"You, too."
Cecelia's lips split with a wide smile as she turned to face Lucian. "You're here!"
"Of course I am, and on time, as you demanded. You look lovely," Lucian appraised, taking in the white silk and chiffon gown Cecelia wore. "Angelic. Appropriate for one of the angels in my life looking out for me."
Cecelia may not have given him life as his mother, but she had given him the next best thing: love. She was the second woman on earth to show him it was possible to love something with an unconditional fierceness. While his biological mother had given up her life to save his, Cecelia gave that life back in a whole new way. Cecelia had essentially taught him how to love others … like Jordyn. Lucian wouldn't miss his mother's special day for the world.
His mother winked, glancing over his shoulder at Jordyn who was already in conversation with Gio. "Did I do well?"
"Perfect," Lucian assured. "She looks beautiful. Thank you."
Cecelia reached up and swiped at the corner of his mouth, suppressing her grin. "Well, even if you hadn't said anything, I would have guessed you liked it by the red stains on your mouth. Try to keep the PDA to a minimum, Lucian. No need to go marking your territory all over the place tonight, sweet boy."
"Got it."
"I'm so very happy for you."
"I know," he said quietly. "But it's your night, not mine. I take it we're still drinking ourselves stupid on cocktails until they allow us into the ballroom again?"
Cecelia nodded, eyeing the closed doors over her shoulder. "I'm getting bored."
"It won't be long," Antony said behind her. "Patience, Tesoro."
"Did you like my gift this morning?" Lucian asked his mother.
"The flowers were lovely. They filled the kitchen table. I didn't have time to find places for them all."
"There was a point to that. I bought you a bushel for every room in the house so you wouldn't keep moving them from room to room like you did the last time I bought you flowers."
"I figured," Cecelia said wirily. "I still have to decide where they need to go in the rooms, though. It's a process, Lucian. Someday you'll understand."
"Did you look inside the flowers?" he asked purposely.
"No, why?" Cecelia eyed him curiously, smiling even wider. "What did you do?"
"There's something special in each of the bouquets. Be sure to check them all, yes?"
"Lucian … the flowers were enough."
No, they certainly weren't. Not for his mother.
"I love you, Mom," Lucian said. "Always."
Cecelia sighed softly. "I love you, too, my boy. Now, go keep an eye on your brothers before they steal Jordyn away."
She didn't have to tell Lucian again. Sure, he wanted to speak with his father about what he missed over the last couple of weeks, and Cecelia definitely deserved more of his time, considering he missed most of her birthday. Still, Lucian felt out of place when Jordyn wasn't at his side.
"You're a special kind of woman," Lucian told his mother. "There's a beautiful place in heaven for mothers of all boys, especially our kind."
"So someone keeps telling me," Cecelia agreed with a look back at Antony. "Go, Lucian."
It wasn't long before Lucian was back where he belonged, and so was his hand, firmly planted to the curve in Jordyn's waist. Because some of the guests in the hall were friends of Lucian's parents, those people made their way through the crowd sipping on catered drinks to give Cecelia birthday wishes. That, of course, led them to the brothers to say hello, also.
Jordyn didn't stay hidden behind Lucian, and for that, he was proud. Introducing her to just a few people was good enough, as once they knew, it would start to spread between the others who were curious and asked without actually coming to meet her themselves. That was also how the gossip would begin to spread, but he didn't care.
It wasn't like he planned on leaving her alone to the wolves.
After the doors were opened to the ballroom for the important guests who were invited early to the Opera event, things moved more fluidly. While the whole night was essentially about the show happening later, the early party had a point, too. A silent auction was going on in the hall they'd just come from, all the proceeds being donated to a charity both Cecelia and Antony were fond of.
The live band in the background of the ballroom was of a more classical type. Certainly not to Lucian's tastes, though his mother pulled him out to dance a waltz with her at least once. It led her to demanding he do the same with Jordyn.
How was he supposed to deny his mother when it was her birthday?
"Let me lead, sweetheart," Lucian told Jordyn after she muttered for the fourth time she couldn't dance to music like this. After the first steps, Jordyn caught on that the waltz was a simple few movements that followed the same pattern over and over. It was about the man leading to show off the beauty of his partner. "See, easy."
Jordyn winked, then looked around. "People are watching us again."
"Good. Beautiful things should be watched. They shine."
• • •
"You don't seem impressed," Jordyn said quietly.
Lucian shrugged, chancing a glance over his shoulder at the curtain that kept their private booth closed off. "Opera and theater isn't my favorite thing. Cecelia loves it, so Dante couldn't resist getting us the balconies for her birthday."
"I think it's fascinating. The elegance and power mixed together is kind of astounding."
"You do, huh?" Lucian was happy she was enjoying herself. "That's all that matters, then."
"It does get to be tiring after a while, though."
Jordyn tossed him a grin from her plush leather chair pushed close to his. Between them, their fingers laid laced together, her thumb rolling soothingly over the side of his hand. It was the only thing keeping Lucian from nodding off in the dimly lit balcony, even with the singing filling the theater. Her innocent touch was ensuring Lucian's body was fully awake and hyperaware of just how close she was.
Oh, he'd missed this woman terribly.
"Another hour," Jordyn said, reading the event itinerary in her hand. "And then you'll be free again."
Lucian hummed lowly. "Or we could skip out now. I do have that hotel room booked for the night. It'd be a shame to waste it and the hot tub out on the balcony I didn't even get to try."
Jordyn's lips crept upwards with a smirk. "Will Cecelia be terribly angry?"
"She won't even know."
His lover was standing before Lucian could get another word in edgewise.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The moment the elevator doors opened, Lucian was pushing Jordyn inside the small space.
Jordyn had teased and touched him with her soft hands and sweet mouth all the way back to the hotel. Whispered words in his ear sent desire spiking. Lucian was as hard as a steel rod under his tuxedo pants and it was becoming downright fucking painful.
He was going to find the best relief between the heavens of her thighs.
Lucian backed Jordyn into the corner of the empty elevator, his lips meeting hers punishingly. All over again, he wanted to leave his marks on her body and feel her on his for days afterwards. Being apart, even if it was only for a couple of weeks, had led him into a slow insanity of want. Her tongue slipped into the heat of his mouth, exploding his taste buds with her flavor and causing his cock to grow harder still.
The shower and palm sessions just weren't getting it done. Lucian needed this.
"I've wanted to fuck you so badly," Lucian muttered against Jordyn's mouth. "Taste you coming all over my tongue. Mio Dio, I've missed this."
Jordyn gasped a breathy laugh as his teeth and lips attacked her neck. "Not in here, Lucian."
"Why not? Let's give the cameras a show, sweetheart."
Lucian took the silent glimmer of heated desire in her eyes as her consent. Driving the satiny skirt of her gown upwards, he reveled in the smoothness of her thighs to his palms. With her dress above her knees in his grasp, Jordyn squeaked an embarrassed noise that stopped his motions in their tracks.
It was only then Lucian realized the elevator doors were finally beginning to close.
A glance over his shoulder said someone had slipped in last minute and was standing only feet away, attention fully diverted to the closed doors of the elevator. Lucian huffed an irritated sigh and rested his forehead to Jordyn's chin, feeling her smile as he dropped her dress back in place.
"Dammit," he mumbled.
Jordyn giggled. "Patience is a virtue."
"I'm not a virtuous man," Lucian replied very quietly. "Not when it comes to you."
Still, he couldn't help but think the person's presence behind him was odd. It was a hotel, a rather busy and well-known one, for that matter. But, that wasn't really his issue. Frankly, it was late, which meant most guests were either in their rooms, or still enjoying the New York nightlife.