Chapter Thirty
Austin
Reflecting on my past isn’t good for me. I’ll do my best to move forward after Fernandez is dead. He’s in hiding again and building his base. I’m taking Melina home with me. Victor and Cindy’s home will now be ours. I’m already thinking of it as Melina’s. I want her decorating in a style she loves. Thank God her taste doesn’t run to dead animals. For her, though, I would put up with it.
This is love.
I try constantly to wrap my head around it. She’s forgiven me for everything I put her through. What’s more, she knows who and what I am. There’s no turning back for either of us.
Melina wasn’t happy that I didn’t tell her about Andreas taking a bullet. She’s fussed over him since we boarded the plane. It’s been fun watching him deal with her. From his clipped responses, he doesn’t appreciate her care. As long as he knows she’s mine, she can fuss all she wants and he’ll be pleasant. I give him a sharp look when he groans and he nods.
Moon, Mak, Gomez, and Celina are on the plane with us too. Vegas is the first stop. This might seem sudden to most people but I will never let Melina go, so marriage is the first priority. The trip takes about an hour. The women spend the time whispering and laughing, which means they have something planned, or so Moon tells me. I don’t speak Woman, so I must rely on a man who does. I’m sure I’ll learn through the years.
“Boss?” That takes the smile from my lips and I open my eyes while we’re landing and glance at Andreas. “You did good.”
He’s talking about Melina. “We still need to find her brother. Until he’s dead, she isn’t safe.”
“The men are on it. We want you happy.”
“Why the hell do you want that?” I ask.
He smiles. “You’re easier to be around. That glacial stare of yours isn’t as prevalent either.”
I grunt in annoyance. “Find Fernandez,” is all I say.
“We will.”
The plane lands and Melina glances down the aisle where she sits with Mak and Celina. Her smile assures me she’s ready. I have connections at the Bellagio and there are four suites waiting for us. It’s only one night because we need the women safe and the best way to do that is have them in our own territories.
The women whisk Melina away as soon as we check in. I quickly change into a suit that I purchased before leaving Phoenix. Andreas is standing in as my best man and he’s waiting in the bar in a suit along with Moon and Gomez.
Moon buys a round of expensive tequila and we all take a shot. “You sure about this?” Moon asks with a grin.
“Yes.” I can’t make jokes right now. This is something I never thought would happen to me.
“He needs a woman to keep his temper in check,” Andreas tosses out.
I give him what I hope is a convincing smile because my insides are threatening to explode. “She’ll keep you in check too. The bandage doesn’t come off until she says it does.”
They all laugh, which is fine as long as Andreas knows I’m serious. My life and the life of my men will revolve around making Melina happy or there will be hell to pay. I check my pocket for the ring and feeling the box calms my nerves. I had it delivered to Moon’s home before we left. If she doesn’t like it, I’ll buy her another one. This one is expensive but not fancy. It has a matching band for me, but I wouldn’t allow her to see it. The jeweler already secured the engagement ring to Melina’s band because she wasn’t wearing the engagement ring first.
Gomez gives a low whistle and I lift my head. The women walk toward us. My eyes only take in one of them. They found Melina a wedding dress on short notice. It’s floor-length and tight fitting from the chest down. Lace covers her arms and more of her neck than I care for. She stops walking a few feet from me and my eyes run up and down her body again. Very slowly she turns and shows me the back. Or no back, which makes my dick ache. Her ink is on proud display. I can live with her breasts covered in lace after this view. She continues turning and I’m on my feet stepping forward to pull her in my arms.
“You’ll ruin her makeup,” Celina chides.
Damn, I should have only brought Andreas. Melina smiles and takes the final step separating us. How can I not pull her in close? “Ruin my makeup,” she whispers in my ear when I avoid her lips and only offer a hug.
“I’ll have a lifetime to ruin your makeup. Allow me to enjoy it this once.”
I receive pouty, red lips that look good enough to eat for my answer. “You’re no fun,” she replies with a small laugh.
“Let’s get the hell out of here and get this done,” I tell everyone.
“Never seen a man so eager to tie the knot,” Gomez teases.
I ignore him, place Melina’s hand on my arm, and lead her outside to the limo. The chapel is only a short distance away. It’s small and intimate and I rented it for the entire night so no other couples could intrude. They provided the limo.
I exit the car and turn to assist Melina out. Her expression was somber when we entered the car, but she now looks terrified. Everyone else has left the vehicle. “We’ll be a moment,” I tell them, slide in beside her, and close the world out. “You okay?” I ask after the others go inside the chapel.
Her smile is wobbly. “Are you sure you want to marry me?”
There’s pain in her eyes that I don’t want to see. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” My gaze doesn’t leave hers.
“Do you love me, Austin?”
Now I understand the problem. I haven’t said the words, though I’ve tried. Stupid really. Of course she needs to hear them. I take her hand and smooth my other over her cheek. “You’re my sun and moon. You’re the darkness and light. But more than anything, you’re what makes my heart beat. I love you and once you say I do, I’m never letting you go.”
Relief fills her eyes.
“I’m lying.” I say with a small grin. “You don’t need to say ‘I do.’ I’m never letting you go.”
She throws herself forward and buries her face against my suit coat while clenching my arms. “I love you,” she mumbles against my jacket. “I’ll never leave you.”
I’m careful of her hair, which is in some kind of knot with wisps curling around her face, but I need to kiss her. To hell with her makeup. Her taste fills me as she holds on tight and our lips fuck. There’s nothing gentle about the kiss. Hell, there won’t be much gentle in our marriage. This is a good place to start.
“Are you ready?” I ask after releasing her mouth. I use my finger to fix her lipstick and she returns the favor.
“Yes,” she whispers with tears in her eyes.
“Let’s do this so we can go back to the room and celebrate.” She laughs and my worry eases.
The wedding itself is over quickly. Moon has an elaborate dinner delivered to his suite and I impatiently eat while sneaking glances at my wife. No one is fooled and they have no trouble teasing us.
This is all so different. The people with us are what most would call friends. I’ve never had friends or a wife. It’s a good way to start a marriage. Cindy would have loved this. I hope there’s a way she can look down and see it. It’s because of Cindy and Victor that I have Melina in my life. As bad as their deaths make me feel, it’s the reason I’m here today with my wife.
When the alcohol starts flowing, I take Melina’s hand and stand up. “This is our good night. Thank you for being here.”
The women jump up and hug Melina, forcing me to release her hand. The men and I shake. Andreas’ suite is next to ours and he’ll be on sentry duty all night. He takes his job seriously and hasn’t touched alcohol. I seriously doubt Fernandez could have followed us here, but I won’t be stupid with Melina’s safety. We’ll be safer after we’re home and then I’ll be able to relax a bit.
She looks at me when the hugs with the women continue and I grab her hand again and pull her away. “She’s mine now,” I tell them.
The laughter follows us when I pull her from Moon’s room and head to our suite at the end of the hall. Andreas stays back, making sure we enter our room safely. I close the door with a solid thud and secure the locks.
“Turn around slowly again so I can see the back of that fucking dress.”
“Do you like it?” she asks as she slowly spins for my pleasure.
“I’ll like it more when it’s off,” I offer because I want the dress on the floor and Melina naked in my arms.
She laughs and spins around again, stopping so all I see is her back. “It’s secured in the back. Unfasten me and your wishes will come true, I promise.”
There are small buttons at her waist that require finesse. My fingers feel overly large when I try. The smell of her skin is simply too much to resist and I kiss her back and shoulders. She shivers beneath my lips and I smile wickedly. The last button is impossible and my restraint is at an end. With a sudden jerk of the material, a button goes flying and I rip the dress from her shoulders and then completely from her body. “I’ll buy another dress just like this one if you want it but the damn thing won’t survive this night,” I say as I turn her around so I can pull the remainder of the dress off her.
Ivory laced cups secure to her breasts and stop my rush. Perfect breasts with creamy skin that calls to me. She giggles when I lick one soft breast above the lace of the half-bra. She nips my skin when I take too long admiring her chest.
“I want you,” she groans. “I want you to hurt me.”
I look deep into her eyes and it’s there—the excitement, the fear. It’s our wedding night and I want it to be memorable. “Go sit on the bed,” I tell her sternly.
With an apprehensive smile, she does as she’s told. The four poster bed will suit our needs. I slowly remove my cufflinks and tie before removing my shirt. I toe off my shoes and quickly remove my socks, getting a slight smile at my balancing act from Melina. She won’t be smiling in a minute and I allow her time to enjoy the show.
Her expression changes when I tug my belt through the loops and she jumps when I pop it. I’m not smiling. I put my hand out and she takes it. I pull her suddenly up to me and she makes a small noise. “You need to be quiet or security will show up and this might be hard to explain.”
She licks her lips and watches my hand holding the belt. “I’ll try.”
“No,” I tell her. “You’ll stay quiet. Grip the wood.” I turn her and move both her hands to the polished wood. I ease down her panties and leave the bra cups. They fascinate me because they’re strapless and so fucking sexy. My fingers trace her ink from shoulder to ass. “You’re mine,” I tell her. “This will hurt and I won’t stop until I’m satisfied. I’ll fuck you the same way.”
“Yes,” she breathes against the wood. The nervous timbre in her voice sends tendrils of excitement shooting through me.
“You’re mine, Melina. Mine.” The first strike of the belt lands across her ass and she jumps with a small scream. I turn and reach down to my pants pocket and pull out a kerchief that Moon provided. I used it to wipe some of the lipstick from Melina’s mouth after our wedding kiss. I pry her mouth open and jam it inside. The next strike lands a second later on her back thigh, followed by another on her other thigh. I don’t need to worry about damaging the ink now and it feels good to unleash my sexual tension. I have no idea how many times I hit her. She’s whimpering around the cloth in her mouth and her arms are barely supporting her when I stop.
I pry her fingers from the wood and lift her when she slides downward. Her ass is red and must feel like it’s on fire. Wet trails of tears slide down her cheeks and I kiss them away after laying her on the bed and removing the kerchief. There are so many things I want to do to her but first I need a taste.
I back off and spread her legs, moving her ass to the side of the bed so I have better access. She’s limp, but she won’t be for long. I spread her outer lips and watch the wetness glisten on her skin. Moving in, I take her clit between my lips and suck. Pure honey. She moans loudly and I pinch her inner thigh until she places her hand over her mouth. She’s fun to tease. Sex like this has never been my thing but it is with her.
She’s my everything, my heart, my life. I slide two fingers into her warmth and she pushes herself against them. I suck her clit again and her knees press into the sides of my head. Using her juice, I coat one finger and push it into the tight pucker of her ass. Her squeal makes me smile. Another night maybe. After we’re home, she can scream all she wants.
“I want you coming on my mouth,” I tell her.
She shakes her head. “No, inside me.”
“You don’t know the rules yet. You want my cock, come on my mouth.”
“God you’re killing me,” she groans in frustration. She’s looking at me and I flick my tongue out. She pumps herself on my mouth while I slide one finger in her ass and one in her tight heat. Her breathing accelerates and she starts moaning. I allow it because I seriously doubt someone would call in about too much moaning coming from the honeymoon suite. Not that I’ll explain that to her. I like her fighting the impulse to scream. It fucking turns me on.
Her legs lock around my head again, her fingernails digging into my scalp, and she comes in my mouth. Her taste is fucking amazing, and I’ll never have my fill. Before she settles down and while the orgasm is ripping through her body, I flip her over and bury myself inside her.
“Ass up, Melina, it’s my turn,” I groan when she doesn’t lift her knees.
“Don’t stop,” she moans and slides her knees beneath her. I take hold of her hips, pumping in and out. She’s fucking glorious. And she’s mine. My wife, my partner.
She’ll fit perfectly in my world.