Page 41

CHAPTER 40

CLAY

HER

“I don’t know why you’re complaining. You look great.” My sister stands in front of me in the valet circle of the Grand Lodge, straightening my tie.

I jab a finger at her in the air. “You better be right about this. You talked to Kayleigh, right?”

She throws her head back in exasperation. “For the hundredth time, yes. I texted her this morning. They’ll be here. And for the one hundred and first time, loosen up already. I swear, I don’t know what Lizzy sees in you.” She gives me a playful smirk.

I grin at her and laugh, feeling my shoulders relax. “I can think of a few things.”

She glares at me. “Ew, stop.”

I smile back at her warmly. “Seriously, thank you for helping.”

She fiddles with my bowtie one more time before looking up at me. “Glad to help. You two are going to be fine. Just keep your head out of your ass and be you.” She hums in consideration. “Well, at least the part of you that Lizzy likes.”

Yep, she’s definitely the wisest of the Chapman siblings. I look at her, taken aback by my little sister that reminds me so much of our mom. She looks up at me with a questioning expression. “What?”

“Look at you.” I run my hand up and down in front of her. She’s tall like our mom with the same flowing brown hair as her. My baby sister is just as smart and wild spirited as she was too. “Remind me again how you’re single?”

She scoffs. “I haven’t met a man special enough yet. It’s just trust fund babies and wannabe ski bros around here. Too many boys, no men. I know what I'm worth.” She tosses me a wink before looping her elbow into mine. “Just promise me you won’t let us drift apart again?”

I nod, looking her right in the eyes. “Chapman Promise. Now let’s go inside and get this shit show started.”

I grip the hand of the man I used to look up to, pumping it in my definitely too tight grasp in a handshake I wish would end. I don’t know when I started to resent him, but Lizzy was right. Standing here just inside the entryway to the event hall in the line of customers and clients waiting to greet him, I see him differently now. He’s not the former ski legend that the impressionable eighteen year old me was eager to listen to and desperate to please. I should have seen through his bullshit years ago. He tore me down even further at my lowest point, just so he could build me into a tool to use for himself.

“Glad you’re here, Clay.” He’s wearing that eerie smile that I hate. And now I know why it’s never sat right with me, seeing him in a whole new light, recognizing just how much he’s been manipulating me.

“No problem. Just part of the job.” I squeeze his hand one more time before letting go.

He turns to Grace. “And if it isn’t the youngest Chapman. It feels like it’s been years since I’ve seen you.”

She puts on a bright, but obviously fake smile. “It has been years, Ralph.”

He frowns awkwardly and I bite back a laugh, knowing damn well that she knows that’s not his name. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, steering her inside. “We’ll see you inside, Mr. Jensen.” He nods and immediately puts facade back up and turns to the next person to greet.

Once we’re out of ear shot, I turn to my sister. “You’re a troublemaker. Ralph? Really?”

She hums and shrugs. “What? Lizzy’s right. Dude’s creepy. Someone needs to give him a reality check.”

I snort a laugh. “Alright, killer.”

She grins and tugs me by my elbow further into the huge room. “Come on, let’s get a drink. You said it’s an open bar, right?”

I nod and she pulls me along towards the bar on the back wall.

“Good, because I want to drink on his dime.”

We get to the bar and flag down the bartender over the noise of the crowded room.

“What are you having tonight folks?” he asks, looking at Grace first.

“Champagne, please.”

He looks to me and I think to myself, Grace is right. We should have a little fun.

“What’s your oldest bourbon?”

He smiles back knowingly. “We’ve got a great single barrel of Wasatch Whiskey Twelve Year bourbon.”

“Perfect. Make it a double.”

“Go ahead and make that two doubles,” a voice from behind me says. A voice that sends sparks up my spine.

I turn around to find Lizzy standing behind me, with Kayleigh at her side.

My eyes rake over her body, from her skin tight, strapless black dress, all the way down to her red heels. Her nails are done in red instead of her trademark pink that’s grown on me, matching her kissable lips. Her hair is in her always perfect ponytail. She’s pure, fierce, radiant perfection .

There are a thousand words I want to say, but when our eyes meet, only one comes out in a low, raspy breath.

“Princess.”

She steps toward me, wrapping me tightly in a hug. “Shut up, Clay.”

I’ve only been away from her for one night, but I already missed her touch and her presence so much. I pull her tighter into my chest, feeling her head against my pounding heart. I can finally settle down now that she’s in my arms.

This is where she belongs.

My eyes look up to meet Kayleigh’s, who’s smiling back at me. She steps over to Grace, sipping her champagne.

“Why don’t we give them a minute?” she says to Grace, ordering her own glass.

Grace laughs. “It was just getting good though. Princess? Come on, let me have this.”

Kayleigh gets Grace to begrudgingly turn away towards the bar and I feel Lizzy mumble into my chest. “Ok, you can let go of me now.”

“Never in a million years,” I rasp against her hair, breathing in the scent I craved when I woke up alone this morning.

“Seriously, I don’t want to ruin my make up.”

A low laugh rumbles from my chest and I let go. This time, her eyes rake over me and the tip of her tongue darts over her lips. Her eyes work their way up and snag on my neck and a smile takes over her face. An infectious one that cuts right through me.

“I thought you said this was a black tie event?” She reaches up, straightening my pink bowtie. Her finger tips graze my neck and her nails scrape over the tattoo she always traces, sending another jolt of electricity through my tense body.

“I figured I would try to match you.”

“Did you figure that or did Grace? ”

I huff another low laugh. “Mostly her.” I rest my hands on her hips, looking into her deep blue eyes that are sparkling back up at me. “But I see that you went black and red instead.”

She crooks a finger at me to bring my ear to her lips. Even with her heels, I still have to bend down for her to whisper into my ear.

“I still wore pink, you just can't see it.”

With that image in my head, it’s a helpless struggle to ignore my cock twitching in my tight dress pants. “I hope I see it later, but can the heels stay on?”

She laughs before she pulls away. I look back into her eyes, remembering the feeling of watching a tear stream down her cheek when she left last night.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you. I-”

She shakes her head at me, a serious look in her eyes. “No, don’t apologize. I’m glad you didn’t. The fact that you didn’t tell me, that you protected someone you love even when it was making you fall apart, is exactly why I’m so fucking in love with you.”

Those words. I know she said them last night, but hearing them now, again, lights a raging fire deep inside me. That someone like her, this fiery, vibrant, determined woman would love me is more than I could ever ask for.

“I love you too.” I run my hands up her back, my fingertips settling on the bare skin just below the nape of her neck. Her lashes flutter and her lips part at the sudden, skin to skin contact. I crane my neck, bringing my mouth to her soft, waiting lips. That sweet taste, the feeling of her tongue grazing mine, her breathy, adorable little whimpers - all of it is perfection.

She is perfection.

I pull away, feeling her teeth tug at my bottom lip and her warm breath on my chin when I press my forehead to hers. “Are we good?”

She lets out a soft hum of approval. “Yes, more than good. ”

I trace my finger over her bare neck and she leans into my touch. “That’s good, because Grace is about to move in and take over your room if you don’t come back.”

“When I come back, I’m moving into your room.” She looks up at me and I see a nervous, excited glint in her sparkling eyes. “Also there’s something I want to tell you. Something I wanted to say last night.”

I soften my gaze, asking her to continue. She starts to talk when the bartender clears his throat. “Here are your doubles.”

In unison, we both glare at him as we reach to grab our drinks. He snorts a knowing laugh before leaving to help another guest.

I take a sip of my whiskey, watching Lizzy’s pouty red lips part, drinking the amber liquid, wondering what I ever did to deserve her.

“You were saying?” I ask, leaning back against the bar. I can see that excited look come back from just a second ago before we were interrupted.

She throws back another sip and wipes away a stray drop from the corner of her mouth. “Actually, there were two things I wanted to tell you.”

“Oh, there you are.” A man I don’t immediately recognize comes up, hugging Lizzy, instantly making me tense wondering who would be touching my woman. “I’ve been looking for you all night, sweetie.”

Lizzy looks at me, her eyes going wide for a second and a cute pink flush rolls over her cheeks. “Ok. Make that a few things.” She hugs him back before he lets go.

He turns to face me, eyeing me up and down, smiling kindly and warmly. He’s average height, well built and fit, probably in his early sixties. “And you must be Clay, the boyfriend she told me so much about last night.”

This time, it’s my turn to blush as I feel my cheeks go red. This must be Mr. Frank. I wasn’t expecting to meet her dad tonight. And fuck, what did she tell him last night? I look back to Lizzy. She must sense my what-the-hell-is-happening anxiety because her eyes say relax, it’s ok .

I set my glass down and reach my hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Frank.”

He grabs my hand and shakes it firmly. “Likewise. It takes a special man to win her heart and tame her.”

Her eyes roll back and that pink flush returns. “Dad, seriously?”

I laugh. “With all due respect sir, there’s no taming her. That’s what I love about her.”

He nods and smiles, patting us both on the back. “Well, don’t let me keep you two from having fun. I’m sure we’ll find time to talk again soon.”

He brings Lizzy into another short hug, whispering something into her ear that makes her smile before he turns and works his way into the crowd.

I let out a long breath and look at Lizzy.

“Well, that was a surprise.”

She shrugs, laughing nervously. “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t know he was in town until last night.”

“Seems like you two are in a bit of a better place?”

She smiles and nods. “Yeah, I was such a mess last night.” She looks down at her drink, tracing the rim of the rocks glass with her finger. “With everything else going on, I just kind of went off on him. It was good though. We needed it.”

My lips pull together in a half-hearted smile. “I’m glad you two talked, but I’m still sorry about yesterday.”

She reaches out, grabbing my wrist. “I meant it. Stop apologizing.”

“Alright. So what were the other things you wanted to tell me?”

She sets her glass down and steps toward me, resting her hands on my shoulders leaving just inches between us. She looks up at me, pure excitement and joy in her bluebird day eyes. “I took a full time job with Fischer, based here in Utah.”

My heart pounds. This is really happening. We talked about how she could work here indefinitely and we could sort things out, but there were still some unknowns. But her being here permanently is music to my ears.

“That’s amazing, so amazing.”

She grins back at me and I can see the giddiness in the way she’s practically bouncing on her toes. “It’s a promotion. I’ll still be doing some of my old job. But this isn’t just about us, it's about me. I needed this fresh start too. And when I told Jessica the other night at dinner, I sort of got the feeling this was some grand scheme of hers because she hardly seemed surprised. But I wanted to wait to tell you until it was finalized with HR and-”

I flick my eyebrows at her, holding her eyes. “Lizzy, stop rambling. I’m so excited for you.”

She steps closer, erasing the distance between us. “Me too. I’m glad this gives us a chance to do this for real.” She stands on her toes, planting a whisper of a kiss on my lips.

I reach up, tucking a stray strand of her golden blond hair behind her ear. “So what else did you want to tell me?”

She starts to open her mouth right when the sound of silverware tapping a glass cuts through the room, signaling that it’s time to take a seat.

I laugh and look down at her, shrugging one shoulder. “I guess the rest will have to wait until after dinner.”