The Day He Kissed Her (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake 3)

And he did.

Mackenzie worshiped her with his hands and his mouth. He worshiped her with words that were so sweet and gentle they brought tears to her eyes.

He slid into her, his body claiming what had always been his, and as the two of them rocked into each other, as they came together beneath the warm spray of water, Lily had never felt so loved or content or warm in her life.

Afterward, they slid into her bed, and she cuddled into his side. She knew things weren’t going to be easy. God, she didn’t even know where they were going to live.

But they were together.

And for now, it was enough.

Epilogue

They say that rain is good luck, but Mackenzie Draper frowned when he glanced up and saw the dark gray clouds in the sky.

Shit. Not good for an outdoor wedding. Not good at all. He was in the Jake’s old room, out at the Edwardses’ place, and for a moment, he stared down at the area rug on the floor. God, how many nights had he spent on the floor, shooting the shit with the twins and trying to forget the horror back at his house?

Too many.

It’s all in the past. And for the first time that he could remember, he believed it.

The door behind him opened and he turned, a wide grin on his face when Jake and Cain walked into the room.

“Jesus Christ, Mackenzie. You’re prettier than most of the women out there,” Jake said with a chuckle.

Mac shrugged. “Can’t help it. Good genes.”

“Yeah,” Jake replied. “Good genes.”

The two men stared at each other for a long time, long enough for Cain to chuckle. “Okay, boys. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the two of you were getting married today. Shit, is this what they call bromance? Do you want me to break it to Raine and Lily?” Cain grinned. “Cuz I’m down with that. Just say the word.”

“And ruin the fantasies of every woman who looks at our boy, Mac?” Jake shook his head. “Nah, we’ll keep this on the down low.”

Cain glanced at his watch and then nudged Mackenzie. “It’s time.”

Nervous, Mac cleared his throat and pointed to the door. “Okay. Let’s get this done before she realizes this is a big mistake and leaves.”

He closed the door behind him and paused. “Guys,” he said, taking a moment to collect his thoughts so that he could get this right.

Cain watched him quietly while Jake’s intense gaze was a bit unnerving.

“You’re like family to me, and I just want to thank you for being there, for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I don’t…I don’t think I would have made it out alive without you guys.”

The emotion in his voice was palpable, and the three of them drank it in. They stood together for several moments and then Jake cleared his throat. “It’s time to do this, Mac.”

“Yeah.”

He followed his best friends outside, down the back deck and across the lawn. He walked up the aisle, glancing at the folks he loved. The Edwardses. Lauren Black, Cain’s mother. Maggie and her son, Michael, and her new baby, Kristen. He nodded to Raine and smiled when Salvatore gave him the thumbs-up.

He stopped when he reached the front row and hugged his sister. He pressed a kiss to the top of his nephew’s head and then kissed his mother’s cheek.

He didn’t stop walking until he stood beside Jake and Cain, his brothers—if not in blood, than in every way that mattered.

Pastor Lancaster nodded and a murmur went through the crowd as everyone stood.

Everything faded away, but the woman slowly walking toward him. Her a

rm was tucked into Steven Edwards’s, but her smile, her focus, was on him.