CHAPTER TWELVE
857 Words
KIERAN
“Hey, beautiful,” Ethan whistled as Rochelle walked into the boutique.
Josephine, Emily, Alice, and Abigail all nodded approvingly at her outfit.
“Ooh! You look sophisticated!” Josephine shrieked in excitement, coming to stand beside Rochelle and intertwining their hands.
“Oh, well... I try,” Rochelle giggled shyly, our eyes meeting for a second.
“Oh no! Don’t do that!” Emily gasped from the other side, lacing her hand with Rochelle’s.
“We’re stealing you from Kieran for the entire day!” Alice laughed, walking up to her.
“Uh... you boys,” Abigail started, pointing between Ethan, Michael, and me, “... go do whatever disgusting things boys do.” She finished with a dramatic eye roll.
“Let us handle the intricacies of the bride,” she smiled, giving Rochelle a gentle pat on the cheek.
“Fine... but at least let me kiss her goodbye before sending her into your chokingly catastrophic world of fashion and glitter,” I groaned, stepping up to her.
“You look breathtaking, by the way,” I murmured, gently pressing my lips to hers in a small but commanding kiss.
“GET A ROOM!!!” Eric yelled, walking in glittering and sophisticated as always.
“You two are so adorable it’s sickening!” Michael said calmly, rolling his eyes.
“Shall we give them a show?” Rochelle whispered in my ear, and I nodded eagerly, my whole body tingling with anticipation.
Her innocent smile shifted to a naughty smirk, and my breath caught. I’d never seen that look in her eyes—but I liked it.
She slowly traced my shoulders, her hands sliding into my curls, and then roughly pulled my head down, slamming her lips onto mine.
Gasps, shrieks, and giggles erupted around us.
“Okay... that’s enough, you can carry on later,” Ethan laughed, pulling us apart as Abigail took Rochelle away.
“Bye,” she breathed, her innocent gaze returning.
I smiled and gave her a small wave, feeling like a schoolboy watching her being dragged away.
---
“You are SMITTEN!” Eric laughed as we settled at a table in the bar.
“Who knew the unfeeling playboy Kieran would ever love?” Ethan mocked with a coo.
“You’re assholes!” I scoffed, pouring bourbon into our glasses.
“I like her. She’s smart, goal-oriented, a very sensible addition to the family business,” Michael said, taking a sip of his drink.
“Not to mention, she’s pretty beautiful,” he added, shrugging, his calm demeanor never faltering.
“Thank you, Michael,” I smiled.
I never really thought of it that way—I just knew I liked her. But Michael’s right: she’s an excellent addition to the business. Trust Michael to always give excellent insight.
“Xanthe will freak when he finds out you’re engaged!” Eric laughed, and suddenly the table grew tense.
Xanthe, the eldest De La Vega child and supposed heir to the family business, had disappeared for years after my uncle Richard died.
No one heard from him, and worried, the family willed the company to the next eldest heir: me.
By birthright, the company belonged to me—I’m the first son of the first son, and my father originally started the company and still heads it.
The family decided the next CEO would be the eldest first son, whoever he might be.
But Xanthe vanished, so the title fell automatically to me.
Technically, Xanthe never went to business school, so naturally I’m the best bet for the company.
I was willing to work with Xanthe side by side, but his pride won’t let him cooperate.
Right now, he’s the black sheep of the family.
“You had to bring him up, didn’t you?” Ethan scoffed, slapping Eric on the head.
“Let’s not mention him, shall we? We’re celebrating Kieran’s engagement and upcoming wedding. Don’t spoil the mood,” Michael groaned.
I laughed. “You’re oddly invested in my wedding.”
“Well... if it’s good for you, it’s good for the family,” he smiled reassuringly.
“Hear, hear!” Ethan cheered as we all drank and happily chatted.
---
“We tried on soooo many gowns! They were all so pretty I couldn’t choose!” Rochelle chattered as I drove her to the hospital to see Becky.
“And then... we sorted out bouquets and settled on pink and red roses. Abigail suggested black dahlias to represent the men, but Emily and Josephine wouldn’t have it! They asked for my opinion, and I told them I despised black!”
I chuckled, amused by her constant chatter.
“Is that so?” I said.
“I’m glad you had fun spending my family’s money,” I joked, and she blushed, looking away shyly.
“I’m getting used to it. Like you said,” she said softly.
“Well...” I lifted her chin, making her meet my gaze. “... it looks good on you. Let’s go see Becky.”
I kissed her forehead softly, and we left the car, walking into the hospital.
- Writer
