Chapter 21
Elowen
“I have something to tell you guys.”
“Are you pregnant?” Autumn asks. “Everyone’s getting pregnant nowadays. It wouldn’t be surprising.”
“Any other guesses?”
“You adopted another dog,” Lyn says after a moment.
“Whatever it is, tell us before this devil’s spawn wakes up,” Avi murmurs.
She’s the first woman I’ve ever met who calls her son “devil’s spawn.” But watching the way that tiny human keeps their entire mansion on edge with his cries, it’s quite appropriate. When Ma scolds her for it, she simply says “Devil” is Zo’s new nickname.
I lift my left hand to the camera, showing them my ring finger, on which sits a rose gold ring with a small flower on top. Hunter bought it before Christmas.
“Holy shit, he proposed to you,” Avi says before the other two can.
I clear my throat. “Actually, we got married.”
“You got what?” She jumps up, and a loud, ear-piercing cry echoes across all our screens. That kid is really loud.
Avi goes into double panic mode and leaves the screen.
“Are you serious?” Lyn asks.
I nod.
Autumn adjusts her glasses. She’s been wearing them quite often since graduating, most likely because she has to keep her face buried in documents and screens all day. She’s our little nerd businesswoman, already starting to take over her dad’s business.
“With that Hunter guy?” Autumn asks.
I nod.
“Are you crazy, woman? It’s not like our family would’ve stopped you from marrying him, you had no reason to do this,” a seething Avi comes back, whisper-yelling at me while breastfeeding her son.
“Actually, we just signed papers because he couldn’t wait to make me his wife. We’ll have a real wedding with the family, so relax.”
The anger in her expression eases.
Lyn asks, “Should I tell Matleon about this or not?”
I nod. “Tell him, and ask him to tell everyone else in a way that won’t freak them out.”
But then I reconsider it and shake my head. “Forget it. Don’t let him tell anyone, he’ll definitely tell everyone in a way that’ll freak them out. You tell them.”
Leo is an evil man, he won’t pass up a chance to cause trouble for me. Lyn, on the other hand, is our sweet, calm angel. Leo calls her that, and it’s exactly right. She can deliver the worst news in a way that makes it feel normal. I don’t know how she’s married to that devil of a man, my brother.
“Are you sure about the marriage, though?” Autumn asks. “You met him just recently.”
I grin and nod. “A hundred percent.”
But their faces remain unconvinced. Well, if I’d seen any of them obsessed with one man and then suddenly marrying another, this would be my face too.
I sigh. “Really, guys. Just don’t worry about it. I’m happy with my decision.”
Before any of them can say another word, the man who was my captive, then my secret boyfriend, then the reason for my depression, and now my husband, enters the room. He was outside in the garden with Logan. I left them to have their boys’ time and decided to give myself some girls’ time.
“I’ll talk to you guys later,” I toss out, without looking away from his eyes, which are at their darkest shade of gray.
My thighs clench on their own, knowing all too well what’s coming. I shut my laptop and get up on my now-heavy legs.
“You came too soon.” My voice sounds exactly like what I am right now—a woman consumed by lust.
He reaches me and drops to his knees. “I had important things to do.”
He grabs the waistband of my sweatpants and pulls them down. I’m not wearing anything underneath, so now I’m completely bare before him.
He leans closer to my center and inhales, his eyes closing. Then he lifts his hand and parts my folds with his thumb and forefinger. “You’re dripping, baby.”
I bite my lower lip, heat rising to my face. I can feel more warmth seeping out of me under his gaze. The sexiest smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. God. This man is mine now. The more I realize it, the more I love this decision of becoming his wife.
He pushes his forefinger inside me, his thumb pressing my clit.
A shaky breath escapes my lips. He works his finger in and out a few times, then adds his middle finger.
My eyes land on his ring finger, where a ring now rests, the one I put there.
I had wanted to buy something special after extensive research, but he insisted on wearing the ring today itself.
So we went to the only jeweller’s shop in Naples and bought a simple band, with my name engraved on the inside.
My thoughts scatter and my eyes close as his tongue follows where his fingers are working. He licks me all the way to my clit, still pressed by his thumb. I moan at the sweet shiver of pleasure.
???
After finding out I’d married Hunter, my family had me bring him to San Diego so they could all meet him. I told Hunter during our flight that my family might seem intimidating in numbers, but he didn’t have to worry.
Never did I think it would be my family who’d be intimidated by him. Not the men, though, just the women and the kids. The children started crying the moment they met his gaze, and the women grew uncomfortable even under the briefest glance from him.
As for Hunter, he’s fine as long as I’m beside him and no one gets too close. He doesn’t wear gloves anymore, but his touch aversion is still there.
“He looks a lot like your ex,” Mom whispers.
She and I are on the same couch, while Hunter and Dad are on single ones, talking about Hunter’s life in Canada.
Before Dad brought us to the sitting room, we had dinner with everyone, even Ma and Pa were there. Ma is the only woman in our family who liked Hunter, and the reason’s simple: he makes me happy.
“You’ve only met my ex once,” I point out.
“That’s enough. He had an unforgettable gaze.”
I chuckle. “Which you didn’t like.”
“No one wants their daughter close to a dangerous man.”
I raise a brow. “You’re the wife of the underworld’s king, and by choice, no less.”
“And your grandpa didn’t approve.”
I open my mouth to argue further but close it when I hear Dad’s question to Hunter about us staying in Naples. So I turn my full attention there.
“Yes, I’ll live there with her if that’s what she wants.”
“I know you know everything about our world. That means you also know that as my daughter, her life is always at risk.”
Yeah, that’s my dad and his never-ending concern for my safety.
“I know, and I will do everything to protect her and Naples.”
Dad hums. Hunter is doing an excellent job of scoring points here. I grin like the proud wife I am. I’ll kiss him later for this.
“You must have worked for some mafia. Which one?” Dad asks, and my breath catches.
The man Hunter used to work for is Dad’s enemy. Hunter told me that, but he doesn’t work for him anymore, in fact, he’s working against him, because that man is a threat to my family and to him. Dad will doubt him if Hunter tells the truth.
“It was in the past. I don’t work for anyone now.”
I sigh. Mom looks at me; I give her a small grin before looking back at my husband and father.
“I hope that past won’t affect your future.”
“I won’t leave it in a position to.”
I roll my eyes. Big talk from big men.
“What are you best at?” Dad asks after a pause.
“Hacking.”
Yeah, he’s very good at it. Actually, my whole family knows that, Salvario hacked systems no one else could. He’s the only man who ever beat Zo in his entire career.
“Would you like to work for me?”
“I’ll have to decline. I’m not planning to work for anyone, I’m already busy with mine and Logan’s startup.”
Dad nods.
After Dad is satisfied with his interrogation, he excuses himself and calls me for a word. I tell Hunter to go to my room and wait for me.
Dad and I walk into the garden. He starts the conversation exactly where I knew he would.
“He looks like Salvario.”
“Really?” I feign innocence.
Dad chuckles. “You can’t act that well, Princess.”
I groan. “You could’ve pretended to fall for it.”
He shakes his head, smiling. “Tell me honestly, are you with him because he resembles Salvario, or because you love him?”
I consider telling him the truth, that he is Salvario, but decide against it. It’ll make things complicated, and he’ll stress unnecessarily, thinking I’m doing something stupid.
“It’s true I got close to him because he resembled Salvario, but then I fell for him.”
He nods. “Leo met him at the party we held in November. He ran a background check on him and his brother after you told us you were dating him. In our world, there’s no such thing as coincidence, and the Blackwood brothers showing up in Naples right after that party is too big a one to ignore.”
Yeah, I know that very well.
“Did you find anything wrong with them?” I ask, getting to the real question. I really hope they didn’t find out about their connection to that Chris guy.
“They worked for the Flishers for a very long time.”
Shit.
“Don’t worry, Dad. Hunter doesn’t work for anyone anymore. I live with him, I know.”
He nods slowly. “I’ll still keep an eye on him.” He strokes my head. “I don’t want history repeating itself. I couldn’t protect you then, I don’t want to fail again.”
“Come on, Dad. It wasn’t your fault.”
But I know that no matter how many times I tell him, he won’t stop feeling guilty.
Hunter
“Were you smoking?” she chides as soon as she steps onto the balcony.
My mouth curves slightly, unbidden.
“No,” I deny, turning to her.
She plants her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. “Do you think I’ve lost my sense of smell or something?”
I reach for her waist and pull her closer. She pushes against my chest to move back. I lean back against the balcony railing, trapping her between my legs.
“I waited for you, but you didn’t come. I had no choice but to smoke, I needed to calm down.”
She purses her lips. “I was only away for half an hour.”
“That’s an eternity after meeting your bigger-than-hell family.”
She loops her arms around my neck. “Okay, fine. I’ll let it slide this once. Next time, I won’t accept any excuses.”
I lean down and kiss her pouty lips.
I started smoking and drinking about eight months ago, when Logan started taking me to parties.
I hate people, especially when there are too many of them in one place, so I started drinking to calm my nerves, then gradually picked up smoking when I found it even more effective.
But after meeting Elowen, I realized there’s an even more effective drug for that. Now that drug is my wife.
I grab her ass and pull her closer, deepening the kiss.
Her belly presses against my hardness. She breaks the kiss, looking at me with drunk, hooded eyes.
I lift her by the ass and set her on the balcony table.
I glance down, there’s a small stretch of hill, then the ocean below.
After making sure no one can see her from up here, I pull down her shorts and panties while she peels off her T-shirt and bra.
Under the glowing moonlight, she looks too pure to be touched by someone like me.
At the same time, she looks sinful enough to drive any man to madness.
The second part doesn’t concern me, I’ve never considered myself sane.
As for the first, no one is worthy of her.
She was always meant to end up in a lesser being’s arms. I’m just more selfish than the others, so I took her for myself.
I lower my mouth to her neck, kissing down to her round breasts. She moans softly. I shove down my pants and boxers, free my aching cock, and position it at her entrance.
I grab her jaw, forcing her gaze to mine.
Her eyes open—lust-drunk, unfocused, pupils blown so wide there’s barely any color left.
Fuck, this is when she’s most beautiful.
When she’s drowning in a haze of pure want.
I stare into the eyes that are my only salvation and ask her the question I always ask before filling her.
“Who does this sweet little pussy belong to?”
She rocks her ass against me, trying to take me in. “My husband.”
I push the tip inside. “Name, baby,” I groan.
“Hunter.” My name ends in a cry as I drive all my length inside her at once.
I pull out completely, leaving just the tip. “Tell me again. Whose dripping cunt is this?”
She clenches around my tip, gushing more hot liquid. “Yours.”
I push back in with a hard thrust that makes her head fall back. Her moan fills the night sky, mingling with the crash of the ocean below.
I grip her hips, angling her just right, and drive into her again and again, each stroke deeper and harder. Her nails dig into my shoulders.
She’s gasping my name, her body trembling beneath me, and I can feel her tightening, clenching around me like she’s trying to keep me inside her forever.
“Look at me,” I command, my voice raw and thick. Her eyes flutter open, hazy, glazed, barely focused, but they’re on me. That’s all I need. “You’re mine. Say it.”
“I’m yours, Hunter. Only yours,” she breathes, her voice breaking with moans.
I fuck her harder, pounding into her with a desperation bordering on madness.
Her cries turn into broken sobs as I push her over the edge, her body shuddering violently around me.
I chase my own release through her climax, my rhythm turning erratic, feral.
I bury my face in her neck, biting down just hard enough to make her gasp as I release inside her, spilling deep, holding her flush against me through every pulse.
I stay there, her heartbeat thundering against mine, her thighs shaking around me, her breath hot and uneven on my ear.
“I’ll get pregnant soon if you keep coming inside me,” she breathes.
I kiss along her jaw. “I’m working hard on that.”
I want her to get pregnant. A child will tie her to me, the kind of woman she is, I know she’d never keep a child from its father, and that means she won’t be able to get rid of me even if one day she wants to.
She chuckles, tired, yet so fucking beautiful.