He paused to put on a condom and whispered against her lips, “I want to do this right. First marriage and then a houseful of kids.”
She laughed against his lips. “Don’t you mean first marriage, then sex, then kids…”
“Oh, no, I never agreed with that order,” he said and claimed her mouth with his.
She lost herself in his touch, his kiss, the feel of him teasing her wetness and said, “I could be persuaded to your way of thinking.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said, and his best did not disappoint.
Completely spent, she collapsed onto his chest. He rolled onto his side and tucked her head onto his strong bicep. “Convinced?”
She winked at him and said, “I’m not sure yet. We might have to do that again.”
He growled down at her and said, “Really?”
“The whole thing or just that last part. Whatever.”
He ran a teasing finger from her jaw, lightly across the swell of her breasts and down the curve of one of her hips. “I’ve always loved helicopters, but now I have an even deeper appreciation for them.”
Lil reached down, wrapped her hand softly around the part of him that was already coming back to life and asked, “Is your private jet this comfortable?”
He hardened in her hand. “I’ll have new carpeting put in all of my vehicles.”
A good idea, but one that would have to wait.
For now, the helicopter provided just enough privacy for Lil to confidently trail kisses down Jake’s flat abdomen and lower.
Chapter Seventeen
The noise of three generations of Andrades was not as overwhelming as Jake remembered it being, especially not since it included a dash of Corisis and even some Waltons. The rehearsal dinner was certainly not a high society event, but it was filled with laughter and plenty of children.
Colby bounced happily on Jake’s knee while the main course was being served. Other families might have sent the children to another room to eat, but the Andrades merely extended their table and their hearts to include all in what could only be described as a feast.
Lil was seated next to him, happily chatting about babies with one of Stephan’s cousins.
Victor Andrade stood at the head of the table and the room fell silent. “It is my great pleasure to open my home-well, the Andrade home-” His brother raised a glass of wine to him with a tolerant smile. “…to our new family. Some people become family through blood. Some people through marriage. Others find their way into your life and your heart through friendship. Raise a glass to all of our family tonight…those who share our name and those who we have come to care deeply for. There is no greater fortune than to be surrounded by so much love. Dominic and Abby, may your life and your table always be as full as it is tonight.”
Dominic raised his glass and drank to the toast. Everyone followed suit. Abby used her napkin to wipe away tears that were running freely down her cheeks.
Jake looked to his left and saw his parents watching him quietly. He lifted the child on his lap and held her out toward his father. “Dad, do you want to hold her?”
His father took her into his arms as if she were the most fragile of creatures. “So, this will be our first grandchild?”
Jake’s heart swelled. “Yes. Lil had the biological father sign off his rights before she was born. I’m going to adopt her the same day I marry Lil.”
His mother took her from her husband and hugged her. “Jim, it looks like we’re going to have to start believing in Santa Claus.”
His father turned and looked at his son and said, “We will, Jake. This time we will. I could even write an algorithm to prove how he could make it around the world in one night.”
Colby reached out and pulled on her future grandfather’s nose. He laughed, “This one is going to be trouble, Jake.”
Jake smiled and glanced at Lil. “Just like her mom.”
Lil turned around when she heard Jake’s voice. “What are you talking about?”
Jake put his arm around Lil and said, “How every life needs a little chaos.”
“Wait, I’m the chaos? You’ll pay for that!”
He laughed. He didn’t mind the way she doled out punishment.
In fact, he rather liked it.
His father asked, “Jake, whatever happened to Jeremy? We haven’t seen him in days.”
“It seems that his makeover is going to take longer than we thought. The consultant we hired thought it would go faster if he was on site for a while.”
Lil laughed. “Sounds serious. He’s that determined to get Alethea?”
Jake nodded solemnly. “Men will do all sorts of crazy things for women. He did give me a gift, though, before he left.”
Lil cocked her head to the side.
Jake took out his phone and said, “He hacked into a certain news station’s files and made a ring tone for me. Now whenever you call me, I hear this.”
Lil’s voice played clearly from his phone when he pressed a button. “Of course I find Jake Walton sexy, who wouldn’t?”
Lil slapped his shoulder. “Out of that whole interview, that’s all you heard, wasn’t it?”
Jake nodded with a huge smile on his face.
He played it again and held the phone out of her reach when she grabbed for it. “It’s all that mattered.”
Chapter Eighteen
Lil met her sister’s eyes in the mirror and dabbed a happy tear away before it could smudge her makeup.
“Are you sure the veil is on securely?” Abby asked.
“I can have the stylist check it again, but I think short of stapling it on, it’s as secure as it gets.”
Abby turned and Lil was once again moved by the glow on her sister’s face. The paparazzi would love her – not that they would have a chance to snap a single photo. With the Andrade’s blessing, the couple had flown less than a hundred guests to Isola Santos for a highly private wedding. Immense air-conditioned tents covered the lawn and led to a discrete area that would allow the couple to marry with the ocean as a backdrop to their ceremony. There was only one photographer and he’d signed a non-disclosure contract.
Although Alethea was not attending the wedding, she’d sent a wedding present-a schematic breakdown of the weaknesses she’d found both at Dominic’s engagement party and in his plans for the island wedding. Abby hadn’t warmed up to her enough to invite her to the wedding, but she was beginning to soften her stance against her. After all, Alethea had played a role in saving
Corisi Enterprises.
The only one who wasn’t presently happy with Lil’s best-friend was Dominic’s head of security. Rumor had it that he was furious when he read her report, especially since she’d noted that he was “easily distracted” from his duties. That was Al, making friends wherever she went.
My sister is getting married today.
Today.
Three weeks hadn’t been much time to prepare for a wedding, but since the budget had been so generous-it had come together seamlessly. Amazing what people could accomplish when they worked on commission and the bride could have whatever she wanted.
Concepts for wedding dresses had arrived almost immediately from several well-known designers and it was no surprise that Abby had chosen something simple: a white strapless, silk gown with layers of lace that covered both the dress and Abby’s arms and shoulders in the classic style of Grace Kelly. Her bouquet was a nosegay of white wild orchids, white peonies and mini calla lilies. Abby’s most stunning accessory was the huge smile that hadn’t dimmed since she’d met Lil for breakfast that morning.
Lil looked down her own iridescent, charcoal chiffon dress. The body of it was shirred and fitted from the strapless, ruffled bodice to the mid-thigh hemline that boasted a detachable flowing skirt. Mrs. Duhamel had found the perfect compromise-dress, floor length to satisfy Abby and sizzling and short in one easy step for Lil. Nicole and Maddy had been easy to talk into wearing the spicy bridesmaid’s dress, but Zhang had been an altogether different matter. She had also been the wildcard in the wedding party. Maddy’s husband, Richard, and Nicole’s fiancé, Stephan, were natural choices for groomsmen. Maddy convinced Abby that choosing a groomsman for Zhang had to be done as carefully as if they were matchmaking.