“Sonya is at the church, then will move on to the hotel to confirm everything is as it should be. Your dress will be here in a half hour along with Alicia, Bethany, and Chloe, who will all help you get dressed and will get ready here. There is a hair stylist and a makeup artist coming to take care of everyone within the hour. The hair stylist asks you wash and condition, do not dry, just wrap it up in a towel and she’ll take it from there when she gets here. Is there anything else you need?”
Studying the tray, filled with eggs, bacon, and a croissant as well as a small carafe of coffee, I shake my head. Once she’s gone I lie back on the bed and stare at the ceiling, hoping it will give me the answers I need. Am I really going to go through with this? Marry a man who doesn’t love me, has lied to me, and wants me to take him on his terms and his terms alone?
Am I stupid or desperate? This can’t be love. It has to be lust. If I ran far, far away eventually this would fade, right? Only if I ran Dominic would find me. And god I am stupid because as much as I hate him, I don’t want to run. It’s no longer me not having anywhere to go, it’s that I want to stay with him.
I’ll take anything he’s willing to give. He promised he would work on this, on us. If Dominic at fifteen years old could take a crumbling, unsteady business and not just build it back up, but make it better through sheer will, I believe he’ll do whatever it takes for us to succeed.
***
Dominic
I’m standing at the altar refusing to allow the sweat to appear on my forehead the way it wants to. Regina is coming. She has to. I trust her. I believe her. She’s pissed. I get it. She has every right to be. I will make it up to her. Everything I have will be hers; she won’t have to ask. Anything she wants in the world, I’ll give it to her, except the kids and letting her go.
The music begins, I exhale in relief. Pop nudges me. Yes, even though he’s pissed me off, he’s standing up as my best man. Vincent and Enzo round out the groomsmen so it’s even.
“There was no doubt she was coming, mimmo. I told you, she is in love with you. You treat her well and there’s no end to what she will do and put up with. As long as you don’t take her for granted,” Pop whispers in my ear.
My first sight of Regina coming down the aisle, it’s that first time I saw her all over again. Gorgeous, stunning, and she’s mine. A weird twisting happens in my chest. No, it can’t be. I don’t believe in it. It’s this moment, the white dress fitting her to perfection that I’m about to promise before god and everyone that matters in my life I’ll take care of her forever for as long as there is air in my lungs.
It’s normal for emotion to get out of control. It’s not that word, not that emotion. Down that road is nothing more than pain. We can have a good marriage, a happy marriage without it.
Johnny raises her veil, kissing her on her cheek, then gives me her hand. Her hand is cold, trembling. My hand swallows hers entirely, I do my best to temper the squeeze to make it gentle and reassuring. When she returns it with a small smile, the tension in me fades to nothing.
The ceremony takes forever before I’m finally given permission to kiss Regina. It isn’t easy not to give in to the hunger mounting within me. Her eyes open in surprise. “No, sweetness, it’s not the kiss I want to give you. I’ll do that when there aren’t almost four hundred eyes on us.”
A blush washes over her. Damn, she’s so fucking beautiful. Now she’s mine; she knows it, and everyone else knows it too.
***
Regina
Only minutes after we’re announced, Dominic is guiding me toward the back of the enormous ballroom to two women, oh my god. It’s Mother Superior and Sister Giulia. They tell me they are my wedding present from my wonderful husband. Dominic stands by, giving me time with them. It’s the best wedding present I could have ever asked for.
The day passes in a blur. I’m only allowed to dance with Dominic, Tony, and Johnny. Johnny spends the father-and-daughter dance lecturing me on how to be a good wife. Tony spends the two dances telling me how happy and grateful he is. Dominic’s patience is dwindling with every hour. Johnny keeps trying to keep him at the table, Tony teases him, urging him to stay for another toast. Finally, with a growl, Dominic just picks me up and walks me out of the ballroom.
I bury my face in his neck, embarrassed at the cheers that go up around us. “I can’t believe you,” I mutter as the electricity is back as strong as ever, searing through every cell in my body at being back in his arms.
“You believe, two weeks is too damn long. Another hour was too damn long.” He looks at the elevator attendant and gives him our floor. The man presses the button with a smile.
I’m too embarrassed to remove my face from Dominic’s neck. He smells so good. I love the way he’s carrying me as if I weigh nothing, the growly way he’s acting as if he can’t wait for me. Then it’s happening: we’re in the suite, Dominic moves so fast I barely have time to take it all in before we’re in the bedroom.
Slowly, he lowers my legs to the floor. “You are so beautiful. It was hell to hold you close without touching you the way I wanted to.”
I get lost in turbulent blue. “You even got me a tiara. Please tell me it’s fake and didn’t really need a security guard to deliver it?”
Dominic simply smiles as he takes off the delicate gold and diamond tiara stunning in its simplicity, secured with a dozen bobby pins. “A queen needs her crown.”
He sets it on the dresser across the room then he’s behind me, his nimble fingers making quick work of the buttons, then the zipper of the dress. A press of his lips to the back of my neck has me shivering. This time, the shock is so strong it verges on pain.
The beautiful dress falls to the floor; he picks me up again, then lays me down on the bed. It’s hard to get air in my lungs at the way he doesn’t take his eyes off me as he undresses. He moves much faster on his own clothes, until he’s standing only in black silk boxers.
One knee goes down on the bed at my side. I tremble as his eyes darken with pleasure as he unclips the white silk stockings, then rolls them down my legs, taking his time to run his fingertips down the skin of my legs. Before I can blink he’s removed the garter belt, leaving me in my white lace bra and panties. The bra’s catch is between my breasts. With a simple flick of his wrists the bra is open, yet he doesn’t remove it, allowing it to lay against my skin. My panties don’t receive the same treatment. A finger hooks at each hip, then he whips them off me with a speed that has me shivering all over again.
Closing his eyes, his breath shudders out of him. He is beautiful. Even with the scar from the gunshot he is a work of art, from the tattoos etched into him in Latin across his heart, then above each hip. A fine layer of hair covers his chest, yet it’s not so thick it hides the way muscle and sinew flex beneath glowing caramel skin. The need to touch him is building until I’m desperate for him.
His eyes open and oh god, all the air flees my body. It can’t be, I don’t believe it. I reach out to touch him, then he blinks, shaking his head. This time when he opens them, it’s gone. I fight the tears at the loss—oh, his mouth is on mine. Savage, hungry, delving deep, demanding everything from me, my fucking soul. I deny him nothing, give him everything I am.
My lungs are screaming for air, yet when Dominic tears his mouth from mine I gasp in agony from the loss of him. Fingers stroke over the skin of my cheek. “I’m going