The one thing all of them had in common was a deep and abiding love for music. Lila and Zoe might not have started out that way, but being around all of them had converted them. Besides, Nick and Simon were much like a tsunami when it came to forcing their will on others.
She knew it all too well.
Simon slowly danced her out of the kitchen and into the living room where Ian and Zoe were cuddled up on the couch. Nick was slow dancing with Lila. They were a fairly private couple about most things, but Elvis’s caramel voice could lure anyone into a slow dance. Especially his slower Christmas songs.
“Did you find the Christmas channel on XM or something?” Margo looked up at Simon, who was grinning down at her as he sang along with Kelly Clarkson. “And do you know every song?”
He shrugged. “You should know better than to question my musical catalog, Violin Girl.”
“What was I thinking?”
Simon twirled her lightly and settled her in the big rocking chair—the only one she was comfortable in. Then he dragged Zoe off the couch and twirled her around the room in a dizzying bastardized swing dance.
Ian watched with two parts jealousy and three parts happiness. It had been an excruciating road to get the men to be able to be in the same room together again. The first time around had been hard enough, but after what their mother had put them through, it definitely hadn’t been the easiest of transitions into a sibling relationship. And if not for Ian’s patience, it probably wouldn’t have happened.
Her husband wasn’t an easy man when he was hurt.
Both of the Kagan boys felt everything hugely. They also protected their hearts with barbed wire, sarcasm, and insults. But when they loved, they loved with everything. She wasn’t sure if it was in their DNA or just that both she and Zoe were incredibly lucky, but damn if they both wouldn’t make amazing fathers.
Annoying ones too, but the amazing would outweigh the rest.
A blast of warm air knocked the shutters wide open and a pile of books toppled from the shelf under the window.
The music stopped and Nick and Ian rushed for the shutters. Ian locked them and Simon hovered over Margo.
“I’m fine.”
Nick’s jaw clenched. “That wind is really kicking up.” He dug his phone out of his pocket, seemed to check an app or two, then tossed a worried glance at Lila. “Hurricane Bertha? Really?”
She crossed the room to him and plucked the phone out of his hand to read it. “It’s still in warning status, Nicholas.”
Simon exhaled. “The church and our additions were built very well to withstand this sort of thing. Top of the line in all ways.”
The Christmas radio station came back online and Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen sounded unnaturally loud after the quick knock from Mother Nature.
The song transitioned into an old orchestral Christmas song. Only not the sweet and sentimental type, but the hair metal band version. Simon went over to the piano and tapped out a few keystrokes in the song.
Margo smiled as he slowly picked out more notes as if by an old memory. He’d had the same focus when it came to improving on the guitar. Nick and Gray were the superior guitarists in the band, but Simon had a deep and abiding love for his instrument. He just had to practice a little more than the others in Oblivion.
However, the piano wasn’t something he jumped on all that often. She played piano as well as her strings, but occasionally, Simon could still surprise her.
She nodded at Zoe. “Can you hand me my violin behind you?”
Zoe hopped up off the couch. “Really? You’re going to play?” She pulled out the case from under the end table, then handed it to Margo.
Luckily, she’d just tuned it that morning when she practiced. Raine liked a little Beethoven-style soothing when she was doing one too many somersaults in her womb.
Margo pulled her bow out and softly followed her husband’s tentative finger work on the piano. He shot a look over his shoulder and she smiled at him as she sawed her bow over her strings.
Even this far along in her pregnancy, her playing the violin always made Simon a little crazy. She raced through the notes and Simon complemented her on the piano.
The song had such a frenetic pace after the second half. It was exhilarating. She hadn’t played anything other than soothing baby songs for months now.
This felt wonderful.
Her heart raced and the hairs of her bow frayed and floated around her shoulders and neck. Simon’s light touch at the end of the song sent a shiver down her spine, then Margo added her own version of the end, the sweet notes lingering through the room.
She opened her eyes and met Simon’s gaze.
Damn, she still had it.
There was a fire there in his gaze. One that never seemed to dull, even when she was crazy-pregnant and crying over something ridiculous.
“Oh my God, who was that?” Zoe perched on the edge of the couch.
“Trans-Siberian Orchestra, love.”
“Actually,” Simon climbed off the little bench in front of the piano, “the correct answer would be Savatage. Though it’s pretty much the same thing, if you want to get technical.”
Nick flopped on the couch. “Ahh, the hair metal brigade. Simon and I learned that song when we were fourteen.” He curled his arm around Lila and dragged her in for a cuddle. “Back when I needed tricks to get laid.”
Lila elbowed him. “You still use some tricks.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Gotta keep you on your toes, Mrs. Crandall.”
Zoe settled back on the couch and pulled her feet up, then curled her arms around her knees. “Is this what you guys do? I thought Ian was the weird one, dragging his acoustic everywhere.”
Simon crossed to Margo and took her violin from her before tucking it back into her case. “It’s been a long time since we sat around like this, but yeah, we used to do it a lot.”
He drew her to her feet. “And now, we’re going to go take a nap.”
“Code,” Nick said with an eyeroll.
Simon tossed a grin over his shoulder. “We’ll meet you guys on the beach in the morning, huh?”
“That’s fine, we don’t mind cleaning up.”
Margo laughed at Nick’s typical deadpan reply. “I really am tired.” But not that tired. She stopped by the couch and touched Zoe’s arm. “Congratulations on the baby.” She patted her own belly. “Raine will love growing up with a cousin so close to her age.”
Zoe’s eyes brightened and a quick wash of tears starred her lashes before she seemed to control herself. “Thank you.”
Margo slid her hand around Simon’s and let him draw her up the stairs to their suite on the far side of the house. The more time they spent here, the more they’d expanded on the little converted church. Some days she missed their little loft overlooking the living room, but then there were times like tonight when she was looking forward to the privacy.
Simon slid his hand along the wall inside the door, but she tugged on his hand. “Leave it. Just the twinkle lights for now.”
“Whatever you want, babe.”
The little Christmas tree she’d had Simon put up—with supervision—was just the right amount of traditional and glam. Very like them. Simon had brought the glam into her life and shook up the traditional trappings she’d lived with for most of her life. She crossed to the tree and found the little crystal bell Simon had given her for Raine’s first Christmas.
He really was the most thoughtful man sometimes.
A palm frond smacked against the window, making her jump. Outside, the wind was whipping the palm trees around, making the ridiculous lights the boys had strung dance and glow in a weird sparkle effect.
Only the Oblivion boys.
Because when Nick and Simon got together, they suddenly became fourteen-year old boys with a similar sense of humor. She’d been surprised when they actually asked Ian to help them. Then again, they had tortured the poor kid by making him go up the taller trees.
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He’d been game.
Even without Simon in his life, he’d been aching for a big brother. She could see it in every longing look on Ian’s face. She was glad Simon had been able to get past their less than fairytale beginnings. Their mother had scarred both of them in such profound ways.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
She turned toward Simon’s voice. Moving took a damn lot out of her these days, but she really did believe him when he told her how beautiful she was. For the first time, she truly felt beautiful. Maybe it was the hormones flooding her system to help Raine grow, maybe it was just the peace surrounding her little family. All she knew was she wanted it to last.
So much would be changing in the next few weeks. For the better, she was sure of it, but everything she knew would be different.
This, however, would never change.
She sat down on their bed, then held out her hand to Simon. He crossed to her immediately, worry etching his features. She teased her fingers along the tails of his shirt. “Hi.”
He brushed his fingers over her bangs. “Hey.”
“So, I was thinking.”
He smiled down at her. “Off to a good start.”
She tucked her forefinger into the loose waistband of his cargos.
His eyebrow spiked. “Very good start.”
She flicked open the button. “Pretty soon this is going to be a bit harder to do.”
“I freaking hope not.”
“You know what I mean.” She teased his zipper down. In true Simon fashion, he was already rising to the occasion.
He brushed his thumb along her lower lip. “I’m sure I can manage the doctor-prescribed resting time.”
“You did get the memo it would be at least six weeks, right?”
He swallowed hard. “Yes.”
She smiled up at him. “Didn’t get that far in the book, huh?”
“Of course I did.”
“Hmm.” She leaned forward a little and flicked her tongue around the flared head of his cock. “I think I might need a little something to remember this guy by.”
He closed his eyes, but they flew open as she took him deeper. She stared up at him, twisting at the base of his cock as he liked. Her man liked a firm hand. However, pregnant sex was much different than the crazy lovemaking they were used to. And Simon’s protective instinct actually overrode his sex drive. Something she hadn’t thought would ever happen in the entirety of their relationship.
He cupped her face and pulled her away from his cock, lowering his mouth to hers before he climbed on the bed behind her. He eased her back gently and curled around her on the fluffy duvet. He cupped her breast and groaned against her neck. “You don’t go without a bra.”
“I have officially surpassed anything I have. I swore I wouldn’t put on the nursing bras yet and…” She hissed out a slow breath as he cupped her. “I may just have to.”
“I certainly don’t mind access to them.”
“Do you ever?”
He laughed in her ear then nipped at the lobe. “Resisting you is never on my list of to dos.”
She covered his hands, showing him how much she could stand. Everything on her felt huge and unwieldy. But she was so tired of being restless. At least when she was close to Simon, she could sleep—especially after his particular brand of sedative.
She brushed her ass over his shaft. “If you wanted to pull up that skirt, you might find something else.”
“No, you aren’t naked under this thing.”
She laughed. “Not quite. But I may have found a particular color you like in my drawer.”
He inched the filmy dress up her thigh, his gaze burning along her tanned legs. She hadn’t been allowed to do much other than soak up the sun toward the end of her pregnancy. And Simon had an endless amount of energy when it came to keeping her pampered.
They even did pregnancy yoga together since he kept skipping out of the gym sessions with Nick. It kept her limber and loose and surprisingly toned.
She wiggled back against him and groaned when the cool air-conditioned air hit her overheated skin.
“Red?”
She turned her head to catch his mouth in a slow, hot kiss. Her husband liked her in a pair of red panties for some reason. Some men loved black lace, but not her Simon. Ripped concert shirt and red panties were his lingerie of choice. She couldn’t exactly fit in a concert T-shirt anymore. Not even the kind Simon created with the deep rips down the side. But she managed to make the panties work.
He tried to peel the dress up farther but there was only so much she was willing to endure when she was the size of a small country. She stilled his hand and drew him closer. He seemed to understand and simply moved the strap of her dress aside to kiss her shoulder as he helped her get rid of the panties.
She wanted to feel close to him before their new reality took over.
He cupped her breasts than her belly reassuringly. “Are you sure?”
She took the lead and shifted enough for him to slide ever closer to where she needed him most. They set a leisurely pace where everything melted away against the way he filled her, surrounded her, protected her, and finally, pleasured her. She mostly wanted a bit of his closeness. A way for both of them to connect.
She reached behind her to grip his hair as he methodically thrust into her.
“Please tell me I’m not hurting you,” he said on a groan.
She gripped his hair tighter. “Only if you stop.”
“Thank fuck.” He shifted her a little and God, he was even deeper.
She arched her back and pushed back on him. He sunk his teeth into her neck, right at the pulsepoint that drove her insane and she pitched over the edge of pleasure and embraced all that came with the freefall and this man.
She knew he’d catch her every time.
He pressed his forehead into her shoulder and let out a ragged breath. “Death by Margo, my favorite kind.”
She grinned into the pillow. Damn, she could still drive him nuts. Even when she was the size of a house.
At least her house had pretty red shutters.
His arms came around her and his touch went from passionate to the gentle caresses he knew would soothe and relax her.
“I love you, Simon.”
“Love you too, Violin Girl.”
Ian
For a man who was about to experience the miracle of wedded bliss—I hoped—this journey was not off to an auspicious start.
I’d already put this trip to look at rings off for two days. Two days of mostly enjoyable bonding with family and friends. We’d made good food and sung holiday carols—bastardized versions of them anyway—and had a generally pleasant time, along with Zoe and I enjoying the occasional shag by the sea.
There had even been that one time under a palm tree decorated in lights that made it look rather like an erect and, ahem, erupting male member.
That had been fitting in more ways than one.
“There’s a farmer’s market not far from here.”
“Farmer’s market? Are you serious? He’s trying to buy an engagement ring, not a ripe melon.”
“Hello, there are numerous stands inside that place. They have jewelry,” Nick said stubbornly, holding out his mobile toward Simon.
Simon had one hand on the wheel and one eye on the phone and I did not feel safe in the back of this open-air Jeep.
For one thing, I nearly levitated right out of the vehicle when my brother hit a rut in the road. And he seemed to hit a lot of ruts. For another, Simon and Nick were arguing too much to pay any attention if I went flying, seatbelt or no seatbelt.
Nick would probably rejoice anyway. Yay, roadkill!
The weather wasn’t helping. This sort of transportation was not ideal when the winds were tossing everything to and fro. Branches, rocks, small children. All went hurtling in front of the vehicle and my brother barely seemed to bat an eyelash.
“Did you buy Li a trinket like that? I’m amazed she
married you. Even if you didn’t buy her a trinket, I’m amazed she married you.”
“Her ring is five carats, thank you very much. She loves it. Just because you emptied out your piggy bank to pay for Margo’s because you knew she wouldn’t marry your sorry ass otherwise. Did you write her a check too?”
I frowned as I gripped the back of Nick’s seat. He shot me a look so I transferred my grip to Simon’s. “I can’t believe you two are best friends. You sound like you absolutely hate each other.”
Yet I’d seen how they were together when Margo had been kidnapped. They were as tight as any brothers I’d ever seen. Leaning on each other in a way I’d truly envied.
I’d wanted something like that for myself, and I was beginning to find it. Not only with my brother, but with my friends Flynn and Rory.
I would never take such friendships for granted.
“Yes, and we’ve sounded this way for going on twenty years. Deal with it, spud.”
Spud? I didn’t even know how labeling someone a potato counted as an insult.
“What kind of ring are you hoping to get her?” Simon looked at me in the rearview mirror. “Please tell me you’ve done some kind of research.”
“Yes, some. She’s not the usual, so—”
“Definitely not the usual if she’s marrying you.”
I ignored Nick. His life’s work was getting a rise out of people, and I was his favorite target. “She likes unique pieces. But she wouldn’t object to something vintage either, I don’t think, with some history to the design. Maybe a piece with an Art Deco feel.”
Both men said nothing. If I could have seen their faces, I knew they would register puzzlement. And possibly glazed eyes, because few men enjoyed discussions of wedding rings.
I didn’t either, but it was important to me I pick something Zoe would love, not just tolerate. Part of why I’d stalled on deciding to ask. What if I couldn’t find the right one? I couldn’t buy just anything and hope it would do.
Now I was under the gun. I had to ask her while we were in paradise—assuming we didn’t get blown off the island by the storm—so that the memory of our engagement would be extra special. I couldn’t ask without some fanfare and focus on the ceremony itself.
Christmas with a Rockstar Page 7