Page 68 of Stolen Holidays
“Another quick wedding. I swear, you guys are no fun. Where’s the bachelor party? The strippers? The expensive bottle of whiskey?” Cam glares at me, Jace, and Hudson, who chokes on his drink.
“Hey, I resent that. I had a bachelor party,” Jace grumbles.
Cam side-eyes Jace. “It was a shared party. And I’d like to point out Mason was a grouchy dick the entire time. Then he legit fucked Emery in the bathroom and ruined the night.”
“Watch it,” I warn.
Not my favorite moment with Em, but my lip curls up nonetheless. If I hadn’t run into her at that party, who knows how long it would have taken me to get my head out of my ass? I thank the stars everyday Emery worked for Rylann and found a way for me to find her again.
“It worked out. Listen, all I’m saying is you dick-weasels better plan me a bachelor party. There is no way I’m skipping that tradition, like you bunch of saps.”
“You think Nico is going to allow that?” The incredulous look on Jace’s face says everything.
No.
“I don’t need my dick brother-in-law’s permission. I have Talia’s,” he says smugly as he unties his bowtie. “Besides, I want her to have a crazy-wild bachelorette party. Go dancing with her girls. Hell, she can even go to one of those male revue shows. She can look at the Thunder-Down-Under all she wants. She just can’t touch it. Besides, I have more than enough thunder for her to handle.” He waggles his eyebrows at us.
“You’re a dumbass,” I grumble and shake my head at him.
“Who’s a dumbass?” Eli asks as he slips into the empty seat beside Hudson.
“Where the hell were you?” Hudson asks, unaware of the inability the Miller men have to keep their hands off their women. He looks around the table as Jace, Cam, and I look away and sip our drinks. Realizing his mistake, he mumbles, “Actually, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”
I clear my throat. “As I was saying, Cam’s a dumbass. He wants traditional bachelor and bachelorette parties for himself and Talia,” I fill Eli in, and he makes a face.
“I’m not a dumbass. I’m confident,” Cam corrects me. “I keep my woman plenty satisfied in and out of the bedroom, if you know what I mean.”
“We all know what you mean,” I groan. It’s a damn miracle he’s kept the shenanigans he and Talia get into private. It’s how I’veknown from the start that Cam was serious about her. Before Talia, he would joke and talk about the women he dated. Now? He jokes but keeps details to himself.
“I don’t get it. Why would you want her looking at other men?” Jace frowns as he sips his beer. My big brother is beyond protective of his wife, and he worships the ground she walks on. The idea of naked men dancing anywhere near his wife is a no-go.
I don’t like it either. I’m going to have to ban Emery from that party.
“The better question is, why would you want to look at other women?” Eli makes a point. I know Cam adores Talia. He would never look at another woman, let alone a stripper. This seems a little off brand for him.
“I don’t.” Cam looks appalled at the idea of looking at another woman. “The party isn’t for me, okay? It’s for my boys. One night after Heath got engaged, we made a bro oath. One, never marry a cleat chaser. And two, have a kick-ass bachelor party. Steak, poker, and strippers.”
“I can get on board with steak and poker, not the strippers. Pass,” Jace says emphatically.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw a naked chick, let alone a stripper,” Hudson admits.
We all burst out laughing, and Cam promises to get him in touch with his buddy McKay—who is a self-sworn bachelor for life—to help him get laid.
I lose interest in the conversation and search for Emery. She’s chatting with the other ladies across the room. Feels weird seeing her in purple and not some shade of her favorite color, red.
She snatches another cupcake off the tray and licks the frosting off her finger. My blood runs south as I watch her pink tongue swipe across her bottom lip. Emery is as beautiful as ever, even more so carrying our child. The song on the playlist switches to a slow one and catches my attention. Not sure who’s singing, butsomething about the words has me off of my feet and headed towards my wife.
Like she can feel me, Emery’s attention turns my way. Her topaz eyes shimmer as I approach her and hold out a hand.
“Dance with me?”
She grins, and my heart beats double time. “I’d love to.”
She places her hand in mine, and I lead her onto the makeshift dance floor under the streams of lights above. Placing my right hand on her lower back, I tug her to my body as far as her stomach will allow. I grip her right hand with my left and place it on my chest over my heart as we sway to the slow beat, our eyes locked on each other.
Flashes of us dancing by the fire last New Year’s Eve float to the surface. She was prepared for us to be over, and I was determined to prove her wrong. Thank fuck I changed her mind, and she gave me a chance. Not even a year later, and we are married and have a son on the way.
“Are you thinking about New Year’s Eve?”
