottle up the testosterone, Sis.”
Isabelle gave me an apologetic nod. “Sorry. If I’d known they were going to misbehave, I wouldn’t have brought them. Liam, these are my brothers. Don’t pay them attention. They’re all talk, no bite.”
“Is that why you never introduce us to any guy you’re dating?” Dylan replied.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest.”
“No, I’m quite enjoying it,” Liam said. “The first few times I spoke with Tess, she roasted my ass. I respect that trait. Now I see it runs in the family. Even the extended one.”
Oh wow. I could see my family’s acceptance for him skyrocketing.
Dylan whistled. “Liam, I think you’re okay.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Mom spoke loudly. “Okay, everyone, sit at the table, please. The turkey’s been resting enough. It’ll get cold otherwise.”
There was a lot of noise in the room as everyone headed to the table and pulled out chairs. I made sure Ellen sat between Mom and Liam.
I loaded my plate with a bit of turkey and a lot of cinnamon rice. Mom had experimented one year with half a dozen side dishes, and the rice had won by a decent margin. It was a staple in her Thanksgiving dinners ever since.
Hunter was pouring everyone drinks, except for Josie and Heather, who were sticking with water. I smiled to myself, feeling on pins and needles. Maybe they’d announce the pregnancy today. This was very usual in our family, waiting for the gang to be gathered for spilling important news.
As we all ate, I kept glancing around the table, listening to bits and pieces of conversation. Cole, Laney, and I spoke quite a bit about the wedding. The planner had finally sent decent proposals for the shabby chic theme, and they’d decided on a location. It was a gorgeous restaurant in a nineteenth-century mansion just outside New York.
Afterward, I turned my attention to the rest of the group.
My goal was simple: check how everyone was doing. I knew I couldn’t solve anyone’s problems, of course, but I was very good at listening and also at improving people’s mood.
Half an hour later, I was happy to report that no one was in trouble. Heather was a little tired due to the pregnancy but otherwise perfectly healthy. Ryker seemed to be even more attentive to her than usual, which made my heart happy. He’d always been so adamant that he wanted to be a bachelor for life.
I caught Liam’s eye. I sensed he’d been watching me for a while.
“What?” I whispered.
“You’re adorable, checking in on everyone like this.”
My cheeks heated and I shrugged. “I always do this.”
He nodded, squeezing my hand under the table as everyone was going for seconds. I would have done the same, but I was already full when we left Ellen’s place. I still wanted to save room for Mom’s trademark Thanksgiving pie—a unique mix of pecans, honey, apple, and pumpkin. Also, I couldn’t wait to drink punch. The scents wafting from the kitchen were strong and delicious, but we all knew better than to drink before dinner. Mom’s punch was strong enough to get drunk on half a cup.
“Mom, I always forget how good your Thanksgiving pie is,” Cole exclaimed a while later, when we were all indulging in the dessert.
“And the punch,” I added with a wink.
Hunter cleared his throat. “Since we’re all here, Josie and I have an announcement to make.”
Yes! I pressed my lips together, determined not to give them away.
The table was silent as Josie spoke. “I’m pregnant. We’ve known for a while but wanted to wait for the first three months to pass before telling you.”
She didn’t get to say anything more because everyone jumped to congratulate them. I caught Mom’s eye across the table. She didn’t seem surprised. Perhaps they told her, or she guessed, just like me. Ian and Dylan looked particularly pleased as they hugged their sister.
“Now we have an even better reason to finalize the move,” Dylan said.
Isabelle clutched at her chest. “You mean Josie and I weren’t enough?”
Ian winked at her. “Not at all, Sis. Just that we’re extra motivated to not drag this out too long.”
“Amelia, looks like your table is going to be even fuller next year,” Ellen exclaimed.
Mom beamed at her. “The more the merrier.”
“You’re lucky. I’ve been waiting for great-grandkids forever.”
It took me a second to realize she was speaking about Liam. The tips of my ears felt hot. Liam looked at his grandmother as if he was seeing her for the first time.
“Okay, okay. I’m behaving,” Ellen said with a grin that clearly indicated she planned to do no such thing. Then she leaned closer to Amelia and whispered for the whole table to hear, “They’re so adorable, the both of them. They’ll make beautiful babies.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Liam
“This was amazing,” Tess said once we entered my apartment. It was very late at night. We’d just dropped off Gran before coming here. “And Ellen had a great time, don’t you think?”
It was endearing how much she cared for everyone’s happiness.
I took off my coat before helping her out of hers. I removed it slowly, lingering with my fingers on her arms until I felt her shudder.
“She had a great time,” I assured her, hanging up the coats. Then I placed my hands on her shoulders, turning her around until we were face-to-face.
“I’m sure she’s going to ask Mick and Amelia to go to her place for a round of chess sometime soon. Discuss everything from more dinners together to what their grandkids will look like.”
Fuck, where had that come from? I’d certainly not intended to say it, and from Tess’s wide eyes, she hadn’t expected to hear it.
She was blushing, just like she’d done at dinner, but she wasn’t pulling back or dismissing my words. My whole body relaxed. I wanted Tess in my life, always and forever. It had never been as clear as it was now.
“I love you, Tess.” I drew my fingers over her jaw before skimming my thumb over her lips.
She smiled, clasping her fingers around my wrist before bringing my hand up her cheek and planting a quick kiss on the heel of my palm.
I moved my other hand to her neck. Her pulse quickened. Her eyes were full of emotions.
“You’ve given this a lot of thought, hmm?” she whispered.
“Not before today,” I admitted. “But now I do have some very specific thoughts.”
Her smile turned into a grin. “Care to share them?”
“No. Don’t want to scare you away.” I was semiserious.
“That specific, huh?”
“Actually, yes.”
I’d only fleetingly thought about having a family years ago before dismissing the idea. But even then, it had been a loose sketch, more of an idea, so very different from now.
“By the way, why didn’t you warn me about the call with your parents?”
“I forgot to tell you,
sorry. But as you saw, it wasn’t that involved.”
“True.”
“Before I met you, it didn’t bother me as much. But now...I mean, I can’t change them. But you and I can build the life we want. Together.”
I could visualize our lives together in scarily accurate detail. How we’d both have busy but satisfying weeks, weekends full of laughter, games, and fun. How she’d insist on Tess-like things like making jam on specific days, and I’d try my best at being a good husband. A good dad. I thought I’d make a great one with Tess at my side.
It was a vivid image that seemed to paint itself on its own. I couldn’t exactly describe it, because it was more of a feeling...but I could show her just how much she meant to me.
Cupping the back of her head, I kissed her deep and so slow that I was aware of every breath she took, every moan that escaped her. I was drinking it all in. I kissed her until her body started shaking slightly. When she began tugging at her sweater, as if she couldn’t stand having clothes on any longer, I nearly lost my mind. Gripping her hips, I pinned her against the nearest wall, wanting more leverage. I got rid of her jeans. She was wearing stockings. Fuck, now I really was losing my mind. She looked at me through hooded eyelids, smiling happily.
“Come on, move it farther up.” Her voice was seductive, and I realized she was holding back more than stockings.
I lifted her sweater up to her waist, sucking in a deep breath. Tess was wearing a lace bodice, connected to the stockings by thin straps running down each thigh. She was so damn sexy that I couldn’t stop staring. I wanted to touch every part of her at once and didn’t know where to start. Getting rid of her sweater was a sound decision, so I did. Her bodice went up to her breasts but was strapless and had buttons down the middle.
I was the luckiest man alive.
I traced the contour of her upper breasts, just where the fabric ended, while parting her thighs with my knee. She closed her eyes, swallowing hard while I undid the first button and then the next one. I didn’t stop until I undid all of them. It didn’t fall to the floor but hung to her curves, taunting me. She opened her eyes, placing both hands on my shoulders and pulling me toward her. She initiated the kiss at the same time I touched between her thighs over the fabric of her lingerie. I groaned at how wet she was. She moaned while I slowly rubbed two fingers over the fabric, back and forth, until she couldn’t kiss me anymore because she was panting. Her legs were shaky. I skimmed my other hand around the straps and then the clips that connected the bodice to the stockings.