Decidedly With Mistletoe Page 10

  It also meant it was easier to sneak away—more or less.

  “All right,” Trent said, holding his son in his arms. Kelsey was next to him. “You’re all set.”

  “Set for what?” I asked.

  Kelsey hugged me and then Ava. “We’re guessing at this point you just want to get away for a few minutes and start working on Ethan’s cousin. And we’re the threesome who are going to help you escape—mostly ’cause you didn’t kill your best friend for falling in love with me.” She patted my cheek in a gesture that was both sweet and mocking. “It’s the least we can do.”

  “Aww. You always were my favorite sister.” I returned the gesture, slightly messing up her hair, on purpose.

  She grinned. “I know. Even if I am your only sister. But you better hurry. We can only hold the troops back for so long before they notice you’re missing.”

  “And trust me,” Trent said. “You might be thirty-four years old, but that won’t make a difference to my mom. She still thinks of us as teens who are up to no good when we’re in the same room as our girlfriends. The last thing you want is for her to come searching for you.”

  “As we learned the hard way on our wedding day.” Kelsey made a goofy face.

  Ava grabbed hold of my hand. “In that case, we’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  I grunted. “A few minutes? Since when it did take only a few minutes to do what we’re about to do?”

  Ava didn’t bother to stick around long enough to respond. She practically dragged me to the stairs before anyone could notice our disappearing act.

  All right, dragging wasn’t an accurate description. I was an extremely willingly participant.

  But because I didn’t think we were escaping fast enough, I scooped Ava up in my arms.

  “Awww. Are you going all caveman on me again, Liam?” she said with a laugh.

  “If that’s what it takes to be inside you now instead of later tonight, then caveman it is.” I winked at her and she giggled.

  “Who am I to argue? Now stop talking and get moving. If you’re not inside of me soon, I might explode from horniness. Whoever suggested that we shouldn’t have sex for a few weeks prior the wedding needs to have her face smothered with cake.”

  I chuckled. “I believe it was you, Wife.”

  She grinned. “I believe you’re right, Husband. And I’m looking forward to my punishment. Now if only we had it in our room for a little icing fun. I wouldn’t mind licking buttercream off some your very sexy body parts.”

  Yep, I might have groaned at that visual.

  I didn’t bother to look to see if anyone was coming after us. I carried Ava up the stairs to our honeymoon suite. I put her down long enough to retrieve my key card and open the door. Then she was back in my arms again.

  I nudged it closed behind me with my foot and continued through the small living room to the bedroom. The final rays of sunlight streamed through the window and lit the bed in their warm glow.

  I set Ava’s feet on the floor. “God, you’re so beautiful.” My voice came out low and gravelly and full of heat. “You’re like an angel.” An angel I wanted to taste every bit of.

  I traced my fingers along the lace edging, brushing the skin below her shoulders. She shivered at my touch, her eyes watching my face, her gaze caressing my soul.

  “Turn around.”

  She did as I asked, moving slowly in a teasingly erotic dance.

  The lace of her bodice continued in the back, with a diamond shape cut away, revealing her bare skin. I ran my finger along the outside of the lace, down to just above her waist.

  “Hmm. No bra,” I pointed out. “I definitely approve.” I unhooked the button from the loop at the top of the diamond and peeled the fabric down her arms. Once her upper body was free of the material, I cupped her full breasts in my hands. Her nipples were hard and ready for me. I pinched them between my fingers.

  “Oh God, Liam,” Ava breathed, arching her back and pressing her ass against my thickening length.

  “Fuck, I wish we had all night now, instead of having to wait three more hours. But sweetheart, don’t expect to get any sleep. There are so many ways that I’m envisioning taking you tonight that we don’t have time for with our guests waiting for us downstairs.

  “Right now, I want to make slow love to my beautiful wife—even though we don’t have time for that either.”

  The wedding guests would just have to understand.

  With her back still facing me, I helped her remove her dress so she was standing in front of me in strappy heels, white lace panties, and nothing else.

  My length got that much harder, that much wider. I was surprised my cock hadn’t broken through the restraint also known as a zipper.

  Ava started to turn around.

  “Don’t move yet.” I nudged her thighs apart. “Just how ready is my bride for me?” With her panties still on, I traced my fingers along the seam of her sex. The heat of her pussy beckoned to me through the cotton. “Tell me, Ava. Are you as ready for me as I think you are?”

  “Yes,” she gasped and twisted around to face me.

  And without saying anything, she undid my tie, dropped it to the floor, and proceeded to remove the rest of my clothes—until I was standing in front of her, naked. Not once did her darkened gaze leave mine.

  I hooked my fingers in the waistband of her panties and slowly slid them down her legs. She stepped out of them, still in her stilettos, and I tossed them to the side. “Keep your shoes on.”

  I backed up to the bed, pulling her with me, and sat down.

  Already knowing what I wanted, Ava climbed onto the bed, straddling me. She took my cock firmly in her hand and lowered herself onto my hard length.

  We both moaned out loud, and I rested my forehead against hers.

  “You think Ethan will get a cousin tonight?” I asked, grinning at her. She’d already stopped using the pill last month, but until now we had been using condoms.

  She shook her head, but there was a sparkle in her eyes and a sweet smile on her face. “It will be a little tough for me to get pregnant tonight…when I’m already going to have your baby.”

  I stared at her for several seconds, digesting her words. Guess my guys weren’t unstoppable after all when it came to the condom.

  The grin returned to my face, wider this time. I cupped the back of her neck and brought her head down to mine.

  I brushed my lips against her mouth, and my free handed shifted to cover her flat stomach. “Are you really having my baby?” The words tumbled out rough and low—with the calmness of someone who’d just found out he had the winning lottery numbers.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I only found out the other day. I’m about six weeks along. So too early to announce it yet.”

  I mentally chuckled. It wasn’t like she’d be able to keep it a secret for long. Not when she wouldn’t be drinking alcohol tonight.

  “Now, about you making love to me…” She left the words hanging, but her tone told me everything I needed to know.

  She moved her hips in slow circles, her gaze locked on mine. I slipped my hand between her legs, applying the right amount of pressure to her clit. We continued this way until the pressure began building in my lower region to the point of no return.

  Ava came first, her soft heat clenching me hard. I followed soon after as we groaned our release.

  “Thank you,” I said, once we had both returned to complete awareness, my arms around her waist.

  She giggled. “You mean for the amazing orgasm.”

  I chuckled. “Partly for that. But mostly for giving me a second chance with you, for becoming my wife, and for the beginning of this new chapter of our life. Together.”

  She smiled my new favorite grin—sweet and sexy and naughty. “You’re very, very welcome.”

  Thank you for reading DECIDEDLY WITH MISTLETOE! If this is your first book from the By the Bay series, check out Trent and Kelsey’s story in DECIDEDLY OFF LIMITS. The novel i
s currently free.

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  If you love romantic comedies and sexy cowboys, fall in love with TJ Daniels in COWBOY MOST WANTED. What do you get when you mix a hot cowboy, some racy photos, and an accidental hook up—or three—with his best friend’s sister? A hot and hilarious standalone romance.

  One-click COWBOY MOST WANTED now!

  * * *

  Turn the page for an excerpt from COWBOY MOST WANTED and DECIDEDLY OFF LIMITS…

  READ ON FOR AN EXCERPT FROM COWBOY MOST WANTED

  TJ

  * * *

  He who has the best sperm wins the race.

  Or so it seems when you’re trying to breed future winners of the rodeo circuit. Not just any sperm will do. It has to be the sperm of a winning quarter horse. A champion.

  Am I thankful the same rules don’t apply to me when it comes to getting laid?

  You’d better believe it.

  I lean against the wooden fence, forearms folded on the top railing, and watch the three colts chase each other across the pasture. My cowboy hat blocks the late afternoon sun.

  Gravel crunches behind me, and I turn to find my two brothers approaching. Behind them are Sophie and Aubrey. Sophie is our brilliant horse trainer. The woman Jake gets a hard-on over—but you didn’t hear that from me.

  Aubrey is our equally brilliant vet.

  Who I grew up with.

  She’s like a sister to me and my brothers.

  The two women are chatting and not paying attention to Jake and Noah. Jake says something to Noah, and my youngest brother laughs. Whatever Noah says in response has Jake laughing even harder.

  “What’s up?” I ask once they’re only a few feet away.

  “Nothing,” Noah says, still chuckling.

  Jake’s barely contained smile betrays the laughter still simmering under the surface. He parks himself next to me, gaze on the pasture. Noah props his forearms against the fence, sandwiching me between him and Jake.

  Those two are keeping something from me. Possibly something to do with today and their plans for my birthday. A secret that’s hopefully nothing like last year’s…with the stripper. Named Roxy Bliss.

  Formerly known as Robert.

  But whatever it is, it’s nothing compared to the secret that has poked, poked, poked at me for the past twelve years. A secret that has me lusting over my best friend’s sister.

  “So, what do you think, TJ?” Jake gestures to the colts. “Are we looking at future winners?” His all-business tone is echoed in the words. The tone he always uses when he talks about the ranch.

  “With Thor as their father, how could they not be winners?” I say.

  Fortunately for us, my horse isn’t the type to settle down with one mare. When it comes to females, he’s a player like the three of us. And the more mares he knocks up, the greater the chance we’ll end up with future champions.

  Jake folds his arms across the top railing. The girls stand on the other side of him and look out at the pasture. He tap-tap-taps the fingers of one hand against the wood. “You think they’ll put the ranch on the map?”

  “It’s already on the map,” Noah says. “Just the wrong map when it comes to us being a horse ranch.”

  “Well, this is what we get for switching from cattle to horses.” Jakes uses his I-knew-this-was-a-bad-idea tone. The same tone I’ve heard for the past two years, ever since our grandfather died and we inherited the ranch.

  “But you have to admit that while Granddad might have lived and breathed and dreamed cattle,” I say, “cows were never our passion.”

  “True—except cattle brought in the money.” Jake’s words hit straight to the core. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. This is not the first or second or tenth time that he’s told us switching to horses was a bad idea.

  I push back from the fence. “Give it time, Jake. Thor proved himself as a rodeo champion. We can’t do any better than using him to build our reputation.”

  “Plus he’s healthy,” Aubrey says. “He’s in prime reproductive health.”

  “Do you usually bring guys to their knees with all that sexy talk?” Noah says with a laugh, next to me.

  She grins at him. “Don’t you know it?”

  “Hope you’re right.” Jake’s tone warns me I’m in for a lifetime of “I told you so” if the ranch doesn’t make money.

  But he has a point. The ranch is my life. If it goes down, Jake, Noah, and I have no backup plans for our futures. The ranch is our past and our present and our till-death-do-us-part.

  Or rather, I don’t have a backup plan. Jake has a business degree to fall back on.

  Noah peers at the blue sky above us. “You think Grandpa’s looking down on us, grumbling that we’re dumbasses for tossing away all his years of hard work?” He salutes the sky like it’s an army general. “You’re welcome, old man.”

  “He’s probably thinking he’s the dumbass for leaving the ranch to the three of us. He could have just left it to Jake and me to manage while you were off partying.”

  “At least I was enjoying myself. You turned thirty today, and you’re still miserable.” Noah’s smirk contains a better-you-than-me attitude and I-can’t-believe-you’re-still-alive awe.

  “I’m not miserable.”

  “Well, you’re not happy.”

  Before I can deny the truth in Noah’s words, I catch Jake’s expression. The expression claiming Noah has a point. “Sure, I am.” I shift my mouth into a two-parts-genuine, one-part-whatever smile. “I’m very happy. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

  “You haven’t been truly happy since you fucked up your knee,” Jake says.

  Both Sophie and Aubrey nod in agreement. Traitors.

  I scowl at my brothers. “You two are beginning to sound like a couple of old women. I don’t need to be smiling and laughing and breaking out in song to be happy.”

  “When exactly was the last time you broke out in song?” Noah doesn’t snort a laugh but it’s there in his tone.

  “What? Am I supposed to spontaneously start dancing too?”

  Jake lets out short, loud laugh. “Now that I’d like to see.”

  “So, Mr. Happy, are we still on for tonight?” Noah slaps my back. “Now that you’re an old man, you think you’ll be able to stay awake long enough to hit the bar?”

  “I’m not old.”

  At what is no doubt a pout in my tone, both men crack up, laughing loud enough to startle a herd of cattle to stampede.

  Sophie walks over to me, her long, blonde ponytail shining in the summer sun. She settles her arm on my shoulders. “Don’t worry about TJ. If he gets too tired, I’ll tuck him in bed.”

  That gets me a fuck-you glare out of Jake. I return it with a What-can-you-do? shrug. Sophie is oblivious to our silent communication.

  Her hands are covering her face.

  “Oh, God,” she groans. “That didn’t come out right.”

  Aubrey and Noah laugh.

  “I know what you meant,” I tell her—mostly so Jake doesn’t clobber me, even though he knows I’m not interested in her.

  She’s the kind of woman who you imagine one day having a husband and kids and a white picket fence.

  That life’s not for me.

  And it’s not for Jake either.

  Hence his hard-on problem.

  “Good,” Noah says, “then you have no excuse. We’ll see you tonight.” He starts to walk away but then adds over his shoulder, “Eight o’clock. Don’t be late.”

  “What the hell are you guys planning for tonight?” I ask Jake.

  He laughs, the sound far from reassuring. “Guess you’ll find out tonight.” He moves away from the fence and heads toward the stable.

  “You know I don’t like surprises, right?” I call after him.

  “Yeah, might have heard that somewhere.” He doesn’t even bother to look over his shoulder when he
says it.

  “Just tell me Roxy Bliss won’t be there tonight,” I call back.

  I climb the bungalow’s recently painted porch steps and knock on the front door. From the other side of it, Killer lets out a high-pitched, come-play-with-me bark.

  A moment later the door opens, and a bundle of white fuzz comes barreling out. Killer jumps up, parking his paws against my legs, yapping for me to pet him. I oblige the furry little beast’s request.

  The name Killer? You can thank Noah for that. We bought Grandma Meg the dog for Christmas a few years ago to keep her company. Noah thought it was the perfectly ironic name for something that was quite the opposite.

  But when Grandma Meg tried to give the dog a new name, he gave her a haughty bark, making it clear that there was only one name to which he would respond.

  A bright smile slides onto Grandma Meg’s face. Her long, gray hair is pulled back into a loose, puffy bun. Stray strands frame her weathered but still-beautiful face. She’s wearing loose leggings and an oversized light-blue T-shirt with a cartoon Jersey cow on the front.

  Grandma Meg is not really my grandmother, but she might as well be. My brothers and I have known her forever.

  I straighten, remove my cowboy hat, and enter the house. The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies greets me.

  I’ve barely crossed the threshold before she throws her arms around me in a massive hug, catching me off guard. I stumble back a step.

  “Happy birthday, TJ. I can’t believe you’re now thirty.” She releases me. “Goodness. It feels like just yesterday when you were a little hell-raiser in diapers.”

  I chuckle, mostly because it’s the same speech she gave Austin—her grandson, my best friend—last month when he turned thirty. “I can guarantee it’s been a long while since I was in diapers.”

  My gaze shifts to the wall where the photo of Violet still hangs. My best friend’s sister. Aubrey’s best friend. It was taken over a year ago—ten years after she moved away to attend college.