Chapter 17
I wanted to bolt.The tie around my neck was getting tighter and tighter. People were watching me squirm, and I struggled to care. For a guy who’d never planned to get married, this was a real live nightmare.
“Stop fidgeting, man,” Ari said over the music playing.
“Just wait. This’ll be you in a few days,” I shot back.
His face blanched. Yeah, that was right, buddy, you were next.
“Yes, but you chose this against my advice. I’ll be getting married to strengthen our family.”
My aunt appeared at the entrance to the nave, and suddenly, the music shifted into a classical tune. She started her walk down the aisle followed by my cousins. Anna entered, and I glanced at Ari.
His eyes were glued to her. I’d been worried he was getting into a marriage with a woman he wouldn’t even find attractive, but based on this response, I didn’t have to worry about that.
Thea waited one extra beat before she slid in. I swear. She and her entrances. My sister was gorgeous, and I saw a few guys with their tongues nearly hanging out. I was tempted to ask for names so I could find them later and cut them out. That was my sister they were gawking at.
The bridal march started as my eyes landed on Claire.
I didn’t want to get married quickly turned into I couldn’t wait. She was stunning. The gown was so simple and elegant. It was obviously a wedding dress, but it wasn’t the gaudy, beaded dresses I saw some women wear. The kind I absolutely hated. Her hair was pulled back, and it was curled. It cascaded down her back like silk and looked so soft I wanted to sink my fingers in it.
It hit me then that she hadn’t worn her hair in a braid since she moved in with me. Suddenly, I itched to know why. Maybe I’d ask. I hoped she would answer.
Her eyes found mine, and she smiled. I hadn’t seen her in two days, and it felt like the sun had decided to shine extra bright. She was glowing.
I was aware someone else was walking with her, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She walked toward me, and a swell of hope and pride built in my chest.
She stopped at the foot of the small set of steps. Her smile faltered as she faced Franklin. The man couldn’t keep the disdain he felt for her off his face. I suspect most would take his expression to mean he was sad to give his daughter away, but I knew better.
We went through the handing-off of the bride, and I immediately noticed she was wearing makeup. Not a lot, but enough that her eyes stood out and looked even more green than usual.
Claire smiled. “Hi.”
“Hey.” My eyes wandered over her. “You look so beautiful.”
Her eyes glittered. “I wanted to look pretty for you.” She blinked like she was shocked she said it.
Before I could question her, the priest began. I was surprised at how fast things went. With my feelings about marriage, I had thought this part would be the worst. When we were finally announced husband and wife, and I was told I could kiss the bride, I swept Claire into my arms, dipped her, and pressed my lips to hers.
As I was kissing her, I realized the nightmare of being married was replaced with a daydream of seeing her face when I woke up.
When the crowd erupted in cheers, I was annoyed that they were mostly people Franklin rubbed elbows with instead of family and friends. This was supposed to be family and friends. People we knew who were wishing us happiness and a long marriage.
It struck me as hypocritical. I should have been wishing and wanting the same thing, and I couldn’t even trust my new bride enough to tell her the truth about me or my family.
Claireand I rode in the limo to the reception in silence. Part of me wished it had been at the club just to see Franklin squirm. I wondered how he would have handled telling three hundred people they had to change venues.
As fun as it would have been to see Franklin scramble, I was impressed with the place she picked. The same cyan color she had used in the invitations was used throughout the wedding. It was tasteful and simple like everything else, including her.
The cake and dessert table were exactly as Thea described. Claire had picked colors and things that I liked. Things that honored my heritage and family. There was nothing that even hinted at honoring Franklin or the Benoit name. Maybe that was why I liked it so much. I guess that wasn’t fair since that was her heritage, but there was a part of me that hoped I was wrong about her working with Franklin and that this was her subtle way of saying it.
We were sitting at the head table together with Franklin to Claire’s right and Aunt Helen to my left. She leaned over and whispered, “My boy, your mom would have loved this. This looks almost exactly like her wedding. Thea said Claire was the one who put this whole thing together. She did a beautiful job. Don’t you think?”
I looked at her and nodded. She winked at me.
I put my lips to Claire’s ear. “This is really nice. That’s my favorite cake. My mom made it all the time growing up.”
When I pulled back, I was greeted with a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”
Franklin tapped his glass. “This calls for a toast.”
I was caught off guard when Claire grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I could feel her trembling. I pulled her chair closer and put my arm around her. If he insulted her, I would have to throw hands.
Lifting his glass, he stood and smiled. “Thank you all for coming. I’m only sorry Yasmin isn’t here. She would have loved seeing her little girl get married.”
Claire tensed at the mention of her mom’s name. I didn’t know if she realized it, but her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was practically glued to me. She lied to me about seeing Franklin. That was a fact, but there was no faking this reaction to him. I just couldn’t believe she was that great of an actress.
“To the happy couple! Claire, much like your mother, you are full of surprises. I hope this marriage is long and fruitful. Lucas, I’m glad to call you family now. To you both, I can’t wait to see where the future takes you.”
Franklin leaned down, kissed Claire on the cheek and whispered in her ear low enough that I couldn’t hear it, but I knew it was bad when she buried her face in my chest.
When he took his seat, each member of my family toasted to us. They wished for our success, our happiness, and enduring love. There was genuine happiness that we had found each other. Alexander gave his toast before my new wife relaxed and looked at the crowd. She stayed flush against me.
“Are you okay?” I kept my face forward and my attention on Alexander.
“Please don’t ever leave me alone with him ever again. Promise me,” she quickly whispered. Something in her voice made me look at her. There was no mistaking the fear swirling in her eyes.
“Okay, I won’t.” All the anger I’d felt before washed away. “We’re a team now, right?”
She nodded and, if it was possible, drew closer to me.
Thea was last. She lifted her glass as she stood. “I thought I’d hate having a sister, but then I met you, Claire. I’m so glad you’ve joined our family. I couldn’t have picked a better woman for my brother. Lucas, take care of my new sister. I love you both and wish nothing but happiness and a long life together.”
Well, damn. I had no idea Thea had that in her. It was actually sweet. I thought she even meant it.
Dinner was delicious because Lykos catered it. We have the best chefs in the city, but I was biased, rightfully so. We moved on to cutting the cake. The bakery she chose delivered a home run. The cake was almost as good as my mom’s. I didn’t care who baked it; nothing would ever be as good as hers.
When the music for the first dance began to play, I looked at Claire. Elvis Presley? I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You?
Her eyes met mine. “Don’t read anything into it. I love Elvis, and I like this song.”
Without a word, I took her hand and led her to the dance floor. We began dancing. “Elvis, huh? I must admit, I didn’t see that coming.”
She had that smart-mouth grin on her lips when she looked up at me. “Everyone always thinks they have me figured out. Joke’s on them.”
I tangled my fingers in her hair just to feel the silkiness of it. “If I ask you a couple of questions, will you answer them?”
“Ask, and I’ll let you know if I can answer it.” How did I know she’d use my words?
Cocking my jaw, I chuckled. “You’ve left your hair down since you moved in with me. Why?”
For a moment, I wondered if she was going to answer. “Because I know you won’t cut it.” She lifted her head, and her eyes met mine. “Our trust is new and not exactly solid, but I know without a doubt that you won’t hurt me like that.”
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I lifted her off the ground and brought her closer. “He cut your hair?”
“Twice. He butchered it so badly that it couldn’t be fixed. After the second time, as soon as it got long enough, I began braiding it. I thought that way, even if he cut it, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad that I’d go to school, and the kids wouldn’t make fun of me.”
I cupped her cheek and brought her lips to mine. Between kisses, I whispered, “He’ll never have that opportunity ever again, and if by chance he does, I’ll cut his fingers off one by one.”
She shivered against me before her lips brushed across mine. I took that as a sign that she approved. I didn’t even hear the song end. We were standing in the middle of the floor, sharing one of the best kisses of my life, when the crowd erupted in hoots and hollers.
A rosy blush bloomed on her cheeks as embarrassment hit her. The attention didn’t bother me. I wanted to tell them to shut up and go back to kissing her, but knowing my Aunt Helen, she would have taken me by the ear, pulled me from the dance floor, and made me regret it.
The rest of the night was a bit of a blur. We danced, we kissed, we mingled, we kissed some more. The bouquet throw turned into pandemonium when Marianna and Athena dove for it at the same time and collided. It was like watching a wrestling match. Finally, Aunt Helen rushed to the floor, grabbed both by the ear and led them away. She was talking so fast; I didn’t know if she was using English or Greek. All I knew was they were in trouble. Thea swooped down and picked it up, walked over to Anna, and handed it to her. I almost expected the woman to break down in tears, but she just took it and smiled.
Then came the most interesting part of the night: the garter. I was aware that this would be part of the ceremony, but now that I’d spent most of the night making out with her, it felt different.
The crowd parted, and Alexander and Ari carried in a throne chair, walked to the middle of the dance floor, and set it down.
Claire blinked and looked at me, her eyebrows knitted together. “What is this? I don’t?—”
It was obvious this wasn’t something Claire planned.
Thea pulled her shoulders back and smiled. “My sister isn’t sitting in a plain chair for this.”
I thought the blush on Claire’s cheeks before was sexy, but this one—deep red and covering her entire face and down her chest was even better. While Claire was looking at Thea, I took the moment to catch her off guard, dipped her, and kissed her again. “She’s right. Anything else wouldn’t have been good enough.”
I stood her back up and led her to the chair.
As she took her seat, I got to one knee, set my hands on her ankles, and slid them up her leg. The gasp was soft, but I heard it. I lifted her gown, and her eyes grew wide. She swallowed hard. I was thinking I’d take it off with my teeth, but her breath turned shallow. I didn’t know what was going on, but I quickly changed plans.
When she realizedthat I had shifted gears, she gave me a shy smile and chewed her lip. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“My job is to protect you, Claire.” I slipped my finger between her thigh and the garter and pulled it off slowly. “I just pledged to do that for the rest of my life. I make good on my promises.”
She leaned forward, took me by the chin, and pulled me to her, kissing me. There was nothing chaste or inhibited about it. Without looking, I flung the garter over my shoulder and continued kissing her. I didn’t know what this was supposed to mean, but whatever it was, it was enjoyable.
I wasn’t sure what a marriage to her was going to look like, but the kissing was going to be stellar.
We came up for air and stood. It was cute how she seemed to lose herself when she was kissing me and then blushed when she realized that she’d forgotten people were watching. Together, we walked to the edge of the dance floor, and the music started to play. The throne was removed, and before I knew it, the floor was full of guests enjoying themselves.
“I wanted to stop by and congratulate you on your marriage.”
I knew that voice. When I turned around, I was face to face with Marco Moretti. I guess he picked up on the fact that I wasn”t happy he was here.
He held up his hands. “I’m not here to cause problems tonight. I’m here to tell you it’s coming. More trouble than you’ve ever known.”
Dimitris must have seen him approach because he was next to me in two seconds flat.
“Get him out of here.” I was nothing but rage. This child molester needed to be put down. “Get him out of here!”
The music stopped, and everyone stared.
“No need to stop the fun. I’m going.” His gaze moved to Dimitris. “I’ll be seeing you around.”
Franklin barked orders to his men to escort Marco out. He acted furious. Playing a good part, but I kept my eyes on him. I was glad I did, too. He made a mistake. He exchanged a glance with Marco, and it was almost imperceptible—the smile. Both of these scumbags needed to be put down.
In seconds, four men were escorting Marco out.
“I’m going to make sure he leaves.” Franklin threw the words over his shoulder.
“That’s a good idea.” I turned to Claire, and she was white as a sheet. Her irises were nearly non-existent her pupils were so dilated. “Claire?”
Her gaze was frozen in the direction Marco went.
“Claire.”
I didn’t know what was going on or what had happened, but I knew I needed to get her out of there. I swept her up in my arms, and as I passed my sister, I told her I was taking Claire home.
Thea took one look at her and nodded. “Go. I’ll let everyone know.”
I made long, fast strides until I reached the car and got us inside the limo. Claire was in my lap, cradled against my chest, still frozen in terror. Her color hadn’t returned at all. Palming the side of her face, I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Claire, you’re scaring me.”
After several long minutes, she looked at me. Tears filled her eyes and dripped down into her hair. We maintained eye contact until the car stopped at my condo. “Would you let me shower before we have sex?”
It took me a second to even come up with a response. She’d been nearly catatonic since we left the reception, and now she wanted to know about us consummating our marriage? I shook my head. “I’m not having sex with you tonight. I told you that requires trust, and I haven’t earned that yet. Until I have that, it won’t happen.”
“I’m sorry.”
I took a deep breath and kissed her forehead. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. It’s been a long day, and we’re both exhausted. How about we head up, get dressed for bed, and you let me hold you for a while?”
She nodded and gave me a small smile. “I would love it if you held me all night long.”
I didn’t know when it happened, but that was all I wanted to do. Hold her, and tell her everything would be okay. That she was mine. All mine, and I would never allow another man to place a finger on her.
Maybe at some point, she would trust me enough to finally talk to me. I didn’t just want to be with her. I wanted to know her.
I wanted to love her.
I wanted her to let me love her.