Lord help the woman who ever settles him down. She’s gonna need it.

Leah finally showed up with a fruit tray and cream cheese fruit dip, and Nanny had brought her famous pineapple upside down cake, so the way I saw it, all of our bases were covered. We had appetizers, main courses, snacks, and dessert; add in the fireworks (that they were still hiding from us), and we got dinner and a show! (Oh, yeah…Allie’s mom Daisy showed up with some brownies, but told us they were for her and her alone. Allie said we should just listen to her and leave them alone. We figured out why later.)

We all piled our plates high and stuffed ourselves while we all sat around the pool, or at random tables the guys had set out for everyone. I popped the last bite of cheesecake in my mouth and stood, throwing my plate away and making my way to Allie, who was trying to hold a squirming Liam while she finished eating.

I wiggled my fingers at her. “Here, let me see my nephew.”

She didn’t hesitate, just handed him over and dug in to the huge mound of mac & cheese she had on her plate. I just shook my head at her, laughing in remembrance of the mini-scuffle she and Emma had gotten in about who was going to get to the mac & cheese first. Allie won, practically shoving Emma under the table to do so, but Emma retaliated by hiding the pan from everyone so no one else could get any.

Thankfully, that only lasted until Jan gave her that “mom” look that said put-it-back-or-you’re-gonna-get-it. Miraculously, it ended up back on the table within seconds. In her defense, though, Jan’s homemade mac & cheese was the freakin’ bomb!

I held Liam up in front of my face, nuzzling his little nose with mine and kissing his cheeks before cradling him in my arms and moving to a lounger in the shade. I settled him in my lap, propping my feet on the lounger so he was reclining against my legs, his head against them, facing me, with his butt on my stomach and feet on my chest.

I pretended to gnaw on his tiny toes, making him gurgle, smile, and chuckle, which made me grin and laugh. We sat and played like that for a little bit when Brandon joined us, pulling the other lounger close and sitting on it, facing me.

He didn’t speak, just watched me.

I didn’t look at him as I asked, “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” was his immediate response. “Just watching you with one of the cutest little babies, ever.”

I glanced at him and smiled. “He is pretty cute, isn’t he?”

“Yeah…but I kinda like looking at his aunt, better. She’s pretty fuckin’ beautiful.”

I sucked in a breath, feeling the effects of his words race along every nerve ending in my body, but I didn’t say anything.

“Can’t wait to get you home tonight, sunshine. Make some fireworks of our own, what do you say?” His voice was low, intimate, and sent even more shivers over me.

The baby cooed and babbled in my lap and I grinned at him. “Your Uncle Brandon is a perv, too, Liam. Just like your nanny!” I sing-songed, making him giggle.

Brandon snorted and then sniffed, turning his nose up. “Phew. I think someone just left a load in his diaper.”

I chuckled and lifted the baby’s leg to peek up the leg of his shorts and diaper to see if he really needed changed, or was just gassy. It wasn’t just gas.

Brandon stood, plucked the baby from my arms, and handed him off to Jackson, who just happened to be walking towards the house. “Here. Your kid needs changed and my woman is about to be busy.”

“I am?” I asked in confusion.

“Yup.” Brandon nodded to confirm his words before he grabbed my hands, pulled me off of the lounger, and dragged me off the deck and around the house.

We didn’t even get all the way around front when he stopped, put a hand against my stomach, and pushed me back against the house. He followed, his body pressing me firmly against the unyielding wall, sliding his hand off to the side and down my hip, gripping it and pulling me tight against him.

“Brandon, what are you doing?” I whispered, our breath mingling as he dipped his head toward me.

“I wanted to kiss you and I wanted to do it properly without everyone watching. Got a problem with that?”

“Nope…” I barely got the word out. His lips were coming closer and closer, brushing mine as he said, “Didn’t think so.”

And then he kissed me. Deep. Hot. Wet.

He kissed me until we were both gasping for air, and without realizing it, my arms had wound around his neck and his hands had lifted me into the air, cupping my ass as my legs had wrapped around his waist.

“Wow…” I breathed, smiling at him a bit dazedly.

He snickered. “You can say that again, sunshine…you can say that again.”

Just then, Calland came around the corner shouting, “Dude, quit humping your woman against her brother’s house and let’s go blow shit up!”

Almost immediately we heard, “Who’s humping who against my house?” and pounding footsteps as Allie ran headlong around the corner. She stopped when she saw us, eyes narrowing. “You two…”

I waved. What else could I do? I was literally still backed against the house, wrapped around Brandon, and from the way things were pressed against me…nice, long, hard things, I didn’t think he’d be putting me down just yet.

She quit glaring at us and laughed, a wicked gleam flickering in her eyes. “Come on, Chloe. Come help me clean things up so we can get ready for the sparklers and things.”

“Uhhh…” I hedged, looking at Brandon.

He winked and dropped my legs, kissing my lips one last time briefly before turning away and adjusting himself as he walked around the side of the house in the direction Calland had gone.

I walked up to Allie and she slung her arm around my neck, squeezing me to her. “Having fun?” she asked.

‘Of course!” I replied, wrapping my arm around her waist to squeeze her back.

“Good. Now let’s get this shit done so we can party!”

Chapter 25

Friday morning dawned brilliantly bright.

Like…the fire of a thousand suns bright. Of course, it could be the four shots of tequila and two firecrackers I drank last night. The firecrackers were another contribution of Calland. I don’t know where he got the idea, the recipe, whatever…they were good. But…they were baaaad.

Firecrackers are a mixed drink made with dark rum, sloe gin, orange juice, and 151. I don’t remember the drive home. See? Bad.

I do, however, remember chasing Calland and Brandon around with sparklers (don’t ask why, I don’t remember), I remember Allie (sober, of course…not sure if that makes it better or worse) lighting a smoke bomb and pretending to disappear into the smoke, complete with magic words and everything. I remember the fireworks display that the guys put on and I do have to admit, it was pretty epic. It was equally epic that the cops didn’t show up, because I think they had more fireworks than the actual township did for their legal display.

And most of all, I remember laughing my ass off at Nanny, who’d gotten into Daisy’s brownies and eaten almost half of one before Daisy caught her. Did I mention they were POT brownies? Nanny got pretty loopy and started flashing everyone, giggling like a school girl in the process. Though I must say, the funniest part was when Allie had yelled, “Nanny! No one wants to see your little fried eggs! Put ‘em away!”