Page 53 of Undeniably Unexpected (Boston’s Irresistible Billionaires #6)

T he press conference ends, and all of us stare at the massive flatscreen in Mason’s family room in bewilderment.

But I can’t even begin to explain how full my heart is.

The things Loomis said about me. In public like that.

If I had been there, I would have mounted him like a horse and ridden him straight into the sunset.

Stone turns off the TV, and suddenly I feel a dozen sets of eyes on me.

“Wow,” Wren finally says, breaking the silence. She turns to Jack. “Right?”

“Definitely,” Jack agrees. “That was pretty incredible.”

“Yes,” Sorel acknowledges from Mason’s lap, his hand on her large, pregnant belly. “He seriously loves you.”

“Like, no joke, loves you. Keegs!” My sister squeals my name, and I can tell she wants to get up and tackle me with a hug but is refraining. “I’m so happy I could cry and pee at the same time.”

“Not on my couch you won’t,” Mason tells her pointedly, and she rolls her eyes at him.

“Holy crap!” Katy squeals as she stares at her phone. “You should see what’s on IG now.”

“Damn. The video of the press conference that was posted is getting so many comments of love and support for him.” Bennett smiles at me, his hand on Katy’s thigh.

“And the video Tommy posted the other day is getting ripped apart,” Vander states with a smug grin.

“Same with the post he just made stating that this is a scheme to ruin his good name and reputation and that he hopes his fans and the world will believe him. They’re not.

They’re slaughtering him. Crazy how things like that spread so fast.”

I get up and walk over to Vander, and before he can object, I sit on his lap and hug him fiercely while I pepper his face with a million kisses. He bursts out laughing, futilely attempting to ward me off.

“I love you, Vander. And now that you shaved your grizzly beard, I can kiss your cheeks instead of that rat’s nest.”

“Yeah, yeah. I love you, too. Now stop or I’ll grow the beard back.”

“Like you weren’t already going to.” I giggle and give him another squeeze and one last kiss before I pull back and turn serious. “I owe you so much. We owe you so much.”

“It was fun, and the guy had it coming.”

“Vigilante shit,” Katy praises, giving him a fist bump. “Speaking of your beard, why did you shave?”

Vander throws Katy a devious sort of look. “Reasons.”

I raise an eyebrow and share looks with my girls.

“He’ll never tell us, though it’s nice to see your ugly mug for a change instead of the mangy, lice-infested thing you were calling a beard.”

Vander flips Mason off.

“For real, though, I’m happy for you, Keegs,” Mason continues. “Powell has some serious balls. Speaking as someone who’s done a million press conferences and has been coached on what to say and what not to say, Powell just blew all that away and kicked its ass. People will respond to that.”

“Seriously,” Owen agrees and turns to me as I climb off Vander’s lap and retake my seat. “It seems they already have. Same for you.”

“You better sign my books,” Wren demands. “They’re going to be worth a fortune now.”

I roll my eyes at her, though she’s not wrong about my sales.

Those have skyrocketed in the last twenty-four hours, and my publisher emailed to say that they want me to do a multi-city book tour for the release of the first book.

I still have my residency to finish, and I will, but the idea of a book tour, of making this a full-time profession, has me stupidly giddy.

“You know Grandma was serious,” Stone tells me. “She has your books. She has for a while. My mom told me she took one from the library bookshelf there without realizing it was yours, since she didn’t know about you. She said it was amazing, but it was on Grandma’s shelf.”

That floors me a bit. “How does she always know everything? And just when you think she’ll go one way, she completely flips all that on its head and shocks the shit out of you.”

“She’s Octavia Abbott-Fritz,” Katy, Owen, Wren, Kenna, Sorel, and Stone all say at once.

“I suppose that sort of does explain it,” Tinsley agrees. “Your grandma is one of my favorite people, and she does seem to know everything that’s happening even when we don’t. And never, not once, has she judged me or anyone.”

I let that sit for a minute. Tinsley is right.

My family is like that. The people in this room are like that.

And I didn’t trust them. I didn’t put faith in my family, my grandmother especially, and yet she stood up for me anyway.

This weekend is Sorel’s baby shower at my grandparents’ compound, so I’ll get to talk to my grandmother then. I owe her a hug and an apology.

“I think this calls for champagne.” Tinsley jumps up.

“And food!” Katy exclaims. “I’m freaking starving and I need to take my shot, so can we get our ordering on?”

Katy is a type-1 diabetic and takes her food very seriously.

“Yes.” Wren gets to her feet too. “I’m on ordering, you get the champagne.”

“What about the kids?” Owen asks, glancing toward the playroom Mason put together for when his and Sorel’s son is born. She’s due in a few weeks.

“I’m sure they’ll eat too,” Estlin deadpans, leaning against Owen, who kisses her forehead. “I mean, have you met Rory? That girl does not miss a meal.”

“Same with Willow,” Bennett chimes in.

“Yeah, Fen is a big eater as well.”

“Aw, how cute are you that you’re talking about your future stepson like that.”

My cheeks turn into fireballs at Wren’s half-tease.

“Have you seen that kid?” Tinsley says. “He’s the cutest.”

“He totally is.” Sorel holds up her hand in acknowledgment. “I’m on it. Wren and I will order for everyone. No drinks for me, obviously.” She points to her large belly. “But I will eat all the food. Especially pizza. With pepperoni. Oh, and tacos and nachos. We need those too.”

Mason rubs Sorel’s belly and kisses it, reluctantly letting her climb off his lap so she can go check on the kids, though we can hear them and see them on the video app Mason has set up. Rory is all over Fen and Willow, but that room is completely safe for them.

Tinsley runs out toward her apartment, and we catch voices echoing from the entrance.

Tinsley’s excited voice and Loomis’s accented tones.

My heart performs a series of complicated gymnastics in my chest, and I stand without realizing it, smoothing down my dress.

Then he’s there, framed in the doorway. His black shirt is rolled up to the elbows showing off his colorful ink with his hair slightly mussed as though he’s been running his hands through it.

His eyes seek mine as if drawn by a magnet, and the corner of his mouth lifts in that half-smile that still, after weeks together, makes my knees buckle like little bitches.

“Sorry I’m late,” he says to the room, but his gaze doesn’t leave mine. “Had to make a bit of a public announcement.”

“Subtle, Powell,” Stone teases. “Very subtle, though I think all the women approved of your tactic.”

“That’s precisely what I was going for.” Loomis gives him a bow and then crosses the room toward me.

Everyone seems to fade into the background as his hands find my waist. Without any preamble, his head dips, and his lips fuse with mine.

His kiss is bold and demanding as he slips his tongue inside my mouth as if he has zero fucks to give for our audience.

I kiss him back with equal ardor until the hoots and hollers and get a room overtake us. We part with a laugh and a smile.

“Missed you,” he murmurs against my lips. The smell of his cologne, sandalwood and something citrusy envelopes me, and I sigh. “Did you watch?”

“Watch what?”

He grunts, but there is no stopping his smile.

“As if any of us could tear ourselves away,” Sorel interjects. “Kenna was practically vibrating the entire time.”

“Hey! Like you weren’t.”

“I totally was.”

Loomis just laughs, one hand rising to cup my cheek. His thumb traces my lower lip and I can’t wait till later and we’re alone.

“Was it all right?” he asks, quieter now. “I didn't go too far, did I? I wanted to. I wanted to tear that arsehole apart for everyone to see.”

I shake my head. “It was perfect.” And because I can’t help myself, I say, “But did you have to use the phrase the beat of my heart ? The internet is insufferable.”

He grins, unrepentant. “I believe in accuracy in reporting. Well, when it benefits me, that is.”

Then he kisses me again, brief but thorough, and someone—probably Kenna—whistles appreciatively.

Tinsley appears with two fresh bottles of champagne, and we follow her into the kitchen, where Stone proceeds to pop the cork with a loud pop .

Loomis pours himself a glass of gin and Bennett, Owen, Estlin, and Stone some bourbon.

The other guys hit tequila, and us remaining females pour full glasses of champagne.

We don’t toast, and I’m grateful for it.

While everything seems perfect and settled, it’s not.

Not fully. And to put this in Mason Reyes terms, I don’t believe in spiking the ball too soon.

Right now, the tide is in our favor, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?

The food arrives, and we all stand around, filling our plates.

“I still can’t believe he thought he could get away with it,” Kenna muses, shaking her head. “Messing with a Fritz in our town? Boy was stupid.”

“I think messing with a Powell this time was worse. And maybe a Moore.” I wink at Vander. “I didn’t exactly do much. I still haven’t.”

“There’s not much for you to do,” Katy acknowledges. “I mean, you’re still off work with your wrist, and you said your publisher is excited. What else is there to do?”

“Apologize to Grandma,” I state flatly.

“She’s fine.” Sorel waves that away. “I ran out on my wedding, married Mason on a drunken revenge whim, and then found out I was pregnant, and she hardly batted an eye.”

“Yeah, I think you might win with that scandal,” I quip.

“That’s because you’re the good girl of the group,” Tinsley teases. “Your first scandal. How cute.”

Everyone starts laughing, and my face turns seven thousand shades of red. “I hate you,” I state.

Tinsley shrugs, unperturbed.

Katy passes me a plate and leans in so she can whisper in my ear. “Eat something. You’re going to need your strength if the way Loomis is looking at you is any indication.”

She’s right. His eyes have that particular intensity that makes my skin feel tight.

We continue to devour the impressive spread of sushi, charcuterie, tacos, pizza, and sliders.

Conversation flows easily, punctuated by bursts of laughter and the occasional teasing remark.

These are my people, but now they’re Loomis’s too.

I’m not sure he had anyone, not really anyway, other than Tinsley before now.

Having them all here, eternally having our back no matter what, fills me with a warmth that has nothing to do with the champagne I’m drinking.

“So what now?” Wren asks, twirling pasta around her fork. “Now that you’re officially out as a romance author, what’s your plan?”

I glance over at Loomis and then back at her. A jolt of nerves hit me with what I’m about to say, but there’s excitement too. “I’m going to finish my residency, but I don’t think I’ll take on a full-time hospital job. I think I’ll just float and do per diem for a while and mostly focus on writing.”

Katy’s face lights up. “As much as I love seeing you in the hospital, that makes me so happy.”

“I think that’s the right choice.” Kenna is beaming at me. “I’m seriously proud of you, Keegs. It’s not a leap you would have taken before.”

She’s right. It’s not. So much has changed in the last few weeks my head is spinning with it, but I don’t mind this sort of dizziness. Not anymore. What felt out of control and daunting now just feels like a natural progression leading me to the next steps and down the right path.

“What about you, Powell?” Owen asks. “Please tell me you’re not stealing my cousin off to LA.”

Loomis glances at me, a gleam in his eyes. “Actually,” he says, “my plan is to stay here in Boston as much as I can.”

This catches everyone’s attention.

“Where?” Jack questions.

“Here, actually.” Loomis’s eyes meet mine before he turns to Tinsley with a smirk. “In this building, as it happens.”

Everyone turns to Tinsley, who just shrugs. “What? Mrs. Sherman on the eighth floor moved out, and her son was getting it ready to put on the market. It’s a no-brainer.”

Loomis watches me carefully. “It was. Which is why I bought it.”

I nearly choke on my champagne. “When did you do that?”

“On the flight home.”

“You mean before you broke up with me?”

He winces. “Yeah. Forgetting that, I was going to surprise you once everything was settled, but given today’s events, perhaps you’d like to see it now? She’s already moved out, and her son left the key for me to see it in person.”

“What? That fast?”

He grins. “I’m paying in cash, love. I’ll have to sign some things this week, but it’s a done deal otherwise.”

“Wait,” I say, trying to process this. “You bought an apartment here? Without telling me?”

“I thought you weren’t going to move in with me, so what does it matter?”

Touché, but damn him.

“Damn.” Stone sighs. “And I thought I had to share you with my wife before.”

I laugh. “That’s totally what I said. They’ll be having sleepovers all the time. I just didn’t realize you were going to buy it that fast.”

Tinsley does a little happy dance. “I’m so freaking excited about it, I could scream.”

Sorel makes a shooing motion. “Go, go see the love nest. We’ll be fine demolishing the rest of this food and gossiping about you while you’re gone.”

“Viciously,” Kenna adds cheerfully.

“And while you’re at it, don’t come back,” Tinsley chirps. “Fen is mine for the night.”

“Tins, I don’t think?—”

“Quiet,” she cuts him off. “I haven’t had my godson in two weeks. He’s mine. I’ll allow you to return for breakfast.”

“Well then.” Loomis stands and pulls me up with him. “Shall we?”