Page 97 of Big Daddy Christmas
Ice pulled her in for one of those quick, hard kisses that always left her a little breathless. “After this is over, you’re all mine. We have things to discuss.”
With that cryptic warning, he followed Holden into the ballroom. Silver pressed a hand to her jumping stomach.
Just a few more hours. And then she’d tell him everything.
Chapter 7
Ice
He watched as one man he loved like a brother vowed to love the woman in front of him through sickness and health, to death did they part. And then he watched as another of his brothers got down on one knee and asked the woman he loved to marry him.
Ruby stood there, clearly shocked at first, until Silver nudged her and whispered something nobody else could hear. Then Ruby was squealing out a “Yes!” and throwing herself at Beckett so hard she nearly knocked him flat on his back. The room erupted into cheers, and he caught Silver’s teary gaze across the aisle.
Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me, Elias Turner?
She’d sounded so… urgent. Like everything hinged on his answer, and she wasn’t quite sure what that answer would be.
But how could she not know? Had he not told her enough, shown her enough that she was his everything? That he would burn his entire life to the ground just to be with her? Was the doubt he’d seen in her eyes some kind of residual trauma from her relationship with Ace?
Too many questions, and not nearly enough time or privacy for him to get the answers he wanted out of her.
After what felt like hours of pictures, they were ushered into the reception area where everyone was milling around, talking and laughing as hors d'oeuvres were passed around on gleaming silver trays carried by waitstaff in perfectly pressed suits.
His hand on Silver’s back, Ice looked around for somewhere they could slip off to. Even if he couldn’t get all the answers he wanted, he was damn well going to find out what had been eating at her all day. Why she’d been so damn jumpy this morning. And then, if they had time, he’d get on his knees and eat her pussy until she was ready to come—and then he’d tell her all about their big news.
But before he could figure out where they might sneak off to, he found their path blocked by a tall brunette, the hair she usually kept pulled up in a ponytail loose and curling around her shoulders. Braden had recommended Dr. Naomi Winters to them back when they’d first been getting settled in Charleston as their permanent residence. She ran a concierge medical practice that catered to rich assholes like himself and Braden, and she specialized in discretion.
“Ice. Silver.”
“Dr. Winters.” Was it his imagination, or did Silver sound… nervous?
Naomi shot her gaze to the side and then back to them, shifting her weight restlessly. “Have you seen Killian?”
Surprised by the question, Ice blinked down at her. “Killian?”
“Yes. We’re supposed to be each other’s plus ones, but he isn’t here. At least, I haven’t been able to find him.”
Unease crept up Ice’s spine. He was still getting used to having a literal crime boss in his orbit, but Silver was partial to the Irishman, so he’d made an effort to be friendly if not necessarily friends with Killian O’Rourke.
“We haven’t seen him.” Worry colored Silver’s tone as she looked up at him. “Should we tell someone? Braden?”
“No, don’t do that.” Naomi waved her off, but she couldn’t hide the concern in her pale eyes. “I don’t want to upset the bride and groom. I’m sure he’ll turn up. He always does.” Her smile flashed, though it was tight at the corners. “Like a bad penny.”
Silver opened her mouth, likely to protest and insist they should tell someone that Killian was missing, but she was interrupted by the DJ asking everyone to take their seats.
Pressing his hand to Silver’s back, Ice nudged her away from Naomi and toward their table. And tried not to feel too resentful that he’d have to wait even longer to get the truth out of his babygirl.
Silver
* * *
Ice was sulking.
Not openly. To everyone else, he probably just looked like the bored rockstar he pretended to be. Slouched in his chair, one arm slung over the back of hers, his hand resting at the nape of her neck in that easy, proprietary way he had, he didn’t look like he was sulking.
But he was. And she wasn’t sure why.
Was it because of their conversation before the wedding? Replaying the conversation over and over in her head, her stomach tied itself into knots as she picked apart every word.
