me telling you she said to brush it off?” she continues. “Well, there was a little more to the story. She said you probably didn’t want to kiss me because I was far too beautiful and you might accidentally fall in love. She went as far as suggesting that I forgive you and play nice—that you’d come around eventually.”
My body goes numb for a solid five seconds. “Emilia said that?”
She nods as tears build in her eyes.
“She couldn’t have been more right. She called it, didn’t she?” An ache pushes through my chest, and it’s all I can do not to weep at the thought of my sister predicting so accurately what’s transpired. “I’d like to think she’s up there watching over us. I know she loved you. She told me at least twice a day how adorable she thought you were.”
A tear glides down her cheek. “I’m still adorable, and don’t you forget it.” She gives a slight laugh, but her expression grows serious. “I loved her, too.”
“I know.” I wrap my arms around her, and Serena and I hold one another like that for a good long while.
“We’ll keep her memory alive,” she whispers into my ear. “I want to.” She pulls back and blinks up at me with tear-lined lashes, that familiar naughty grin building on her lips. “How about one day, not all that far away, when you and I plan a family of our own, we name one of our little girls after her?”
My heart swells with love for this woman before me. “That sounds amazing. And if we have all boys?”
“Oh, sweetie, we’ll keep trying until we pump out a pink little sweetheart with hair long enough to put in pigtails on day one. I’m going to have a heck of a good time with our little Emilia. Of course, I’ll practice by spoiling Sunday’s precious angel first.”
I belt out a laugh as we head to the car. “Little Emilia. I really like the sound of that.”
“You should. It’s beautiful.” She gives my side a pinch. “How about we do a little baby-making practice for the next five years?”
“Sounds like a damn good plan. I’m already counting down the hours.”
“It’ll go by quickly. Life always does.”
“You know what doesn’t go by quickly?” I whisper deep into her ear, and Serena quivers against me. “The things I’m about to do to you.”
And we both walk a little faster.
Axel dropped off five new bottles for Serena and me to play around with. We’ve already poured the liquor and carefully administered the heated honey to each and every glass.
“You ready for a taste test?” I lift my glass, and she does the same.
“Salute.” She takes a careful sip and shudders. “Bleh! Definitely not that one.”
“Agreed.” I shudder right along with her. We try out three more and groan our way through the offerings.
“Last one.” She hikes her glass my way before leaning in to sniff it. “My God, that smells like heaven. What is it?”
“Cinnamon infused whiskey. It’s one of The Pelican’s and the Black Bear’s best sellers.”
“No kidding?” Her eyes widen, and we take a sip on three. Serena’s mouth falls open. “Winner, winner, hot honey dinner!” she chants, whooping it up as she jumps into my arms. “This is it! This is the drink I’ll officially gift to the Black Bear. They’re going to make a fortune off it. This is really delicious.”
“I agree. It tastes damn good with hot honey. You know what else tastes damn good with hot honey?”
A dirty giggle brews deep within her. “Me?”
“Damn right.” I swoop Serena off her feet and start to make my way out of the room with her, but she protests and reaches for the honey pot until it’s safe in her hands.
“I think tonight we make all of our hot honey dreams come true, one delicious kiss at a time.”
“Words I would never dare argue against,” I say, speeding us off to the bedroom.
She smears a line of the warm honey over my lips before kissing it off. Kissing Serena routinely arouses me to heights unknowable before, but tonight, with the sweet backbeat of Hollow Brook honey, she sends me into the stratosphere before I ever get her horizontal.
Serena gives a sultry laugh as I lay her onto the mattress. “This brings new meaning to the words licked you, you’re mine.”
“I’ve always been yours, Serena.” I lick a line up her neck and feel her trembling with laughter beneath me. “And I always will be.”
Serena