32. EVERLEE – LIZZY’S RECEPTION
EVERLEE – LIZZY’S RECEPTION
Sweat runs down the back of my neck and spine, causing a shiver as my nipples harden under my dress. We’ve been on the dance floor for three hours straight. The guys have continued to supply me with water. Callum and Jax have taken turns dancing with me during slow songs, while Knox and Emmett have been by my side the entire night. Knox because he just wants to dance and have a great time, and Emmett, because I won’t let him leave. If he leaves, he’ll go check on something and be the owner of this place instead of a guest at the wedding.
Colby is the running the show now and doing an amazing job. He has another month left before his baby arrives, so Emmett will step back in for a few weeks so Colby can bond, but until then, I’m trying to help Emmett stay in his new role. Colby’s baby was the one thing Emmett was most concerned about, but had several conversations with Colby and his girlfriend. They were both excited about the opportunity. Plus, Colby loves this place almost as much as Emmett does.
Emmett kisses my temple and mumbles something about finding water. Knox grabs my hand and spins me towards him and positions his knee between my legs with his hands on my hips. He leans in and presses his lips just under my jaw and sings, “Ooh girl, you’re so fine. You’re so fine, you blow my mind. Ooh girl, I’m so lucky I get to call you mine.” He rocks into me, moving and rubbing his leg in that sweet spot.
“Knox. Knox,” I pant out, glancing around. “We’re in the middle of the dancefloor.”
“No one can see.” He kisses my neck briefly, causing a ripple of pleasure to roll through my body.
“Knox.” I nearly growl out as I fight with myself.
“We’re just dancing, baby girl.”
“You’re trying to get me off.”
“Is it working?”
“Almost.” Why did I say that? I should have just said yes, but now he’s going to see that as a challenge. A mission.
He presses his body closer to mine and grinds. “I want to feel my cock inside of you.”
His whisper lights my body on fire, not only the words, but the very breath that travels across my skin. “Later. We’re at Lizzy’s wedding.”
“Don’t make me wait too long.”
“As soon as we leave.”
“Your dress is so low in the back. You know how we feel about these kinds of dresses. What it does to us. It’s almost like you do this to us on purpose.”
“Never.”
He laughs. “Kiss me, now.” He grabs under my chin and pulls my mouth to his. His tongue pulses in as his kiss makes me dizzy.
In my right ear, I hear a slurping and smacking sound. It takes my brain a minute, but I pull away from Knox and see Lizzy standing there.
“You hookers. No wonder she’s pregnant. Fuck me. I almost got pregnant just watching the two of you. Making me horny on my wedding night in the middle of the dance floor. Shame on you two.” She grabs my hand. “Now, if you don’t mind. I’ve requested a special song for you and me, my love.”
“I’m going to get some water,” Knox says, tipping his invisible hat as he exits the dance floor.
“You do that,” Lizzy calls, then turns and grabs me and gives me a hug. “I’ve hardly seen you all night, boo boo.”
“I know. We see each other all the time. You can’t be mad. I was giving others a chance to spend time with you.”
“No. I guess I can’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend any time with you.” She smiles and grabs both sides of my cheeks.
For a second, I think she’s going to kiss me, but the beat drops and the crowd goes wild. Rihanna’s S&M blares over the speaker and I stare at her for a second and she bursts out laughing.
“It was our jam in college and who would have known it’s what we would love years later? Maybe it was our subconscious trying to tell us something.”
“I can’t believe you played this at your wedding?”
“Why? It’s my wedding!” She shakes her hair in the air, then grabs my hands and starts swinging them from side to side. “ But chains and whips excite me!” she screams at the top of her lungs.
“God help Tony tonight.”
“Tonight? We’ve already consummated this bitch twice. I told him to put a baby in me! Stat!”
“Twice?”
“Why do you think we were late for pictures?” She spins me in a circle.
“Lizzy.”
“Boo boo. Dance! Dance with me!” She leans over and shimmies her shoulders with a smile spread across her face.
Fuck it!
Let’s dance to sex in the air because I don’t care!
Twenty minutes later, the music stops. It’s close to midnight, but I thought she had this place until two in the morning.
Lizzy has somehow made her way up to the DJ stand on the second level without me noticing. She grabs the mic and taps it a few times to get everyone’s attention.
“All. I just want to thank you for coming here tonight and celebrating this moment with us. It means the world to us you’re here. The party isn’t over yet, but I know a lot of you turn into pumpkins at midnight, so I wanted to pop on here quickly and just say thank you from the bottom of my, our, hearts. We’re going here until two and then taking the after party somewhere. Just not sure yet. We would love to have you at all the above, but understand if you can’t or don’t want to.”
The doors from the kitchen swing open.
“But for anyone who wants… I thought we may need a refuel.”
“What in the?” Keeley and Low both ask at the same time from behind me.
“It’s a donut tower cake thing! Enjoy!” Lizzy squeals then claps, forgetting she has the microphone in her hands, so it sounds like a storm is rolling through. “My bad.” She pulls her lips and gently sets the microphone down and steps away from it.
The DJ turns the music back on as Keeley, Low, and I stand in a half-circle.
“Is it bad I want to be first in line at the donut table?” Low asks.
“Oh!” Lizzy blurts on the microphone again. Guess she wasn’t done. “If you need a kickass, awesome ride share, not tonight, obvi, but in the future, there is a five-dollar voucher in your thank you gifts to Betty’s Bitchin’ Rides. Woo Betty!”
“Woo!” A scream echoes across the room and the crowd turns to see Betty thrusting her hands in the air.
“I love that woman,” Keeley says, nodding her head.
“I want to be like her when I grow up,” Low says.
“Last night,” Keeley starts. “I swear. I still can’t believe she got up on the table and was dancing with that guy. She had her hands all over him. I could never.”
“It’s a gift to allow yourself to be that open and just have fun without a care in the world. Betty has surely mastered it,” I say.
Low nudges Keeley’s arm.
“What?”
Low nods her head to the side. “Looks like Romeo may want a second dance.”
“Will you stop calling him Romeo?” Keeley laughs. “His name is Derek. We’re just having fun tonight. He seems nice.”
Low pulls her lips. “Eesh.”
“What?” I ask.
“The dreaded nice,” Low says.
“He is,” Keeley defends.
“Do you want nice, or do you want someone to rock your world?”
Keeley blushes, “You stop Harlow.”
“Oh, full name. Guess I’m in trouble.” Low laughs. “You go dance with Mr. Nice. I will be at the bar. Holler if you need me.”
We watch Keeley walk towards the edge of the dance floor. “You like her,” I say, popping Low’s arm.
“She’s cute, but she’s not into girls. I mean, one night with me and maybe she’d change her mind. Hell,” she nods at me. “You give me one night and I bet you’d change your mind too and I know how much you love dick.”
“Awfully confident.” I laugh.
She shrugs. “I know how to please a woman and make them come over and over again.”
“So why aren’t you here with anyone?” I realize how that sounds given the conversation and after Low cuts her eyes at me. “Oh God, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It’s cool. I have a couple of women I’m seeing, but nothing serious. Inviting a date to a wedding is a big commitment, and I don’t want them getting the wrong idea.”
“Can’t have that,” I tease.
Low pushes me, laughing. “How are you holding up?” she asks, changing the topic.
“With?” I ask, eyeing her skeptically.
“You know… the B-A-B-Y.”
“Ah. It’s good. Morning sickness is a bitch, but I’m getting through it. The guys have been great.”
“Yeah. They seem like they would be very hands on with you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Those men adore you.”
“They are pretty great.”
“Who?” Jax asks, walking up, slipping his arm around me.
“These guys I’m kind of in to,” I answer, looking up at him.
“Oh, really.” A sly smile pulls across his lips.
“Yeah. I may go talk to them. See if they want to dance.”
“I can’t allow you to do that.”
“Good luck trying to stop me.”
“I will leave you two to whatever the fuck this is. It’s like sexual tension meets… fuck. I don’t know. I’m going to go find someone else to hang with that’s less horny.”
“Good luck,” I call.
“I brought you a gift,” Jax says, sliding around in front of me.
“You did? What is it?”
He pulls his arm from behind his back and, sitting in the palm of his hand, is a donut with bacon and syrup on it.
“Ohhh no.”
“Yes. There were only two left, so I elbowed a great grandma out of the way and stole it for you.”
“No you didn’t.”
“Which part?”
I look around the room for an injured woman, but only find people dancing, talking and having a great time.
“Thank you,” I say just before I take a bite. It’s some sort of cinnamon cake donut and the bacon and maple drizzle work wonderfully together.
“Whatcha doin’ over here, sis?” Beckett asks, sliding up beside me with Will following close behind.
“Eating a donut. What are you doing?”
“Ooh, is that the bacon maple one? Let me get a bite.” His neck lurches forward as he opens his mouth.
“No,” I bark, twisting away and shoving the remaining bite of donut in my mouth.
Beckett’s jaw drops at the same time he gasps. “The nerve. You better be glad you’re with child.”
“Really?” Jax asks, stepping forward and crossing his arms, looking every bit the protector.
“Ohh daddy. What’s happening over here?” Knox asks, skipping to a stop, completely killing the moment. “How cute are these?” He holds up a little flower pot with seeds. “Let love grow. Don’t worry, I got us six already and hid them in Emmett’s office.”
Jax rolls his eyes and steps back.
“Your boy was trying to flex on me,” Beckett smiles.
“Jaxie-poo,” Knox whispers, pressing the palm of his hand on Jax’s chest.
Jax reaches up and bends Knox’s wrist backward until Knox is dancing in a circle and crying for mercy.
“No Jaxie-poo bullshit.”
“You don’t complain when Ev says it.”
“Gross,” Beckett chirps.
“How are some of my favorite men doing?” Mom asks, walking up to us.
“Great, Mama McKinley,” Knox coos. “Did you get your flower pot and seeds?”
“I did. I’ve already stolen two for Dave and me. Thought about hiding them, so no one takes them.”
Knox looks at all of us, eyes wide.
“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Mom asks, laughing.
“Love is in the air. What’s not to be happy about?” Knox replies, spinning in a circle.
“What’s happening over here, family?” Lizzy asks, walking up.
Jax blows out a puff of air but doesn’t say anything. I reach for his hand, but he slips it out and presses it against my back, running his hand down my spine until he stops where my back meets the fabric just above my ass. The tips of his fingers dig in slightly as we all stand in a growing circle talking about any and everything.
Lizzy catches my eye from the other side of the circle and gives me a little wink.
A calm feeling washes over me as my eyes sweep around. Callum and Emmett have walked up to join us.
Family.
This is my family.
When I hear a small click, I look around and find the photographer on the stairs that lead to the second balcony. She just got this picture and I start crying. This will be my new favorite picture.
Pure happiness.