with her fingers, squeezing them. “How did I get so lucky?”
I nudged her nose with mine. “I guess we both did.”
Then I winked at her. “Now go, before my dick overrides my head and I ravish you first. My god, you are sexy.” I traced the wisp of lace at her hips. “Keep these on. I want to take them off—with my teeth.”
She sashayed away, winking at me over her shoulder.
“Whatever you want, Mr. Riley. I’m all yours.”
It was all I could do not to follow her.
“Married?” I gasped. “Gracie is married? To that guy? Jerome?”
She giggled around a mouthful of a sandwich. The kitchen had packed up a veritable feast. We had sandwiches, cheeses, assorted pickles, and condiments from the midnight buffet. Plus cake and cookies. I had refused their offer of the filet of beef and other items, asking them to donate it all to a shelter as we had requested. What they gave us barely made a dent in the leftover food, and I was happy to know the rest would help feed those in need. I had filled a plate for us to share, and we had both tucked in.
“Jaxson,” she corrected.
“Whatever. Gracie is married? Holy shit, Richard is going to blow a gasket.”
“She doesn’t want him to know. She says it was a mistake and it will be handled.”
I snorted as I reached for another sandwich. I had hardly eaten earlier either, and now I was starving. “Katy invited him for Christmas. You know it’s going to come out.”
“I’m the only one who knows. Well, and you now. You can’t say anything.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe, of all of us, Gracie would be the one to get drunk and marry someone in Vegas. Her intense, I-could-kill-you-with-my-bare-hands-looking boss, of all people. And she expects it to remain a secret. The way he was looking at her? Good luck with that.”
“I think she was going to tell him he couldn’t come.”
I sat back and pursed my lips. “I don’t think he is gonna listen. This is going to be one for the records.”
Addi worried her lip. “This is so unlike her.”
“No shit. It’s something one of the triplets would do. Maybe even Shelby. But Gracie?” I let my head fall back. “Do you think she’s in love with him?”
“All she has ever said was he was hard to work for. I never even knew his name until today.” Addi shrugged. “He is handsome, though. Sexy with that smolder.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I beg your pardon? He’s what?”
She laughed. “Not as handsome as you, of course. He’s way too dark and broody for me. For Gracie too, I would have thought. But who knows?”
I huffed.
Addi picked up a slice of cake and nibbled it. She licked her lips, staring into the fire. I loved the way she looked right now. Dressed in one of my hoodies, her legs bare. Her face scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair down around her shoulders. I had changed as well, wearing only a pair of sweatpants and a loose Henley. Comfort was the key. Sitting across from each other on the blanket I had spread out, eating an indoor picnic, sipping champagne, and talking was exactly what we needed to do. Reliving the day and, of course, the bombshell Addi had dropped. It made no sense to me. Gracie—married. She was the most sensible of us all. Level-headed. She thought everything through. An impulsive marriage to a brooding, older man? Her boss, no less? I really wanted to hear that story.
But as I studied my wife, I wanted something else more.
Reaching across the blanket, I tugged her over, settling her between my legs. She leaned back into my chest with a soft sigh, drawing her legs up to her chest. I wrapped my arms around her, content to feel her close for the time being.
“For the next two days, you’re mine, Addi. I’m locking the cell phones and laptops away. No one is coming near the house. I’m not sharing you until Christmas Day.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“I got a little tree we can put up tomorrow if you want. I even bought some decorations.”
“I love that!”
“I figured there was no point in a big one since the Hub has the family tree. But I wanted you to have a little one this year. We’ll pick a bigger one next year and put it up earlier.”
Addi loved Christmas. We all did. The tradition had been the