Oh wait, it almost is.
CHAPTERFORTY
RYAN
Christmas Eve
‘You were unbelievable on that stage last night,’ I say, nuzzling my nose against Sasha’s naked back. I inhale the unique floral scent of her skin as memories of the most perfect night of my life float through my brain on an emotionally gratifying cycle, filling me with love, lust and enough material to write a hundred new albums.
‘You never know, I might even join you on tour. Stranger things have happened.’ She shimmies back under the covers, resting her fine ass on my lap.
‘That won’t actually be necessary.’
Widening eyes gaze at me with alarm. ‘Oh my god, was I terrible? It’s been years since I played and I was nervous and everything. I probably should have practised… learned to walk before trying to run again and all that…’
Pressing my index finger to her plump swollen lips, I shh her gently. ‘It’s not that. You were fucking amazing.’
‘What then?’ She scrunches her nose in a feline gesture.
Taking her left hand, I admire the diamond on her fourth finger. What makes it even more fucking beautiful is the fact it was me who put it there. If I don’t wipe the grin from my face pretty fucking soon I’ll be in serious danger of looking smug. ‘I’m not going on tour.’
‘What do you mean? Your contract states you have to.’
‘Contracts are made to be broken. Jayden will get me out of it. I’ll offer them a deal for another two albums if they drop the tours. We’ll work it out. There are only a certain amount of tickets you can sell before filling the capacity. Album sales are unlimited. Which do you think the company would prefer? ’ Nudging her onto her back, I slide on top of her, revelling in the sensation of her smooth silky flesh beneath mine.
‘Oh, Ryan. You don’t need to do that for me. I know how much you love it up on that stage. The crowd. The atmosphere. And I know you’ll always come home to me, wherever home might be.’ She bites her lip dubiously. I haven’t had time to tell her, with everything else that’s happened.
‘Home is right here, if you’ll have me. And there’s nothing I love more than being here with you. The noise of a rowdy clamouring audience can’t compare to the whimper you make when you come.’
Her mouth parts as my lips lock onto her nipple. ‘I just don’t want you to rush anything, you know, without thinking about it…’
‘Sweetheart, I promise you, I’m not rushing anything. I’ve been thinking about this for the past ten years.’ I wink up at her as my tongue traces over her belly button, then lower.
By three o’clock in the afternoon, the castle’s emptied out, bar Sasha, her sisters, my brother, our security, Angela and her girlfriend who arrived yesterday. The last of the straggling guests have checked out. Most of the staff gone home to their families. The kitchen’s crammed with enough food to feed the five thousand.
Impressively, all trace of the marquee is gone. If it weren’t for the photographs plastered over every TV channel and newspaper, it would be forgivable to imagine it was a dream.
Mooching through the castle in search of my fiancée, (god that sounds so fucking good), I find my brother in one of the drawing rooms. He’s kicked back in a navy armchair, his slippered feet resting on a coffee table.
His left hand clutches a whiskey glass with only a tiny drop of honey coloured liquid remaining, and his right, today’s paper.
‘Hard to believe the biggest story this Christmas isGQ’s most eligible bachelor is now off the market.’ He thrusts it under my nose.
Rolling my eyes, I shrug off his remark. ‘I hope you’re going to welcome your new sister-in-law graciously into this family.’ It’s a warning to drop the grouchy act with her. The lot of us need to be united more than ever because at some point it will be a different story about our family spread across the paper, one that won’t be so kind.
‘I told you when I got here, I actually like your fiancée.’ The word rolls from his tongue like it’s an exotic fine wine.
‘Whatever passed between you guys in Vegas didn’t exactly give her that impression.’
Jayden sits upright in the chair, removing his feet from the table. ‘I simply told her what she needed to hear to get you both to this point.’ He reaches for the whiskey decanter on the rich walnut sideboard. ‘Honestly, I’m happy for you guys, genuinely. I don’t usually go in for all that true love kind of crap, you know how I personally feel about settling down.’ Twinkling graphite eyes glint over his glass. ‘But you’re different. I’ve never seen you so happy.’
‘It could happen to you, when you least expect it…’ I take the glass he hands to me, raising it in a silent toast.
‘Ha, not a chance, brother, I’m actually—’
He’s cut off by the arrival of Chloe. ‘You’re what, exactly?’
She flicks her chestnut hair from her chest in an aggressive motion, her cool blue eyes appraising us. Wrapped in a fluffy white coat, her tan complexion and delicately freckled skin is only further enhanced.
