Sinful Ever After (Sinful Serenade Book 5) (8 page)

One is perfect.

The aisle is decked with red rose petals. It's lined with potted roses. The altar is overflowing with red roses. It's so full it looks like it's going to collapse on the happy couple.

It's beautiful.

Like a fairytale.

Miles pulls me into a close hug. I slide my hands under his leather jacket so I can pull him closer. I'm used to the smell of that jacket. It smells like him. Like home.

I blink back a tear. Damn. Look at me. Getting emotional over roses and bows.

"Would you like to see the reception site?" The friendly coordinator asks.

Miles rubs my shoulders over my coat. "I think she needs a minute."

"It's beautiful. You should be crying."

"Princess, I thought I didn't cry."

"You
don't
cry."

"You want me to cry?" He smiles. "That's cruel."

"Miles." I stare into his piercing blue eyes. "I love you. It's perfect."

He leans in to kiss me. It's chaste for him.

Fuck that. I rise to my tiptoes so I can press my lips to his. I slide my tongue into his mouth. My body is no longer satiated from our limo sex. I need him again.

Now.

I need him every night. Forever.

My heartbeat picks up. I let my thoughts drift away as I follow Candy to the reception site. It's just as beautiful, just as straight out of a fairytale.

The grand ballroom is painted in shades of ivory and silver. And it's decorated with that same rich, red motif. Roses are everywhere. Crimson bows and touches are everywhere.

Candy laughs. "The ceremony this afternoon has a clear theme."

"My fiancée wants everything purple." Miles squeezes me. "The brightest purple you have."

I squeeze Miles's hand. "You really want purple?"

"Of course." He presses his lips to my forehead.

He has everything figured out. He's perfect.

"Any changes you'd like?" Candy asks.

I shake my head.

Miles laughs. "I think that's a no."

They exchange goodbyes. I'm too in a daze to notice what it is they're saying. The decorations will be purple tomorrow.

Rosie will be here. A little piece of her will be here.

Miles waits until Candy is gone. He pulls his cellphone from his jeans and turns to me. "I want to show you something."

"Is it your cock? I'd like to see that again." He unlocks his cell screen, taps it a few times, and hands the phone to me.

"Is it a picture of your cock? That would be quite the curveball."

His smile spreads ear to ear. "Princess, I don't delete my old photos. I'm sure there are plenty of pictures if that's what you're after."

"Good."

His expression gets serious. "Look at the screen."

I do. It's an itinerary. Flights. One from Phoenix to Orange County. Then, two days later, from Orange County to Denver. A week later, a flight from Seattle to Orange County. Then from Orange County to Chicago.

It goes like that for five months.

There are a dozen round trips. We'll never be more than ten days apart.

I look up at Miles. There's all this affection in his clear blue eyes. "You're going to spend your entire tour on airplanes."

"Only the breaks."

"This is too much."

"No. It's just enough." He rubs my shoulders. "If you get spare time, I'll fly you out. But if not, that's okay. Your life doesn't have to change. You don't have to give up anything you want, Meg. Including us together as often as possible."

I do the math. This will give us forty days together. With the break, that's almost two out of the next five months.

I can do that. But- "You want to stay with my parents? Half these dates are during the week." It's no problem staying at the Malibu mansion on the weekends, but, with traffic, it's two hours from school.

The same smile spreads over his face. "About that."

"About that?"

"Go to the next email."

I do. It's a confirmation for a lease. The address is in Newport Beach.

It's an apartment for us.

There's even a message about Miles wanting to add my name to the lease.

"There are pictures," he says.

There are. It's smaller than the place in Malibu—it's hard to compete with a mansion— but there’s plenty of room in the modern condo. There are two bedrooms, a wide main room, a balcony and a shared pool.

And you can see the beach from the windows.

"Fifteen minutes to UCI. Half an hour in traffic." He drags his fingertips over my neck. "It's ours through May. After, we can renew or we can find a more permanent place."

"You want to live in Orange County?"

"I want to live where you are, Meg."

"What if I do my residency in Arizona?"

"Then I'm in Arizona." He slides his hand to the back of my neck. "I talked to Tom. He wants to slow down too. More time off during tours. Fewer private gigs. We might not make as much money, but-"

"You're already worth thirty million."

He laughs. "Yeah. Only eight or nine for the other guys, but that's plenty."

"I can't believe you're bragging at a time like this."

He smiles. His forehead connects with mine for a moment. Then he pulls back enough to stare into my eyes. "I'm not saying it will be easy. I'm sure there will be days where you get home and wish I were there. I'm sure there will be nights on the road where I need you like I need oxygen. But we'll figure it out. Any time you need me, call. I'll find a way to be there."

"What if you need me?"

"I'll find a way for us to be together." His eyes fill with affection. "You're going to be a great doctor one day. I'll always have music. That will change with the times, but it will always be in my heart. Right next to you."

"But I'm the only one here." I drag my fingertips over his chest, over the tattoo of my name.

"Yeah. You're the only one here." He leans down to press his lips to mine.

When the kiss breaks, I stare back at him. "Okay. Now, I believe you promised to show me your cock."

He laughs. "Princess, you know I always give you what you want."

He whisks me back to the limo.

And we make excellent use of our free afternoon.

––––––––

M
iles

We barely make it out of the limo in time to pick up our marriage license. Damn. We're late. I check the clock when we stop at our hotel room to change. Again, I'm in slacks and a button-up shirt. Meg wears a knee-length ivory dress and silver wedges that give her an inch on me.

The woman lives in flats. I'm almost never looking up at her.

Well, not when we're dressed.

What the hell time is it anyway? I check the clock again. As hot as she looks with the dress hugging her chest and waist, this has to wait until after dinner.

The Japanese restaurant is packed to the brim. I lead Meg through the fray, straight to the reserved room in back.

It's through sliding screen doors. They're white and tan, a stark contrast to the dim room and its black accents.

Despite its lack of windows, the private room is bright. Paper lanterns hang from the ceiling. There must be a few dozen in shades of red, pink, and blue.

The room is full of friends. I'm sure I'll be sick of the three of them by the end of the tour, but I'm happy to see them now.

Tom, Drew, and Pete—they're my family. They get on my nerves, get in my space, and piss me off because they love me.

Everyone is seated at a long table. Tom's wife—fuck, I'm still not used to that—Willow is next to him in the back. Her magenta dress matches her magenta hair. Behind them are Pete and his fiancée, Jess. She lifts her head from his shoulder to nod a hello to me. She smiles at Meg.

Kara and Drew are on the other side of the table, next to Meg's parents. She jumps out of her seat to hug us hello, first me then Meg.

Kara whispers loudly enough I can hear. "Is this really happening?"

Meg nods.

Kara squeezes her tighter.

Drew is next. He offers Meg a quick hug. We make eye contact, a look that says,
I'm happy for you, but I don't desire the proximity of your body
. We shake hands.

The Steele brothers are wearing their usual trouble-making smiles. Tom brushes a hand through his sandy blond waves. The other hand is curled around a wrapped present.

He thrusts it into Meg's hands. "Don't open it in front of your parents."

"Oh." She looks at the purple wrapping then looks up at Tom. "Is it a sex toy?"

Tom laughs. Pete chuckles.

"I should kick your ass for that." I address both of them.

"Wait until you see what it is. You'll like it." Tom gives Meg a tight hug. He shoots me the same look Drew did.

"Oh, don't be a pussy about it." Meg pushes us into a hug.

It's quick. A second. Then Pete takes his turn.

He whispers something in Meg's ear. Her cheeks turn red. Damn. Knowing the dark-haired bassist, I'm sure he said something positively filthy. I should kick his ass for that, but Meg looks fucking adorable blushing. And she's eyeing me like she's already thinking about what we'll do when we get back to the hotel room.

Pete hugs me without any of Tom's shyness.

"You dirty talking my girl?" I ask.

He chuckles. "Offering some advice for later."

"Advice about pleasing a man?"

He chuckles, shakes his head, and pats me on the back. "Can't believe you're doing this."

"You got engaged after three months."

Pete shrugs as he pulls back. "Don't have commitment issues."

"That cuts me, Steele."

I glance at his fiancée. Jess plays with her long blond hair. Nervous or... no, she's antsy. She's got the look of a woman who wants to be alone with her man.

I can respect that. I did drag the two of them away from their bedroom. I catch her gaze and nod hello. She waves and smiles back.

Tom busts between us. "When do we get to see the new tattoo?"

"Do I ask your wife to whip out her tits so I can gawk at her tattoo?" I come back.

That earns me a laugh from Tom and a glare from Drew.

Willow gets up from her seat. She hugs Meg and me then settles next to Tom. "Is my husband bothering you?"

"My wife is so rude." Tom shakes his head with mock outrage. "I'm going to have to take her back to the hotel and punish her."

Willow blushes. She turns to us. "I'm happy for you guys. You're such a lovely, tall couple."

Tom laughs.

"What?" She pouts. "They're really tall. Both of them are taller than you are."

"You're emasculating me, kid." Tom squeezes her.

"Right," she says.

"You should remind me of my virility right now." Tom smiles.

Willow shakes her head, endeared. Then she motions to Meg. "I was thinking." She leans in to whisper in Meg's ear.

Meg blushes. "Oh. I don't know that we'll have time."

"We can do it tonight," Willow says. "I'll send Tom away."

Tom shakes his head with mock incredulity.

"Aren't you having a bachelor party?" Willow asks.

"Do you want one?" Tom looks to me, his brow screwing with confusion.

Don't drink. Don't gamble. Don't have any interest in lap dances from strippers. Makes bachelor party options pretty slim.

I shake my head.

"Miles has seen enough tits to last a lifetime," Tom teases. He looks at Meg and motions to the present in her hands. "Use that well."

Again, Meg blushes. She manages to hold Tom's eye contact. "Did Miles really talk to you about slowing down?"

Tom nods.

"Do you hate me for that?" she asks.

"Fuck no. He’s making me look accommodating, for once. Miles asks to slow down. I reluctantly agree. I get to spend more afternoons pinning my wife to the wall. Besides, it's not just Miles. Drew-"

Willow clears her throat.

"Nevermind about that. I get more time to fuck my wife." Tom rubs his nose against Willow's. "That's what matters."

Meg's expression screws with confusion. "Tom, you want to slow down?"

Tom runs his hand through his hair. "No, I... I just think it's important for Miles to keep you around. I'm not going to be the one watching him like a hawk every time there's alcohol nearby." Tom laughs. He looks at me. "I swear I'm not trying to scare her off."

"Uh-huh." Willow rises to her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. She turns to us. "Congrats again. You really are a beautiful, tall couple. And I'm looking forward to tonight, Meg. Don't eat or drink too much. You want your agility." She winks.

Meg giggles.

"What's tonight?" I ask.

"A surprise," Meg says.

"Fuck, he's slow. Even I put those pieces together," Tom says.

"Honey." Willow slides her arm around Tom's waist. "If you delay me, I won't have time for you tonight."

"Fuck that." Tom nods goodbye and pulls Willow back to the table.

Jess is up next. She hugs Meg hello and doesn't quite whisper in her ear, "I told you he'd ask."

"But an hour after finals?" Meg asks.

Jess nods. "You should hear how he talks about you when you aren't around. He's gaga for you." She turns to me. "I hope I'm not speaking out of turn. You guys are going to be so happy." She rises to her tiptoes to hug me.

After hellos and congratulations with Meg's parents, we settle into our spots at the table. It's just in time for appetizers—miso soup, edamame, and mixed greens.

Meg squeezes my hand. She leans in to whisper, "I've been thinking... Sinful Serenade is your family. And they're mine too."

"Yeah?" I stare into her brown eyes.

"Yeah. I love that you got us a place in Newport. I love that we'll be by my family all week. But maybe we can be by your family all weekend? In Malibu, or we can find a place that's closer to everyone. Fuck, we can take turns staying with Tom and Pete, if that's what you want."

"Taking turns with the Steele brothers?"

She cocks a brow.

"Don't tell me you've considered it."

"Maybe..." She tries to hold a poker face, but it's not happening. "Okay, I haven't considered anyone but you."

I whisper in her ear, "Why is it so hot that we're getting married tomorrow?"