Chapter Forty-Seven
JAX
We’ve spent the last few hours playing games, drinking, eating and dancing. Elliot even went as far as pulling out the karaoke machine, much to River’s delight. Boy, can he belt out a tune? Me, however, not so much, but when Mia asked to do a duet with me, who was I to refuse?
It’s good to see her smile. I know she has a lot of healing to do, as does Lily, but we’ll be here to help them in any way we can because that’s what family does.
“Dance with me,” Lily says, as a slow song filters through the sound system. Everyone else is playing Twister except Tommy, who seems more than content being in charge of the spinner.
I pull her into my arms and begin to move to the song’s slow beat.
“Thank you for all of this,” she says, her gaze moving to the mass of tangled limbs, her eyes sparkling under the disco ball. “I didn’t know how much I needed it.”
I reach out and cup her cheek. “You’re welcome, Duchess. I’d do anything to make you happy.”
She flushes under my praise, and unable to help myself, I lean in and kiss her, slipping my tongue past her lips, I feel her moan as opposed to hearing it, and it sends blood straight to my dick. Sighing, I pull back, resting my forehead against hers, and breathe her in.
“Two minutes,” Mia squeals, and I look over at the clock and reluctantly pull away from Lily.
“Turn on the TV,” Avery slurs. “I want to do the countdown with Big Ben.”
Elliot turns on the TV and shuts off the music. River pours everyone another drink, although if I’m being honest, we’ve all probably had enough, and Tommy hands out party poppers and whistle-blowers. We all stand around and watch the Live broadcast from London. Everyone begins the ten-second countdown.
But my sole focus is on Lily.
As if she can feel me watching her, she looks at me and smiles.
My mum always says a smile reflects a ‘sweet soul’, and I never really understood that until this moment.
She goes up onto tiptoes and wraps her palm around my neck to pull me closer. I think she’s about to kiss me, but her mouth moves to my ear.
“I love you, Jackson Donovan,” she says loud enough for me to hear.
I jerk back just as everyone shouts, “Happy New Year!” Choruses go out around the room and echo from the TV and fireworks. The guys are pulling the party poppers and using the whistles, but it barely registers over the words she spoke to me.
My hand moves to her waist, and I pull her close, my lips slamming down on hers.
Lily Montgomery loves me.
I want to stay cocooned in this moment for an eternity, but I can’t be selfish, not when it comes to Lily.
“I love you, too,” I say, kissing her nose, and then let go to wish everyone else a Happy New Year before we all join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne.
Avery and Lily fall onto the sofa with Mia between them to watch the fireworks show on TV as the rest of us start to clear up.
It’s not long before Mia succumbs to sleep, and Lily nudges her gently to wake her up.
“You ready for bed?” she asks, tucking Mia’s dark hair behind her ear.
Mia just nods in response, which means she must be tired, the fact she didn’t even try to argue.
Elliot switches off the TV, and River collects the last empty glasses, taking them to the kitchen. Tommy grabs the empty party poppers. The rest can wait until morning.
“Come on then.” They both get off the sofa, and Lily glances at me and hooks her thumb towards Mia.
“I’m going to see her to bed, goo?—”
“No, you stay with your guys, Lils. I’ll make sure she’s settled,” Avery cuts her off.
Lily looks to Mia, who nods, covering her yawn with the back of her hand.
“It’s fine, Lils, g’night,” she says, kissing her cheek and waving us all good night. Lily watches as she disappears upstairs.
Avery stands and snatches the open bottle of champagne from the ice bucket.
“She’ll be fine, don’t worry, Lils. You see in the New Year with your guys. God only knows one of us deserves to get their crumpet buttered.” Avery winks at Lily and salutes us all a goodnight before heading upstairs. As soon as her footsteps dissipate, River smiles and walks towards Lily with purpose.
“Finally,” he says, pulling her in for a kiss that’s borderline indecent. But fuck me if the sight alone doesn’t make me as hard as steel .
Elliot dims the lights before walking up behind her. His hands move to her hips as he pulls her back flush against his chest, peppering kisses all over her neck, causing her to writhe between him and River.
I glance over to Tommy, who is watching, his lips curved into a smile, and it’s impossible not to notice the boner he’s also harbouring from the little show.
Seeing and hearing her pleasure is a shot to the senses.
“You like that, don’t you, Duchess, being the sole focus of their joint attention?”
River pulls out of the kiss, her eyelids fluttering open, the pad of his thumb swiping over her swollen bottom lip.
“Answer him, my little vixen.”
Elliot tilts her head to the side, sucking on her neck—marking her.
Her eyes find mine, her pupils dilated. “Yes, I love it,” she says, her voice strained.
I walk over and run my finger over the swell of her breasts, her pulse beating a rapid staccato.
Elliot pulls back to survey his handiwork with a wicked smile. Hmm, looks like he’s a little bit of a dark horse.
“Tell us what you want, Duchess,” I say, my fingertip tracing a pattern over her exposed skin.
She licks her lips. “More, I want more.”
River groans in approval, his hand sliding up to cup her breast over the satin of her dress.
“More?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “More of what, Duchess?”
“You, all of you,” she says, breathless and wanton.
I grip her jaw and pull her mouth to mine, my tongue slipping between her lips, tasting the champagne on her tongue.
Her hand drifts to my hip before sliding down to my groin, brushing over my very hard cock.
Ending the kiss with a nip to her lip, I pull back .
“Are you going to show us how much you want us?” I ask.
She blinks back at me and nods.
I look between Elliot and River.
“Pull up her dress.”
River crouches down and begins to lift the hem of her dress, rising to his full height as Elliot helps, her dress now scrunched around her waist. They each have a hand on either hip, holding it in place, allowing me to see her.
I stand back and take her in. She’s wearing a pair of stockings held up by a garter with lacy midnight blue knickers that matches the colour of her dress, but it’s the wet patch of her evident arousal that has my dick twitching.
“Who wants to taste her first?” I ask.
I glance at River and Elliot, but they look over my shoulder as Tommy steps beside me. His eyes slowly rake up the length of her legs until finally coming to a stop at her cunt when he says, “Me.”