Chapter Twelve – Lilibeth #2
When I glanced at Caden, he winked.
Vivianne clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Now that the good news has been announced, it’s time to eat! Let’s all head to the dining room.”
As I walked past Caden, he gently placed his hand on my lower back and guided me into the dining room. The table clearly had more than one leaf and looked to seat almost everyone. There was a smaller table set off to the side that sat four. Gatlin and Ensley both headed to that table.
Ensley called out, “Over here, Caden!”
“Perfect,” he said, guiding me toward their table.
“Are we sitting at the kids’ table?” I joked, as we walked over and took our seats.
Gatlin lifted his hands in defense. “Hey, not my problem the little ones didn’t get here fast enough.”
“Trust us, Lilibeth, you don’t want to be at the big table.”
Frowning at Ensley, I replied, “I don’t?”
“Hell no,” Gatlin answered, as he sat down. “Our table will be a lot more fun.”
Once everyone was seated, we rotated into the kitchen to make our plates.
I’d never seen so much food in my life. There was turkey, ham, dressing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, yams, corn casserole, and steamed vegetables.
On another counter was at least six different desserts.
I saw the one my mother had made, and my mouth watered.
“You’re going to want to try those brownies.”
Glancing at Caden, I raised a brow. “I was eyeing my mother’s no-bake eclairs.”
He looked over at the desserts. “Which are those?”
“The cake pan with the fudge-looking topping.”
Nodding, he said, “That does look good. But the brownies…”
Laughing, I asked, “Did you make them?”
“God, no. It’s a recipe my mother found. She calls them oh-my-God brownies. They’re just one level up from a good orgasm.”
I elbowed him. “Caden Wilde!”
He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “They are. Just ask Gatlin or one of the girls. There’s a reason they’re named that.”
I held up my plate filled with food. “Let me try to finish all of this before I attempt any desserts.”
His brows rose.
“I know. My eyes are bigger than my stomach. I feel ravenous today, though.”
“If you actually manage to eat all of that, I’ll be impressed.”
We started back toward the dining room. “You’ll be impressed if I eat a plateful of food?”
“Hell yeah, I will. Especially since you weigh…what, a buck-five?”
I snorted. “Add fifteen pounds to that.”
We sat down, and conversation easily flowed between the four of us. Gatlin was right, it was much more fun to be at the kids’ table. I loved how the siblings teased one another, but you could clearly see their love and adoration. It made me wish I weren’t an only child.
Leaning back, I let out a long sigh. “I’m stuffed.”
Caden stood and took my plate. “I’m surprised you ate it all—but it’s time for dessert.”
Ensley jumped up. “There’d better be brownies left. You ate all the ones from last night.”
“Last night?” I asked.
It was Gatlin who answered. “Every Christmas Eve, we have dinner with our neighbors and my parents’ best friends. Mom made a batch of brownies, and Caden ate them all.”
“It wasn’t just me. I saved some room for hot chocolate.”
Memories of my childhood came rushing back. “Every Christmas Eve, my parents always let me open one gift. My mother always made hot chocolate, and we’d read Christmas stories and watch Die Hard.”
Ensley moaned. “That is not a Christmas movie!”
“Yes, it is!” Caden and Gatlin replied at the same time.
Laughing, I focused on Ensley. “I agree, and I’d complain every year. So after that movie, we either watched It’s a Wonderful Life or The Sound of Music. Which neither are Christmas movies either, but they are my absolute favorites.”
“Oh no,” Gatlin mumbled.
Ensley reached for my hand. “You like The Sound of Music?”
“It’s my favorite movie of all time. Well, next to Steel Magnolias.”
Gatlin snapped his head around to gape at Caden. “That’s it. Dude, Mom’s gonna make you marry her.”
Caden rolled his eyes as he picked up his brother’s plate. He turned swiftly and headed off toward the kitchen.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
Ensley beamed at me, while Gatlin wore a Cheshire cat smile. “Our mother loves two movies—The Sound of Music and Steel Magnolias. When she finds out you love those movies, too, she’s going to either, one, want to adopt you…”
Ensley laughed.
“Or two, marry you off to Caden.”
Raising my brows, I asked, “Why not marry me off to you?”
A cocky grin appeared on his handsome face. He resembled his father and Caden, but I saw a bit more of Vivianne in Gatlin. Either way, he was good-looking—and he clearly knew it. “Hey, I’m willing to make the sacrifice to marry you if it makes my mother happy.”
“I think Caden would have something to say about that,” Ensley muttered.
Gatlin and Ensley shared a look, clearly communicating silently.
Before I could ask what they were thinking, Caden was back. “What’s going on?”
“What makes you think something’s going on?” Gatlin countered.
Caden motioned with a hand holding a plate. “You both have that look on your face.”
“What look?” Ensley asked, in the most fake-innocent voice I’d ever heard her use.
“Are those the famous brownies?” I asked, pointing to one of the plates he was holding.
“Yep,” he said, setting that plate in front of me and sitting down with the other.
“Hey! Where’s ours?” Ensley asked, folding her arms over her chest and pretending to pout.
“You can get your own. Lili is a guest in our house.”
“Lili?” Ensley’s brows shot up in surprise. “You two really have become friends.”
I swore I heard a growl from Caden. “We have,” I answered.
He ignored Ensley. “I also put some of the no-bake something-or-other your mother made on your plate.”
“No-bake éclair,” I replied, curious why he told me when I could see it on the plate.
He snapped his fingers. “I knew it was something like that.”
“Ohh, I’m going to get me some of that!” Ensley enthused, as she stood and headed toward the kitchen, Gatlin on her heels.
“I’m sorry about them,” Caden said.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I adore your family.”
He snorted. “You say that now. The games haven’t started yet.”
“Games?” I asked, taking a bite of the brownie. I chewed, stopped, chewed some more…then closed my eyes.
“You know you want to say it,” Caden said, grinning as he bumped my knee with his.
Opening my eyes, I met his gaze. “Oh. My. God!”
He laughed. “Right?”
I nodded and took another bite. The brownie seemed to melt as I let all the sweet flavors dance around in my mouth.
When I swallowed the last bite, I wiped my mouth with my napkin, looked at Caden, and said in a lowered voice. “I’ll disagree with you on one thing, though.”
One brow raised, he waited for me to go on.
“They are not better than an orgasm. At least, not the ones I experienced with you.”
His eyes turned dark with desire, and a wave of heat raced through my body.
I knew I shouldn’t have said it, but I couldn’t resist. It felt like all my senses were suddenly heightened.
I could smell Caden’s cologne. It was the one he’d made at my shop when he came in with Levi and Emeline, before they were even dating…
and that made me feel dizzy. The way he looked at me had my nipples tightening, and a pulse started between my legs. I had to move in my seat to ease it.
“Uncomfortable?” he asked with a sexy smirk.
“Yes. Suddenly the room feels…hot.”
His tongue slowly licked his lips, and my eyes followed the movement. I’d never in my life wanted someone’s tongue to be on my body like I wanted his.
“Should we come back another time?” Gatlin asked, sitting down, his gaze bouncing between us.
Clearing my throat, I focused back on my plate. But I pushed it away, suddenly unable to take another bite.
“Don’t be daft,” Caden said, shoveling half his brownie into his mouth.
I stood, my heart racing. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
I grabbed my plate and quickly made my way into the kitchen. Ensley was standing there, eating a brownie and talking to Emeline. I walked over to them and whispered, “I need air. Cool air. Now!”
Ensley nodded as if she knew the exact reason I needed to get out of the house. She wrapped her arm around mine. “It was the brownie, wasn’t it? They’re orgasmic.”
With a humorless laugh, I replied, “Yes, it was the brownie.”