Permanent Bliss Read online

  “Morning, gorgeous,” he mutters breathlessly. I grunt a response, my body limp from coming twice in short succession but fuck if it wasn’t worth it.

  “Fourteen days to go till you’re officially mine, gorgeous.”

  “Can’t wait.” I turn my head and brush my lips against his before closing my eyes and relaxing against him.

  Until I hear the tell-tale cry over the baby monitor.

  Daniel

  Walking into the twins’ bedroom, I’m assaulted by an unholy stench then two matching smiles that would melt even the coldest hearts. Bless them, I couldn’t ever resist these two.

  I step toward Jared first as the most likely offender of the dirty diaper. “Hey, baby boy, how are you today?” I receive a garbled response around a slobbery tiny fist, and I grin as I lift him out of his crib. Doing the lift and sniff trick that only a parent is ever willing to do, I determine it is in fact Jared who dealt it. Stepping over to the change table, I set about changing him before putting him down and walking over to my princess who is patiently waiting for me to finish dealing with her brother.

  Giving me a look that tells me she has suffered long and hard this morning, she states loud and proud, “Dada!” then claps excitedly. And just like that, I’m wrapped tightly around her little finger. I would hang the moon for my little girl when she greets me like that.

  “Hello, beautiful girl.” I hold my hands out and she mimics me, holding her arms out as well. I carry her over to the change table and change her diaper as well. I pick her up and look down to feel a tugging on my pant leg as Jared pulls himself up. With both twins in my arms, I walk down the hall to find Mac dressed and lying on top of the covers waiting for our morning tradition of family cuddles in bed.

  Seeing the three most important people in my life so happy and content goes a long way to distract me from the stress in my life. It should be one of the happiest times in my life, but in all honesty, I’m a mess.

  Two weeks until the wedding and life is not holding back any punches. Work is a nightmare, my mother is driving me insane with guest list changes and last minute requests, and not only is my best friend fucking my ex-girlfriend (old news,) he wants her to be his plus one. Then there is my deep-seated fear that Mac is going to bolt. I know it’s irrational, especially when nothing she’s done in the past eighteen months has given me any indication that she is unhappy or not committed to our future together but I remember the back and forward dance we had when we first met and part of me is waiting for the ball to drop.

  Some days I still can’t believe that this beautiful woman is in love with me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t lack self-confidence and can ego it up with the best of them. But when it comes to Mac, I’m more sensitive than most.

  That woman and those twins are my entire world. They’re the reason I wake up in the morning and the reason I work my ass off to give them everything they could ever need or want. Mac doesn’t have to work, but she wants to which just makes me love her even more. We’re lucky that my sister lives nearby and watches the twins for us whenever we need childcare. We’re more blessed than most, but I have never taken it for granted.

  Which probably explains why I’ve been walking on eggshells as the wedding draws near. How am I supposed to tell her that Noah wants to bring Nikki to our wedding as his DATE? I already lost my shit at him. I don’t care if he’s screwing her because I’ve known for years that Noah liked Nikki. But there is no way in hell Mac wants Nikki at our wedding. What woman would? My mother succeeded in wrangling an invite for Nikki’s parents because they are close family friends, but Mac and I drew the line at inviting my ex-girlfriend.

  Ever since Mac saw her at the café with me, she’s been against me having any contact with Nikki and I’ve had absolutely no problem with that. So what am I supposed to say to Mac? “Gorgeous, Noah wants to bring Nikki as his plus one for our wedding. Do ya mind?”

  I value my balls right where they are, thank you.

  I don’t keep secrets from Mac. Ever. Surprises don’t count. But something like this? Never in a million years. I’m not a fan of fucking up, and I don’t plan on starting now. Tonight is Mac’s bachelorette party tonight—and once she’s recovered from her mammoth hangover that Kate has pre-warned me they all will have—then we’ll sit down like rational adults and discuss Noah’s request.

  It’ll be fine. It has to be.

  There isn’t any other option.

  Chapter 2: “Faithfully”

  Mac

  I watch him from across the room, something I do more often than I care to admit.

  He’s in our family room with Riley and Jared as they try to team up on him. For two little eighteen-month old terrorizers, they’ve mastered the art of attacking their parents. Watching him horse around with them is one of the hottest and most heart-warming things I will ever see; the man I love playing with his children.

  Never one to miss an opportunity, I take stock of my life as it stands right now.

  I’m in love with the most gorgeous superhero in Chicago. With his caramel-colored eyes, his dark brown hair that I’m forever running my fingers through, his perpetual smirk that captured my heart before my brain could even catch on, his body …

  Shit, is it getting hot in here?

  Then there are the things I love the most about him. The way he cherishes our two little menaces melts my heart on a daily basis. He is honestly the best father I could have ever chosen for my children, playful but firm, protective but open minded. The best man I have ever known other than my own father. And to sound super cheesy, it’s like he was made to be with me.

  He treats me with respect, he listens to what I say and everything in our lives is discussed and agreed upon. We’re a true partnership, not just two people in a relationship. The only thing that I didn’t have a say in was our house. That was a Daniel surprise of epic proportions. We moved in about a month before the birth of the twins. He told me we were going to visit his parents for the weekend, but I knew something was up when we started driving in a completely different direction to their house. Then we were pulling up in front of a massive, yet quite understated brick family home in the suburb of Beverly and I knew that something was amiss.

  He got out of the car and rounded the hood, coming around to my side and helping me out because, let’s be honest, I was fifty-nine weeks pregnant—or felt like it—and needed help getting vertical in all situations, including the toilet. Mortifying. Anyway, he put his hand in mine and walked right up to the door, pulling a key from his pocket and opening the door.

  “Daniel … what’s going on?” I asked as he pulled away from me and gestured for me to enter.

  “What do you think, gorgeous?” he closed the door behind us and there we were, standing in the foyer of a huge three-level house.

  I took a step forward and ran my hand over the smooth wooden finish of the staircase’s handrail. Turning around to look at him, my eyes were wide as saucers he would later tell me. “It’s beautiful. Are we meeting a realtor here?”

  He chuckled and walked toward me, placing one hand on my hip and the other on my protruding belly. “No, Mac. We don’t need a realtor anymore because this is ours. Our new house. Our home. It’s where we’ll raise our children. The threshold I will carry you over on our wedding night and the house that I’ll wake up to you in every morning, and go to sleep with you in every night.”

  He rubbed his hand across the curve of my stomach and that was it, I was a blubbering mess. For a good thirty minutes, Daniel sat on the stairs laughing at me as I struggled to rein in the hormones.

  What did I tell you, that man is one of a kind.

  And he’s all mine.

  Tonight is my bachelorette party. Kate says it’s my last night out on the town with the girls as a single woman. I’ve tried to tell her that I’m not really single when I have a huge rock on my hand and a mini-me and a mini-superman at home waiting for me, but she wouldn’t hear of it.

  Daniel walks m
e to the door, wrapping his arms around my waist and pinning my body to his as soon as we reach the porch. “Should I be worried?”

  I frown. “Worried about what? We’re just going to Kate’s to get ready and have a few drinks before the limo picks us up and drives us around for a bit. I don’t think I can get into too much trouble, hon.”

  He offers a small smile, but I can feel the tension coursing through his body. “I’m not worried about that. Your mom and my sisters will be there. Trouble doesn’t stand a chance.”

  I shake my head, wondering where the fuck this is coming from. He’s been distracted the last few days and if he were anyone other than Daniel Winters, I’d almost believe the temperature in his feet was dropping. I’m beginning to think some reassurance is in order. Although, you’d think my offering in bed this morning would have warmed every part of his body up, not just the fun parts.

  “Superman, I’m not looking for anything or anyone other than you, Riley, and Jared. You know that, right?”

  That earns a tightening of his arms as he squeezes me tight. “Thank you,” he murmurs roughly against my forehead as he plants a soft kiss against my skin, sending tingles throughout my body.

  Always being one to make sure my message is heard loud and clear, I lift my head and move my arms up his body, capturing his groan as I claim his mouth, planting a long, satisfying and truly meaningful kiss on his lips. When his hands slide down to my ass, I wrap my legs around his waist as he lifts me up and walks backwards to pin me against the side of the house. Taking control of the kiss, he plunders my mouth, his hands massaging my ass cheeks as he rocks my core against his now hard length.

  We pull our mouths apart, resting our foreheads against each other as we struggle to catch our breath. Looking him dead straight in the eyes, I pull his head back by his hair and pin him with a stare.

  “YOU are who I’m coming home to. YOU are who I am marrying in two weeks’ time and it’s YOU who will get to enjoy the fruits of this day long celebration because it’s YOU who has my body, my heart and my soul.”

  Not one to miss a chance to tease him, I lean forward so that my mouth is an inch away from his ear, my warm breath fanning across his skin earning a gratifying shudder. “And it’s you who I want buried eight inches inside me tonight when I’m feeling drunk and freaky.” Gently biting his earlobe, I release my legs and stand up straight.

  When we drive away, it’s a speechless superhero I leave standing on our porch with a stupid grin on his face left contemplating exactly how freaky this drunken Mac might get later on.

  Mission accomplished.

  Daniel

  Knowing that the girls are going to be busy for the rest of the day and night, I’ve organized some of the guys to come over for an impromptu bachelor party at our house. My mom and dad picked up the kids just after Mac left and now I’m sitting back in our family room waiting for everyone to arrive. I’m hoping Noah arrives first so that I can give him a piece of my mind.

  I loathe the fact he’s put me in this position. Yes, Mac and I know that Noah and Nikki have been hooking up. And as much as Mac hates the idea, calling it ‘icky’ and ‘incestuous,’ I couldn’t care less. What has pissed me off is the pulling out of the best man card to get her invited to the wedding.

  Why would Nikki even want to come to the wedding? You’d think it would be slightly uncomfortable watching your ex-boyfriend pledge his love and commitment to another woman, surely?

  Realizing that I can’t do much about it now, I go into the kitchen and start getting the food ready before the guys arrive. Beer, snacks, sport on the big screen television and poker—everything we need for a great night in. And hopefully enough to keep my mind off a drunken Mac sex attack later on because I’m so down with that idea and I don’t think the guys would appreciate my enthusiasm being shown so obviously all night.

  Speaking of which, here’s a little insight into the male body and psyche. Sometimes we can’t control the behavior of our cocks. With Mac, one look can have me standing at attention in two seconds flat. An innocuous comment can also have the same effect. And don’t get me started with the reaction she can get from making out with me on our front porch and promising drunken sex fun later on. That’ll get my superhero appendage ready for launch every time. So while I may be relaxing and talking shit with my friends tonight, the freaky bedroom action I’ll get to enjoy when Mac gets home will always be on my mind. I just hope I can keep the blood from heading south too soon. All the action in the world won’t make the crap I’d get from the guys worth it.

  I’m pulled from my thoughts with a knock at the door. Walking into the entranceway, I see Noah’s ugly mug staring back at me.

  “You’re an asshole,” I say when I open the door to let him in.

  “Hello to you too. What have I done this time?” he retorts, stepping inside.

  “You mean, apart from inviting my ex to my wedding and leaving me to drop the bomb on my fiancée?” I snort.

  I follow him into the kitchen where he walks to the fridge and opens it up, pulling out two Millers and holding one out to me.

  “She kinda conned me into it, man. What was I to do? Nine inches deep and she does this squeeze and tighten maneuver that would bring any man to his knees.” He offers me a shrug of his shoulders and a sly grin.

  “Dude, don’t wanna hear about that shit. I’m happy with my junk right where it is. But you know this is gonna cause trouble between Mac and me. She made her opinion on Nikki very clear a few months ago when my mom asked whether the Prestons could be invited, Nikki included. No way, no how, was that woman to be invited to our wedding. And now you pull this?”

  I grab the bottle opener and pull the cap off my beer, lifting it up to my mouth and taking a long swig, loving the feel of the cool liquid traveling down my throat. I look over at Noah and level him with a knowing stare, watching as he starts to twitch, obviously feeling guilty and uncomfortable.

  “Look. I’m sorry man. I don’t think she’ll cause any trouble. It’s been years now, and she’s been banging me for most of that time. You know that. And I honestly think she wants to finally take our relationship to the next step.”

  “You mean out of the bedroom and into daylight?” I quickly retort without thinking. Noah’s wide eyes and frown immediately let me know it was not the right thing to say. “Sorry dude, you know—”

  He shakes his head and averts his eyes, taking a long swig from his bottle. “It’s all good, Dan. You’re right. It has been casual but maybe she realizes it’s time we grew up too? Why else would she ask to be my date?” I study him as he talks, not missing the small glimmer of hope in his eyes.

  I’ve always known that Noah had a soft spot for Nikki. He never hid it from me, but when Nikki and I hooked up back in high school, Noah stepped aside and we were all just good friends. After Nikki and I broke up, then got back together, then broke up again, Noah came to me and asked whether I’d mind if he asked Nikki out on a date. It never happened but then, after his barbecue a couple of years ago when I first introduced Mac to our friends, I started to wonder if something was going on between them.

  A few weeks later, Noah confirmed that he was sleeping with Nikki, nothing serious, just two friends with a mutually beneficial sexual arrangement. Mac thought it was incestuous but soon shut up when I reminded her of her past arrangements, but I wasn’t fussed either way. I had stopped having feelings for Nikki a long time ago, and Noah was my best friend who had been hiding his for a long time. Who was I to stop them?

  “You’ve put me in a tough spot, Taylor. Mac is gonna hit the roof when I tell her.”

  “Do you have to tell her? Can’t we just turn up on the day and say surprise?” he asks sheepishly, knowing very well that would just make matters worse.

  Slamming my beer bottle down on the kitchen counter, I glare at him. “Fuck, man. Do you want to ruin my life or something? Mac would have a level ten freak out then fuck off and leave me standing at the altar looking like a
n idiot. Hell, I would be an idiot to even contemplate letting you do that. So stop trying to get out of this. You want Nikki there, you’ll be the one to tell Mac the next time you see her. Deal?”

  He swallows hard. The wrath of Makenna Lewis bearing down on you is a scary thing. “Shit, Dan. Really?” His eyes plead for me to step up for him, but to be honest, FUCK THAT!

  I pick up my beer, downing the rest of the bottle with a smile on my lips. “Yep. And I’m gonna be right there with you, watching her rip you to shreds. It’ll almost be worth the collateral damage I’ll suffer.”

  The doorbell rings again and I shoot a shit eating grin to Noah before turning toward the door and greeting the rest of the guys.

  Let the fun begin.

  Chapter 3: “Last Friday Night”

  Mac

  “Superman, I’m—” Hiccup. “I’m in a limo with—” Hiccup. “Kate and Sophie and Melinda and Sam and Zoe are all here too. I’m having SO much fun.”

  My voice is whiny and high pitched and I’m so freaking drunk I can’t tell which way is up, or down for that matter. Or maybe I’m sideways. Meh, who cares. Drunk is good. Drunk is freaking awesome!

  I hear him chuckle down the phone, that same low baritone laugh that gives me tingles on my tingles. Sheesh, is it hot in here?

  “We’re driving by the lake, heading toward Michigan Avenue. The girls wanted to go to Throb, but I said no—” Hiccup. “’Cause no men allowed tonight and that’s Sean’s place and I’m not going there ’cause I’d think about dirty dancing with you and then I’d get horny.” I turn my head against the seat and cup my hand around the phone, whispering loudly, “Hornier than ever, Superman. God, I love you. Do you know that? You know that, right?”

  I’m slurring now, but the smile on my drunken ass face is so big and bright, I’m surprised the car is still dark. I giggle to myself, the image of Soldier Field being lit up by my cheesy grin. Think of the reduced electric bill. I’d be doing the world a favor.