Tempting (Red Lips & White Lies Book 1)

If I did anything right in my life, it was loving you. 

Today. Tomorrow. Always. 

—Nixon’s Secret Thoughts

“I’d like to make a toast.” Dad raises his glass in the air and looks around the room we have set up for the groomsmen to relax in before the wedding starts. “Love isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it with the right person. That woman who’s going to walk down the aisle in a few minutes has always been the right person for you, son. Salut.”

“Salut,” the guys echo and turn back to their conversation as Dad fixes my tie. “You’re a lucky man to have found her, son. And she’s a lucky woman to be loved by you. Since the day you were born, not a day has passed when I haven’t been proud of you.”

“You cast a big shadow, Dad. And for a long time, I thought that meant I had to fight against it to find my own way. Mac helped me realize that embracing it made me stronger—because being your son is a huge piece of who I am. You lit the way for all of us, then embraced it when we went different ways.” I clap his back and lean in. “I hope my kid is as lucky as we were.”

Dad’s eyes widen.

“Not a word to anyone else, old man,” I warn. “Not yet. Not tonight.”

“Love you, kid.” He shakes my hand and pulls me in for a hug.

“I think we should do shots every time Dad hugs someone tonight,” Hendrix announces.

“If you’re drunk for pictures, your mother will kill you,” Grandpa warns, and Leo takes the glass out of Hendrix’s hand.

Everly pops her head in. “It’s time, Nixon.”

My heart races, and my brothers and I walk down the aisle together, with Callen, Cross, and Ares behind us, and I wait for the love of my life to meet me under our cherry trees.

Kenzie

“You look incredible, Kenzie.” Easton runs his hands over my bare arms as he stands behind me while I take one last look in the mirror. “Mom would be so proud of you. I hope you know that.”

I wipe my eyes for the hundredth time today and nod, unable to form words.

“If he ever—” he starts, and I stop him.

“He won’t.” He’s been offering to kill Nixon for me for nearly a year, and we’ve somehow found this shorthand. Three words from him and two from me, but they’re all that needs to be said. Nixon would never purposefully hurt me, and he shows me that with his whole heart, every day.

“Thanks for letting me walk you down the aisle,” Easton manages to say as he hides his emotion behind a cough.

Becket moves in next to Easton and takes my arm in his, dapper as ever in his beautiful black tux. “She asked me first,” Becks teases Easton. “She’s just letting you hold her other arm so she doesn’t have to hear you whine about it forever.”

I look at two of the most important men in my life—second only to Nixon and maybe Gordie, if dogs count—and laugh. “If either of you trip me, there’ll be hell to pay. Do you hear me?” I tease.

Juliette moves them both away so she can fix my veil. When she’s satisfied, she steps back and hands me my bouquet. “Feet first, Kenzie.”

“Just like you and Mom,” I whisper back and kiss her cheek. “Okay, is it time to get this show on the road? I’m starving.”

“You’re crazy,” Jules laughs.

“Yeah, but it runs in the family.” And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The tent set up on the lawn is enormous. Definitely befitting the only daughter of Senator Becket Kingston. The band hasn’t stopped playing for hours, and the fireworks were just set off over the lake as the girls and I all watched with our husbands from our private dock.

Nixon stands behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist and his lips skimming my ear. “Was it everything you wanted, baby?”

“It was more,” I whisper back, completely at peace.

The band announces they’re taking a break, and they turn on an old James Bay song I love, and I turn in my husband’s arm. “Dance with me.”

“For the rest of our lives, baby.”

“He still calls her baby,” Everly fake whispers.

“Bet she likes his dick even more now than she used to too,” Lindy adds, and Gracie gasps.

“You can’t say that when she’s wearing a wedding dress,” she hushes us all right before we all burst out laughing, and the guys stare at us like we’re crazy. We are. And they should be used to it by now.

“It’s a wedding dress, Gracie, not some saintly robe or something. He’s going to boink her in it later anyway,” Brynnie tells her, and I bury my face in Nixon’s chest, knowing what’s coming next.

“He better not be boinking my sister,” Easton growls, and Lindy cups his cheek.

“Oh, sweetie, don’t you worry. She’s a virgin bride, and it’s an immaculate conception.”

Oh shit.

Everyone stops talking all at once, but Easton is the first to speak. “You’re pregnant, Kenzie?”

He looks from Nixon to me, his eyes welling with tears.

He’s turned into quite the sap since he had kids of his own.

I nod and squeeze Nixon’s hand. “We weren’t going to tell anyone tonight.”

“Why the hell did Lindy know?” Everly asks, and I just shake my head.

“Because someone needed to make sure it looked like I was drinking even though I wasn’t.” I wink at Lindy. “Nothing says knocked-up bride quite like her not taking part in the champagne toast.”

Nixon beams with pride. “I would have taken out an ad in the Kroydon Kronicles if she let me. I can’t wait.”

“God, I love you.” I press my lips to his and hum deep in my throat as he grabs my ass through about a dozen layers of Italian silk.

“Seriously, stop,” Easton groans. “I can’t unsee that.”

“You better look away then.” Nix grabs my ass in both hands and walks away with me. “I’ve been good all day, Mrs. Sinclair. I think it’s about time I get my reward.”

“Oh, Mr. Sinclair, I think we have one more lesson to go.” I ignore the clapping as he carries me into the centuries-old farmhouse we’ve had completely restored to its earlier glory.

“Oh yeah, baby. What lesson is that?” he teases, taking the stairs two at a time.

I bite down on his earlobe and tug. “I’m going to need you to show me how you fuck your wife.”

“That might be my favorite lesson yet.” He tosses me onto our bed, and the layers of silk puff up around me like a cloud.

“Don’t worry. We’ll come up with another one tomorrow,” I promise.

“So many tomorrows, baby.”

“So many lessons still to come, Nix.”