80
Camden
T
he house was fucking perfect. Oaklyn had worked with our interior designer, replacing all the art and furniture that had come with the home, many of the finishes that existed, the wall paint and wallpaper, creating a feel and mood that was everything we had been looking for.
The most important part was that she was here, living with me, and I got to wake up next to her every morning and hold her in my arms when I went to bed.
She was the best thing in my life.
The sunshine to my goddamn grumpiness.
The one thing I never let go of, no matter what happened, no matter how hard things got, no matter what highs and lows we faced.
I would fight for her.
Protect her.
Love her for eternity.
Oaklyn Rose was the woman of my dreams.
And, as I stood with my cousins-Dominick, Jenner, and Ford-along with Declan in the living room, I watched her walk around the open floor plan of our home, making sure everyone attending our housewarming party had something to eat and drink, ensuring there was nothing they wanted for.
My girl was always worried about the happiness of those around her before she considered herself.
Fuck, I loved that about her.
Because that meant I could focus solely on her happiness, giving her everything I thought she needed.
And all the things I just wanted to spoil her with.
“Get over here,” I growled as she passed me, wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest, burying my face in her neck. “I’ve missed you.”
“Could you be any cuter, my love?”
“Mmm.” I kissed her cheek, inhaling that fruity scent I still couldn’t get enough of. “Are you having fun?”
She’d organized the entire party, down to the food that Craig was serving to the booze that would be poured. She’d worked with a party planner to set up all the tables and chairs, coordinating the servers and bartenders, the flower arrangements, and music.
There was nothing she’d forgotten.
“It looks like everyone is having a blast,” she said, scanning the crowd, “so, yes, I’m having fun.”
“Oaklyn … Oaklyn,” I groaned. “This party is for us, baby, not everyone else.”
“You know how I am.”
She winked as she turned around to face me, and just as I was about to reply, Dominick and Kendall popped into our conversation.
Dominick casually draped his arm across Oaklyn’s shoulders. “Amazing party,” he told her. “Top-notch. And what you’ve done to the house? Shit, I’m impressed.”
“Thank you,” Oaklyn replied, beaming from his compliment.
“Girl, you’re incredible at party planning,” Kendall said to her. “Maybe, if you’re feeling up to it, you could help plan our wedding?”
“Honestly, I would love that,” Oaklyn replied, and then she grabbed Hannah as my sister was about to walk by. “I’m going to help plan this one’s wedding too.” Oaklyn raised Hannah’s hand to her face. “My God, this ring is stunning.” She smiled as she looked at my twin. “My bestie is engaged. I still can’t get over it.”
“Neither can I, girl,” Hannah responded. “Declan did good, and he planned the best weekend of my life. Maui, sand, sun, and cocktails. It couldn’t have been more perfect. And if it wasn’t for this party, we’d still be there.”
“Happy you made your way back for us,” Oaklyn said to her.
“How about the three of us meet for wine next week?” Kendall said to Hannah and Oaklyn. “We can talk about all of our wedding ideas.” Kendall then looked at Dominick and grinned. “We’ve finally picked a location for ours.” When she glanced back at Oaklyn, she said, “It’s going to be in Hawaii.”
“Yesss!” Oaklyn sang. “Hannah and I were hoping you would go that route. Macon says it’s going to be the most unbelievable hotel and the views will be magnificent.”
“What did Macon promise?” my best friend said as he joined us.
Of course, the motherfucker had come back to LA to surprise me for the party-a move that I’d semi-expected. I had known he wouldn’t miss it.
Macon didn’t play that way.
Not when it came to me.
“Just that your new hotel in Hawaii is going to host the biggest, most luxurious wedding the first month it’s open,” Dominick said to Macon.
“No pressure, my friend,” Macon said, laughing. “It’s a good thing I’m only in charge of the build-out. The GM, who my brothers and Jo and Walter are going to hire, will handle all those details.”
“What are you chirping about?” Jo asked as she heard her name mentioned, which dragged her and Jenner into our circle. “And what exactly am I handling?”
“Our wedding,” Kendall said to her. “I mean, the GM you employ will hire all the staff to support the extravaganza that my future husband insists on having.” Kendall placed one of her hands on Dominick’s chest. “This one wants the wedding of a lifetime. If it were up to me, we’d elope.”
“Babe,” James Ryne said, now that she and Brett had joined our group, “you’re about to be a Dalton. There’s no eloping. There’s only party after party to celebrate your special day, and I cannot wait to be there.”
Kendall looped her arm through James’s, and the two of them smiled.
“Guys,” James said, “I have news.”
“News?” Jo said to her.
“It’d better be a wedding date,” Jenner said to Brett. “This has been the longest engagement ever.”
“Hold on, hold on,” Sydney said as she walked in our circle with Ford. “Don’t leave us out. We want to hear the news.”
James looked at Brett like he was the only person at this goddamn party. “We don’t exactly have a wedding date to announce, but we have something just as good.”
Oaklyn gasped, and my hands tightened on her stomach. “Is it what I think it is?”
James nodded and rubbed her belly. “We just hit our second trimester.”
Brett looked at his soon-to-be wife, his hand on top of hers, cradling her stomach. “And we’re having a girl.”
“A girl!” all the ladies in our group screamed, and they reached for James, hugging her, coddling her, stroking her stomach.
“And we’re having a boy,” Ford told us once everyone quieted.
“Wait,” I said across the circle. “You and Sydney are also pregnant?”
Sydney touched her belly, which was hidden behind a baggy dress. “We’re just in our second trimester too. I’m at fourteen weeks.”
“Oh my God,” James said to her. “Our babies are going to be future husband and wife.” She wrapped her arms around Sydney, and they hugged.
“There’s way too much marriage and baby shit going on here,” Macon said.
His brothers, Brady and Cooper, were standing behind him, the playboys that I once had been.
Before her.
Before my entire life changed.
Before all I could think about was making Oaklyn my wife.
“Trust me, you bastard, you’re going to get tied down one day, and when that happens, we’re going to throw one hell of a fucking bachelor party,” I told Macon.
“Bullshit,” Macon replied. “I don’t believe I’ll ever be tied down.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“No?” Jenner said to him. “You think you’ll be single forever?”
Macon nodded.
“Let me tell you something,” Jenner said to him while the entire group listened. “Declan Shaw believed the same thing. He told me endless times that he would never wed. That no woman would ever be enough for him.” Jenner nodded toward the patio, where Declan and Hannah were now standing. The two of them had escaped our circle and were having a moment alone to themselves. “Yet look at him. Engaged as fuck.”
“And very much in love,” Oaklyn added, but she was gazing at me.
Oaklyn hadn’t known that Declan was planning to propose to Hannah during their trip to Maui, but I had. I’d kept it to myself just in case my girl got too excited and somehow hinted at it when she was speaking to Hannah.
I knew because Declan had talked to me about it several weeks back during one of our double dates at the bar, where he’d asked for my permission to marry my sister. Hell, that was a question he needed to ask my father, and that was what I told him. But Declan said that he’d already cleared it with Pops and he wanted my approval as well.
I’d sure as shit given it to him.
Declan was meant to wed my twin. She’d never loved anyone more in her life. The two of them were perfect for each other.
And as they stood all by themselves on our patio, surrounded by a view of the Hills, I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but I could see their expressions.
Their happiness.
Their fucking love.
The rock on Hannah’s finger that glistened all the way over here.
My sister wasn’t the only one feeling completely content.
I was too.
And since Oaklyn was facing the group, I turned her around, and she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.
“My God, this family has a lot going on. Four weddings-Dominick, Jenner, Ford, and now Hannah-and with Brett and James and Ford and Sydney, that makes two babies on the way.”
She was going to get proposed to soon-she just didn’t know it.
“Yes,” I growled, and I cupped her cheek with one hand and slid my other hand into my pocket. “And you know what I have for you?” I found the button on the small remote and hit it.
Her face turned red when she felt the sensation in her ass.
My favorite color, aside from emerald green.
“You put on the vibration?” she whispered, her eyes widening. “Come on, really?”
“And I’m going to leave it on.”
“Camden, you have to pull this thing out of me soon. I have a party to manage. You can’t keep it in me alll night.”
“You’re going to keep it in all night,” I grunted, “and when you least expect it, I’m going to find you. I’m going to drag you into our room. I’m going to lick your pussy. And I’m going to make you come so hard that you fucking scream.”