Kiss by Kiss (Riggins Brothers Book 3) Read online

  Kiss by Kiss

  Riggins Brothers Book Three

  Kaylee Ryan

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue Grant

  Epilogue Aurora

  Thank you

  More from Kaylee Ryan

  Acknowledgments

  Copyright © 2021 Kaylee Ryan

  All Rights Reserved.

  This book may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Kaylee Ryan, except for the use of brief quotations in articles and or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, locations, businesses and plot are products of the author’s imagination and meant to be used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events throughout the story are purely coincidental. The author acknowledges trademark owners and trademarked status of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks are not authorized, sponsored or associated by or with the trademark owners.

  The following story contains sexual situations and strong language. It is intended for adult readers.

  Cover Design: Lori Jackson Design

  Cover Photography: Wander Aguiar

  Cover Model: Tyler Collins

  Editing: Hot Tree Editing

  Proofreading: Deaton Author Services

  Paperback Formatting: Integrity Formatting

  Chapter 1

  Grant

  It’s our regular Monday morning meeting—the first since Royce and Sawyer have been back from their honeymoon. They waited until after the holidays to go, not wanting to miss time here with the family. That means we’ve spent the last hour shooting the shit, instead of actually working. That’s the perks of owning the company. My brothers and I may have wasted this meeting to catch up, but that doesn’t mean we’re not dedicated to Riggins Enterprises. Our father built this company with our mom at his side. It’s our legacy and one we take seriously.

  “Knock, knock.” Layla, who is our assistant, and my brother Owen’s fiancée and baby momma, enters the room. “Sorry these are late. The bakery had some transportation issues.”

  I watch in fascination as my brother Owen jumps from his chair, the conversation he was having with our youngest brother, Marshall, long since forgotten now Layla is near. He takes the box from her, sets in on the end of the long conference table, and pulls her into his arms. One arm goes around her waist and the other rests on her belly, over their unborn son. Out of the five of us, Owen is the last one I would have guessed to be a father first. However, he met Layla and fell hard and fast.

  He and my oldest brother, Royce, claim it’s the “magic.” That tells me they’ve spent too much time talking to our father. Stanley Riggins loves his wife, our mother, Lena, and swears it’s “magic” that got them together. I think the old man just likes to tell tall tales, and now that my two older brothers are tied down, they’re falling in line with his theories.

  “Whatcha got there, Lay?” I ask my future sister-in-law.

  “Oh, a new bakery just opened up down the block. You have to try these.” She steps away from my brother to open the box.

  “Well, we’ve lost Grant,” Conrad, one of my younger brothers, comments.

  He’s the fourth brother. Royce is the oldest, then there’s Owen and then me. I’m the middleman. Literally. The two youngest usually call me to pick them up when they’ve had too much to drink, and the two older brothers lean on me, more so than the younger two. I don’t mind it. I love my family, and being the middleman keeps me involved in all of their lives.

  “Hush—” I point at Conrad “—and step away from the pastries.”

  He throws his head back in laughter. “Lay, tell him to share,” he says as any little brother would. It doesn’t matter that we’re all grown men.

  “Now, boys, there is plenty for everyone,” she assures us.

  “But I get first pick, right?” I say, standing and walking to where she and Owen still stand at the end of the table. I bat my eyelashes, hoping to sway her to my way of thinking.

  “They’re all the same.” She grins. “No way was I going to cause World War III over breakfast.”

  “Good call, Layla,” Royce chimes in. “I’m going to take one to Sawyer,” he says, standing with stars in his eyes as he mentions his new wife.

  “I stopped there first.” She smiles at him.

  I place my hand over my chest. “Layla Riggins, you wound me.” Her cheeks pink at the use of our last name instead of hers. She might as well get used to it. Hell, I’m surprised Owen hasn’t raced her down the aisle yet. He’s head over heels in love with her.

  “Love that.” I hear Owen whisper as I reach into the box and pull out a muffin. I bring it to my nose and pull in the scent. “Ah, banana nut, good choice.” I nod, peel back the wrapper, and take a huge bite.

  “I wanted one of everything.” Layla laughs. “Pregnancy cravings, I guess. So, I told the woman behind the counter to surprise me, but that it all needed to be the same.”

  “Damn, sis, these are good,” Marshall says, shoving the last half of his muffin in his mouth all at once, and fuck it, I do the same. We’re classy like that, us Riggins brothers.

  “Where is this place? I’m going to have to stop in and see what else they have.”

  “One block over.” She points behind her, which tells me that I need to make a left when I leave the building. I make a mental note.

  That muffin was too good not to stop into the bakery and see what else they have to offer. I work out five days a week, usually before coming into the office. I have a gym at my house, but usually I meet my two younger brothers at the gym. It’s a good time razzing each other, and it’s always better to have someone to work out with. Especially when you need a spotter. Royce and Owen used to sporadically join us, but now they both have beautiful ladies warming their beds, their presence has been nonexistent. Not that I blame them. They both hit the “significant other” lottery.

  “Sawyer and I were talking about that the other day. We knew you’d be all over it as soon as you found out how close they were.”

  I point at her. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

  “All right, we need to get back to work,” Royce says, doing the exact opposite as he reaches into the box and grabs himself a muffin. He takes a bite and moans his appreciation. “Maybe if I promise Sawyer fresh muffins every day, we can get one of those.” He points to Layla’s belly.

  It’s no secret that we all want kids. We want it all—the wife, the kids, the dog. Hell, I’ll even take the white picket fence. None of us have an aversion to settling down. We’ve grown up watching the love that our parents share, and it’s hard not to want that. It’s just not the right time for us, and we’ve yet to meet the right woman to make it the right time. Well, at least me and my two younger brothers.

  “I love the thought of our kids growing up together.” Layla smiles up at Royce.

  “You need me to explain to you how it's done?” Owen quirks a brow, barely containing his laughter.

  “Trust me. We’ve got the how down pat. It’s that daily pill that’s getting in our way.”

  “Hey,” Sawyer says, appearing in the doorway. “Royce, your nine o’clock is here.” She’s looking at him like he hung the moon.

  “Thanks, babe.” He walks to her, leans down, and kisses her lips.

  I don’t have a crystal ball or anything, but I can almost guarantee that those two will be the next to announce that the Riggins clan is growing. I couldn’t be happier. I can’t wait to spoil my nieces and nephews. I have some stiff competition for the title of favorite uncle, and that’s a job title I’m going to take seriously.

  “You planning on spending the night?”

  I look up to find my baby brother, Marshall, standing in the doorway of my office. “Looks like I’m not the only one burning the midnight oil,” I say. Glancing at the time on my computer, I see it’s just after seven. I’ve been buried in paperwork all afternoon.

  “I had a marketing plan to finalize for the San Francisco opening.”

  I smile. Marshall is the chief marketing officer, and he’s damn good at it. “It’s still hard to grasp the concept that we’ve taken this company across the United States.”

  “Dad paved the way,” he says.

  He’s right. My father started this company with one truck and a dream. When my brother Royce took over, his dreams were even bigger. As each of us graduated from college and joined the business, we brought additional talent to the table, and I’m damn proud of what we’ve accomplished.

  “That he di
d,” I tell him. “You want to grab some dinner?”

  He grins like the mischievous little brother he is. “Mom made chicken parmesan.”

  “Looks like I’m following you to Mom and Dad’s.” I laugh.

  “You’d be crazy not to.”

  He’s right. I would be crazy not to. Shutting down my computer, I leave the piles of work behind, grab my keys and my phone, and follow him to the elevator. “Is Conrad going to be there?” I ask Marshall as we step out of the building.

  “Doubt it. He said something about taking a computer home to work on it.”

  I nod. Conrad is the chief information officer at Riggins Enterprises and our tech guru. You couldn’t tell it by looking at him, not that I’m stereotyping, but Con just doesn’t look like that’s what he would be into. Kid’s a genius.

  “It doesn’t matter how many times we tell him to delegate. He still won’t do it.” I shake my head.

  “He loves that shit. I’m glad too. He fixed my laptop a few months ago. I hadn’t backed it up in a while. Lesson learned.”

  “I’m sure he read you the riot act for that.”

  “Fucking older brothers,” he mumbles, but there’s a smile tilting his lips, and there’s no heat in his tone.

  “You love us, and you know it.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He smirks.

  “Just think, if it were not for us, you wouldn’t have gotten away with as much as you did growing up. By the time you came around, Mom and Dad were already desensitized to pretty much everything. We paved the way for you, little brother,” I say, resting my hand on his shoulder.

  “There’s that,” he agrees. “I honestly don’t know how Mom and Dad are still sane after raising the five of us.”

  “We weren’t that bad.”

  “One or more of us were always into something. They’re saints.”

  “And to think she still makes enough dinner every night in case we want to drop in.”

  “We won the parent lottery.”

  “True that. See ya in a bit,” I say as we part ways to go to our cars.

  Pulling out of the lot, I need to go right to go to Mom and Dad’s, but instead, I turn left. I need to scope out this new bakery that I plan to check out—maybe in the morning. Those muffins were too damn good not to sample the rest. Reaching the end of the block, my eyes scan and sure enough, there’s a huge sign over the door. “Warm Delights,” I read out loud. That’s the perfect name for a bakery, and the muffins were indeed warm, telling me they were fresh, and they were definitely a delight. I like the way this place operates, and I can already tell I’m going to be a frequent customer.

  Chapter 2

  Aurora

  “No one should be this happy at 3:00 a.m.,” my sister, Aspen, grumbles as I slide a cup of coffee in her direction.

  “I can’t help it,” I tell her. “This has been my dream for so long, and it’s finally happening. Thank you for doing this with me. I couldn’t do this without you.”

  “Whatever.” She rolls her eyes as she smiles behind her cup. “You and I both know that you don’t need me.”

  “You’re wrong. You stand behind me. You pushed me forward when I let my fear hold me back.”

  “That’s what sisters do.” She shrugs.

  “Well, I love you, and I appreciate you.” I drain the rest of my coffee and rinse my cup, placing it in the sink. “I’m heading downstairs to get started on today’s special.”

  “What is it today?”

  “Magic bars.” I grin.

  “You love me,” my sister says, sliding off her stool. “I’m going to change, and I’ll be right down.” She disappears down the hall to her room.

  Our small two-bedroom apartment is above my bakery, Warm Delights, and it’s convenient not to have to drive to work. I looked for months when this location came on the market. It was going to be tough to swing rent on the bakery and an apartment, to the point where I was stressing out, but then this place came on the market, and it was as if it was meant to be.

  Entering the kitchen, I flip on the lights, connect my phone to the Bluetooth speaker, and get to work. Aspen tells me I’m crazy for being too alert at this ungodly hour, but to me, I’m living my dream. There are people who told me I would never make it. That I was being silly, my recipes weren’t good enough, that I was a fool. I pushed past the hurtful words, and with my sister as my biggest cheerleader, I’m standing in my bakery’s kitchen, doing what I love, what I’ve always dreamed of. So, yeah, I’m going to do it with a big-ass smile on my face.

  “Put me to work, boss,” Aspen says, joining me a few minutes later.

  “Grab the chocolate chips.” I point behind her, and we get to work. We laugh and talk about anything and everything. Aspen is not only my sister, but she’s my best friend. She’s two years younger than my twenty-six. This move has brought us even closer together. When I brought up the idea of moving from Memphis to Nashville, Aspen didn’t hesitate to agree to come with me. We talked about it at length, and she assured me she was all in.

  She was working as an administrative assistant at a local newspaper at the time and was ready for a change. We both were. I called the realtor the next day, and here we are a year later, seeing all of our hard work pay off. We’ve only been open a month, but the support we’ve received has been incredible.

  Closing my eyes, I send up a silent prayer to my grandma. Guilt hits me hard. I used my small inheritance money to lease the building and renovate it. I had to take out a loan with the bank for the equipment that I would need. I hate that I had to lose her to see my dream come true.

  “Stop,” Aspen scolds me. “I know what you’re thinking. She would be happy for you. For both of us. She’d be happy that we took the chance.”

  “I miss her. I miss Mom and Dad. I hate that I’m happy here, and it took losing her….” My words trail off as I swallow the emotion clogging my throat.

  “First of all, you have nothing to feel guilty about. You know Mom and Dad are thrilled to see you following your dreams. Second, you would have figured it out without the inheritance. You’re a young business owner with the drive it takes to make things happen. She would be thrilled to know she helped you follow your dreams, something she would have offered had she still been living, and you and your stubborn ass would have more than likely fought her on it.” She gives me a pointed look, and I can’t help but chuckle.

  “You look and sound so much like Mom right now.”

  “Thank you.” She gives me a huge grin. “Now get your ass back to work. These magic bars aren’t going to make themselves. I’m going to start on some fresh cupcakes.”

  Just like that, she helps calm my guilt, and I allow myself to be distracted with what I love—making delicious treats. I get lost in my work and before I know it, it’s time to unlock the doors. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I smile when I see a message from Mom in the group message that Aspen and I have with her and my dad.

  Mom: Have a great day, my beautiful daughters,

  Dad: Now you’re just trying to make me look bad.

  My parents are the best people on the planet. Sure, I might be biased, but it’s the truth. They’ve supported us in everything we’ve wanted to do. Although they didn’t want us to move away, they knew I needed it. I think knowing that Aspen and I were going to be together helped.

  Aspen: Love you!

  Me: Love you!

  With a smile on my face, I unlock the door and let the small crowd that’s been waiting outside in. Today is going to be a great day indeed.