Perfectly Imperfect (Men of Whiskey Row Book 4) Read online

  Guy laughed at her. “You’re right. I’ll try my hardest to resist, but it’s going to be hard. Oh. So. Very. HARD. Let’s see if I have the STAMINA to go all night-”

  The adults groaned at him as a puzzled D.J. shook his head. Ruby laughed too, causing baby Jack to squeal with delight and smack Kat’s arms and she winced, prompting Holt to take him.

  “Did you guys hear what the Easton family gave Darby and Avery?” Noelle inquired, changing the subject as she cut Ruby’s meat and vegetables.

  “Whatever it is, I imagine they spared no expense. The Easton’s live quite lavishly,” Ian stated and Alexei chimed in.

  “They come from very humble beginnings and because of that, do nothing short of extravagant,” he said. “Except for one of the younger sons, whom I believe has turned his back on the family business in favor of brewing beer.”

  “Well, the beer is definitely good; he sent us some,” Noelle confirmed, “But apparently the Eastons have bought the newlyweds a condo in the French Quarter of New Orleans! When Darby played hockey, he and Grandfather Easton played poker against each other in a tournament that lasted two days in New Orleans and had a crazy good time. Avery explained that the letter from the Eastons said the condo was so that Darby would always have a piece of New Orleans to remember him by.”

  ***

  Casey stood to the side with the other guests, watching as Avery prepared herself to throw the bouquet. His eyes narrowed when he noticed Sidra lurking at the very back of the crowd, clearly not making an attempt to be front and center. Since their dance, she’d kept a low-key presence, only interacting with Ella and the kids. At dinner, she sat stiffly and pushed her food around while he picked up her slack and conversed with everyone. “It’s like she’s tryin’ to drive me outta my right fuckin’ mind.”

  “I say cut her some slack,” Guy suggested quietly as he came to stand next to Casey. “Whatever she’s goin’ through can’t be easy. People like her have incredible strength and heart. They’re built from the fire that burned them and will protect all that they love from harm, except themselves. They need a champion whether they know it or not.”

  Casey considered his words as he watched Sidra smile at an elderly woman and escort her back to her chair. “She’s thunder and lightnin’ wrapped in a rainbow, and I’d still choose to get lost in her every single time. But I can’t do it if she doesn’t allow me to see what she considers her worst so I can destroy it until she no longer sees it.”

  There was a moment of silence before Guy made a gagging noise and teased, “That was so profoundly touchin’ and deep that I just want you to know that you are now my official #MCE-”

  “I just want you to know that in my mind I’ve punched you really hard on your forehead six times already, Pip,” Casey said as he watched a radiant Avery place the bouquet in front of her with a huge smile. “Excuse me one second.”

  The group of single women was a large one, and they all wore determined expressions that screamed ‘That bouquet is mine!’ as they kicked off their heels and swept their hair back from their faces. It was a foolishly dangerous territory to wade through, but after the way this day was going, it was perfectly fitting. That was the only reason Casey could later give for diving into the intense foray and snatching the bouquet along with their superstitious dreams out of their reach and placing it into an appalled Sidra’s shaking hands.

  Chapter Seven

  Nero knocked on the door to Nina’s suite and impatiently waited. He’d given her more than enough time to calm down since arriving back at their hotel two hours ago. Upon arrival, she’d stormed out of the cab and into the hotel not bothering to wait for him. Five minutes passed before he called out. “Nina, open the door please.”

  It was suddenly flung open as she walked away clad in only a towel and hopped back on the masseuse table face down as she prepared for her massage. Nero surveyed the large-boned blonde woman pummeling his daughter’s back with distinct precision. “I just came to check on you and to see how you were doing, mija.”

  “How do you think I’m doing?” Nina’s voice was surly, and he knew her expression matched. “That bitch attacked me with no provocation! I’m going to press charges against her.”

  Nero reached into his pants, pulled out his wallet, and handed the masseuse a crisp hundred-dollar bill. “Leave us. Come back in fifteen minutes, please.”

  With a grateful smile, the silent woman took the money and swiftly left the room. Nero waited for the door’s soft click before turning to address Nina. “That was a stupid thing to do. Never discuss our business in front of the help. I’m going to chalk your carelessness up to the shock of getting your ass kicked by your sister today.”

  “SHE IS NOT MY SISTER!” Nina wrapped the towel tightly around her as she jumped off the bed to confront her father. “She is a mistake. YOUR MISTAKE. You just can’t leave well enough alone, can you, Papa? We shouldn’t have gone to that wedding. There was no one of importance to us there.”

  “We went to pay our respects. Darby Sullivan is a good man. All the Sullivan men are,” he added gruffly, studying the bruises that were starting to show on her neck. He couldn’t help but be both amused and proud at the sight of them. His older daughter had no doubt instigated the conflict, and his younger one had easily handled her, needing no one to fight her battles, especially her boyfriend who’d threatened him.

  Despite the way Casey roughed him up earlier, Nero had the utmost respect for his protégé. Unlike him, the younger man was protective of his woman and stood up for her. It was a trait Nero admired because like Sidra said, he was way too invested in himself to ever love anyone more than himself. Oh, he’d loved Lena as much as he could love anyone, but not enough to give up the fast track his career was on or ruin his stellar reputation to become the dishonorable man who’d left his wife and child for another woman that he’d gotten pregnant. There was also the fact that Lena wouldn’t be controlled, and he needed ass kissers around him more than anything else. They soothed the insecurities he had of being born to immigrant parents, something his father-in-law never let him forget along with his darker complexion. His late wife Cecelia had been perfect in that way. A homely girl, she’d been flattered that someone with his charm and good looks had even given her a second look and liked what he saw.

  So Nero let her believe that, though the real attraction had been her father’s prestigious firm and his money. By the time the supercilious asshole realized what was going on, Cecelia was head over heels in love with him, and he’d deflowered her. A wedding was a foregone conclusion. Children were not high on his wish list, but he knew he’d have to give Cecelia a child in order to continue his cushy lifestyle. Nina was a pretty baby, but like her mother, she demanded all of Nero’s time, and their existence was predicated on his approval.

  Sidra, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She wanted nothing to do with him and couldn’t care less if he dropped dead tomorrow. Completely independent, never had she asked him for anything, even before she found out how wrong he’d done her. She was perfectly fine with keeping their connection a secret. That was why he loved her most. Because she asked nothing of him and didn’t try to stifle him with demands of his time, money, or attention, unlike the soul-sucking weakling in front of him that could easily be bribed with possessions. Nero hated disruptions of any kind to his life and dealt swiftly with them with lasting consequences be it child or adult.

  “There was no need for you to provoke her. You’ve carried all this animosity that you still have toward your sister for far too long. I would like for the both of you to find a way to get along, Nina. I’m not going to live forever and want to make sure that you both are in a good place should anything happen to me,” Nero explained patiently.

  Nina vehemently shook her head. “Like HELL that will ever happen! She’s always been jealous of me and wants everything that I have, including my friends! What Casey sees in her has me stupefied, but she’s in for a rude awakening becaus
e I’m going to expose her for the gold digger that she is! Now if you’ll excuse me, Papa, I need to get back to my massage. My neck is killing me!”

  This was the monster he’d created, Nero realized bitterly. Just one more mistake in a long list of them that he’d made with people to get to where he wanted to be…

  Nina watched as her father left and the masseuse reentered her suite. She lowered her neck and put her face back into the appropriate position on the massage table. Soon, very soon, that slut would get what was due to her, she vowed. She sighed with pleasure as the pummeling on her back resumed.

  ***

  The wedding was over, and the hour was late as Casey opened the door to their suite. Sidra followed behind and quietly closed it. When she faced forward, Casey was there, using both hands to rip the V-neck bodice of her dress as he snatched her to him, causing Avery’s bouquet to fall from her hand as his lips crashed down on hers in a punishing kiss as her hands reached for his face. Sidra could feel all of his anger, and she hated that she’d hurt him so bad.

  “I’m sorry,” she breathed, and he kissed her harder, thrusting his tongue into and dominating her mouth as he steered her toward the bed. Sidra tried to pull back and speak. “I’m so sorry-”

  “Stop talking and undress me,” Casey ordered as his lips found her neck and his hands yanked her dress down, the sound of it tearing was loud in the room as it fell to the floor. He latched his lips back to hers as her hands divested him of his tux jacket, vest, and then unbuckled his pants. She ripped his white dress shirt open as he hoisted her by her thighs into his arms and latched onto a plump nipple that quickly pebbled under his teeth and tongue before treating the other one to the same attention.

  “Yessss, baby!” Sidra moaned as she arched into his mouth, offering more of herself. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, baby! I never meant to!”

  Casey ignored her as he dropped her on the bed and then bent down and picked up his tie, shrugged out of his shirt, and pulled his boxers off. He was too angry to speak let alone allow her too. He stroked his enlarged shaft, watching as her eyes glazed over and she licked her lips hungrily. “Open up, Sid.”

  Eagerly she obeyed and Casey quickly bound the tie around her mouth, effectively gagging her as he came down on her and nestled between her legs. Sidra’s eyes shot fire at him, and he smiled unpleasantly at her, his eyes were burning hot with rage. “I do believe I asked you to stop talking. I. Don’t. Want. To. Hear. It. Touch me if you want, but do not talk to me.”

  Sidra’s heart ached at his words, even as her eyes closed in pleasure as he thrust one of his long, thick fingers into her wetness and proceeded to finger fuck her slowly at first, and then faster as he added another digit. Sidra moaned into the tie and eagerly lifted her hips to meet his fingers as his mouth closed over a distended nipple and suctioned tightly. Her nerves quivered throughout her body, and she became more aroused with each stroke and twirl of his long tongue as he tunneled through her wetness. Casey’s other hand paid homage to her swollen clit, and Sidra thought she would faint under his attention as she thrashed frantically against his tongue while he rubbed her g-spot and button methodically.

  Casey laughed mockingly as he watched her face contort with agonizing ecstasy, and he slid down her body and threw her legs over his shoulders to suck her clit into his mouth. He gently bit down, and Sidra’s muffled scream filled the room. Pleasure exploded through her body in shudders as the orgasm consumed her, causing her to squirt uncontrollably into his mouth. Her hands gripped his hair, and she ground her center into his face, offering even more of herself as he expertly lapped up all of her juices. Then Casey’s hot tongue slid between her puffy, glistening lips and drove into her silken heat as his thumb teased her rosette and slowly pushed in, past her sphincter.

  “Aaaaah!” Sidra grunted at the fullness as Casey started to move both his tongue and thumb in tandem, and his fingers pinched her oversensitive clit. Another orgasm was building higher and higher, and she tried to twist away from the sensory overload she was experiencing. Suddenly Casey rose up, and with her legs still hooked on his shoulders, rammed his granite hard cock into her. Sidra came in a blinding white hot flash, screaming as he channeled in and out of her sodden pussy. She clung to him, shaking like a junkie in withdrawal and crying out with every powerful thrust he gave as molten pleasure spread through her body. Sweat glistened on their bodies as they came together over and over again. Their guttural sounds of pleasure filled the room, and the air was permeated with the aroma of their lovemaking.

  The tingling in his balls and spine signaled his release was imminent, but Casey wouldn’t stop as he worked her over thoroughly, leaving no doubt that he owned her and this addicting pussy. But it wasn’t enough for him. He had to make her understand who she belonged to! He yanked the tie from her mouth and used it to pull her forward as his hips pummeled into her. Sidra cried out as her hands slid down to cup his ass and urge him on as he held her gaze with those blazing hazel eyes she loved so much. Drowning in sensations so sublime they felt surreal, Sidra could no longer deny him because he owned her body and soul. And it was with relief that she finally admitted to him rawly, “I love you, Casey Sullivan! Always and forever. There will never be anyone else for me. My love for you is endless. Please forgive me for hurting you. I won’t ever do it again. I would rather die than hurt you.”

  Casey closed his eyes against his hot tears and lowered her legs, allowing her to wrap them around his as he buried his face in her neck, breathing her in as she held him close. Chanting into his ear, “I love you, Casey forever and ever” over and over again until he too came, pouring his heart and soul into her.

  ***

  Meanwhile, throughout the hotel…

  Alexei leaned against Vivienne’s room door and fed her tantalizing kiss after kiss outside of her hotel room until she was clinging helplessly to him as she eagerly received them. Her eyes were dilated and filled with yearning when he finally opened the door behind her. Alexei willed himself not to follow her in smiling regretfully as he huskily stated, “You looked so beautiful in this dress, my dear. I couldn’t stop staring at you.” His lips trailed to her jaw as his hand wound in her hair and held her in place to whisper in her ear. “Never forget who you belong to again. I know my truth, and you should never have forgotten yours. Goodnight, Vivi.”

  It was with great reluctance that he released her from his hold and they stared at each other with restrained longing. Alexei was glad Vivienne didn’t realize the extent he would go to protect her, and he prayed she never had to find out. Someone wanted to keep him and his wife separated and would do whatever they needed to make it happen. The amount of effort they’d gone to make that happen was nothing compared to the effort he was now making to find them. He could not wait to introduce them to ‘The Wolf’.

  “Oh, just one second. I wanted to give you something,” she whispered back and disappeared into the room. Fifteen seconds later she came back, and his mouth dried at the sight of her clad only in a sheer red lace bodysuit and the gilded stilettos she’d worn to the wedding as she handed him the seafoam green dress she’d just been wearing. “It was a lovely dress. Thank you for buying it for me,” she smiled seductively at him as she caressed his jaw. “Goodnight, Alexei.”

  Vivienne attempted to close the door, but he pushed it open and followed her in, kicking it shut behind him as he pulled her closer for another sizzling kiss and palmed her ass. “Indeed, it will be, Mrs. Romankov. Indeed, it will be.”

  ***

  Noelle quietly let herself into her suite so as not to wake the babies when she was suddenly yanked in and pulled against her husband’s muscular body. Jack’s lips covered hers as his hands worked the zipper of her dress until it fell around her feet. She moaned softly into his mouth as one arm slid involuntarily around his neck and the other to his tumescent erection for a long stroke as he delved deep into the recesses of her mouth. Then remembering, she suddenly pulled away, hissing, “Jack! You’re n
aked! Where are the kids???”

  Jack quickly removed her strapless bra, sighing in appreciation at the reveal of her large breasts and curvy hips. Motherhood had given her more curves for him to love, and he couldn’t get enough of them. “Kat has the kids tonight, love.”

  Relaxing, Noelle grinned wickedly. “Well then what are we waiting for?”

  “My thoughts exactly, darlin’,” he growled as he scooped her up and led her to the bathroom where she gasped in delight. The floor was covered in red rose petals. He had a bottle of champagne chilling, and the huge tub was filled with a fragrant bubble bath.

  “I love you, husband,” Noelle sighed happily as he gently placed her in the warm water and then got in across from her.

  Jack beckoned to her with his finger and a heart-stopping smile. “Come show me how much, darlin’.”

  ***

  Kat tucked the blanket around a sleeping D.J. and kissed his cheek before going to double-check on a sleeping Ruby and baby Jack. Silently, she gave thanks for being three for three.