“Yes—”
Before she says anything else, there’s a knock at the door. Fuck. The only person who’d interrupt us tonight is Adrian, and only if it’s something urgent. If he’s disturbing me on my wedding night, then either Triston uncovered something new or the feds are breathing down our necks. I haven’t checked my phone in hours, something I always do. For all I know, he’s left several messages, but I didn’t want to be disturbed, so I shut it off when we returned from the courthouse.
I quickly wipe my face with a napkin I grab off the island, kiss Jaclyn’s forehead, tell her to wait here, and head toward the door. Way to ruin a perfect moment. Oh well. Still, I dread finding out what fresh hell waits for me on the other side of that door.
fourteen
Jaclyn
As soon as Andrew heads to the door, I jump off the chair and dart down the hallway to the bedroom. Wearing only his T-shirt while we’re alone is fine. But it’s a hell the fuck no around visitors, I don’t care if it is one of his brothers. There’s way too much of me on display for anyone but my husband to see.
Whoa, husband. I said it earlier, but I don’t think it sunk in until now. Blowing out a breath, I look around his bedroom—our bedroom. Maybe the plane crashed, and I’m living some weird-ass dream. Or maybe I’m dead. Ewww. I don’t want to think that. Pinching my arm, I flinch from the pain. Nope, not dead or dreaming.
I kinda knew I wasn’t. Still, I could be in the record books for having the most bizarre week ever. Dropping onto the bed, I take a moment to just breathe. From the moment I boarded the plane in San Francisco, everything has been moving at the speed of light, the exact opposite of my norm.
Cheri always whines about how I overthink everything. She’s right, I do. It’s how I learned to protect myself growing up. Until now, until Andrew. It’s been a whirlwind since our eyes met. Who gets married this fast? Apparently, you do, idiot.
I keep expecting to panic. But even though I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’m not scared. There’s no urge to run. That means something, right? Andrew says it’s fate, and maybe he’s right. Certainly, enough horrific things have happened to me with no notice; why can’t it be something amazing this time? Because this truly feels extraordinary. Monumental. Precious. Yes, it’s precious. Even as I think the words, all the doubt drains away, leaving certainty.
Andrew is my present, my future. One we’ll build together. I finally have a family, and it will grow. We’ll have babies—tomorrow if he has his way. What is up with all this breeding shit, anyway? The ink is barely dry on our marriage license. Craziness, which seems to run rampant among the brothers.
A knock on the bedroom door pulls me out of my reverie.
“Come in.”
“Jaclyn, are you okay?” Concern clouds Andrew’s face as he steps into the room, closing the door behind him.
“I am, actually. Are you?” It’s probably the most confident I’ve ever been answering that question. Go figure. “Is one of your brothers here?”
“Yeah, it’s Adrian.”
I don’t know why I suddenly remember what we were doing in the kitchen just before he knocked. Oh. My. God. Was I screaming Andrew, or worse—Daddy? He has to have heard me. Maybe I’m not okay. I’ll have to hide out in here forever.
“Hey, baby, whatever thought just ran through that big ol’ head of yours, forget it. Everything is fine.” He pulls me off the bed and into his arms. Surrounded by his sandalwood and bourbon scent, with the beat of his heart against my cheek, he instantly makes everything better.
“Yeah, no. Not this time. He had to have heard us in the kitchen. I screamed when I orgasmed. How will I ever face any of your brothers after that? Like being covered in hickeys wasn’t going to be bad enough,” I huff, pulling out of his arms and crossing mine over my chest. “Seriously, I can just live in this room and not see anyone ever again.”
“Jaclyn, even if he did hear, he won’t say a word to anyone. Won’t give you strange looks or tease you. I promise. He’d be too worried about what I could tell his woman after he finds one.”
“You really think so?” I mean, the room is nice and all, but I don’t want to have to spend the next sixty years in it.
He chuckles and nods. “I know so.”
“Okay, I guess.” Why do I always feel young around him? It’s so weird. But that’s for future me to figure out. For now, I need to get over my temporary meltdown. “So why is he here? Did something else happen at JNG?”
Andrew steps forward and grasps my chin, rubbing my cheek with his thumb. His gentle smile settles the buzzing bees in my stomach, which is good since I really don’t want to puke up the stew.
“Why don’t you put on some clothes and come out when you’re ready. Then we’ll talk about it. But before you go down the rabbit hole, it’s nothing bad.”
“Okay.”
“Good girl.” He kisses my forehead and walks toward the door.
“Drew?”
“Yes, Sweetpea? Did you need anything? I assumed you ran in here to get dressed, but is it something else?”
“No, you’re right. But…I just want to say, I love you. Truly, madly, deeply, as that song goes. It shouldn’t be possible, but it doesn’t matter because it’s true.”
