Chapter Nineteen

Luca

I couldn’t believe it. Roxie was mine. This time, we weren’t trying to trick or please anyone else. This time, our relationship didn’t have an expiration date. This was real. Roxie wanted us to go back to her apartment and celebrate our reunion, but quickly realized it was already occupied – by her best friend. And although I liked Thea, quite a bit, I didn’t need an audience for what I planned on doing to Roxie that night. So, by the time Branson returned us to shore, I had arranged a luxury penthouse suite for Thea at one of our nearby hotels. Connections.

Once we walked into Roxie’s apartment and were completely alone, I couldn’t wait any longer. I bent down, and her lips parted to allow me to explore her in the same way I had dreamed of every night since the wedding. I longed for her. I ached for her like I had never ached before, and based on her reaction to my touch, she felt the same.

Roxie pulled on my shirt from both sides, desperate to get it off me. I ducked my head, so she could pull it off, exposing my chest to the cool air of the room. It did little to tame the heat I felt between us, which only roared hotter as Roxie removed her own shirt. Her luscious breasts spilled out, and I hungrily grabbed one, massaging it gently, while taking the other into my mouth. My tongue swirled over her taut nipple, and I sucked hard enough to elicit a small gasp before switching sides and lavishing the same attention on the other. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest as I pulled her closer to me and began to kiss up from her breasts until I reached her neck.

The warmth of her skin on mine was decadent, and the hardness of her nipples against my muscles only intensified my arousal. I knew that my engorged cock could only wait so long before it would begin to strain painfully against the front of my jeans. Roxie mirrored my desire as her hands greedily caressed my skin, like she wanted to touch everything at once, yet savor each inch of me. One hand slipped low and brushed against my bulge. I moaned into her ear, emboldening her.

We fell back onto the couch, and I kissed her salty, tear-stained cheeks as I slowly moved my lips down her neck and onto her collarbone, savoring every hitched breath and movement she made beneath me. I wanted to cherish this moment after waiting so long, even if it was torture doing so. Roxie tugged her pants off her body, exposing her cute black panties to me.

She took her panties off and reached for me, her eyes pleading and her voice barely above a whisper.

"Please," she said, "I need you inside of me."

I could play games and tease her mercilessly another night. I had the rest of my life. Right now, I wanted to be inside her as much as she needed me to be. Roxie sat up and reached for my waistband, pulling my trunks down and revealing my full length to her. Grabbing the base of my shaft with one hand, she hungrily met my lips and spread her legs to wrap around me. Suddenly I remembered the condoms in my overnight bag. They had sat there, unused, tucked inside the closet since the wedding weekend.

"Wait," I said, and a look of sadness swept across Roxie's face. "Just a second. One second."

I rolled off the couch, kicking my boxers to the side as I did. I rushed to my bag and found the golden wrapper inside. I ripped open the package and turned to Roxie. I was hungry to give myself to her and take all that she offered me, but I noticed the couch was empty. I noticed an open door down the hallway and heard her call to me from inside. My erection pulsed, growing harder and thicker in anticipation of what we were about to do.

"Roxie?" I called out.

"In here," she called.

As I opened the door, I could see her lying on the bed, beckoning for me to come closer with one hand while using the other to touch herself.

I rolled the condom down my cock and crossed over to the bed. I climbed up on the bed and kissed her with all the passion I felt for her. She grasped my shaft firmly and pulled it closer to her wet center. I could feel the heat and wetness radiating from her pussy, and I couldn't wait one second longer to be inside of her.

A small scream escaped her lips as I plunged into her. I filled her completely, pushing her to the boundary between pain and pleasure. I withdrew slightly and thrust into her again, this time even deeper. Sounds of ecstasy poured from her, making me surge forward again.

I picked up my speed and felt Roxie wrap her legs around my waist, opening herself further to me. I reached up and grabbed one of her now bouncing breasts in my hand, wanting to touch her as much as possible. She kissed my neck and shoulders, and I propped myself up on one elbow to give us more leverage. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to focus on the rhythm and the experience that was filling our souls as much as our bodies.

After a while, Roxie sat up and put her hands on my chest to lay me down. I rolled onto my back and felt her settle onto my hips, straddling me on her knees. As she sank down onto me, I was treated to a view so unbelievably erotic it sent my arousal spiraling to an intense new level. She rocked her hips firmly but slowly, guiding my hands to cup her breasts. I grasped them eagerly, relishing the feeling of them rising and falling as she rode my cock. She bounced up and down even harder and faster than before, seeking as much intensity as possible. I reached one hand up to her mouth and slipped my thumb between her lips. She sucked it eagerly as she continued riding me, mimicking her speed on my cock with her mouth. I knew she was close. My thumb slipped out of her mouth and she moaned loudly. I grasped one of her legs in one hand, using the other to press the thumb she had sucked to her clit. The rocking of her hips caused my thumb to caress her in perfect rhythm, and I lost myself in watching her enjoying herself with such abandon.

Our sounds of pleasure filled the room as I felt the pressure in my body building toward orgasm. I could feel Roxie’s pussy throbbing around me as her legs began to tremble. She tossed her head back and let out a scream that I matched with a roar as our climaxes crashed over us. Roxie collapsed on top of me, her beautiful blonde hair falling in front of my eyes, causing me to feel completely surrounded by her as she continued to shake against the waves of her release.

She slowly climbed off me and curled into my arms. I threw away the condom then pulled a blanket from the end of the bed up over us, so nothing would interrupt our warm, satisfied embrace, and kissed her reddened lips. I whispered that I loved her one last time before letting out a contented sigh and falling asleep.

*********

Three months later...

I awoke to the smell of French toast and lazily opened one eye. I knew I could go back to sleep again, but didn't want to. The only reason I had to stay in bed was Roxie, and she wasn’t beside me. I picked up my cell phone to check the time before reluctantly sitting up. I could hear Roxie going about her morning routine. It was a sound to which I had happily become accustomed.

I stood and stretched my back as I looked out the large bay windows at the rolling, picturesque countryside below. It almost didn't seem real, as if someone had taken a painting and glued it to the other side of the window so we were unable to see the actual landscape beyond.

The first morning we woke up together in her apartment, a mass of indulged limbs and repaired hearts, Roxie called her office and asked for a leave of absence. I knew she felt strongly about the projects served by the nonprofit, but didn't feel fulfilled by the work. While she enjoyed designing fundraisers for worthy causes, she knew she could do more with the wealth I had, without working 50+ hours a week.

I knew I could offer her a better life.

As soon as the organization granted her leave of absence, she called Terri. After letting her know she likely wouldn't be back, she offered to put in a recommendation for Terri to take her place. Though her official role within the organization was a receptionist, Terri was brilliant at coming up with ideas for fundraisers, interacting with potential investors, and offering insight for the various projects that were always underway. Terri would be the ideal fit to replace her.

We spent the next few days holed up in her apartment doing our best to make up for lost time. When we were taking breaks from fucking in her bed, on the floor, and anywhere else I could get my hands on her, we talked about the future we wanted to build together. We decided to take the stories we had told about our fake relationship, and turn them into an adventure for our real one.

Over the last few months, I showed her many of the properties my family owned all over the world. Some I hadn't visited in many years, but even those I was familiar with felt new and thrilling with her by my side. This one, in particular, had quickly become one of our favorites and I knew that Roxie and I would be spending a lot of time here together in the future. The modest-looking cottage at the top of a secluded hillside in southwest Scotland had been in our family since before I was born. I had remembered summering here as a child once and being frightened by how distanced I felt from everyone and everything. Now I relished in the decadent solitude it gave us.

The area was so secluded we were the only people around for miles. I didn’t mind. I yawned, pulling a thick wool cardigan over my naked chest as I stood in front of the window, thinking through my plan again. I knew it was early. It had only been a little over three months since we committed ourselves to this relationship, but I didn't want to wait any longer. I didn't see a reason to waste any more time than we already had. The last few days, I had been making secret phone calls to Roxie's family, her father in particular. I wanted to be honest with him, to tell him everything and start over with him as well.

And I wanted him to know I was going to marry his daughter.

Of course, they were confused at first. It took several phone calls and a brief visit to Maple Grove between destinations for them to warm up to me again. I knew it might take them some time to deal with their shock about our relationship, and about my family's wealth – which I had decided I wasn't going to hide any longer. For now, though, they were happy to see Roxie happy, and that was something we could all agree on.

I ventured out of the bedroom and followed the intoxicating smell of Roxie's favorite coffee. She wasn't in the kitchen, but I heard the shower running and realized that Roxie was taking advantage of one of the many neat quirks my family had added in during renovations to the cottage over the years. They had managed to preserve most of the original personality of the historic building, while integrating a few extra luxuries and details, such as the huge, walk-in shower that backed up to a wall of windows, allowing us to bathe in the sunshine. The mere thought of Roxie covered in soap suds, touching herself while water poured over her sexy curves, was enough to wake me up. Foregoing my own coffee, I headed directly toward the shower.

As I reached the bathroom that housed the over-sized shower, I could see Roxie under the water. The door was wide open, and her back was turned to me. I paused for a moment, admiring her beautiful body. She was nothing short of lush, curvy perfection, and the mix of water and sunlight created a glow around her reminiscent of a Renaissance painting. She was exquisite.

"Room for one more?" I asked, stepping up to the shower.

Roxie jumped slightly before turning around to face me, her smile spreading quickly as her eyes cut playfully at me.

"Haven't had enough yet?"

I laughed at the audacity of her question before slipping under the water and wrapping an arm around her waist to bring her close to me.

"Never."

We kissed as the water rained down on both of us. She ran her hand over my body and wrapped her palm around my already stiff cock, milking me for a moment before letting go.

I was disappointed at the briefness of her attention until I saw her reach for the soap and begin to work a lather into her hands. Slowly, she worked the lather over my body, and I relished her touch. I would never get enough of her. Her touch had become familiar, but still electrifying. The confidence she had now as she let her hands wander along my body gave each touch a deeper, richer effect. Each exploration resulted in new levels of pleasure. She began to stroke me again, this time working the lather around me, as she kept her lips pressed to my chest. As the soap ran down my leg, Roxie moved her lips further down. She licked my abdomen, continuing to stroke me as I steadied myself against the wall.

I let my head fall back as I prepared myself for her touch. She kissed the tip of my cock, licking away the water droplets of the shower, along with the precum that had begun to build there. She took her time, caressing my cock with her tongue before sliding it into her mouth. She closed her mouth tighter around me and I felt delicious wetness and heat on every inch. As she continued to massage me and grasp the base with her free hand, I rocked my hips, sliding in and out of her mouth in tight thrusts.

I looked down to watch her as she lavished me with intimate, selfless attention. She looked up at me and a slight grin swept across her face as our eyes met. I could tell she knew what was running through my mind. Her pace increased, and I felt myself lose all control as I came, my seed spilling out with tremendous force. She moaned softly, slowing her pace and squeezing my shaft with her mouth as she swallowed luxuriously and cleaned me with her lips and tongue.

When I regained strength in my legs again, I lifted her gently as she kissed her way up my chest. I met her lips with mine briefly before I worked my way down her luscious curves. I paid special attention to her hard, pink nipples as I made my way down, twirling my tongue and sucking on them until she was moaning feverishly against me. But that wasn’t enough. I needed more – I needed her to come for me. I bent my head down further, deeply inhaling the scent of her sweet pussy, ready to taste her.

I traced her pink lips with my tongue patiently, wanting to lavish her with the same affection she had shown me. Sliding my tongue out fully, I licked her clit in a long, gentle motion. I felt her tremble as I focused my attention on her clit, the water drowning any sounds escaping her lips. I allowed a finger to slide inside of her and I felt Roxie gasp. I continued to circle my tongue around her pearl as my finger began to massage her inner walls.

Roxie dug her fingers into my hair as her hips raised to meet me. I increased my speed gradually until she cried out loud enough that I could hear her over the water cascading around us.

"Faster," she panted.

I complied, bringing her to the edge of ecstasy and then allowing her to topple over. She was still shaking from her orgasm as I stood and kissed her lips, and she wrapped her arms around my neck to keep me from moving too far away. She didn’t have to worry. I had no intention of going anywhere. Not then. Not ever.

"I love you," she whispered against my lips.

Will I ever get tired of hearing that?

I lowered her leg down and swept her into my arms, cradling her close and nestling my lips against her ear.

"I love you."

We stayed in the shower, bathing each other and laughing together, until the water finally turned cold. By the time we had climbed out and gotten dressed, clouds had rolled in, and the crash of thunder welcomed in a heavy rainstorm. The rain drew away the warmth, so I started a fire in the fireplace of the living room. We curled up together, wrapped in a blanket, and watched the flames dance until we drifted off in each other's arms.

I wasn't sure what our next adventure would be. We might stay here another few days or we might wake up in the morning and find that we were ready to leave. Whatever it was, though, all that mattered was Roxie would be by my side. When I found her, I had also found myself. I couldn’t wait to see what we would discover together.

Roxie

Six months later…

I swear to God if he pokes me in the rib again, I am going to dump popcorn on his head

For what must have been at least the tenth time, Luca jabbed me in the ribs to wake me up, and I stopped feeling guilty about falling asleep. This had been the perfect date when we first arrived. Luca had obviously put a tremendous amount of thought into it and had surprised me on a night I thought we were going to spend at home. He was full of surprises. No matter how many incredible adventures he took me on or how many sweet, little ways he showed his love every day, I was still amazed by him. There were still moments I had to convince myself that not only was this gorgeous, attentive, and romantic man real, but he loved me.

This date had truly taken my breath away. We both knew it was our shared love of movies that first brought us together, and we tried to carve out time every week to watch at least one or two together. Usually we were curled up on the couch in the spectacular penthouse apartment we now shared in the city, or a bed if we were at a hotel or one of his family’s properties. This time, however, Luca brought me to a gorgeous vintage theater in the heart of Brooklyn that he had rented out for the evening. When I walked in, I found the concession stand filled with all the snacks we had eaten together on that first movie night. It reminded me of that night and the first time we made love.

The theater was beyond breathtaking and it was incredible to see it completely empty, just the two of us, and one staff member at concessions, while we marathoned our favorite movies. I was exhausted after an impulsive, but fun, weekend trip to Bangkok, helping Terri at the old office, and meeting with Luca's parents to discuss some of the initiatives I had been working on. And now at the ending of the second movie in a row, I was very sleepy. I had curled up against Luca just like I always did when we were at home watching movies.

Then the poking started.

Every time I dozed off, he poked me, and I had rapidly lost my patience with the situation. I loved this man deeply, but he was seriously driving me up a wall. I didn't understand it. He was never this serious when we were just relaxing together and watching movies at home. I didn't think anything was bothering him. He seemed perfectly content, except when he was prodding me awake.

"I figured if I kept you hopped up on gummy bears and cherry soda, you would at least be able to make it to the end of Ghostbusters 2," Luca said, a cheesy smile on his face.

He was teasing me, and even though I had contemplated pouring movie theater popcorn over his head moments before, that smile completely erased those thoughts. Well, almost completely.

"Babe, you know how much I love this movie. However, I am starting to believe you might have a thing for the Statue of Liberty. Should I be concerned? Should I maybe invest in some green body paint and a toga for Halloween?"

"Name another movie where Lady Liberty comes to life and wipes out all the ghosts in New York. They don't exist. This is only the finest of cinema."

He laughed, and I melted a little further into his arms. His playfulness and sense of humor were two of the things I adored the most about him. But it didn’t change the fact that I was fairly certain by the time the pink goo tried to eat the baby in the bathtub, no amount of his nudging was going to be enough to wake me up.

"Even if I am able to stay awake until the scourge of Carpathia is gone, I'm positive that there is absolutely no way that I can make it through Rocky II."

"That's fine."

I gave him a look and he laughed again.

"You need to work on that again. You had gotten so much better."

"I'm tired. Being tired makes me grumpy."

"I just wanted to get to this specific part. Right about… here."

"The ending? That is definitely a specific part to want to get to in a movie. Kind of predictable in that regard, but I love you and you have a really cute butt, so I’ll let you get away with it."

As the film began to roll its credits, and the song that made the Lady Liberty move boomed from the theater speakers, Luca stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and stood up clumsily. I was about to apologize for cutting our date night short but stopped short when I saw Luca lower down to one knee in the aisle. Butterflies burst into flight throughout my stomach.

"Roxie, I knew there was something incredible about you the moment I met you, and you prove that more and more each day. It was when we were watching this movie, when I heard this song, that I knew I was falling in love with you."

I made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a gasp for breath. Luca opened the lid of the box in his hand, and my hand flew up to cover my mouth. The ring nestled inside the box sparkled brilliantly even in the dim light of the theater, and the exquisitely cut stone had a shape that was unique but timelessly gorgeous. I knew so much effort must have gone into the creation of that ring. That was Luca. He gave all of himself to what he was doing, and I knew that choosing this ring for me was no different.

"I want to keep lifting higher and higher with you forever, Roxanna Delano. Will you marry me?"

There was no speech, nothing dramatic. There didn't need to be. We were past that. I didn't need him to be poetic. I didn't need anything more than what I had right in this moment. There was so much more to that question than just those four little words. The sexy caramel eyes I never wanted to stop staring into told me more than his lips ever could.

My fingertips were tingling, and I felt hot and cold at the same time. I couldn't speak, but I didn't want him to think I didn’t want to answer him, so I just nodded enthusiastically. Somewhere in my mind, I was positive I was asleep on his arm and that everything happening was a dream. I had been longing for this, but I knew we had time, that there was no need to rush. We had talked about our future together, but he had never mentioned getting married. It was an unspoken promise. Now it was here, and it seemed almost too magical to be real.

"Yes."

The single word finally fell from my lips, just a simple as the question, but just as filled with meaning. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him with all the love and passion I felt for him as Luca jumped up and gathered me against him. I wanted to stay in that moment forever, to be this deliriously happy for the rest of my life. I suddenly had so much energy, I felt like I could run all the way back to Maple Grove and announce the engagement myself in the town square.

Doing it.

Probably not the running part.

Definitely the announcement in the town square part.

For the next six months, Luca and I traveled the world together, completely enraptured with each other, inseparable. Now that he had stopped separating himself from his family's prominence, he had taken on more responsibilities, committing himself to being more involved in the business, as well as the various philanthropic causes his family and I were devoted to. While it was incredible to see how much he could offer, and the extraordinary way he was able to make things happen, it sometimes meant he had to travel. And due to my own obligations, I couldn't always go with him. That didn't stop us from reminding each other how much love there was between us. We left each other little notes in our cars, luggage, and all over the apartment we shared. We FaceTimed each other for hours on end. A few times, Luca even flew me to him in his private jet or would fly it home himself to spend just one night with me.

I still hated when we were apart and I always hoped that things would settle down and become easier. Until then, I was committed to supporting him and ensuring that he knew how much I loved him every day. But now we were getting married. It might not stop how often we had to be apart, but it would change the way we felt. Luca was everything I could have ever wanted in a partner, and our love had healed me in ways I didn’t know were possible.

Now I needed to tell Thea and Terri to get ready for a wedding.

I needed them both beside me on my big day.

Matron of honor for the one who had always been by my side, and who was responsible for getting us back together.

Maid of honor for the one who kept me going when everything was new and unsure, and whose brother had let me meet Luca by winning a bet.