42. SOFIA
42
SOFIA
“ I can’t thank you enough, Eleanor,” I said to my new mother-in-law.
“Oh, please, call me Mom,” she said with a smile. “And there’s nothing to thank me for! I would give everything for every one of my children. And now, that includes you.” She cupped my cheek, her hand warm and her smile warmer.
Her chestnut hair, streaked with gray, was pinned back neatly, and she wore a light pink dress suit and nude shoes. She looked classy and polished.
I blushed.
“Thank you, Mom.” It felt strange to say it, but I would get used to it. “And thanks to you, too,” I said, turning to Charlotte. She was dressed in one of the wine-colored bridesmaid’s dresses and her hair had been braided with roses and diamonds, like all the others.
“Of course!” she cried out. “I’ve always wanted a sister.”
I laughed when she smiled at me. That was right—she was my sister now.
Someone brought a toddler to her.
“Oh, here he is,” Charlotte said, scooping up the toddler and nuzzling his neck. He kicked his little legs and giggled.
“Hello, cutie,” I said and squeezed Tommy’s hand. His mom ruffled his blond hair, and he turned his blue eyes to me. Those were Alex’s eyes. He was the perfect combination of his mother and his father.
I was so relieved that Charlotte was a mother. I could talk to her about my fears, and when I needed help, I could call her. She’d already told me she would be there for me, no matter what.
Ben arrived at my side and brought me a glass of alcohol-free wine. He kissed my cheek.
“How are you feeling?” His eyes searched my face. “Everything okay?”
“I’m perfect,” I said with a smile. “Thank you for this.”
“Of course.” He pulled me closer. “The guys are really having a good time.” He glanced toward the open bar, where the men were all drinking, cheering, laughing.
“And you?” I asked.
“I’m having a great time,” he said with a grin. “But I can’t wait to be alone with you later.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “Have I told you how beautiful you look in this dress?”
“You have.” I giggled, caught up in our own world again where no one else existed.
“It’s a stunning dress,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“It will look fantastic on my floor,” he murmured.
I giggled, blushing bright red and heat washed over my body.
“I think we should test your theory,” I breathed.
Ben kissed me, his lips locking on mine, and when he broke the kiss, I was breathless.
“Get a room, you two.” Charlotte laughed.
“We plan to,” Ben said with a cheeky grin before he kissed me on the cheek again, squeezed my hand, and left me with the girls to join the guys again.
“He’s so head over heels in love with you, it’s insane,” Charlotte said.
Amy joined us, a glass of wine in her hand, and Elena followed suit.
“Who?” she asked.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Ben, obviously.”
“God, he’s crazy about you,” Amy said. “I’ve never seen him like this. And to just propose and get married like that? Ben doesn’t do impulse like that, you know.”
“So I hear.” I laughed. “Everyone tells me he’s so different with me, but I just know one side of him.”
“That’s because you bring out the best in him,” Charlotte said.
“And the same goes for you,” Elena said.
“You think so?”
“Of course. He brings out the best in you, too. You’re so much calmer around him, more relaxed. You’ve always been so uptight, and Ben really makes you look like he lets you breathe.”
I thought about it and smiled. That was exactly how I felt when I was around him, too I hadn’t known that it was so obvious. But the best thing that could happen between two people was that they brought the best out in each other.
The rest of the reception was beautiful. The food was divine.
Foie Gras with fig compote, filet mignon with red-wine demi-glace, grilled asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, wild mushroom risotto. And for dessert there was a selection—chocolate lava cake and raspberry coulis, a macaron tower, and a crème br?lée trio.
We cut the cake together—a majestic, tiered cake with sugar flowers and a perfect tiny replica of me and Ben on top facing each other, lost in our own world as we always were.
Everything was so incredible, I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.
But it was all real, and this was my life now. Where people cared, people made an effort, and no one asked anything of me that I wasn’t ready to give.
The party was still in full swing, with the dance floor full and the dessert table raided when Ben came to me.
“Are you ready to go?” he murmured in my ear, his hot breath making goose bumps break out on my arms.
“I am.” I nodded.
He smiled at me, kissing me quickly.
When we announced our departure, the party stopped, and we said our goodbyes before the guests continued on. They would probably party into the night, my mom keeping a watchful eye over the wedding of the century, but we were going to Ben’s place to spend the night before we left on our honeymoon in the morning.
“That was incredible,” I sighed when we sat in the back of the car that took us to Ben’s apartment. Our apartment, after this.
“My mom really pulled out all the stops. I told you, this is her forte.”
“You weren’t kidding. But your whole family is so nice and made such an effort. Even with my family… it means a lot.”
Ben leaned in. “They’re your family, and now they’re my family too. They’ll be treated with just as much respect and lavishness as you’ll be treated.”
I smiled and planted a kiss on Ben’s lips. “You spoil me rotten.”
“And it’s just the start, sweetheart.” We kissed again, and our kiss deepened. He pulled me closer, and I wrapped my arm around his neck. His hand slid onto my breast, the heat of him bleeding through the material and filling me, heart and soul.
My body responded to him, and an ache grew at my core.
I wanted him inside me, to claim me as his own. I wanted to consummate what we’d done today—becoming husband and wife.
When we stopped in front of the apartment building, Ben took my hand, and we walked in together. Everyone cheered and waved, and we laughed at how happy they were for us. It was beautiful, and we were surrounded by so much happiness.
We arrived in the penthouse hallway, and Ben unlocked the door, but he picked me up before I could step through.
“Welcome home, babe.” He put me down again and kissed me. His hands went to the back of my dress, fumbling with the buttons.
“Fuck, there are a lot of them,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s the fashion, you know.”
“A hundred buttons? Is it to make us work for it?”
“There’s a zipper.” I laughed and lifted my arm. The buttons on the back were just for show.
“Thank God,” Ben said, and he kissed me again, slowly sliding the zipper down.
The dress peeled away from my body, revealing the lacy bra and panties—all white—that I wore underneath.
I stepped out of the dress, and Ben’s tongue slipped into my mouth. He grinded his erection against me.
“Wait,” I said and broke the kiss, pulling away from him. I stepped out of the high heels and picked up the dress, carefully draping it over the back of the couch. “This isn’t something we can just leave lying around.”
Ben chuckled.
I took his hand and led him to the bedroom. He’d already gotten rid of his jacket and bow tie.
In the bedroom, I turned to him and kissed him again, standing on my toes now that I wasn’t wearing my shoes to reach his lips that easily.
My fingers found his buttons, and slowly, I undid them, revealing his chiseled chest.
I pulled the shirt out of his pants and pushed it over his shoulders.
Ben helped me by shrugging out of it.
When I slowly dragged my nails over his abs—careful not to hurt him—his muscles bunched, and he was a dream to look at. He stared down at me with hunger in his eyes.
I sank onto my knees and undid his belt, pulled down his zipper, and then tugged his pants over his hips. I pulled his erection out of his jocks, and Ben sucked his breath through his teeth when I wrapped my fingers around his shaft.
I looked up at him while I pumped my hand up and down.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he said, running his fingers along my jaw.
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I leaned forward and sucked his cock into my mouth. He groaned, his eyes rolling backward and then shut, and I leaned in, taking more and more of him into my mouth. I slid him into my mouth until he pressed against the back of my throat. I took a deep breath, taking in his scent, and heat pooled between my legs.
I moved back and forth, stroking him in and out of my mouth.
He groaned louder.
I slid off his shaft so that I was only wrapped around the tip, and I swirled my tongue around his head.
“Fuck, Sofia, you’ll be the end of me,” Ben groaned.
I smiled and reached for his balls, cupping them in my hand. Slowly, I massaged them while licking and sucking his tip, making him want more. I was teasing him. I wanted him to burn for me, but I didn’t want him to have his release.
Not yet.
“Sofia,” Ben growled, and he pulled out of my mouth. He pulled me up and kissed me hard before he moved me toward the bed. When I was on the bed, he kicked off his pants and jocks so that he was naked. He crawled onto me, planting kisses on my body as he made his way up to my lips.
I loved how much he loved my body, how he treated it like a gift that was meant to be savored and treasured.
I pulled him toward me and kissed him hard. My hands moved over his back and down his ass. He grinded against my crotch, and the friction through the lace panties was fantastic. He tugged one cup of my bra down and rolled my pebbled between his fingers. I moaned, his attention spreading through my body.
I arched my back and undid my bra, pulling it off so that my breasts were exposed, and Ben didn’t waste any time.
He massaged one breast while he sucked on the other nipple, and I moaned as it sent pulses of electricity straight to my pussy, making me throb and ache for more.
“Ben,” I gasped.
He kept his mouth on my nipple, not letting up his licking and sucking, but he slid his other hand down my body and between my legs. He pressed his fingers against my clit through the lace, and I cried out when he rubbed it in circles, the rough material driving me crazy.
“You’re so wet,” Ben mumbled against my breast. “So ready for me.”
“Please,” I begged. “I need you, Ben.”
He smirked and moved down, planting kisses on my stomach and on my thighs. He lifted my legs, pulling off my panties before spreading them, and pressed his tongue against my clit. He swirled his tongue around and licked me, and I moaned, bucking against him. His tongue moved from my clit and down to my entrance, and he pushed his tongue into me. I cried out, pushing my fingers into his hair, making a fist to tug him closer, deeper into me.
“You taste so good,” Ben growled.
I whimpered and grabbed the sheets with my other hand, writhing as Ben licked and sucked until I couldn’t think straight, melting on the bed into a puddle of need. Ben was so fucking good with his mouth.
“Oh, Ben,” I moaned.
“Come for me, babe,” Ben mumbled, his voice muffled by my body, but the vibrations sent pulses through me, bringing me closer and closer to the edge.
My orgasm was right there, building and building. It was a slow wave but a powerful one, and Ben knew exactly what he was doing to keep it going, drawing it out.
I bucked and cried out, arching my back, and Ben pushed his tongue into me again, swirling it around, and I came undone. The wave broke, and it crashed over me, drowning me in an ocean of pleasure.
When I was done, I lay panting on the bed.
“Now that you’ve had your appetizer,” Ben said, grinning, “time for the main course.”
He moved over my body, his weight pinning me down, and I moaned. He pressed his tip against my entrance, and I held my breath in anticipation. When he slid into me, I cried out. He was so big, so thick, and the sensation was incredible. I would never get used to the size of him. Ben stretched me open, and the pressure was exactly what I craved.
He slid in and out of me, starting off slowly, and I moaned. The way he filled me was perfect, just how it should have been, and he fit against me like we were made for each other. I’d never believed in fairy tales, but with Ben, I was pretty sure I was in one.
Ben had started off slow, but he gained speed, bucking his hips harder and faster as he pounded into me.
I dug my fingers into his shoulders, holding on as he rode me, and the heat that stretched thin between us consumed me. His eyes were locked on mine all the time, and he planted kisses on my lips every now and then. His face was riddled with pleasure and concentration and he was so attractive.
I couldn’t believe this was it. He was mine.
Ben was my husband, to have and to hold forever.
Another orgasm started building. I would have thought I was exhausted after the first one, but apparently not. My body hummed and responded to Ben, growing with every thrust, and it filled me like a cup with warm water, more and more, until I spilled over.
Pleasure burst through my body, starting from where Ben was still pounding into me and spreading in waves. Ben groaned, and I knew he was right behind me. He grunted as he came, slowing down, and we rode our orgasms together.
When he was done, he stayed inside me, his breathing as ragged as mine, his eyes fixed on me.
Ben kissed me, long and sweet. He was still inside me, his body on mine and our skin slick with our sweat, but we were melded together as one, and I didn’t want him to move.
His tongue explored my mouth, and we made out for a while until he slipped out of me.
Ben rolled off me, but he didn’t go anywhere. He pulled me tightly against him, his arm around my shoulders, and my head found that spot on his shoulder that had been carved just for me.
“I love you, Sofia,” he said.
“I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”
He stroked his hand through my hair, and I closed my eyes.
This was what happiness felt like. This was what it meant to be one half of a whole, to have the person who completed you by your side.
Being able to do it alone was a feat. Not needing someone had always been the goal.
But the truth was that being with Ben was better than that. Besides, I didn’t need him.
I wanted him.
And that changed everything.