31. Adrian
Adrian
Imeant every word I said, and when I woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn, no part of me regretted a single word. I remembered it all, both the feelings and the spoken words, and knew I would forever remember this night.
But.
I recognized that paranoia was an absolute bitch to get rid of, and even after a night like this, at some point, Delilah would wonder if what had happened was real.
I knew that discarding the desire for control, for artificial heat, for domination had left me feeling completely fulfilled.
I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.
But I needed to go beyond last night to show Delilah that.
As intimate and deeply connected as last night’s sex had been, it might still be seen through the lens of a power play, of an incredibly well thought out “game” to have her. Delilah might feel the same thing I was feeling, and she might never get over that doubt.
But what if she did? What if, sometime this afternoon, later this month, six months from now, she began to doubt what had happened?
I needed to do something that showed her I was serious about forever. I couldn’t do it today; I hadn’t come here thinking I’d get here this quickly.
But as Delilah slowly stirred from the bed, as she slowly opened her eyes and stretched out her beautiful naked body, I began thinking once more.
Thinking of the perfect way to show her I didn’t just mean last night, I didn’t just mean tonight, I didn’t just mean the next several nights.
I meant forever.
A week passed in which I flew Delilah down for a couple of afternoons. She never seemed suspicious or unsettled as we hung out; by now, I knew her well enough to know when doubts clouded her mind or fears unsettled her. But I myself couldn’t help it, which was a strange reversal of roles.
I knew what I wanted to do, but nothing seemed grand enough for my Queen of Diamonds.
The penthouse? Too many memories of control and domination that would have shrouded the occasion.
Her office? Absolutely not. Other places known for romantic feelings in Vegas?
Yes, maybe, but they were either public or too artificial.
I looked around Reno a few times, contemplating whether that would be the perfect spot, but quite frankly, I didn’t know Reno well enough.
It would have meant something to Delilah but nothing to me, and that was an automatic no-go.
Plus, given all the bubbling crime and corruption going on in Reno, I didn’t particularly care for the most loving moment of our lives to suddenly turn into a hostage situation—or worse.
As a result, trying to figure out this damn thing felt like banging my head against a wall that provided no answers.
In a couple of moments, I literally pressed my head against a wall in frustration, trying to figure things out, but it wasn’t like that did any good. Walls were made to present art, not to—
Wait.
That was it.
That was fucking it!
Where it all began, where I first laid eyes on Delilah Reyes, where I first set out to control a journalist and wound up feeling shared love for a woman.
It was a Friday evening in Allure, about thirty minutes before the opening of another gala.
My brothers and I were hanging out in a private VIP room; Sarah was there, and Delilah was set to arrive in about two minutes.
All the people in the room knew Delilah was on the way, but I was the only one who knew what was about to transpire tonight.
The one thing I promised myself was that I would not rush things, no matter what happened.
Granted, that would be far easier said than done; as soon as Delilah walked through the door, I knew I’d want to kiss her, to hold her, to press her against the wall…
but I had to rein those in. I’d have plenty of time tonight for some of the best lovemaking of our lives.
“So we’re clear,” Cassius said, “we’re expecting to raise six figures in revenue tonight. I want that to be the front-page story in the Times tomorrow. If we’re done playing these violent games with the Morrils, then I intend to make sure we still win in other ways.”
“I don’t like turning off any options,” Dante said.
“Of course you don’t,” Cassius said. “But times change. We can’t always…”
His voice trailed off from my ears as I turned and saw her.
Delilah Reyes.
I’d flown her down that afternoon but told her to take her time in a hotel room I’d gotten for her in Ruby. I wanted the first time I saw her to be when she looked at her absolute hottest, and damn if that goal hadn’t paid off just now.
“Can I help you?” I said with a smile. “Because I’d sure like to.”
“Charming,” Delilah said with a smirk, “and yes, you can.”
She came up to me with a kiss, and I put my arm around her and beckoned to the group.
“If you don’t mind,” I said, “I’m going to show Delilah around the exhibit. Give the journalist a sneak peek.”
“By all means,” Cassius said with a knowing smile. Dante and Lucas looked like they were about to vomit; let them, I thought. In time, they’d come to recognize what they were missing out on.
Or maybe they never would, and that would be their prerogative. Hey, that was me not too long ago.
I led Delilah out, my arm over her shoulder, as she looked up at me with curious eyes.
“Can I speak to you on the record about tonight’s charity?” she said.
“Of course,” I said.
“Your family is rapidly becoming a major part not just of the Vegas universe, but of Nevada as a whole,” she said, trying not to laugh too hard. “It felt appropriate to interview you here, when much of Nevada comes to you.”
“Only you come to me,” I growled, drawing a smile and a blush from Delilah.
Oh, if she thought that just because our last lovemaking session had been more passionate than fiery that she would be safe, she had no fucking idea.
“Something you should know, Delilah. My family does indeed run this town. We control it. We play the larger game. And with me?”
I had intended to drag this on further.
But we were alone, in front of a beautiful diamond exhibit. There were three diamonds in total—one black, one white, and one kind of an odd combination of the two, not quite gray but as if a diamond had naturally integrated both colors.
“Long ago, I would have said I would control you, Delilah,” I began, pausing her where she was.
“But now, I see that you have taught me to control myself. You have taught me to be a better man, to understand the time and place for every part of myself. I was foolish and stubborn for quite some time, and I needed you to kick me in the teeth with your boundaries. But because of that, I now don’t want to control you, Delilah.
I want to be with you. I want to be with you not just in the bedroom or the penthouse, but in our lives.
I want to be your partner in crime and in truth.
I want you to be mine. And so, Delilah Reyes, I come to the question of the night. ”
Taking great care to steady myself, I reached into my pocket, grabbed the box I had put there for a good week, and kneeled on one knee. Delilah’s eyes widened with surprise, but joyful surprise. Tears welled.
“Delilah Reyes, will you marry me?”
“Yes. Yes! Absolutely yes!”
There was no hesitation in that, no desire to control the moment. Just pure conviction, joy, and certainty.
Finally, I knew Delilah was mine forever. I was hers forever. And no one had to be paranoid any longer.
I rose from my knee, swept her up in my arms, and planted the most intimate kiss of my life on her. Behind us, I heard applause. We both turned and laughed at the sight of Cassius and Sarah standing there, clapping. Cassius wore a proud smirk; Sarah had tears of joy in her eyes.
“Well done, brother,” Cassius said.
“Oh my God, come here, Delilah,” Sarah said.
It was a wonderful moment, and we each hugged the person in front of us.
But I was not yet ready to share us with the world.
“Give us a few minutes, will you?” I said to Cassius. He nodded, grabbed Sarah, and led her back to the room they had just come from, where Lucas and Dante still sat. I took Delilah’s hand, now equipped with my engagement ring, and asked one simple question.
“Do you trust me?”
She nodded unequivocally.
“Then follow me.”
I took her hand and led her to a private elevator in the back of Allure that would take us to our penthouse. The whole ride up, we never left each other’s lips. I couldn’t believe that I had Delilah Reyes as mine, now and forever.
Really, I couldn’t believe that I was engaged at all. I was not a man who, even a couple months ago, would have ever considered myself capable of being engaged. If anything, I was the opposite. I had considered Cassius a pussy for being engaged, and I swore I would not go down the same path as he.
Funny how that worked out.
I realized now that what Cassius had done wasn’t softening.
If anything, he had become harder, just in different ways.
He had become more protective of Sarah, more aware of what mattered most. Just because he wasn’t overtly the same hard, icy man didn’t mean he’d abandoned that sight; he’d just channeled that into a different part of his personality.
The elevator doors opened, and I led Delilah to the edge of my penthouse. The entirety of the Las Vegas Strip lay before us. It was quite the beautiful sight.
But not nearly as beautiful as the woman before me.
I turned to her once more and kissed her again. Whether we ruled all of Las Vegas together or lived in her tiny Reno apartment; whether I was a billionaire or a man with one buck; whatever transpired, for better and for worse, we were forever.
I was still the King of Diamonds. I was still Adrian Vale.
But now, I was whole.
“I love you, Delilah,” I whispered.
She kissed me again, my Queen of Diamonds, now and forever.
“I love you, Adrian.”