No Quarter (NOLA's Own #2) (57 page)

There was no need. Sheri had bought us both new dresses to wear for the occasion.

“She’s
mental
!” I hissed, spotting the black silk dress hanging on my bedroom door.

“It’s her
job
.” Alys laughed, loving the red silk dress Sheri had chosen for her. “And she’s fuckin’ good at it, too. I bet you’ll look beyond fabulous in that.”

A quick shower, and then I slathered on some vanilla-scented lotion just because I knew Phil would go apeshit when he sniffed me. Shooting a glance at the bed, I glared at the sheer black lacy underthings Sheri had laid out for me there.

A soft knock sounded at my door, and Alys opened it just as I pulled the bra straps over my shoulders.

She looked beautiful, and I told her so.

“You look pretty hot yourself,” she smirked, eyeballing my lingerie. “Mine are red lace with black roses.”

“Nice,” I replied. “Look, I need to talk to you.”

Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Okay.”

“Connor wants to move in, and I told him I had to ask you if you would be okay with that.”

Without blinking an eye, she replied, “Yeah, of course. I mean, all the guys live here anyway.”

“He admitted that something happened between you two.”

Her cheeks blazed pink. “Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. We’re still family.”

“That’s what he told me, and as long as you both are fine with it, I’d love to have him here.”

Alys nodded. “You don’t have to worry about that, Kenna.”

“I’ll let him know tonight.”

“If you want, I can be the one to tell him,” she offered.

“Sure.”

She still wasn’t forthcoming with what had actually happened between them, and I supposed it was for the best. I didn’t need to know, especially since it no longer mattered to either of them.

“I take it Phil liked the DiAblo?”

I grinned, warming at the memory of just how much he had. “Too fuckin’ right, he did.”

Our men spotted us as we headed back through the yard and strode toward us like the hot rock gods they were. Alys gave off a tiny sigh, and I felt my knees go all wobbly under me.

Phil was in another fitted vest and pant suit—this one a dark charcoal gray—with a crisp white shirt and a green-and-silver striped tie.
Shit, he looks good enough to eat.
He had his hair up in the man bun, his sideburns were left untrimmed, but his face had been shaved smooth. His mouth looked so soft and kissable, even from this distance.

Lifting me off my feet, Phil pressed his lips to mine, a soft satisfied sound emitting from his chest. Then, he sniffed me.

“You little shit, you did that on purpose!” he growled, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied.

“You know
exactly
what I’m talking about.” He groaned. “Fuck, I can’t wear these pants. Everyone will see what a slave my dick is to you.”

“Hmm…looks like you’ll have to just find a way. If you get to change, then so do I.”

“Fuck no. You look stunning.”

“Not as stunning as you,” I whispered, watching X and Alys walk toward the house, hand in hand. “You take my breath away, Phil.”

That earned me a kiss that reduced me to a steaming, quivering mass of lady goo.

Panting, Phil said, “We can’t go back yet.”

I pulled back and glanced down, seeing as his crotch threatened to burst out of his pants. “Damn, babe.”

His face turned grumpy. “You’re gettin’ punished for this later. I’m gonna torture you for doin’ this to me. I’m gonna be fightin’ the chubs for the rest of the fuckin’ day.”

My crotch tingled fiercely at that promise—er…
threat.

It took about ten minutes of banal chitchat before Phil’s groin went back to a normal size, and we were able to join our family and friends.

Travis, the VIP bartender, was here serving drinks. He got to enjoy Christmas dinner with us in exchange for bartending the event, and he was allowed to drink on the job. He winked at me and smiled while pouring Alys, Lili, and me some shots of Jäger.

“I saw that, asshole!” Phil shouted at his high school friend turned employee from across the patio.

We cracked up at the creep factor that was my fiancé.

Lili had arrived with Lewis and his parents, having spent the day alone with them. She looked fabulous in her navy dress and glittery silver heels. She had a huge pair of silver baubles dangling from her ears, and violets tucked into her updo.

Lewis’s parents were seriously cool people. His mom was a tiny woman with curly dark brown hair liberally streaked with gray. His dad was a hipster of a Chinese man with a pierced ear, his accent barely there after spending more than half his life in the States. He wore thick black horn-rimmed glasses, and his long salt-and-pepper hair was in a ponytail.

A steady stream of music pumped through speakers set up in the gazebo, and my parents along with X’s and Mama Sally and Papa David were up there, dancing. Danielle danced with Guillaume in her arms, bouncing him happily, while Martin had Camille’s little feet standing on his as he did the daddy two-step.

In no time at all, we were filling our plates with food stretched out buffet-style. The roasts Lewis and I had prepared came out perfect, no thanks to me. I thought Phil nearly decimated a whole one on his own. Mama Sally had made her amazing carrot soufflé, and there were roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables, salad, and a single lurking bowl of ambrosia.

Phil tried some, the brave man, and there was not much that man wouldn’t eat, but ambrosia got added to that very short list.

“What the fuck is in that?” he whispered to me, watching Connor shovel mouthfuls of it in his face. “The taste, the texture—it’s all just…
wrong
.”

“Think of it every time you start to get a chub tonight,” I whispered back.

Phil’s face twisted in disgust, but then he paused, giving it some thought. Then, he looked impressed. “Yeah, that might work.”

Lewis, Phil, Sheri, and I cleared the buffet and set up a massive amount of cakes, pies, cookies, and other sweets that Lewis had spent days making. His first love had always been pastry, and it revealed itself in his desserts.

I caught my father watching Phil devour a whole plate of every dessert available, his face slack with awe. When his eyes swiveled to mine, he mouthed,
Tapeworm?

Nice
. My appetite was over by then anyway.

“That was awesome,” Phil grunted, rubbing his flat gut with one hand, draping his other arm around my shoulders.

I stared at his stomach, wondering if indeed a creature from the Black Gut Lagoon lurked somewhere in there.
He
had
spent the last five years traveling the world…

With dinner turning out to be a success, people started to walk and spread out, gearing up to exchange gifts. A tree had been set up on the patio, and once everyone gathered around, Sheri, Phil, Louis, and my da started handing them out.

It was a lot of fun, especially when Phil opened his gift from Lili. She had worked hard, creating a gorgeous leather-bound photo album with a silver plaque on the front that read,
The Evolution of Philip and Kenna.
Inside were all the photos she could get her hands on of the two of us, starting with that Christmas back in 1981.

Pulling her into his arms, Phil engulfed his Pygmy in a bear hug. “Thank you.”

Lili laughed and hugged him back. “You’re very welcome.”

After the gifts had all been unwrapped and Phil’s niece and nephew were being put to bed in a spare room, Da took me up to the gazebo for a bit of dancing.

“Connor says he’s hopin’ tae move in wi’ ye.”

Nodding, I said, “Alys told him he was welcome to.”

“I guess ye’re all righ’ wi’ tha’?”

“Of course. Plus, he’ll be closer to the guys, and they all can go into the studio together—”

Da twirled and dipped me.

When he pulled me back up, Phil was standing next to us, smiling. “May I cut in?”

Da handed me over to him. “Ye’re stealin’ all me kids.”

“I know,” he replied, his eyes glowing down into mine.

I felt myself flush, and my heart started viciously kicking around in my chest. He was ready to tell everyone, and I could practically hear Lili shrieking in outrage that I had taken the initiative and asked my mega-rich and famous heavy metal boyfriend to marry me.

Phil turned to my da. “There’s somethin’ we’d like to share with all of you.” His voice was quiet, meant only for my da to hear.

But looking out from the gazebo, I could see everyone gathering and smiling at us.

“Oh, yeah?” asked Da.

Strangely enough, he looked as though he knew what Phil was talking about already. He backed up a few steps, giving us a bit of space.

What the hell is going on here?

“Yeah,” replied Phil. He reached into his pocket…and then got down on
both
knees before me.

“
Holy shit
!” Lili squealed off in the distance.

“Language!” barked Da, pointing at her.

My gaze followed my da’s beefy finger, and the look on her face was something I wished someone would get a picture of. She looked as though she might start foaming at the mouth.

“Kenna?” Phil’s voice pierced through the fuzzy ringing in my ears.

I looked back down into his gorgeous face. I thought he saw confusion and awe in my own.

“I had planned on askin’ you this today…for a while actually. I just never thought you’d beat me to it.” He smiled.

Fucking dimples.

“Wh-what?” I gasped.

He snapped open the red velvet ring box, revealing the biggest diamond I had ever laid eyes on. There was no way he would have been able to get something like that in less than a day, what with everything we had to get ready for.

“Last night, you made me a promise,” he said softly. “You asked me. Now
I’m
askin’
you
. I’m beggin’ you, Kenna. Make me a whole man and be my wife.”

“Yes,” I whispered, staring at the huge chunk of glittering rock in the box. Then, my eyes shifted and met his, filling with tears. “
Yes
!” I shouted.

Our friends and family erupted into ear-piercing cheers and whistles as Phil slid the ring onto my finger and stood, hauling me into his arms. The kiss he gave me was bursting with the purest joy. He held me against him as though I was his most treasured, beloved possession.

“In my heart, you’re already my wife,” he whispered against my lips.

“In my heart, I already am, too,” I whispered back.

He kissed me again and grunted, “Shit.”

“What?”

“I’m fuckin’ chubbin’ again.”

“Ambrosia!”

Congratulations came from all sides, and everyone had to get a glimpse at the enormous
four-fucking-carat
diamond I was now sporting as a testament of Phil’s love for his Baby Girl. It made me feel bad when Gloria came up, squealing like a teenager and throwing her arms around me. My ring made hers look like a speck of glitter, but she didn’t seem the least bit put out by it.

“Your mother is positively dancing right now, you know that, right?” she beamed, her eyes glistening. “She knew he was your soul mate. She and Grandma are celebrating behind the veil.”

They’ve been celebrating since last night.

“Oh my
God
, Kenna!” breathed Lili, her eyes glued to the ring. “It’s a princess cut and fucking flawless! Look at the fire in it!”

I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t care less. He could have tied a piece of string around my finger, and I’d be just as happy.

Alys simply hugged me, not bothering to moon over the gem. That would come later when we had a private moment to moon over it together.

“Where did you get it?” Connor asked Phil.

My two best friends and I hushed up.

“Cartier in LA,” replied Phil.

He’d been sitting on the damn thing for nearly two months!

Alcohol and toasts started floating around, and after I sipped on a flute of ginger ale in honor of our engagement, Phil somehow snuck us into our half, away from the guests, and up to our room.

“Ambrosia ain’t cuttin’ it,” he hissed in my ear, sounding all pissed and whatnot as he shoved me over the threshold.