Off Limits(66)

“Not too much,” she teased me, rubbing my chest. “Just enough that I can't wait until tomorrow.”

“Oh, you can wait another few hours,” Brittany laughed, sipping at her champagne. “After all, it isn't like in my parents' day when the couple would have to spend every night apart until the wedding ceremony.”

“Good for us, then.” Abby laughed. She reached down to the table and took a sip of her ginger ale, something I'd noticed earlier. Abby had never been a big drinker, but then again, neither was I. I used to be, but I’d seen firsthand what nastiness alcoholics could do. In the apartment, we didn't have any alcohol at all other than a bottle of Malbec that we'd been given as a gift for moving in. “Say, babe, are you sure you'll be good for picking Shawnie up from the airport tomorrow?”

“Yeah, this is my last one,” I replied, taking the final sip and setting the glass down on the table. “I don't want to have my nuptials marred by a hangover or anything.”

Brittany smiled in approval and finished her glass of champagne as well. “A wise decision. Well, you two enjoy yourself. I need to powder my nose, as the saying goes.”

She left us, and I led Abby closer, away from the table, and took her out to the dance floor. The live band wasn't the best in town, but even a second-rate band in a city like Atlanta can beat the pants off anything a lot of other places can offer. We found an empty spot on the dance floor and I pulled her into my arms. “Think of it as practice for tomorrow.”

“You know, I think Brittany is expecting at least a little bit of Viking tomorrow with all of that Norse stuff you talk about,” Abby said as we danced. “She's going to be highly disappointed.”

“Well, I guess I could rip off my shirt, grease myself up, and try to wrestle a bear, but those are kind of hard to find this time of year,” I joked. “I guess she'll have to settle for the roasted meats and maybe a song or two. You know I just take it in stride anyway.”

“I know. It's why I love you so much,” Abby said. “Enjoying the party?”

“Better than listening to the Washingtons upstairs,” I replied. “Trying to watch The Charlie Brown Christmas Special while they were having sex was not the experience I was hoping for.”

“We've kind of given them a concert or two as well,” Abby reminded me. “Or did you forget Monday night?”

“How could I?” I chuckled. We turned on the floor, moving in gentle circles, not really following any one pattern but just moving together. “Hey, Abs, I don't want to pry, but you seem to be a bit off tonight. Worried about tomorrow?”

“No,” Abby replied. “I'm excited, yes, but not worried. Why?”

“I just noticed you're only hitting the ginger ale. You don't think we'll get too drunk and oversleep, do you?”

Abby leaned back, her honey blonde hair shimmering in the soft light, her blue eyes twinkling like twin sapphires, and laughed, long and loud. If it hadn't been a party, or if the music had been softer, she would have garnered a lot of attention, but as it was, she barely registered. When her laughter was over, she pulled my head down and kissed me. “I’m not worried about that at all,” she whispered in my ear after the kiss was broken. “I wanted to wait until we were alone tonight, but I have a late Christmas gift for you.”

“Oh? What's that?” I asked, flummoxed. We hadn't exchanged too many gifts, so a late one seemed strange.

“You get to find out in about nine months,” Abby whispered, pulling back to look me in the eyes. “Merry Christmas . . . Daddy.”



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Read on for the bonus novel, Dirty Little Secrets. And don’t forget, if you enjoyed this book, join my mailing list and you’ll be notified of any future releases, updates, and giveaways!





Dirty Little Secrets





By Lauren Landish




“You can’t rush love. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere and smacks you in the face.”



“I’ve messed up royally, and Kade is the only person who can help me.”



My name is Alix Nova, and I’m a successful model. That is, until my ex threatens to leak my nude photos. My filthy rich stepbrother is the only person with enough cash that I can turn to, but he isn’t buying my pathetic lies on why I need the money. He’s determined to get to the bottom of it. I just hope that when he learns the truth, he doesn’t abandon me like every other man in my life has.



“All of the dark fantasies I’d lied to myself about, all of the ways that I’d wanted to bend her over, to engage in those violent passions that tore at my soul. All those images from my dreams that I never told anyone about came to mind as my lips touched hers for the first time.”



No one associates my name, Kade Prescott, with my rich father anymore. I’m just a defense attorney, scum of the earth. I’m also the only one who’ll help my stepsister, Alix. I know that my desire for her is mutual, I’m just not sure how she’ll react to the real me. How she’ll react to the RED ROOM.