Page 68 of Captivated By You

“What?”

She tipped up her chin and parted her lips. “Kiss me. Just once for luck.”

“Or twice for a fuck?”

I waggled my eyebrows, taking advantage of the way her mouth parted in shock. I stroked inside her mouth, tasting her, reveling in the way her tits squished against my chest. She palmed my ass, mashing our groins together. And then she made that sound I loved. The one laced with lust that drove me to distraction.

I groaned, then released her. “Go.” I pointed to the door. “I’m so fucking hard right now that if you don’t leave this bedroom in the next five seconds, you won’t be leaving it for the rest of the night.”

She sauntered off, giggling. Damn minx knew exactly what she’d done. No matter. I had a plan of my own.

I caught up to her and clasped her hand, and together, we made our way downstairs. People were still arriving, cars lined up outside for the valet to park, and I nodded to one or two of Dad’s associates, shaking hands with a couple more and introducing them to Kiana.

Mom had gone all out for tonight’s party. She was close to both my uncles, but she definitely had a soft spot for my uncle Jameson, and she’d proved it by putting on a party to obliterate all other parties that had come before.

“Wow, look at this!”

Kiana, eyes wide, scanned the ballroom. Cascading lights in blues and greens and reds hung from the ceiling. Dotted around the room were artificial trees with colorful balloons decorating their branches, and an enormous “Happy Birthday Jameson” banner was draped along an entire wall. Beneath the banner, a vast table housed a buffet weighed down with enough food to feed the entire city.

“Yeah, no one throws a party better than Mom.”

“It’s… it’s… unbelievable.”

“Nothing is too much trouble for Uncle Jameson.” I grinned. “If Mom wasn’t so in love with Dad, I’d worry.”

She chuckled. “He’s a charmer.” Looking up at me, she blinked. “Like you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I bent to kiss her, but before our lips met, Penn clapped me on the back, and I almost swallowed my tongue.

“There you are.” He hugged me, then stepped back to check out Kiana. “And I can see why it might have been difficult to tear yourself away with this gorgeous creature in your bedroom.” Giving her the full-on beguiling smile that Penn had mastered in his teens, he picked up her hand and kissed it. “You must be Kiana.”

“Back off, asshole,” I growled, snatching her hand back from his and tucking it inside my own.

“I see charm runs in the family.” Kiana giggled. “You guys should bottle that and sell it.”

“Talking of charm, or rather the lack of it, is Johannes here yet?”

Penn waved dismissively. “He’s here somewhere. Probably making a list of who he can piss off tonight.”

“He’d better not. This is Uncle Jameson’s night, and I won’t have anyone spoil it for him, or for Mom after all the work she’s put into this party.”

Right on cue, Johannes appeared with Aspen, one of my cousins. Aspen was the only girl in our family, so she’d grown up being cosseted and protected. But because of that, she knew how to handle men. Probably just as well, given she headed up our music label and had to manage multiple misbehaving rock stars.

“Oh, goody,” Kiana murmured. “The asshole.”

Penn burst out laughing. “Christ, darling. You’re going to fit in perfectly.” He clapped me on the back for a second time. “Well played, Ash. Well played.”

“Don’t you have a date to fondle?”

He pointed his finger at me and clicked his tongue. “Good thinking. I left her with Kadon, who, by the way, looks like a beach bum. Blond-flecked hair and all.”

“Who’s Kadon?” Kiana asked as Penn sauntered off with a wave, clipping Johannes on the shoulder as he passed.

“Another of my cousins. He’s based in St. Tropez in the South of France. He manages our beach club business.”

“I’m never going to remember all these names.” She rubbed her forehead as if it hurt. “Talk me through them. Help me figure out your crazy-huge family.”

I slid my arm around her waist, grabbed us a couple of drinks, and maneuvered her to a quiet corner. “Well, as you know, my dad is Joshua, and he has two brothers, Jameson, whose party this is, and Jacob.”

---