Chapter 4
Chapter Four
JESSICA
I can’t stop fidgeting. In fact, I think I might be sick.
“Sweet girl.” Noah pulls my thumb away from my mouth to stop me from chewing at the skin. It’s been a while since I last felt this nervous about something, but in a good way. “It’s going to be amazing, you’ll see. Have the same faith in yourself that we have in you.”
I can’t help but blush from his praise. Something about his complete faith in me slays me in ways I can’t even articulate.
“Come here.” He pulls me into his body, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck as he lowers his mouth to mine for a searing kiss.
I’m like putty in his hand as he devours me, makes me forget my nerves, and stirs something else low in my belly. Not that it’s difficult.
“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips.
“You don’t have to thank me, it’s true.”
I sense Caleb before I feel his hand on my lower back, cocooning me between them as his lips brush my ear.
“Come on, little temptress, let’s get this party started.”
I bite my lip, worried people won’t show up.
“Stop that,” Noah says, his thumb pulling my lip from between my teeth. “You can count on your friends. They wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
I take a calming breath, inhaling their combined scents—comfort, and most of all, love.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
Caleb lets out a small laugh. “That’s more like it.”
He bites down on my earlobe before stepping away and swatting my arse playfully.
I glance over my shoulder, loving how dashing he looks in his suit, as does Noah; together, they are a formidable force.
Breathing in deeply, I steal my shoulders once more. Noah reaches for one of my hands as Caleb takes the other, and together, we make our way into my restaurant— my restaurant.
How is this even my life right now?
Part of me is so scared, like this is a dream, and it will all fall out from under me.
That feeling like the other shoe is about to drop. How is it possible for life to be this good, this wonderful?
I can’t quite put my finger on it, or maybe it’s just an irrational fear that, deep down, I don’t deserve this kind of happiness.
My eyes survey the tables once more. Everything is exactly as I wanted it. There are cocktails and champagne, platters with mini versions of the food the restaurant will be offering.
As our friends begin to arrive, my nerves start to dissipate.
I try to greet everyone. The whole purpose was to make this more of a soft opening, intimate, and personal, and I think we’re making it happen with the help of Caleb, Noah, and my team.
Caleb smiles as Maggie approaches, her husband beside her.
“Maggie,you look lovely,” he says, kissing her cheek softly before Noah does the same. It’s endearing watching him and Noah with Maggie and also bittersweet, knowing she’s the closest mother figure they both have. We’re all the same in that sense, broken families, lost loved ones.
“This is wonderful, Jessica. Congratulations,” she says, greeting me with a hug before pulling back.
“Thank you so much for coming,” I say. She waves me off like it’s the most absurd thing to have said.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” A server walks past, and her eyes light up. “Oh, are those mini burgers?” she asks.
I nod, and she claps her hands together. “I must try them. I’m famished,” she says.
“Of course, please, enjoy,” I reply, smiling as she makes a beeline for one of the platters.
“Jessica, this is amazing.” I turn around as Wendy approaches along with her husband.
She’s Caleb’s PA. In other words, she’s pretty much his boss.
“Thank you, I’m so glad you came,” I say as she steps up to kiss my cheek.
“Are you freaking kidding, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. We’re making the most of it, Melonie is at Ben’s mum’s for the night.”
“And how is my favourite god-daughter?” Caleb asks.
Wendy rolls her eyes. “She’s your only god-daughter,” she retorts. “And you need to stop spoiling her every time I come into the office,” she says.
Caleb just shrugs. Wendy remote works and only goes into the office a couple of times a week, but Caleb set up day care to make it more accommodating for working parents. This man never ceases to surprise me.
“Good luck with that,” I say, reaching for Caleb’s hand and giving it a squeeze. My belly flutters to life when I think of what an amazing father he would be, but I squash it down. It’s just baby fever, right?
“Go and enjoy the food,” Caleb says, gesturing to the fresh platters.
Ben, her husband, claps his hands together. “You don’t have to tell me twice, come on you,” he says, reaching for Wendy’s hand and steering her away. She waves over her shoulder and giggles at whatever he just whispered into her ear.
I can’t help but smile. This really does seem so surreal.
I glance at Noah, who gives me a knowing look that silently says, I told you so .
And he was right, of course, but nothing isever guaranteed, and I’ll never take things like this for granted.
Having our nearest and dearest come to support me means so much.
Octavia sent me a massive bouquetof flowersand a bottle of Laurent-Pierre Cuvée Rosé in celebration, as she could not be here tonight—such a lovely gesture and very much appreciated.
I was extremely intimidated when we first met; not only was she already friends with Caleb and Noah, she’s stunning, confident, and demure.
If I didn’t trust Caleb and Noah implicitly, I might have been worried.
But she’s so much more than her appearance.
She’s gracious, kind, and has a way of empowering you.
She’s also the owner of Formidable—an exclusive sex club—and CEO of a multi-million-pound business.
So, I guess, in my own way, it was important for her to like me.
I wanted to make a good first impression.
It meant a lot, the guys bringing me into their inner sanctum, it further cemented our relationships.
After months of wearing Caleb down to take me to the club, I finally got to meet her, and now I consider her a friendtoo.
My lips lift into a big smile when I glance to my left.
“You came,” I say, turning to approach Lily and her guys.
Lily is in a relationship with Jackson, Elliot, River, and Tommy.
It just so happens that Elliot is also Noah’s ex, much to Caleb’s chagrin, but I think he’s slowly thawing towards him now.
I may not have met Elliot and the guys under the best circumstances, but they’re part of our inner circle now, which, of course, includes Lily, who is now one of my closest friends.
“Of course. Congratulations, this is amazing!” Her grey eyes sparkle with sincerity.
My face heats as Caleb pulls my wrist gently, stopping me from chewing on my thumbnail again . “Sweet girl, stop it. Everything is perfect,” Caleb says as he wraps my hand in his.
“Thank you for coming. We really appreciate it,” Noah says, his palm going to the small of my back.
Avery, Lily’s best friend, catches my attention as I glance over Lily’s shoulder. She approaches our group, a champagne glass poised between her fingers. Much like with Lily, Avery is another woman I have come to adore and couldn’t be more grateful to have each of them in my corner.
“Avery, you look amazing.”
She smirks. “You never know, I might meet Prince Charming,” she says, leaning in to greet everyone with a kiss on each cheek.
Mason’s head appears over the sea of guests.
“Oh good, my brother’s here,” I say, excitement filling my tone. “You can finally meet him,” I say to Avery. Goodness knows I’ve mentioned him enough.
“Mason, you already know everyone else, but this is Avery,” I say as he joins us.
Avery looks up at him with a smile, ready to greet him, but it slips the moment her eyes connect with his.
“What the actual fuck?” she says, her harsh tone surprising me.
“Siren,” he replies with a grin.
What the hell?What am I missing?
“Do you know each other?” I ask,confused by their odd exchange.
Avery looks positively pissed when she replies, “Unfortunately, yes.” Her eyes narrow at Mason with animosity.
“Careful, anyone would think you had a thing for me,” he retorts, seeming unfazed andclearlytrying to get a reaction.
I swear she looks ready to punch that smirk right off his face, and I can’t say I blame her. “That would require me to know your name is Mason and not, in fact, Daniel. If you’ll excuse me, Jessica, I think I just saw Mr Tall Dark and Handsome with my name written all over him.”
We’re rendered speechless as she sashays away and directly to Aaron, one of the guys from Caleb’s office, and wastes no time sparking up a conversion.
I raise an eyebrow and stare at Mason, words forming on my lips, but he holds up his hand, stopping me. “I’ll fill you in later. I need a drink.” He turns on his heels, his shoulders tense, and walks in the opposite direction of Avery.
“Hmmm, I wonder what that was about,”I say, more to myself than to the guys.
“No idea, but I’m pretty sure we’ll find out soon enough,”Caleb says.
I glance at Lily, who shakes her head subtly like she has no idea.
“You know, curiosity killed the cat,”River says with a smirk.
Lily elbows him softly, but he just laughs, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into his chest.
I glance over to Mason, his back purposely to Avery, as she continues to talk animatedly to Aaron. But I swear the tension could be cut with a knife, it’s almost palpable.
“Don’t worry about it, sweet girl, whatever it is. This is your night,”Noah says softly.
He’s right, of course. Tonight is about celebrating Obsidian Rose Cuisine and everything that has led to this moment and making sure everyone is enjoying themselves.
“Thank you,”I say to Caleb and Noah when I find us alone briefly. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you, you know that, right?”I try in vain not to let my emotions get the best of me and swallow down the urge to cry.
“You don’t have to thank us, sweet girl... but I mean, if you want to show us, we’ll be up for that,”Noah says with a wink, lightening the moment.
Caleb spins me in his arms until my back is pressed against his chest. “In fact, maybe we should help you christen the restaurant after everyone leaves.”
“You’re insatiable,”I reply, unable to ignore the goosebumps that break out over my skin. I couldn’t be more grateful to be loved by these two wonderful men.