Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
PRIEST
“ Y ou called the family meeting, Pa. Speak,” I said, gritting my teeth while my eyes were locked on Aisling.
It wasn’t often that my papà demanded a family meeting, but when he did, there was no denying him. So here we all were, piled up in the office on my fucking honeymoon .
I sat behind my desk, Papà and Aisling on the sofa, twin frowns on their faces, and Juliette sat stiffly in the chair with a staunch-looking Dante at her back.
“I’ve never sat in on a family meeting like this,” Ivy remarked nervously. She was propped on the edge of my desk, her legs crossed and her bottom lip between her teeth. “Does this happen when someone’s in trouble?”
“No, not necessarily,” my papà answered. “But we need to address some recent hostilities.”
I glared at him, then turned my eyes on Aisling. Ever since that woman had barged back into his life, he’d been getting increasingly involved. I liked him better when he was checked out of family affairs and out of my business.
“Let me guess. Mother dearest can’t handle the DiLustro family dynamic.” You’d be hard-pressed to miss the sarcasm in my voice. My papà clenched his teeth so hard I could hear his molars grinding. He glared at me while I feigned nonchalance. “But pardon me, you called the meeting, so please tell us what’s troubling you.”
“Watch it, son,” he snapped.
“Okay, let’s cool it, everyone,” Dante cut in, trying to be the peacekeeper.
I leaned back in my seat, placing one hand around my wife’s ankle. It was strange, but touching her always soothed me.
“I’m cool,” I said, flicking a glance at Ivy. “You good, angel?”
She glanced between us, obviously not sure where any of this was heading. Her slim, pale neck shifted as she swallowed.
“Yeah, I’m good, thank you.” She laughed, but it came out awkward.
“Good. Then, Dante and Christian, it’s high time we addressed the elephant in the room,” Papà insisted.
“We can’t keep avoiding each other,” Aisling pleaded, her voice brittle and her eyes falling downward. “Please. Whatever I need to do, just tell me.”
“Well, that’s easy.” For a moment, Aisling’s eyes flickered with hope, but I quickly extinguished it. “Stop trying. Stop coming around here at all, actually.”
Aisling’s gasp filled the room, and I felt Ivy’s body tense. It took no time at all for Aisling’s sniffles to start and crocodile tears to stream down her porcelain face.
Fuck her. Fuck my papà.
I really wasn’t in the mood for family drama.
I was getting ready to scoop Ivy up and get out of here when my papà’s booming voice stopped me.
“Enough!” His face turned red, his hand flexing on Aisling’s shoulder. “We cannot go on as a family. Not like this.”
“You can’t force people to get along,” Juliette said, her voice trembling.
“But I gave birth to him,” Aisling protested, her voice cracking. “My heart already broke once, and now he’s breaking it every time he treats me like a stranger.”
More tears streamed down her face. Maybe I should feel something, but I didn’t. Absolutely nothing. Although, judging by Ivy’s trembling lip, Aisling was getting to her. That alone showed how manipulative she’d become.
“Why do you both hate me so much?” Aisling cried.
I stared at her while Dante watched her, his brows bent.
“Hate is a strong word,” he remarked, clearly not comfortable with her show of emotion.
“I feel it,” she protested. “You both hate me, but?—”
She didn’t finish her sentence, her eyes darting to our papà, and he finished for her. “But we think family therapy might be in order.”
“Fuck that,” I scoffed, standing up. “Ivy and I are leaving. In case it’s not clear, we’re not interested.”
I threw one last glare at Aisling before ushering my wife out of this joke of a family gathering.
Thirty minutes I’d never get back.
I dragged her down the hallway and pulled her into our cabin, my muscles taut and the need to possess her clawing at me. I pinned Ivy against the door the moment it shut behind us. Tension in my shoulders still lingered, and it didn’t take much to realize that I was quickly exchanging my old coping methods for a new one. We’d had a sex marathon, ensuring we christened every corner of this yacht in every position. I liked to take her from behind, sometimes with her all on fours, sometimes kneeling with my hands on her breasts. She loved it in any way, but I believed her favorite was missionary, our mouths molded together.
So I ensured at least once a day, I fucked her that way.
“Lock the door,” she breathed against my lips. A soft click and I gripped the indent of her waist, which was so small I could probably connect my fingers if I tried.
I dropped a soft kiss to her mouth as she kissed me hungrily.
She yelped when I bit down on her bottom lip, drawing blood, but there was nothing but desire and love in them. I never wanted that look to vanish from her eyes.
“You okay?” she murmured against my lips.
Cupping her face, I tucked strands of her red hair behind her ears. “Yeah, just glad to have you alone.”
I wondered if she’d be scandalized to know my thoughts, to discover what I wanted to do to her, but I dismissed it. She was my wife. She could handle a bit of scandal.
I rocked my hips against her warm cunt as I resumed tracing my lips along her soft skin, over her cheek, up her jaw.
“I want to own all of you,” I rasped into her ear, unbuckling my pants. Goose bumps rose on her skin and her eyelids lowered. Her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath as I cut a path toward her gorgeous ass and kneaded at her through her sundress. “One day, I’m going to make this mine.”
My shaft ached at the thought of it, already dripping with precum.
“Not today,” she breathed.
“I agree.” I trailed my palm up her thigh until her dress was draped over my arm. “But soon.”
She swallowed and tipped her head back. “I can’t decide if you’re trying to seduce me or scare me.”
“Maybe both,” I said, snatching the neck of her sundress. The sound of shredding followed, her beautiful breasts spilling free. Sliding my lips to the shell of her ear, I tsked softly. “No bra. My wife’s a temptress.”
A shiver rolled through her, but she refused to acknowledge my words.
I lowered my head, palming the weight of her bare breasts. I squeezed the soft flesh and ran my thumb around her nipple, then sucked the pulse point on her throat, pulling the skin between my teeth to leave another mark behind.
I bit her nipple hard, then immediately eased the sting with my tongue.
“Fuck, you smell so good,” she said in a husky voice.
I ran my thumb across her nipple and her ragged exhale pushed between her parted lips. Fuck, she was so sexy.
I slid my hand down her stomach, between her legs, and pressed my thumb against her clit, applying the slightest amount of pressure. She closed her eyes tight, rolling her hips.
“Please, Christian,” she breathed, her ruined dress falling to the ground. Her panties soon followed. “I need you inside me.”
It was all the encouragement I needed. I sank inside her soaked pussy, stretching her wide. Her head fell back against the door, banging it lightly.
“Fuck, that feels?—”
“So. Fucking. Good.” I punctuated each word with a thrust of my hips, driving deeper inside her with every stroke.
“Yes!”
Her legs wrapped snugly around my waist and I buried my face against her neck, inhaling her sweet scent while I pistoned in and out of her.
Her muscles clamped around me, milking me as she moaned my name. The sight of her flooded thick heat through my veins, curling down my spine and settling heavily in my cock. My blood began to pound in my ears.
I watched her eyes roll back, a pink flush warming her cheeks as she orgasmed, clenching around me. I lost all control, following right behind her and finding my own release.
For a long while, we panted, breathing heavily as we came down from the high. I ran my nose along her jawline, inhaling her scent like the worst kind of addict.
And the need to claim her again awoke my veins like an inferno.