With These Four Rings - Book Five: Wedding Bonus (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls 5) (30 page)

“Yes, cousin. Definitely kickass women, who love and care for each other as we did back then, and still do today.”

“God has really blessed us. We’ve all worked hard, and are now some of the most prosperous men in the world. We have wonderful legacies to pass on to our children,” Adam said.

“Well, I worked hard,” Bryce remarked smugly. “The rest of you were born coated in dough.”

“Sure, rub it in, Fontaine.” Erik chuckled. “Seriously though, we have a lot to be thankful for. We’ve come a long way.”

“Especially you and Bryce, Erik,” Mass pointed out. “You lost your first loves along the way. And neither of you thought you’d find love again, but here you are. Here we all are, blissfully happy beyond our wildest imaginations.”

As if reading each other’s minds, the men stood to their feet, lifted their almost empty cappuccino cups and recited their special toast: “To God, Life, Love, Family, Friends, Prosperity.”

“So this is what you do when we’re not around.”

The men turned at Michelle’s voice, their faces breaking into big grins as their wives piled into the room in single file. They’d traded their fashionable Sunday clothes for casual cotton and linen dresses and sandals—moonlight sailing attire. None of them were toting handbags, which suggested that they’d been chauffeured here, most probably together. They walked up to each of their respective husbands, who automatically pulled them close and kissed them as if they hadn’t seen them for ages.

“We do a lot of things when you’re not around.” Erik came up for air.

“I can make some more
cappuccini
if you like,” Mass offered the women.

“Nah.” Shaina took his cup. “I’ll just finish yours.”

“So that’s why you lost weight when she was pregnant with Aria,” Bryce said, even as his wife took his cup from him.

“That, and twice as much sex as I’ve ever had in my life. I hardly got any sleep for eight straight months.”

“None of us do when they’re pregnant,” Adam said. “A few times I stayed at the office until I knew for sure Tashi had gone to bed. I was that worn out.” He chuckled.

Tashi slapped him in the gut, then pulled his hair making him yelp. “You’ll be begging for it next time, Mister.”

“That’ll be the day. You know you can’t keep your hands off me or my hair.” He picked up a handful of strands and brushed it lightly across her neck, making her shiver. “Mmm.”

“You all complaining?” Shaina gave each man an indifferent look. “Because we can decide not to give you any when we’re big with child.” She poked Mass in the chest. “Seeing that I’m pregnant, what you got this morning might be
it
for you, Buster.”

Mass pulled her up against him. “Let’s head into the next room and see if you can put your money where your mouth is.”

“I don’t think it’s her money she’ll be putting anywhere, seeing she ain’t got none,” Kaya said on a giggle.

“And you know that how?” Bryce stared down at her. “You used to be so pure and innocent-minded. What happened to you?”

“I married you, you big sweet hunk.” She tightened her arms around his waist, rested her chin on his chest and battered her eyelashes at him. “And the next thing I know, you were ordering me to take of my panties. That’s what happened to me.”

“And you take them off so quickly and ardently every time, my darling.” He rubbed his hands across her back. “Are you wearing any now?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Should I check your pockets for a pair?”

“You are nasty, Fontaine.” Erik said. “I will never stick my hands in your pockets.”

“Neither me,” everyone, but Kaya acquiesced.

A chorus of laughter erupted as the men fell into their chairs, and pulled their respective wives down on their laps.

“It’s a shame you had to cancel your bachelors’ party. We had a surprise planned for you.” Michelle kissed Erik’s cheek.

‘What kind of surprise?” he asked.

“We were planning on crashing it, and dancing for you,” Shaina answered.

“You could have danced when the entire family was together earlier. We were all having such a good time anyway.” Bryce said.

“Ha. The kind of dancing we have in mind cannot be performed in front of our parents and in-laws, and definitely not in front of our kids and Pastor Kelly,” Kaya informed them.

Four square jaws dropped, and four mouths hung open. The ladies quite graciously pushed them closed.

“Since we were denied the chance to crash your party, we have one request,” Tashi said.

“Yes,” the men said in unison, their eyes riveted on their wives’ faces.

Shaina cleared her throat. “Wherever you’re taking us on our honeymoon, just make sure there’s a private room, or a secluded patio or lawn or some place with a stage and poles. And—”

“Wh…what… Poles? What kind of poles?”

“Shh.” Mass gave Erik a backhand slap on his arm.

“And make sure you have four comfy chairs where you’ll be seated, dressed in loose clothing, preferably a robe with nothing under it, and facing the stage,” Tashi added.

All the men automatically swallowed.

“You can add one pole to each bedroom too, if you want. You don’t have to if you don’t feel like it,” Tashi laid on the temptation as she combed her fingers through Adam’s long thick hair.

“Oh yeah, and if you want, you can bring along some leather straps, handcuffs, blindfolds,” Michelle winked at Erik. “Feathers.”

“Games.” Tashi licked Adam on the cheek.

“Whips.” Kaya smiled at Bryce. “We’ve never tried that, but I’m game.”

“Just let your imaginations run wild. We’re up to trying new stuff.” Shaina glued her lips to Massimo’s, making him moan.

“Get your man on the line, Bryce. Now!” Adam barked.

“You realize it’s 3 a.m. in Astana. He’s probably sleeping.”

“For what we’re paying him,” Mass declared, “I don’t care if he’s dead. You tell St. Peter to wake him up.”

All of a sudden, the women found themselves alone on the chairs in unceremonious heaps. They looked up to see Bryce pull his phone from his pocket as the other men followed him out of the room, adjusting their crotches.

The women high-fived each other and rolled in hysterics. They had them right where they wanted them. Putty in their hands.

* * *

Fontaine Estate – Jason’s bedroom – Sunday evening…

Jason didn’t take his eyes off the TV screen, or his hands off the controls of his Xbox when his phone sounded the warning that he’d gotten a text. Another one. He’d been getting texts all afternoon, but he hadn’t responded to any of them.

He liked Precious. He liked her a lot better than he liked any other girl he’d ever met, but her dad scared the crap out of him. He was glad she was his first French kiss, though, and he was kind of looking forward to more from her. He still remembered the taste of pepperoni and mushroom on her breath. He’d probably remember her every time he had pepperoni and mushrooms on his pizza.

But copping kisses from her wasn’t worth getting his fingers broken or his nuts cut off. He liked his fingers and his nuts more than he liked Precious. And he knew if he didn’t stay away from her, he would probably lose them both. She was hot, the hottest eight-grader in her school. She’d skipped a grade because she was so smart. He like smart girls, especially hot smart girls like Precious. He was a freshman in high school and a lot of older, more mature girls were already letting him know that they would let him French kiss them—if he wanted to. He’d turned them down because his eyes had been on Precious.

But with his own dad threatening to send him off to an all-boys’ boarding school in Europe, and Uncle Erik promising to hurt him, Jason figured that the only way for him to remain in Granite Falls, with his fingers attached to his hands the way God made them, and his nuts intact, was to fight the temptation of Precious LaCrosse…

His cell phone rang this time. He glanced down at it. Precious’ picture—the one he’d taken of her in a blue bikini at his pool before he went away to Karate camp—flashed on the screen. Yeah, he would have to delete that pic too.

His phone kept ringing until it went to voice mail. After a brief pause, it began ringing again. Jason paused his game and picked up his phone. “Hi, Precious.”

“Why aren’t you answering my texts and my calls?”

She sounded worried, sad, and he knew it was because of him, and because of her grandma dying. He’d wanted to hug her yesterday when they’d gone to her house after the funeral, and then this morning after church at Uncle Adam’s restaurant. He’d wanted to dance with her like they used to before that kiss changed everything, but he was afraid to touch her. “I’m answering now.”

“Don’t you like me anymore? Are you like all those other guys, when they get what they want, they dump a girl?”

What other guys
? Jason’s heart missed a beat and he stood up and walked to his window overlooking the playground where his sisters and the nanny were riding on the merry-go-round. Eli had gone mini-golfing with Grandpa. He perched on his windowsill. “You been kissing other guys, Precious?”

“No, you know you’re the first boy I ever kissed, Jason. So are you dumping me?”

Jason tightened his lips. He didn’t know how to answer that. He didn’t want to hurt her. “I like kissing you, but we can’t do it again. We can’t do anything but hold hands. That’s stupid.”

“What do you want to do? You want sex?”

“No!” Even he wasn’t ready for that, and he was a guy.

“Why, ’cause you don’t think I’m hot?”

“You’re the hottest girl I know.” He could almost feel and hear her smiling. “And that’s why I have to stay away from you. I’m scared of your dad.”

“We can kiss in secret.”

“We promised, Presh. My dad would ship me off to a boys’ school in Europe and we won’t see each other for years. Is one stolen kiss worth it?”

They were quiet for a long time, then Precious said, “Jase?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you gonna start kissing other girls ’cause you can’t kiss me again?”

Skye Harrison’s red, juicy lips danced into Jason’s mind. She was in his science class and was always trying to get his attention. She had a reputation for letting boys feel her up—something else he couldn’t do with Precious. Skye had gone as far as to rub her big jugs up against his arm a few times in passing, and once, she’d sneaked up on him and blown in his ear when he was standing at his locker. His body had come alive and he’d even felt hotter than when he’d kissed Precious. And that night he’d dreamed about Skye, and woken up with a…

“Jason? Are you going to kiss other girls?”

Precious sounded as if she was about to cry. “No, Precious. I’m not gonna kiss any other girls. You’re my only girl.” Jason told his first lie to Precious and he felt like a scumbag for making a promise he knew he would break.

He’d known what sex was since he was eight. He hadn’t really thought about it until he started high school last year, and now it was all he could think about. His dad was right; sex was complicated. Shoot, thinking about it was complicated, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He knew he should treat all girls with respect, the kind of respect he wanted for his sisters, like he and Dad had talked about. But what if the girl didn’t want to be respected? What if she asked him to do stuff with her? The kind of stuff he couldn’t do with Precious. Should he do it?

His dad had said he could go to him with any question he had about sex and girls. He would ask his dad.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Crystal Lake – Inside the master cabin of Andreas yacht. Late Sunday night…

Adam moved his mouth over Tashi’s, devouring its softness as he pumped in and out of his wife to the tune of The Weeknd’s “Earned It.” She’d earned it, he thought, as she rose to meet him, their bodies moving together, and edged on by the melody and tempo in a continuous wave of fiery passion.

It was his turn to experience the thrill of making love to his wife by song. His buddies had compared notes, and had learned that their wives had been using the same list of songs between them. From that discovery, they’d surmised that those were the songs they were planning to pole dance to on their honeymoon. They’d agreed that it was a good thing the bachelors’ party had been canceled because they sure were going to enjoy watching their sultry wives dance for them on the private island for their viewing pleasures only.

As soon as their friends and the band left, he and Tashi had begun making love—starting on the upper deck to the tune of “Temperature’s Rising,” and when another yacht anchored too closely, they’d brought it down to the lower deck, where she’d sat him on the sofa in the lounge and straddled him, backwards, and bounced up and down on him while “Feel the Fire” streamed from the yacht’s built-in stereo.

That fire had rained down on Adam in a continuous maelstrom as he’d held on to his wife’s hips and pounded her sweet delicate buns while they watched their reflections bumping and grinding together in a mirrored wall. And just when he thought it was over for the night, his insatiable nymph of a wife had pulled him into the bedroom, thrown him down onto the bed, straddled him, facing forward this time, and rode him to the melody of “Behind Closed Doors.”