Happy Holidate Ever After (Holidate #8)

1. EVERLEE - VALENTINES GALENTINES

EVERLEE - VALENTINE'S GALENTINE'S

One year.

And what a wild year it's been. From stumbling over myself in front of Callum at the Valentine’s cupid party, to marrying him, Jax, Knox, and Emmett on the Eiffel tower in Paris at Christmas. Lizzy and I went out this past weekend to get me a set of white wings and feathers for the upcoming Cupid party. I told the guys I’d just wear my red wings, so we didn’t have to buy a new set, and Jax and Callum threaten to torch them until Knox made a big deal about it and hid them. He’s told me where they are and requested I wear them around the house all day tomorrow, on Valentines, before we have to go to our respective clubs.

Tonight, they’re taking me out for our Valentine’s dinner, since we’ll all be busy tomorrow night.

Allure is hosting a Galentine's auction, where ladies can bid on a man or woman to accompany them to an exclusive room, and they can indulge in all their desires. We’ve made cards that show each man or woman’s specialty so they can be strategic with their bidding. Lizzy, of course, wanted to call it a Chicks and Dicks party, and when Knox and I said no, she tried to talk Jax and Callum into the name for Vixen.

Unfortunately, she had that conversation without me in the room. Seeing Jax's face would have been priceless.

Turning to look at my back in the mirror, I give the dress a slight twist so it sits properly on my hips. Lizzy was trying to talk me into getting a new dress for the dinner tonight, but I really loved the red one from my company gala last year and most of the guys didn’t really get to see me in it.

Excitement bubbles in my stomach as I look over myself one last time before I meet the guys downstairs.

Shifting my ladies around, I give my shoulders a little shake and head for the stairs.

The men’s voices echo up through the stairwell, and with each step I take, the more my stomach clenches. Placing my hand on the rail, so I don’t trip and fall down the stairs ruining tonight before it even starts, my eyes fall on my wedding ring.

This is my life.

These are my men.

As I take my first step, the sound of my heel hitting the stairs reverberates through the stairwell, causing the men to abruptly fall silent.

By the time I get to the bottom stair, my cheeks are hurting from the constant smile I can't seem to suppress.

“Fuck me,” Knox whines, shoving his fist into his mouth. It’s one of my favorite things he does that gives me all the feels.

“Nope. You aren’t going out in that.” Jax points back up the stairs, but Emmett grabs his arm and pulls it down, holding onto it.

“Come now, Jax.” Emmett’s tone is soothing. “We’ve talked about this.”

Jax bristles his shoulders, but doesn’t pull his arm from Emmett’s grasp.

“While I make it a point to never agree with Jax,” Knox starts, “I think we should cancel dinner and just stay here. Order in some sushi. Eat it off your body.” He pumps his eyebrows.

“Sorry bub. I want my steak and potato. Maybe a nice pineapple martini, some button mushrooms.” Shrugging my shoulders, I toss him a playful wink. “I’ll go with or without you.”

Callum extends his hand towards me, and as I grab it, his warm fingers intertwine with mine before he spins me around in a circle, then pulls me into a warm embrace. “Well, you’re definitely not going out without us.” He slides his thigh between my legs while pressing his hand flat against my lower back, at the same time Jax slides his hand around my throat. If I was wearing panties, they’d be soaked. They know how much this little move of theirs turns me on.

“Hoo-hoo,” a singsong voice chimes through the living room from the backdoor.

“God, no,” Jax whines, pressing his lips to my temple.

Sliding from between Callum and Jax, I move towards the backdoor. I make it halfway until I see Lizzy walking into the room. “What are you doing here?” I laugh when I hear another groan from behind me.

“You need a babysitter. Duh.”

When I look over my shoulder, the men all shrug their shoulders.

“Lizzy? What are you doing?”

She turns and goes to Luna’s pen, where the puppies are jumping on the edge and yipping in excitement. “These babies need someone to watch them while you’re out.”

“Do they?” Jax tilts his head.

“You stop, you big love bug. If you weren’t going out with Ev, you know your ass would be parked in this pen. Mr. Big and Tough is really Mr. Soft and Fluffy when it comes to these pups.”

He takes in a deep breath, but doesn’t deny what she says.

Luna had her puppies six weeks ago and they’re getting so big and a lot rowdier. Lizzy has been over here almost every day, so the fact she volunteered herself to watch them tonight shouldn’t have come as a shock to me. It’s almost been a contest to see who spends more time with them- Jax or Lizzy.

“You better stop!” Lizzy laughs, stepping into the play part of their pen. Knox ordered this type of pen where the walls snap together so we can make it as large or small as we want. They’ve taken over most of the living room. Jax and Knox, of course, had to make it the equivalent of a five-star hotel.

If you ask Jax, Knox was the one going over the top since he’s the one responsible for putting up the pen. However, Emmett has a video of Jax leaning against the doorframe, coffee mug in one hand, feet crossed at the ankles, while he directs Knox with his free hand. Knox, aka Jax, thought it best to build a small pen within the larger one so the pups could have a sleeping and eating area away from where they run around.

“Be free, my little babies!” Lizzy shouts, opening the door of their sleeping pen into their playpen where she’s sitting. The puppies push through the door and maul her with all the ferociousness that six golden retriever pups can manage. “Ow!” she screams. “Blue bit my finger!”

“You’re my boy blue!” Jax taunts.

“Boo, boo,” Lizzy calls. “Blue bit my finger and it’s still hurting,” she says in an English accent.

Knox and I burst into laughter while the others stare at us with furrowed brows.

“Are you serious?” Knox yells, then says with an English accent. “Charlie bit my finger… and it’s still hurting.”

“Nothing?” Lizzy and I ask at the same time.

A minute later, Knox has the video up on his phone, and everyone, except Lizzy, gathers around him to watch it. She’s currently flat on her back, being attacked with licks and nibbles.

The others barely have a smile on their face when the video finishes.

“Whatever,” Knox defends. “It’s funny.”

“Are we safe to leave her here with them?” Jax nods towards Lizzy.

“All good, daddy Jax,” Lizzy answers for the group.

“Never call me daddy.”

Lizzy sits up, so we can’t see her face, but I’d bet the club she just whispered daddy. She climbs out of the pen, cradling Lulu in her arms. She’s the purple ribbon pup and the only one that has a name because Lizzy has claimed her. Lizzy is counting down the rest of the weeks until she can take her home, and Jax is counting down the weeks to stop getting daily Lizzy visits.

He talks a big game, but on more than one occasion he’s asked about Lizzy when she shows up later than normal. He makes up some excuse, but we all know he gets a little worried.

“You all stay out as late as you want. I’ll take care of these babies and let Luna out.”

“They were just fed some soft food about an hour ago,” Jax starts. “Also, make sure their water bowl stays full and don’t let green near it unsupervised. He likes to climb in and sit.”

“Thank you, da- Jax.”

“Let’s go, daddy,” Emmett says, tugging him to the door, chuckling.

Jax cuts his eyes at Emmett but doesn’t say anything.

Callum climbs in the front passenger seat beside Brady, who’s driving tonight, while Knox climbs in the back row. Emmett is behind me, holding the back of my dress up while I walk down the stairs, when Jax steps back into the house.

“Also, blue likes to bite the edge of the water bowl, so be careful because he’ll also flip it. And we have three plastic water bottles on the counter. Make sure you check the lids are screwed on tight before you give them to the pups. They like to push them around and play with them.”

“Got it!” Lizzy shouts before laughing into a scream. The tell-tell sign she’s being nibbled by several pups.

“Let’s go, daddy. They’ll be fine,” Emmett calls over his shoulder.

“E,” Jax responds with a low growl, making us both stop and turn around.

My stomach tightens at the feral look in his eyes.

“Let’s go bros and lady!” Knox yells, sticking his head out of the backdoor. “I offered to stay here and have a fuck fest, but nooo. Ev has to have her steak and potatoes with martinis and mushrooms and shit, so now I’m hungry.”

Jax rolls his eyes, so we climb into the car.

“Let’s go eat,” I say, grabbing Emmett and Jax’s legs.