Brown Siblings - 01 Laid Bare (30 page)

“Don’t pout.” He leaned in very close. “Or I’ll whip your ass when we get there.” She shivered. “That’s supposed to be a deterrent?”

“I’ll whip your ass and I won’t let you come.”

“Oh. I guess I can wait.”

She tried not to fret about the café. Brody and Ella, who’d returned to work on a very part-time basis, had assured her it was all taken care of.

“You sure Ben and Cope are okay taking over for a week?”

“Yes.”

The flight was pretty quick and the blast of heat that met them as they stepped out to the taxi stand just outside baggage claim reminded Erin of the years she’d lived in Los Angeles.

“I’m such a weather pussy. The time I was in LA I absolutely melted. Let me hide in Seattle where we all whine when it gets over eighty-five for those two months a year.”

“I hear you.” He loaded them into a limousine she hadn’t seen coming. Once they’d settled and pulled away from the curb, Todd turned back to her. “I missed Seattle so much when I was in Boston. I really wanted to move back. Boston is a great city in a lot of ways though. It’s similar to Seattle. Great beer, it’s a food-loving town, lots of water. Some of the best bookstores I’ve ever been in. The traffic is fucked.”

She laughed. “I’ve been to Boston many times. I liked it there, but I’m glad you came back to Seattle.”

The hotel was gorgeous. The Bellagio was one of her favorite hotels in the world. Elegant, luxurious and a perfect counterpoint to all the noise and chaos to be had on the Strip.

“You have good taste. I love this place.”

“Good.”

“Ah, Mr. Keenan, welcome.” They were given key cards and a bellman took their luggage up.

“Honey, I’ll be up in a second, I just need to check on our reservations for tonight. By the way, you’ve got a spa treatment in”—he checked his watch—“forty minutes. I’ll walk with you. I have one too.”

The room was beautiful. Fresh flowers, a basket of fruit and cheeses and a hella big box of chocolates were waiting for them. Score. She tipped the bellman and kicked off her shoes, before opening the box and selecting a chocolate or three.

Todd came up just a few minutes later and she’d changed into a flirty sundress and sandals.

He handed her a sheaf of parchment paper that she unfolded, and as she read, she realized it was their wedding invitation. For that evening.

“This is . . .”

“Please don’t be mad. I just knew you’d overthink and find reasons to wait and everyone would want to butt in and it would be political and complicated and I wanted you to have a fairy tale because no one deserves it more than you.” He took a deep breath.

She was beyond touched that this big, forceful, arrogant, pushy, dominant man who held her hand through the therapy sessions he’d begun attending with her once a month would plan such a beautiful thing.

For the two-dozenth time that day alone, she threw herself into his arms and rained kisses on his face. “I just figured we’d go to the Elvis Chapel or whatever. You’re the best, Todd Keenan. I love you.”

“Thank god you’re not mad. Brody and Adrian are here. My parents, siblings, Ben and Cope.

Raven too. I asked Jeremy. He sends his best wishes, but understandably he’s not here. We had a good talk. I think he’s a good guy. Ella is back in Seattle with Hype from Brody’s shop running your café in the mornings. She said it was her present to you.” She burst into tears and he looked worried for a moment, until she blubbered that they were good tears.

“What am I going to wear?”

“Raven came down yesterday with Adrian. They’ve picked out four dresses for you to choose from. They’re in the spa where they’ll do your hair and makeup and all that stuff. We’ll say our vows outside and then we’ll all have a lovely dinner. Tomorrow we’ll hang with everyone and then you and I are on our own for a honeymoon. Come on, you have lots to do.” She took his hand. “Is Ben okay with all this?” She loved them both and while she wanted to be married to Todd very much and knew she sure couldn’t marry both of them, the last thing she wanted was to hurt Ben.

“Ben helped me plan it all, so he’s more than okay.”

“All right. But here’s my wedding present to you. I’ve been considering buying the condo next to mine. It’s bigger, two stories, with the bedrooms upstairs. Move in with me and you can work from there. That condo has a much bigger balcony; it’s like a deck actually, with a hot tub and stuff. I could create a lovely garden out there.”

Todd knew this part would be hard. He loved her condo. It was private and central to most everything. But he loved his house too. He hated the idea of selling it.

“My place is near the zoo and the lake. It’s closer to the café than your condo.” She chewed her lip. “It’s so
exposed
.”

“We can talk to people about just dropping by.” He laughed.

It looked as if she was going to cry again as she shook her head. “Not that. I don’t care so much about that.” She tried to walk away, to pace, hiding her face with her hair, which was currently a honey blond with fiery red tips.

He caught her, holding her tight for a moment. “Hey. Share with me. This is more than giving up one place over the other. Tell me.”

“My place is thirty-two floors up! It has a doorman and security cameras. You can’t even get to my floor without a key card or an access code I change every week! It’s
safe
and I can sleep at night and not be afraid. I . . . At your house, I hate when you leave to go get something or if I get there and you’re gone. I hate going inside. It’s at ground level. It has all those windows. The basement windows! Anyone could get in. I can’t. I just can’t.” Oh fuck, what a dumbass he’d been. It hadn’t even occurred to him.

“God, I’m stupid. I’m sorry. Of course I’ll move in to your place, although I’m a bit uncomfortable about you buying something so expensive for me.”

“It’s for us, really. I mean, my place is huge already, but now we’ll have space for you to work from home too. Plenty of room for a nursery and stuff when the time is right.” She looked up into his face, and he loved her so much it nearly hurt. He wanted children with her and that she’d consider it after what she’d suffered meant a lot.

“I know I’m asking you to give up more than I am and Cope will have to come into downtown every day, which will suck for him. The place next door comes with three parking spots, though.

I mean, obviously it’ll take some planning and coordination. The permits take a while and the contractor told me it would take months to get the connecting wall down and arched. We’d have to talk about what you wanted and if you wanted it and, oh man, I’m just babbling.”

“Let’s go get ready for our wedding. We can talk about all this stuff tomorrow.” He smiled and led her out of the room.

After being massaged, manicured, pedicured, facialed (in a non porn way) and hairdone, Erin slid into the dress she’d chosen. Clearly Adrian and Raven knew her well because each dress was perfect in its own way.

The one she chose was a soft pink, floor-length gown with a V-neckline and off-the-shoulder spaghetti straps. The bodice fit snugly and the skirt was organza and was close to her body, but still felt feminine and flowy.

Her hair was pinned up with flowers and she chose not to carry a bouquet.

“You look so beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before,” Brody said as he came into the room where she waited to go to the ceremony. “You glow like magic.” He kissed her.

“I’m so honored to walk you down the aisle today. Todd is good people.”

“I think so. Look at me in a fucking pink wedding dress with a train! Who knew? Also, thank god I’m not on my period, ’cause this dress fits like a glove but last week I’d have looked like a sausage.”

Brody laughed. “Aw, now, you look spectacular. You deserve a happily ever after.” Adrian would be her dude of honor and Todd’s father would be his best man.

“Ready?”

Erin nodded, and they walked down a hall where she blushed as hotel guests saw her and
ooh
ed and
ahh
ed. And then she
ooh
ed and
ahh
ed herself when double doors opened up to a courtyard lit by dozens of candles. She walked down the steps toward Todd, who looked beyond edible in a dapper tuxedo.

The ceremony was a blur. Todd had been happily surprised when Brody handed her the ring she’d sent him out in search of. For two hours, he’d sent her pictures via cell phone as she’d been prettified for the ceremony, until he’d found something she knew was perfect immediately.

Lorie hugged her and kissed her cheeks. “Welcome to the family! We’re so happy for you two.

Next month won’t you let Dean and I throw you two a reception? For all our friends and family who’ll want to meet you?”

Erin was touched and accepted. They’d eaten a spectacular meal and had laughed and talked until the wee hours of the morning, until she and Todd finally staggered back to their room, where rose petals had been spread on the bed and the bathtub had been filled just right.

“Damn, if you want to quit the security business I think you’d have a bright future as a wedding planner.”

“I already have a bright future,” he said, tossing his jacket to the side.

She tutted at him and hung it up, then moved to him again to undo his cuff links and to unbutton his shirt.

“I love French cuffs. They’re so elegant and glamorous.” She drew his shirt off and hung it as well.

“That dress . . . You look like a goddess, Erin. I lost my breath when I saw you come out those doors. It’s perfect. You’re perfect. I love you so much. I’ve never been happier than I am right this very moment.”

“Let me try to make you even happier,” Erin said, reaching for him.

28

Todd took a shower and watched her sleep for a while after he got out.
His wife
, nestled in the blankets, her hair covering her face, a leg poking from the covers in a long, creamy expanse.

What a lucky man he was to have her, to have those big hazel eyes looking up at him with such love and trust. They’d made love and fucked and made love again until after the sun had come up.

He heard a light tap on the door and when he peeked, he saw it was Ben. Todd smiled as he let him in.

Ben had helped with the planning, knowing that Erin would be another man’s wife. All the while, loving her. Todd and Erin had talked, in between bouts of sex, about turning part of the second condo into a living space for Ben so he could be there with them. As they’d sealed their relationship officially, they’d both understood they wanted Ben to be a more established part of their lives too. More important, they wanted him to feel and understand they desired him to be theirs full-time and not just when it fit into their schedule.

“Hey, is she still sleeping?” Ben asked as he came in.

“Yeah. I, um, tired her out. We didn’t get to sleep until dawn. You could have come with us, you know. I know Erin told you that.”

Ben grinned. “I expect there will be times when I want to have her all to myself and I figured your wedding night would be a time you wanted that.”

“Go wake her up. We’re supposed to meet everyone for a late lunch before they all go back home tonight.”

Ben quietly stalked to the bed and Todd admired the way he moved. He’d been close to Ben for most of his life and he’d grown closer to him over the last months with Erin than he’d ever been before. It wasn’t that Ben was male or female; it was that Ben was Ben. That’s what made him appeal so much.

Logically, Todd knew it was weird. He knew he should be jealous and territorial, but he wasn’t.

Erin had enough for both of them and they certainly had more than enough for her. Both of them loved her, wanted her safe, and in turn, cherished her. Ben didn’t have that history Todd had with her, but they were building their own memories.

Todd didn’t know what to call it; he only knew it worked.

Ben drew her close as he got into the bed. Warm and sleep-soft, she came willingly, snuggling into him with a smile, her eyes still closed.

“Morning. Mmm, you smell good. Like coffee. I need it.” He laughed. “You know the way to make a man feel wanted.” She smiled, her mouth against his neck. “We missed you last night. You’re staying this week, right?”

He swallowed. He’d wanted her to ask. When they’d planned it, he and Todd, Ben had been truly happy for both of them. But he wanted Erin to want him too, wanted her to ask him to stay with them. It would take some planning with Cope, who knew what was up and thankfully never judged. But there was no way he’d turn down the opportunity to be with them both this week.

Far away from home in a city that wouldn’t bat an eye at two men squiring one woman out on the town.

“I’d love to.”

“Mmm, good.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I need a shower and to brush my teeth.” She scrambled over him, getting him all worked up, and kissed Todd quickly on her way into the bathroom.

“I told you that you were welcome,” Todd said, grabbing the phone to order up some coffee.

“I wanted her to ask.”

“I’m moving into the condo when we get back.” Todd told him about the way Erin had reacted to moving into his house and Ben’s gut tightened.