The Grand Duel (The Grand Men #4)

Chapter 44

FORTY-FOUR

Lissie

Six Weeks Later…

I tip my head back as the soft sound of the piano drifts through the stone arches of the castle, Charlie’s tongue flattened against my throat. His hands are under my dress, the material bunched at my waist, and through the haze of my arousal, with his control lost beyond repair, I force myself to listen to the music. To picture the order of service I picked up from the printers two days ago and figure out how long we have before Lucy will take to the aisle.

I try to remember but?—

“I need your pussy riding my face.”

His fingers brush over the lace of my underwear, my insides igniting at the promise in his words.

I moan into his mouth as he takes my lips in a hot kiss. “Charles,” I try.

His tongue swipes through my mouth, teasing.

Oh god. “Charles.” I push him back a little, forcing him to look at me.

And what a sight he is. My boyfriend looks fucking hot today. It’s the reason we’re in this barely hidden nook of the castle right now, and it’s why I didn’t stop him when he dragged me over to it. He’s wearing a tuxedo, his hair slightly grown out and styled into tousled waves. He has a six-o’clock shadow on his jaw, his upper lip darkened and rugged, and when I first laid eyes on him out in the Great Hall, I fell over myself in love with him. Much like I think every other woman in the building did.

But not in the way I did.

There’s no way anyone can love this man as much as I do.

His heavy gaze moves from my lips to my eyes, his jaw twitching. He looks intoxicated, completely lost in his arousal and need.

I can’t help but lean in and kiss him, my hands slipping into his jacket, rippling over his abs. I grip him through his trousers and squeeze. He groans into my mouth and then pulls back, dropping to his knees.

Shit .

We don’t have time.

And if we do, we’re going to get caught.

Someone will come looking for the missing groomsman and?—

His tongue drags over the lace of my underwear, right up the centre of my pussy. I let out a whimper, my hands holding back my dress for his access, holding it back so that I can see.

He hooks a finger into the seam and drags it to the side. Without giving me a second to collect myself, he dips his head and devours me.

The stubble on his jaw tickles my thighs, his head working side to side. The feeling is too much. Everything about him and being here like this with him is too much.

He lifts my leg over his shoulder and meets my eyes, telling me without words what he wants.

I roll my hips forward onto his mouth, his hot and wet tongue.

He groans in approval and sucks my clit, daring me to go, to go over the edge.

It doesn’t take a lot for this man to bring me to orgasm. Over the past few weeks, he’s learnt new ways, taken note of what I don’t like, and has shown me what I never knew I did.

His head between my legs, him at my mercy and on his knees, it’s become a winner for me, and each time he drops down before me, he pushes me to let go that little bit more.

Knowing it’s what he wants, what I need, I slip my hand into his hair and hold his head against me as I roll my hips forward.

I slip forward off his mouth, and he drags me back over his top lip, matching the pressure at my core with the hold I have on him. I rock forward and back, guiding him, watching him as he watches me. His mouth a shrine to my pleasure, worshiping me in the only way it can whilst I’m gyrating against it, chasing that feeling only the man at my feet has ever been able to give me.

With my orgasm close, Charlie’s mouth glistening, I take a second to remember this moment. The way he looks. The way he looks at me. The way he feels. The way I feel. I lock it away with all the best bits of my life, thankful I found a man who will catch the want in my eye from across a room and then get on his knees and give it to me.

He’s wordless as I come on his perfect mouth, the moment mine. It’s not until he stands, blue eyes piercing, that he speaks. “Do you think they’re looking for us?”

I smile, my cheeks burning.

I reach up and swipe away the mess I’ve made across his face. “Probably.”

I give him my cheek when he dips his head for a kiss, and he chuckles, nuzzling the side of my face and then nibbling my ear lobe. “Do I need to go and wash my face, Lissie girl?”

“You should,” I say, easing back and looking into his eyes. “But the way those women looked at you when you walked in with the boys makes me want to say no.”

He pops a brow. “You’re jealous?”

I roll my eyes. “No.” Yes. Maybe. “I’m just not into sharing you,” I try. “At all.” My cheeks only grow warmer. “Ever.”

His smile is carnal, smug even. “That possessiveness will get you fucked, baby. You can’t tease me like that.” He kisses the corner of my mouth, his hips now pinning me to the wall.

“After,” I tell him, pleading with my eyes. “We’re going to be in so much trouble if we’re late.”

I go to step around him, but he grabs me, wrapping me in his arms from behind. “There’s only one woman in this building that I could describe to you. One dress, one set of eyes, one twisty hairstyle thing.” He tugs on a strand of my hair. “One heartbeat, Lis. One woman. You.”

I twist my neck to look up at him, his eyes softer now, the sincerity in them making my chest ache.

“If you could see what happens inside of me whenever I look at you, you wouldn’t care about the meaningless eyes and whispers.” He lets me go and links our fingers, smoothing a hand down his front. “You’d know you have me. Completely.”

He pushes out through the little side door and all eyes turn to us.

I suck in a sharp intake of breath, my eyes widening.

His hand tightens around mine, and then he guides me to where Lucy told me I had to sit today—beside her business partner in the second row, right behind her bridesmaids.

Everyone knows we’ve just been up to no good, it’s obvious by the looks on their faces, and no matter what Charlie told me moments ago, it’s impossible not to feel utterly mortified.

What will they think of me?

I don’t want to embarrass him.

When we reach my designated seat, he lingers, and I lift my head to meet his hungry gaze.

He leans in, demanding my lips in a drawn out, claiming kiss.

My face catches fire at the thought of what that mouth did to me moments ago, of the way he’s just kissed me knowing every eye in the room is on us.

He smiles as he steps away, a rumbling chuckle following from deep in his chest.

I want to die.

From embarrassment and pure satisfaction. Because surely I’ve won. Surely it doesn’t get better than this feeling.

My eyes trail him to the front of the room, his shoulders spread wide, back straight, hair a perfectly styled mess.

He’s perfect.

I love him.

I swallow, my heart hammering.

God, I love him.

I try to distract myself, letting my eyes fall to the two men beside him. They’re smiling, laughing, maybe, I’m not sure because my heart won’t stop. But whatever they’re saying, it has Charlie smiling as he turns, his focus falling wholly on me.

He winks, darting his tongue out to wet his bottle lip.

I shake my head slightly, catching my smile between my teeth.

Elliot claps Charles on the back, his groomsman turning, a little reluctantly. The three men stand huddled together, waiting.

My thoughts shift to Lance and the conversation I had with Charlie last night.

“There were certain parts of Mason and Nina’s wedding day that you just noticed were off. It was perfect. But not having Lance stood at the bottom of the steps with us, seeing Scarlet force her smile, it was as if we were all missing limb, a vital part of us.”

“Do you think it will be easier tomorrow? Now that time has passed?”

He shakes his head. “No. I think it will be worse.”

I stare at the trio, at my Charlie boy, his hands in his pockets. You wouldn’t know how much he hurts from across the room, but I know. I’ve witnessed the pain in his eyes at the mention of Lance’s name.

I witnessed it just this morning.

“What’s that?” he asks, towering over me.

I open the small bag and pull out the box inside, still a little breathless from sprinting across the carpark. “I’m sorry I took so long. Scarlet wasn’t sure where to find them.” I hand him the box.

He frowns as he opens it. “Cufflinks? Luce had specific ones custom-made for us, baby. She’ll ? —”

“She doesn’t care. I asked. These are Lance’s.”

He looks at them closer.

“I know it’s not the real thing, and trust me, if I could break the man out of prison and have him here today, I would. But at least now when you stand at the bottom of the steps, or aisle, this time, you’ll know he’s not completely absent.”

He looks up from the gift, his eyes glassy, searching. “I miss him,” he tells me.

“I know you do.”

The music quiets in the Great Hall, Elliot moving to stand to the left of Mason, Charlie on Mason’s right. He turns once the soft echo of the violins starts, a lump instantly forming in my throat at the look in his eyes.

He gives me a small, soft smile and then faces forward again.

Elliot rolls his shoulders, lifting his chin slightly, his feet not completely grounded as he fidgets with the cuffs of his sleeves. I watch on as Mason silently clasps him on the shoulder, neither man looking at one another.

Elliot nods slightly, and then his entire body settles.

It’s with tears in my eyes that I turn and look towards the entrance of the room, at the beautiful woman entering in through the doors.

Charlie

“I just love love, Charles. And weddings. Why are weddings always so magical?”

I smile at her from my spot on the bed. “Tequila?”

She chuckles as her dress falls down past her waist, my eyes momentarily lifting from her phone in my hand as my attention drifts to her. “Lucy and Elliot are so perfect for each other. I’ve never heard a speech like Elliot’s.” She riffles through my drawers, pulling out a T-shirt. “Can you imagine being that in love with someone?”

“Don’t put that on,” I tell her. “And yes, I can. Come here.”

She drops the T-shirt and gets up on the bed, crawling over to me. I lift my arm, and she slots in the gap. “You do realise that Elliot and Lucy paid thousands for a videographer.”

She wraps her arm around my waist and laughs. “I couldn’t help myself.”

I press play on one of the five thousand videos she took of today.

Elliot and Lucy are in the middle of the terrace, the sun drifting down in the background. It’s loud, and I turn down the volume, trying to focus on one thing as Lissie seemingly hugs someone.

“ They’re so beautiful , Megs .”

“ Are you crying ?”

“ I can’t help it .”

I hear Megan laugh, and it makes me smile.

“ How are you not crying ? You’ve known Lucy for the majority of your life .”

“ I have a black heart ,” Megan replies.

Lissie shifts to the right as if being pulled in for a hug.

“ Come here ,” Megan says, echoing my thoughts.

“Megan is lovely. A bit mad, and she says the most unhinged things?—”

“Yeah, that’s Megs,” I confirm, watching as Elliot dips Lucy, his smile wide.

It took years for the two of them to find their moment of happiness. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a lump in my throat watching the two of them on that terrace tonight.

“ You’ll be next ,” Megan says. “ I had no idea what to expect this weekend when the girls said you’d been promoted to girlfriend , but that in itself should have told me everything without needing to meet you .”

“ Next as in married ?” Lissie asks.

“ That man is head over heels for you .”

“ He is ,” I hear Nina add, the phone getting knocked. “ You guys are the hottest two humans on the planet , I’m sure of it . I said to Mason earlier that I’d pay to watch you fuck .”

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter.

“ Nina ,” Megan scolds, laughing.

“ Tell me you wouldn’t .”

“ Of course I would ,” Megan agrees. “ I mean look at the way he looks at her .”

The phone pans to me, and then it’s taken, by which of the two girls, I have no idea, but they zoom in on my face. And it’s funny because I could’ve sworn I was watching the first dance, but somehow my eyes are on Lissie, and the look in my eyes…

“ I’d quite like to watch us fuck too ,” Lissie says, making both of the girls laugh.

“You fit with them,” I tell her, my voice rasping. “I wasn’t sure how introducing someone who means as much as you do to the people I care for in equal measure would go, but you slotted in as if you’ve always been there.”

She tips her head back to look at me, and I lean down, kissing her.

“ Can I have my girlfriend back before you corrupt her like you did Scarlet , please ?”

My nose brushes hers, her smile growing as we listen to the video.

“ We didn’t corrupt , Scar . She was a closet freak , trust us .”

“ Lis ,” I hear myself say, and I drag my eyes back to the screen, watching as I stand in front of the camera with my hand held out to her.

Megan must have the camera because it pans to Lissie, her gaze on me.

Nina pokes her head around her to see the phone, her eyes widening.

I shake my head as Lissie’s laugh ripples through my chest.

Lissie takes my hand, and I lead her onto the terrace.

“ I used to worry about him ,” Megan says after a moment. “ That he’d be so stuck in his ways and too busy making sure we were all okay to look after his own heart .”

“ She’s perfect for him .”

“ She’s obsessed with him ,” Megan agrees, clearly watching us. “ Maybe as much as he is with her .”

“ I thought I’d hate her ,” Nina mutters, honestly. “ The woman he fell in love with .”

“ Me , too ,” Megan says. “ But then I saw the way they looked at each other .”

Lissie’s hand smooths over my stomach and up to my chest as we listen.

I pull her tighter to me.

“ I already know he’s gone ,” Megan continues. “ That anything that isn’t her wouldn’t be enough .”

“ Megs ,” Nina says.

“ Oops .”

“ It’s still recording .”

The camera flips to Megan’s face. Nina butts her head in. “ Hi , Lissie baby .”

They laugh.

“ Oh god , I’ll have to delete this .”

“ No , leave it ! We just love you , Lissie ,” Nina coos. “ We’re not weird or obsessed with you and your boyfriend .” She makes a face. “ Much .”

“ We’d also like to be bridesmaids ,” Megan smiles, all teeth.

“ I’m going to go find my husband ,” Nina says, kissing Megan’s cheek. “ You okay , Megs ?”

“ Go find your man . I’m going to find my Scar .”

The phone goes black and circles back to the start.

I can’t help but stare at the screen.

“You have the best friends in the whole world. You know that, don’t you?”

I slide down the bed, twisting to my side. “I do. And now you have them too.”

She smiles. “Because you’re gone?”

I kiss her. “Because I’m in love with you.” My forehead settles against hers. “Because there isn’t a single thing I want to have and hold in this life if you’re not at my side to experience it with me.”

Her eyes grow glassy, and I take her face in my hand, my thumb dusting her cheek.

“No sun I want to see rise, no laugh I want to pass my lips, no dawn that doesn’t greet me with warm brown eyes. I was always quietly afraid of never falling in love, Lis, and yet if I’d known you were coming, I’d have happily waited another thirty-five years for you. For this feeling.”

“I love you, too,” she whispers back. “I, umm…” She pushes out of my hold and climbs from the bed, pulling open my drawers. “I unpacked that bag before we left yesterday. I thought you’d see, but you didn’t, and I was going to wait for you to stumble across it.”

“You unpacked the bag?”

I’ve been on her for weeks to move in, ever since I finished the house, but she’s been putting it off.

She nods. “And I think it’s time I quit at the club. I don’t really have anything to put the extra money towards.”

She holds whatever she’s pulled from the drawer and brings it to me.

It’s a picture frame, the photo printed inside one I took on my phone. Lissie is kissing my cheek, Luna and Daisy lie with their crazy eyes and flopping tongues hanging out as they fight for position on my chest.

“I want to wake up every day to the three of you. I want to make memories in this house and invite our friends along, too. I want to love you here, in this home, forever.”

“You’re moving in with me?”

She shrugs. “I practically live here anyway.”

I grin, pulling her by the waist onto the bed and rolling on top of her.