Page 233 of At the Edge of Surrender

The way it radiated over all of us. Wrapping us whole.

Emery glanced up at me. Awe on her beautiful face.

I gave her a tender, knowing nod.

It was good. It was good.

“A baby!” Charleigh couldn’t contain her excitement, and she scrambled over River and Cash to get out of the booth. Raven did the same on the other side, and the two were laughing and crying and hugging each other like mad.

Everyone poured out of the booth behind them, wrapping Raven and Otto in their love and support.

River held her the longest. Hugging her and hugging her as he murmured something in her ear that none of us could hear, but I could tell from the way he hugged Otto after that there was no longer any question or anger over the two of them hooking up.

Because this was right.

Nothing had ever felt quite this perfect before.

“I think this really calls for a celebration,” I said, and I sauntered behind the long bar and snagged our best bottle of tequila and a bunch of shot glasses.

I returned to our table, poured the silver liquor into the glasses, and passed them out, save for Raven, of course, who I realized had been drinking club soda all night.

I looped an arm around Emery’s waist, and I lifted my glass toward the rest of our group. “To this family. Our greatest gift and my only treasure. May it remain strong and unshakable. And may it grow forever.”

“To this family!” everyone shouted as they clinked their glasses together and tossed their shots down their throats.

I didn’t throw mine back, though. I turned to Emery, a smirk taking over my entire face as I edged up close to her. “You want to drink tequila with me, baby? You know you should never drink tequila alone.”

Coyness played at the edge of her delicious mouth, and she swayed from side to side to the rhythm of the music that pounded through the air. “Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

I was swaying, too, getting lost in the moment.

In her.

Her scent and soul and the look in her eyes.

“You’re the only person I want to drink tequila with,” she whispered.

“Because you’re mine.” Possession ground out with the words.

Her nod was slow, toffee eyes flaring beneath the strobing of the lights as she admitted, “I’m yours.”

I clinked my glass against hers before we both tossed them back. Fire burned a path down my throat, and I grabbed her glass and tossed it aside, and my mouth found hers in a flash.

Eating up the taste of her tongue as I kissed her and kissed her.

My hand wound up in a fist in her hair and the other splayed wide against the small of her back.

Desperate to get close to her.

“Get a fuckin’ room,” Cash grumbled as he slipped by, and I pulled back for a beat, long enough to say, “For once, something intelligent coming out of your mouth.”

Cash lifted a middle finger over his shoulder as he sauntered away.

I couldn’t stop my chuckle, and a peal of laughter rolled out of Emery when I snatched the bottle from the table with one hand and grabbed hers with the other and began to haul her down the long hall to my office at the end.

She fumbled on those sky-high boots behind me.

---