Happily Ever After (2 page)

Two butlers came to the bags and carried them inside. Ryan stared at them, unsure what to do.

Ryan leaned toward me. “They have servants?”

“They aren’t servants. They are butlers.”

He watched them carry his things upstairs.

“I’ll show you the bedrooms,” Diane said as we walked inside.

When we
stepped into the entryway, Janice and Monnique looked at the room with wide eyes, eying the furniture, the rugs, and the chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

Cortland was staring at the painting on the wall, the same one I had stared at last time I was here. “What the hell is that?” he whispered to Ryan.

Ryan shrugged. “Picasso?”

I rolled my eyes and followed Diane upstairs.

We reached the second landing.

“Cortland and Monnique, you’ll be staying here. The sheets have been changed and there’s a private bathroom as well.”

Cortland’s eyes widened. “Yowza.”

“Be cool,” Monnique whispered.

They turned into the bedroom and placed their luggage on the bed.

Diane led us down the hallway and stopped at another bedroom. “Ryan and Janice, you’ll be staying here.”

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Preston,” Ryan said.

“Of course.
Most of these bedrooms are never used. I’m glad they are being put to good use.”

They walked inside and started to look around.

Diane walked a few feet before she reached the next door. “Scarlet, there’s a private Jacuzzi inside so you can relax.”

I stared at the bedroom in confusion. I assumed we would be staying in Sean’s old bedroom.

“Sean, you can stay in your room,” Diane said.

“What?” he asked. “Scarlet isn’t sleeping here.”

Diane looked at him. “You can’t sleep together before the wedding. It isn’t traditional. It’s bad luck.”

Sean and I hadn’t discussed this at all.

Sean looked at me then looked at his mom. “We don’t care about that.”

“Well
, I do. You want your wedding day to be special. Sleeping together is inappropriate.”

“Mom, we live together and we have sex on planes. We don’t care about that.”

Diane averted her gaze, embarrassed by Sean’s bluntness. “Sean, it’s just for two days.”

“No, I’m sleeping with Scarlet. I can’t sleep without her.”

She sighed. “It’ll ruin the moment if you wake up next to her on your wedding day.”

“Well, we aren’t getting married for two days, so I’m sleeping with her until then.”

“Sean—”

“Mom, Scarlet and I will stay somewhere else if we have to.”

I was glad he wasn’t budging. Sean was much different than he used to be. Previously, he was an annoying momma’s boy. I was glad those days were over.

She sighed.
“Fine. Do what you want. But I really think you should sleep apart the night before the wedding, but it’s up to you.”

“And we’ll decide that,” Sean said as he walked to this bedroom. I followed behind him, not looking at Diane. I felt like a whore and a slut in her eyes. I had done countless thing
s to make me look bad.

Sean and I walked inside and he shut the door behind him, givi
ng us some privacy. He moved our bags to the closest then washed his hands. I pulled the bedroom window open and looked out at the beach. The sand was white, and the sky was cloudless. The bright sun shined down on the earth, warming the surface and the air.

“You bring your swimsuit?”

I looked back at him. “Yeah.”

“Is it that pink
one I like?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” He sat on the bed next to me and patted my thigh. “I’m sorry about before. I didn’t even give you time to voice your opinion. I just assumed you’d want to sleep with me.”

“You were right.”

“Good. I can’t sleep without you, baby.”

“Me neither.”

“I’m sickly dependent on you.”

“Well, if I weren’t a
round you would survive on takeout menus and beer.”

“And your panties.”

I smiled at his comment.

He rested his head against mine. “Can we make love before we go downstairs?”

“I don’t think we have time.”

“I’ll be quick.”

“I’m timing you.”

“I like a challenge.” He pulled up my dress then leaned over me, my hips hanging over the ledge. I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down along with his boxers. His hard cock pressed against my clitoris, moving slightly.

Sean grabbed my face and kissed me, touching me the way I liked. With just a simple touch, he made me pant and sweat for him, wanting him inside me. His lips caressed mine, sucking and biting at the same time. His tongue played with mine, dancing and swirling in my mouth. Within seconds, I was wet and ready for him. He grabbed the base of his cock then directed it inside me, pushing until it was completely sheathed.

I moaned but he covered my mouth was his, stifling my cries. He grabbed my hips and thrust into me hard and fast, barely rocking me as he pumped. The bed didn’t shake because he kept me steady, moving with precision. The sex sounds our body parts were making was audible in my ears. Hearing his cock slide through my wet pussy, the head pushing in and out, is what made me crumble and shake
. I kept my mouth pressed to his as he made me come, wanting to scream, yell, shout—do something to show how good it felt.

I knew Sean reached his trigger the same instant I did because his cock pulsed inside me, feeling suddenly larger for a moment in time. He released a grunt as his thrusts became irregular, long and slow. I felt
so tender as he slid inside me. It still felt good and I didn’t want him to stop.

When he was done, he kissed me, gripping the back of my neck. I f
elt lost in his grasp, letting him do whatever he wanted to me.

“I’ve never fucked pussy that felt that good,” he said as he kissed me. He broke our embrace then kneeled, kissing my clitoris and darting his tongue inside me. The sound of his smacking lips made me excited again.
“So good.” He stood and wiped his mouth. The shine from my juice was still on his lips. I liked looking at it so I left it there.

He dressed himself and checked his clothes in the mirror. When he was done, he turned to the door. “I guess we should go.”

I moaned as I sat up, adjusting myself. “How can you say that?”

“I made you come, right?”

“Baby, you always make me come.”

“But you still aren’t satisfied?”

“Never.”

“You really are a challenge.”

I checked my hair in the mirror then smoothed out the wrinkles in my dress. He came behind me so suddenly I didn’t notice him. His hands reached up my dress and grabbed the fabric of my thong. He pulled them off then shoved them into his pocket.

“Sean, what are you up to?”

“You’ll see.”

I looked at his reflection in the mirror. “
This is an important weekend. You better not embarrass me.”

“Don’t worry, baby.” He opened the door and we left the bedroom, heading downstairs. When we reached the terrace, I gasped at the sight. It had already been decorated for the wedding. There were tabl
es scattered around the patio, white lights hanging from the strings across the way, and a gazebo had been erected down an aisle that faced the ocean. Most of the decorations were missing, but I could already tell is would be beautiful.

D
iane smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I hired the best wedding planner in the city.”

“It looks amazing,” I said.

“And it’ll look even better on Saturday.”

Sean pulled out a chair for me and helped me sit down. I was immediately aware that I was commando when I felt the coldness of the chair against my upper thighs.

Cortland was engaged in deep conversation with Andrew. “So, the Mach 160 is being released this year?” he asked incredulously. “How did you develop it so fast? My tenant barely upgraded to the 150.”

Andrew shrugged. “We hire the smartest and the brightest.”

Monnique caught my look. “They’ve been going at it for twenty minutes.”

“I bet he wishes Cortland was his s
on, not me and Mike, who know nothing about this sort of thing,” Sean said.

I grabbed a cocktail and drank from it, enjoying the breeze
that glided through my hair. Sean placed his hand on the back of my neck, rubbing it slightly. I liked it when he did this, but I felt awkward when he did it around other people. I was always worried that people would understand just how sexual it was. When I glanced at him, his eyes reflected the light from the sun, shining bright. He didn’t blink as he stared at me, his eyes concentrating on my face. He wasn’t smiling. His lips were relaxed, a serious expression on his face. In just the gaze alone, I felt everything that he couldn’t say. His love and devotion emitted from him like the sound of an alarm, so high-pitched only I could hear it. His thumb massaged my neck as he looked at me, forgetting everyone else sitting at the table. I always felt like I was the only person in the room when I was with him. Everything had changed so much but I still wasn’t used to it. I had been second best for so long that it was hard for me accept his all-consuming love. I still couldn’t believe he felt that way.

“So, can I get a copy of that video I’ve been hearing so much about?” Andrew whispered to me, breaking the thoughts going through my mind.

I looked at him, my face reddening.

“Dad,” Sean said. “Don’t bring it up again.”

“I’m sorry. I had Sean delete it,” I said, still blushing.

“Dang,” he said.

Diane glared at him. “Don’t encourage them.”

“What? I know you used to be wild when you were in college.”

Her eyes were wider than I had ever seen them. If they weren’t separated by the table, I knew she would slap him.

“Calm down, Diane. I’ll keep your secrets.”

“This conversation is over.”

Andrew ignored her and looked at me. “The day you stop caring about what others think will be the day you’re truly free. My wife still doesn’t get it.”

“It was hot,” Cortland said. “You missed out, man.”

“I bet,” Andrew said with a smile. “That sounds like a fun bachelor party.”

“Definitely,” Cortland said. “Monnique was the girl she was making out with.”

“Really?”
Andrew said. “Now I have to track this video down.”

Everyone laughed his words.

Sean shook his head. “Yes, my father is a dirty old man. Now you all know where I get it from.”

“Can we discuss something else?” Diane said.

“Fine. You’re no fun,” Andrew said. He looked at Sean. “Are you ready to become a man?”

Sean laughed. “Dad, I became a man when I was fifteen.”

“No, you were just a boy. Now that you’re going to be with a real woman like Scarlet, your life is going to change. She’s first in everything you do. Your selfish lifestyle is over for good. If you don’t treat her right, I’ll come after you.”

“That makes two of us,” Ryan said.

Sean held my hand. “I would die before I let anything happen to her.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Andrew said. “So you kids going to hit the beach?”

Janice looked at the water. “Can we?”

“It’s Scarlet’s weekend,” Andrew said.
“What she says goes.”

“That sounds like fun,” I said.

“I like seeing you in a bikini,” Sean said. “You look hot.”

“When I ate a whole pizza by myself you said the same thing.”

“That was ridiculously hot.”

“When my sister does that, I just think she’s a pig,” Ryan said. “And she is a pig.”

I glared at him. “It’s my weekend.”

He sighed. “That’s like asking me not to breathe. I will pick on you. It’s your fate. Accept it.”

“Let’s head to the water,” I said. “I want to get wet.”

Sean smiled and looked at me, openin
g him mouth to say something dirty, but I closed my mouth over his, silencing him. “Don’t even think about it.”

2

Scarlet

“Baby, you need more sunscreen
.” Sean rubbed my chest, massaging the lotion into the skin.

I pushed him off. “They’re fine.”

“I don’t want them to get burned. I love them.”

“I just put some on. They’ll be fine.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“As much as I enjoy watching you feel up my sister, could you save it for later?” Ryan said sarcastically as he read from his book.

My brother was lying next to me in the sand. Janice was on the other side of him, lying on her stomach to get some sun on her backside.

“Fine,” he said as he put the bottle away. “I was just trying to be helpful.”

“Who are you kidding?” I asked.

“You
wanna take a dip?”

“No. I’m comfortable here. Go play with Cortland.”

“I’m not a child.”

“Then stop acting like it.”

Cortland was boogie boarding in the ocean, catching the smaller waves that splashed onto the shore. He was lost in his own world, riding the surf.

“That does look like fun,” Sean said.

“Go,” I said as I waved him away. I pulled my hat further down my face and adjusted my sunglasses.

He kissed me before he stood up. “I hope I don’t get eaten by a shark.”

“Just swim faster than Cortland and you’ll be fine.”

“Thanks for the concern
,” he said with a laugh. He squirted more sunscreen on his arms.

I watched him under my hat, admiring the sculpted muscles of his stomach and chest. He still went to the gym every morning while I stayed home, choosing to sleep in late. His muscles were defined and noticeable but he was still lean and limber. I could stare at him all day.

“I can see you.”

“Huh?”

“You were checking me out.”

“So what if I was?”

“It’s just nice to hear it once in a while. I’m used to poor compliments from you.”

“What? You’re not so bad to look at. It’s true.”

“This is what I get for marrying out of my league.”

“I’m not out of your league.”

“You definitely are.” He grabbed his phone from my purse and took a picture of me.

I rolled my eyes. “When are you going to run out of memory on that thing?”

“That’s what a hard drive is for.” He put it back inside.

“Be careful, baby.”

He grabbed the board then marched to the ocean. “Always.”

I leaned back and closed my eyes, listening to the sound of waves beat the shor
e. Sean started shouting to Cortland as they played in the water. I was glad they were close again. Their earlier feud was just frustrating.

Ryan drank from his water then put it down. He swam in the water for a while, but now he was drying off.

I figured now was the best time to talk to him. “Ryan?”

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?”

“Sean’s parents offered him their company and he wants to take it.”

“Oh. That’s a good thing, right?”

“Well, it’s complicated. Sean refused to move from Seattle so he doesn’t want to take it even though he wants it. I suggested that he commute a few days a week, but he vetoed that too.”

“Why won’t you
guys move?”

“He won’t separate us.”

Ryan turned on his side and faced me. “Why?”

“After I told him about Mom, he realized how important you were to me. He doesn’t want me to ever be away from you. He won’t negotiate that.”

“Why won’t he commute?”

“He can’t stand the idea of leaving me alone.”

“You can stay with me and Janice.”

“But we’re going to have kids eventually. I can’t infringe on you like that.”

“We don’t care. We’ll have our own running around too. It’ll be fun. And we won’t be in the apartment forever. We’re going to get a house.”

“Sean still won’t go for it.”

“So what are you asking me? It sounds like it’s set in stone.”

“Actually, I wanted to see if you would be willing to move with us.”

“Scarlet, my shop is in Seattle.”

“We would buy you another one. Sean would be inheriting so much money that the expense wouldn’t even be noticeable.”

“You know better than anyone that I would never take the money.”

“I know, but you can sell the old shop and pay us back slowly. That sounds fair.”

“I have Janice.”

“She’d probably want to live in New York anyway. Her family is there.”

He nodded. “That’s true.”

“There’s nothing for you in Seattle.
Why shouldn’t we move?”

Ryan looked across the beach. “Cortland?”

I felt my heart fall. I hadn’t thought about him.

“I know he’
s not my family, but…it would be weird without him. I spent so many holidays with him and his family. He was there when no one else was. He’s like my brother.”

I looked to the beach and saw Cortland roll into the waves and lose his board. He swam out to sea to fetch it when anothe
r wave crashed on him. It was hard to imagine not seeing him every day. And if Ryan didn’t live in Seattle, there was no reason for any of them to go back. Cortland is more than just my best friend. He’s family. “Do you think he would make the move too?”

Ryan let a laugh escape his lips. “We’re not a rolling caravan, Scarlet. Not all families stick together.”

“He might. He could find work in New York.”

“His family lives in Seattle
. More importantly, so does Monnique’s. He won’t move if she doesn’t want to. I know him.”

“Damn.”

Ryan looked at me, a serious expression on his face. “Scarlet, I know we’re family and we do anything and everything for each other, but you’re getting married. Sean is the man in your life. You need to do what’s best for him, not us. Move with him.”

“I hate to be apart from you, but I want to move for Sean. His company is his legacy. I want him to have it. He’s the one who won’t do it.”

“Do you want me to talk to him? He might change his mind.”

“No, he won’t. He made that clear.”

“Man, that guy loves you a lot. I don’t know if I could turn down a billion dollar company just to make Janice happy.”

I dug my fingers into the sand, avoiding his gaze.
“Yeah.”

Ryan picked up a seashell and appraised the surface for a moment. After he ran his fingers across the grooves of the shell, he turned around and placed it beside Janice, wanting to show it to her later.

“So, if Janice said yes, would you be willing to move?”

He looked down at the sand before he met my gaze. “If Janice said yes, then I would consider it. If both Janice and Cortland said yes, then of course I would do it.”

“Really?”

“As long as I’m with Janice I don’t care where we live or where we raise our kids.”

I smiled. “Now all I need to do is convince Cortland.”

“I still haven’t talked to Janice.”

“Ryan, she’ll say yes.”

“You seem confident.”

“She’s lived in the city her whole life. Believe me, that’s home to her.”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll have any luck with Cortland. He’s lived in Seattle his whole life.”

I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. It might have been if Monnique wasn’t in the picture, but she was. “I would have to find him a job he couldn’t refuse. That’s the only way Monnique would be supportive.”

“Have him work with Sean.”

My eyes widened. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Andrew said
he has a job if he wants it.”

“And Sean and Cortland could work together. That would be perfect.”

“And I could still be a tattoo artist.”

“You want a job?”

He laughed. “No. I’ll pass on being a geek. It’s a lot easier to get laid when you ink for a living.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sean never had a problem in that department.”

“Because he’s a fucking billionaire.”

“No, his parents are.”

“Well, he’s going to be one soon. I’m sure he’s excited about it.”

“Sean doesn’t care about the money.”

“Then why does he want it?”

“He just hates being bossed around. He wants to be in charge.”

“Sounds a little controlling.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“What?”

“Janice told you me how she’s pretty much on house arrest.”

“No she’s not. I just encourage her to wait until I come home. I’ll take her wherever she wants to go.”

“Controlling.”

“Two can play this game. You can’t stay home alone for three days while he commutes to work.”

“That’s because of Carl. You know that.”

“And that’s why I’m like this with Janice.”

“You were psycho long before.”

“I just care about my girl. I don’t care what you think.”

I knew I pushed him a little too hard. “Ryan, you’re very sweet. I think you’re an amazing boyfriend. You’ll make a great husband.”

“Well, now I care about what you think a little more.”

“I figured.”

“So, when are you going to talk to Cortland?”

“When I get him away from Monnique.”

“Good luck with that,” he said with a laugh.