50

Alistair

“Shh, baby, it’s okay.”I held Liliana tightly as she cried on my shoulder.

When she was calmer, I moved us so that we stood outside the lobby in a little enclave with a bench and an awning where residents of Crystal Fountain sometimes sat.

I held her hands while we sat and she sniffed deeply, shaking her head.

“You’ve been paying his bills all this time?” she asked, wiping a tear from her face.

I kissed her hand. “Grandpa would’ve wanted to, so I did it for him since he couldn’t.”

Liliana licked her lips and took a long, slow breath. “I can’t pay you back right away, but I will eventually. I appreciate—”

“Stop, just stop,” I said. “You’re not paying anything back. This is why I didn’t just offer you the money. I figured you wouldn’t accept it.”

“You’re right. I won’t.” She straightened her neck. “I appreciate what you’ve done, so much, but I always pay my bills. I’ll figure it out.”

“Damn it, Liliana.” I cupped her cheek. “It’s technically from money that grandpa left me when he died, so it’s like he’s paying for it. Please don’t think another thing about it.”

I could see that argument was getting through to her. My grandpa would have paid James’ bills if he’d still been alive when they started piling up. She had to know that too.

“It would make Grandpa happy to know he was helping James,” I said. “So let him help, Liliana.”

She started to sob again, so I pulled her close, my arm around her shoulders.

“I’m so sorry about everything,” she said, clearing her throat. “I resigned after what happened at the tasting. I’m so sorry about—”

I touched my finger to her lips to stop her. “About flying to Colorado to try and fix things? Veronica called this morning.”

She nodded, still looking glum. “I did the best I could. I’m really sorry, Alistair.”

“They’re going ahead with the collab, baby. You won them over. We’re meeting with them about the first test run next week. I was going to call you or just show up at your house if you wouldn’t answer your phone to tell you after I left here.” I stroked her hair and cupped her cheek. “Nothing that happened at the tasting was your fault, and you still managed to pull the deal out of the fire. The agency should be begging you to come back if they have any sense.”

The look of joy and relief on her face made her even more beautiful than she already was. Her blue eyes shone with tears, and another tracked its way down her cheek.

“I’llbeg if I have to,” I finally said. “Because I have sense, even if they don’t. I need you, Liliana. Whatever you think is so messed up between us, it can be fixed, just like you fixed the collab with Avalon. We can get through whatever comes, as long as we’re together.”

I brushed my thumb over her perfect, pink lips, then I leaned over and kissed her.

My throat tightened in relief when Liliana wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and kissed me back.

* * *

I stood behind Liliana as she unlocked her door, my hands on her hip. I dipped my head to nuzzle the back of her neck, causing her to giggle and shrug her shoulders.

After we’d kissed on the bench outside Crystal Fountains, we’d gone to the sun porch where James was waiting for her. He beamed when he saw us together, Liliana’s hand in mine.

“About damn time,” he said with a laugh.

It had been a shorter visit than Liliana had intended, but James had gotten into a game of cards with one of his friends anyway.

We promised to come back and visit together next time, and that made James happy.

The lock clicked, so Liliana pushed the door open. When I closed it behind me, I pressed my back against it and pulled her close.

“God, I’ve missed you,” I breathed against her lips, then I kissed her deeply.

Liliana took my face in her hands, and I stared into her gorgeous blue eyes.

“I should have said it a long time ago, Alistair. I shouldn’t have waited, but I was afraid.” She kissed me again and said, “I love you, Alistair. I’ve been in love with you for so long.”

Hearing her finally say it was good medicine for all the hurt and misunderstandings. Could anything really be wrong if Liliana loved me?

“I love you, baby,” I said back to her. “So much.”

I grabbed her ass and lifted her to straddle my hips, then I walked us to her bedroom, kissing her the whole way. I felt almost frantic with the need to feel her body beneath mine. To feel her slick heat wrapped around my cock.

To hear my name from her lips as she came.

We were in such a hurry to get our clothes off, a button pinged against the wooden floor, and I didn’t know if it had popped off her shirt or mine.

And I didn’t care.

She lay back on the bed, so I lay atop her, already rubbing my cock between her legs and moaning at the heat I found there. But it had been too long since I’d tasted her. There was nothing like feeling her come against my tongue and knowing that I could undo her so easily.

I kissed my way down her body, loving her quick little breaths of anticipation.

“Alistair,” she moaned as I teased around between her legs with my tongue, licking the crease where her thigh met her body, liking her outer lips, but avoiding the place I knew she wanted my tongue most. I wanted her so bad and I struggled not to hurry. I wanted it to last as long as possible.

Finally, with her squirming because she wanted it so badly, I couldn’t resist anymore. I licked up from her opening to her clit and pressed my lips in a pucker around her little pulsing button to suck lightly.

She arched off the bed, making my cock throb.

She was already slick and quivering, so I pushed two fingers inside her to increase her pleasure. I sucked her clit, tapping it and twirling my tongue around it. Each time I could tell she was close, I slowed down and backed off enough to keep her from going all the way.

After several minutes of this teasing, she sank her fingers into my hair and groaned. “Need you tofuck me,Alistair.Please.”

I needed that too. My cock pulsed at her words. I teased her clit with purpose then, with my tongue and a thumb. “Come for me, baby, and I’ll fuck you all night long if you want.”

That promise worked. Liliana cried out and came, her pussy pulsing against my lips and tongue. I groaned at the feeling of it, knowing that I had given her that much pleasure.

I couldn’t wait any longer. I already knew it was going to be a struggle to hold back, but I was determined to go as slowly as possible.

I crawled up and kissed her, letting her taste herself on my tongue. She wrapped her legs around me, spreading herself open and lifting her hips.

I slid into Liliana like a hot knife into butter. We just fit together in a way that had never happened to me with anyone else. I could anticipate her moves and join them, and she always seemed to be in sync with what I wanted too.

We both groaned as I thrust into her again, her pussy still tightening in the throes of her orgasm. “Alistair!” she shouted, her fingers digging into my shoulders as another wave hit her. I had to grit my teeth to hang on and not lose it then and there.

“Oh, Alistair,” she said, shuddering beneath me. “I love you. I love you so much.”

I kissed her, trying hard to delay my own orgasm, but hearing that again made it impossible to resist. “I love you too, baby,” I whispered, and when her pussy tightened around me again, I slid a hand between to thumb her clit.

Liliana exploded, her back arching as she shouted wordlessly in pleasure. She clamped around me like the softest, slickest vice grip. I came, unable to hold back any longer. I kissed her chin, her neck, then I sucked against the side of her throat as I spilled deep inside her.

This was it for me. Liliana was all I wanted. She was home. And anything that would stand in the way of that had no part in my life.

I knew I was never going to give this woman up. Not for the brewery, or for any friend or family. Not even for Julian.

When our pleasure started to fade, I rolled onto my back and pulled Liliana with me, unwilling to let any space get between us. After our breathing slowed and the light seen of sweat on my body started to dry, cooling me off, I pulled the sheet up and over us.

Liliana hummed contentedly as she rubbed her cheek against my chest. I combed my fingers through her soft, blonde hair. For the moment, everything was right with the world, and I just wanted to bask in that while I could.

After a while, Liliana lifted her head and looked up at me, chin on my chest. “I don’t want to ask, but I need to know.”

“Julian?” I said, guessing what it was about.

Liliana nodded. “What are we going to do about him? What if he can never accept us being together?”

I stroked her face. I’d thought about that a lot, long before he found out and had his blow-up at the brewery. I was more confident than ever about the answer I’d come up with.

“I was right when I said Julian was fragile. And I figured he’d be upset if he found out about us. I was right about that too. So, I hope you’ll trust me about this—Julian will be okay, eventually. I think he’ll come around.”

Liliana pulled herself up, bringing our faces closer. “I do trust you. But how can you be so sure?”

I sighed. “I’m not sure, but I think that’s what will happen. And if it doesn’t . . .” I kissed her softly. “Then that’s Julian’s problem. He’s an adult. He has all kinds of resources available to help him. Rehab. Therapy. I’ll even go to family therapy with him if that’s what he wants. I’ll be there for him any way he needs, but I won’t be responsible for him. That’s up to him.”

I kissed her again. “And I won’t let him come between us. If Julian decides he can’t handle the fact that I’m head over heels in love with you, then Julian can deal with that on his own, somewhere else. I think he loves me enough that he wouldn’t break up the family over his jealousy. I’m going to trust him that it’s true, at least. Give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Liliana smiled at me so sweetly, my heart ached. She touched my cheek. “And I trust you to make the right decision.”

I kissed the palm of her hand. “I’m going to do whatever it takes, Liliana, for us to be together, no matter what Julian thinks or what happens.” I brushed my thumb over her cheek.

She rubbed her cheek against my palm. “You told me once that you’d always show up for me. And even when I didn’t call you or ask for anything, you still did. I love you, Alistair. I always will.”

I’d always show up for her. I knew it back then, and I knew it while she kissed me, letting her legs spread around my hips to sit atop me.

“I believe you said something about, um, let me see . . . Fucking me all night long. Unless I’m remembering wrong or something, that sounded like a promise.” She grinned mischievously and rubbed herself against me.

My cock took note and started to thicken beneath her. I pulled her down to press a peck to the tip of her nose.


“A promise I fully intend to keep,” I said as she laughed then kissed me again.

Epilogue

Liliana

I stopped the video with the remote I held.

“What do you think?”

Alistair sat at the table next to me with his arms crossed.

He nodded. “Sharp. Professional. But I expect nothing less from you anyway.”

We’d just watched the new TV ad spot for the Hard Rock and Avalon Spirits brand of hard seltzer. I’d pitched the idea to Veronica, who loved it. Benedict thought it was great too.

“It obviously fits with the other commercial, it feels like part of the whole, but it still brings in something new,” Alistair said. “The ‘serious refreshment for fun-loving adults’ is great.”

“Thanks. Veronica loved that too and is thinking about making it the brand’s new tagline,” I admitted, a little proud I’d come up with it.

Since we were alone in the room, Alistair leaned over and pulled me close to kiss me. “I love it too. And you, of course. But if it had sucked . . .”

“You’d have told me. I know,” I added with a laugh, pushing him away. “How are the latest numbers?”

“They’re fucking fantastic, baby,” he said, turning serious. “We’ve got sales numbers for the entire first year of our collaboration, and profits are continuing to go up. There’s nothing slowing down this train. With the branded merchandise hitting the shelves before Christmas and the hard seltzer already taking off out of the gate, I think the second year’s going to blow the first one away.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” I said with a grin.

“And the line of non-alcoholic drinks rolling out after that opens the market up even more,” he added.

We’d been working on the non-alcoholic drinks for a while, unsure whether it was going to be a good business move or not. But we both felt strongly about it, in no small part because of Julian.

It seemed like a way to honor him as Alistair’s brother to have those kind of drinks available, not just in stores, but in the taproom too.

Veronica and Reginald had fortunately been on board with the idea, and all the market research we had said it was going to be a good financial move too.

Alistair’s phone buzzed, and I could tell by his smile that it was Julian. I stood and busied myself doing other things to give him a little privacy, but I could still hear Alistair’s side of the conversation.

“Next week? That’ll be great. Tell Felicity we’re looking forward to seeing her,” he said.

Julian had gotten back together with Felicity not long after his and Alistair’s fight at the tasting event. And it had taken most of the year, but he and Alistair were on much better terms.

He’d accepted that Alistair and I were together and had apologized to me with such sincerity that I forgave him.

I apologized to him too, admitting that I’d been attracted to Alistair before Julian had even shown up, and that I hadn’t handled things very well from the beginning either.

The conversations had been difficult, but we all felt so much better afterward. I was so relieved that Alistair and Julian were getting along, especially since I thought Alistair was going to ask Julian something that he never would have had things still been tense between them.

“Are you going to ask him during this visit? There’s not much time left, you know,” I said when he got off the phone. “Barely a month.”

Alistair got up and sauntered towards me. “Barely a month? For what? Hmm, what am I forgetting about?” He wrapped his arms around me, pinning me to him at the waist and leaning me back to kiss me. “Has something slipped my mind?”

“It’s nothing important,” I replied cheekily.

He gasped, feigning shock. “How could you? Nothing important?”

I turned my head with a laugh, but he kissed my cheek anyway.

“I’m going to ask him this time. He really has accepted our relationship, so I believe he’ll say yes.” Alistair smiled at me, his deep brown eyes sparkling. “If not, I’ll ask Benedict.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to. I doubt there’s anything that could make Julian miss out on being your Best Man. He’s going to be thrilled that you’re asking him.”

I’d asked Maddie to be my maid of honor, and I could barely believe how excited we both were that the wedding was less than a month away.

Alistair reached for the counter behind me and slid the papers he’d grabbed into my hands.

“Sales numbers. See for yourself what a success you’ve helped bring about as Hard Rock’s marketing and event manager.” He beamed and waited for me to look at the papers.

The collab hadn’t just been successful, it had been wildly successful. It put Hard Rock on the national stage and on its way to being a household name.

“Being the brewery’s marketing and even manager does lack the prestige of working at a top ad agency, but it’s rewarding to work on just one company’s marketing.”

I laughed and slapped his behind. “Not to mention the perks.”

“Fitting that you’re going to end up owning part of the place after I slip a ring onto your finger next month since you helped make the place a success.” He pulled me into his arms again.

“Oh, so you remember the wedding now?” His constant act of forgetting had been a running joke for the last few months.

“Can’t help it. Not when I keep thinking about the wedding night. Having you as my wife. Hell, every night with you is like a honeymoon already, though, isn’t it?”

I kissed his grin, then he pressed his lips against mine and took our typical workday flirting into something heated and impatient.

“Get used to it,” I said. “Because you’re going to be well and truly stuck with me after you say your vows.”

“I’m going to do everything I can, baby,” Alistair said, staring into my eyes, “to make you happy every day of the rest of our lives. You get used to that.”

He kissed me again, and I knew in my heart that he meant every word.