Chapter 25 #2
I nod, still catching my breath, and tuck myself away, straightening my clothes.
“If you’re going to swallow, make sure you get all of it.
” I reach my thumb over to wipe at the corner of her mouth before pushing it inside.
Karina’s eyes darken as she sucks it clean, her tongue swirling sensually.
The sight makes my cock twitch with renewed interest.
“You look amazing, by the way,” I say, pulling back my thumb. “Now let me leave before I get on my knees to return the favor.”
Outside the room, my eyes instantly lock on the bridal associate. She smiles and shakes her head knowingly. Maybe we weren’t as quiet as I thought.
“So, you will be getting that dress, correct?” she asks. Okay then. There is no need to speculate; she knows what happened in there.
“Yes, and the one she tried on before it.”
“Perfect. Happy wife, happy life.” The bubbly associate turns on her heel and walks toward the register.
Karina emerges a moment later, her cheeks flushed, radiating with spent energy and possibly a hint of embarrassment. She catches my eye and the corner of her mouth quirks up with a shy smile that has my heart doing somersaults.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she says, approaching with both gowns.
“Like what?” I ask innocently, even though I can guess at what she means. I’m looking at her like she’s the only woman in the world.
“Will you need this taken in, or are they the right fit?” the attendant asks once we reach the front counter.
“Could you make a slight adjustment on the first one, please? But the second one we’ll take now,” Karina says.
The associate nods enthusiastically. She moves around the counter with a measuring tape. Fifteen minutes later, she’s gotten everything she needs. “The dress will be ready in six weeks. We’ll reach out once it’s ready for pickup.”
“We’ll need it by next week,” I say, and her eyes widen.
“Oh, umm, give me one minute. Let me get my manager.”
Karina turns to look at me once the associate walks away. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“We wouldn’t be in this position if I were a little more easygoing.”
“And what position is that? Because the only thing I see is that I’m going to happily spend an excessive amount of money on a dress to make my wife happy.”
Before she can object, we’re interrupted.
“Hello, I’m Stephanie, the boutique manager.” The dark-haired woman extends her hand, and I shake it firmly. “Ashley tells me you need a rush order on the Marchesa gown?”
“That’s right. We’re getting married next weekend,” I say, placing my hand on the small of Karina’s back.
Stephanie’s eyes widen slightly. “Next weekend? I see… that is quite expedited.”
“Is it possible?” Karina asks, her voice tinged with hope.
I lean in slightly. “Money isn’t an issue.”
“Well…” Stephanie taps her nails against the counter. “We typically don’t do rush alterations this extreme, but”—she looks between us, and I see her mental calculations—”I can have our head seamstress work exclusively on your gown. There will be a substantial rush fee.”
“Name your price,” I say without hesitation.
Karina squeezes my arm. “Vulcan, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” I interrupt, placing a kiss on her forehead. “This is important to you, which makes it important to me.”
The manager quotes a figure that would make most people balk—hell, it would’ve made me balk two months ago—but I merely nod. Karina’s sharp intake of breath doesn’t go unnoticed.
Stephanie smiles, clearly pleased with the sale. “We’ll have the Marchesa ready by Thursday for a final fitting.”
While she processes the payment, Karina leans into me, her voice a whisper. “This is insane. That rush fee alone could pay for my student loans.”
“Consider it my first gift to you. You’ve already done plenty to fulfill your end of the bargain. Let me take it from here.” I brush my lips against her temple.
“You’re doing so much.”
“And I’m going to a lot more,” I say, signing the receipt Stephanie slides across the counter.
As we leave the boutique with the second dress carefully bagged, Karina is quiet. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. “If I had known trying on wedding dresses with you would turn out like this, I’d have taken you a long time ago. Maybe we can go shopping again another time.”
Karina laughs and tucks into me as we walk down the bustling sidewalk. “Don’t get any ideas,” she says, but her smile betrays her amusement. “I think one steamy dressing room encounter is enough for now.”
I chuckle, pulling her even closer as we navigate the crowded streets. The late afternoon sun casts long shadows between the towering skyscrapers, and a cool autumn breeze carries the scent of street vendor pretzels and roasting chestnuts.
“So, about that second dress,” I begin.
“I want you to ruin me tonight in it.”
A cheeky smile finds its way onto my face as I lead us towards 787 Coffee in Soho. I lean close, my lips brushing her ear. “Careful what you wish for.”
“I wish upon a star that my future husband ruins me to filth.”
Someone gasps behind us, and I glance over to catch an elderly woman looking affronted. Karina buries her face into my chest. I can’t help but laugh, pulling her even closer as we quicken our pace.
“What has gotten into my sweet doctor?” I murmur into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo.
She lifts her head, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “You bring out the worst in me.”
“And I love it.”
We duck into the café, the warm aroma of fresh ground beans enveloping us. As we wait in line, I slip my hand under her shirt and jacket, my fingers tracing idle patterns on her lower back.
“Are you excited for this weekend?” I ask.
“Yes, and nervous.”
“Nervous? Why?”
“Your sister is the female version of you,” she replies.
“I assure you only I can make that pussy of yours weep.”
She swats at my arm and scowls. “That’s not what I mean! She’s just… very charming. And intimidating.”
I chuckle, understanding her concern. “She can be a bit much, but she likes you. Just be yourself.”
Karina bites her lip, a habit I find utterly endearing. “I know, it’s just… I want to fit in with your family.”
I cup her face gently, tilting it up so our eyes meet.
“Hey, she likes you plenty. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have invited you for girls’ night.
” I pause, letting my eyes roam her delicate features.
“Just… don’t mention that this is a contractual marriage.
I never told my mother and Val about it, or about the money my dad left me. ”
“Do you plan on telling them soon?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“The thought of anyone looking at you differently because you’re marrying me for money bothers me. It’s nobody’s business but ours why we’re getting married. I’ll tell them when the time is right.”
“And when will that be?”
“I don’t know. Maybe never. I don’t really see us divorcing.
” The words come out with a sort of stubborn finality—I want her to know I mean it, that I will make it my mission every day to keep her happy, to keep the word “divorce” at bay for as long as my body draws breath.
“Now, don’t worry about that,” I say, “and worry about how I’m going to devour you in that dress when we get back home. ”
She moans, the sound evaporating in the air as the espresso machines whir, and I kiss her deeply, right there in the middle of the coffee shop, not caring who’s watching.
“You can’t say things like that in public,” she whispers as we break apart.
I smirk. “Why not? I love seeing you all flustered and needy.”
“Because now that’s all I’m going to think about.”
“Patience, my love,” I tease, even as my own body thrums with anticipation. “First, coffee. Then I’m having my way with you.”