Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
PAXTON
All these years I’ve fantasized about Naomi being mine; I never thought about all the ins and outs there would be on a personal level for myself. The only person I have ever considered family was Sloane.
Now I’m in a room filled with all the Marino men who have welcomed me into the fold far easier than I would have thought, but I suppose they trust Naomi’s judgment. They also likely don’t want to cross her. My soon-to-be wife is rather scrappy, and she’ll play dirty.
We’ve trained together many times. It doesn’t pan out. We always end up fucking. I can’t say that I hate it. She has the rest of her family to train with. Naomi might want me to come out here and give her a challenge, but it’s not in my nature.
Maybe I should treat her like one of the boys. That’s the whole point to a lot of this. She’s no different, but to me she will always be different. I want to nurture all of her sides, and that includes the feminine part that she keeps tucked away. The one that is for my eyes only.
What’s the most fascinating about it is the deceit and femininity. The more ruthless I am to her enemies, the more ruthless she becomes. My sunshine will burn down the world and then crawl into my lap like a cuddly kitten. That shit makes me feel like a king.
“I would tell you this is your last chance to get out of this if you wanted, but I don’t want to die tonight,” Eros jokes.
“You’d have to kill me to stop this wedding.” I’ve been fascinated with Naomi from afar for years, but now having spent weeks having her in my arms and bed each night, I have only sunk deeper. I should have killed my father sooner.
“He’s not going anywhere.” War comes to stand next to us. I check my watch. We should have had a morning wedding. I have been waiting all fucking day for this. “Let me ask you something,” War says. “What were the odds you had on me not killing you that day in my office?”
“I gave it a ninety percent chance you wouldn’t, but it dropped down to eighty when I reminded you that you and Tova had an arranged marriage.”
War’s jaw flexes.
“Holy fuck,” Eros chuckles at War. “You and Naomi are so much alike.” He shakes his head.
“I mean, I get murderous about Bonte, but you and Naomi might kill us all and ask questions later.” I smirk at that.
What is there to say? I don’t think he’s far off the mark.
Naomi does share a lot of War’s qualities on the outside, but deep inside, she has a lot of Tova in her too.
“He’s good for her,” War says. “Her life shouldn’t be all work.
She’d been letting her mind stay in that mode all the time.
It can be exhausting. It’s not easy for us to step back, but my wife can bring me back.
” He flicks a glance over to me. “Tova grounded me, and I am pleased that my daughter has found that for herself too.”
I almost say that I found her, but it’s a moot point.
“She’s good for me too.” They all look at me as though that was already assumed. I have to say that I love how protective they are of all the women in the family.
“The two of you complement each other. Both powerful in your own right but willing to cede power when it comes to one another. To compromise when needed. I never thought I’d see the day that Naomi compromised on anything.” War lets out a rare low chuckle.
I check my watch again. I’ve always been patient, but today, not so much. If I had to guess, Naomi isn’t either. They tried to say we couldn’t spend last night together. That they were having a girls’ night.
That lasted until around midnight, and we might have crashed it. When I stepped into the movie room downstairs where they’d all been hanging out, I saw the slight widening of her eyes and the small pull to the corner of her lips that showed she was pleased to see me.
Hoots and hollers echoed as I tossed her over my shoulder and carried her out. Naomi’s face had flushed, but she didn’t protest. We got back to the room, and I had my way with her twice and once this morning.
“It’s time,” Tova says, poking her head into the library where we’d been ordered to go. “Everyone to their seats.” Everyone files out, even War to go see Naomi.
Last night, Naomi told me her father said he’d be okay with not walking her down the aisle if that was what she wanted. He understood that this was her decision and that he had no say in giving her away to anyone.
I knew before she spoke that she had told him she wanted him to walk her down the aisle.
Naomi can be more traditional than people know.
She loves her family. Everything she does is with them in mind and is best for everyone.
You don’t do that unless you care. She observes how other couples in this family interact and desires the same.
To be understood without having to speak a word.
It’s my role to make sure she gets that.
“How is she?” I ask.
“Impatient.” Tova gives me a bright smile. “The suit came out nicely.”
“Thank you.” She’d been the one to really pull this together.
“I did the pocket myself.” Tova gives a small shrug with one shoulder, like it’s not a big deal, but it is. I open my suit coat and pull the picture out of the pocket and show it to her. “Oh my gosh.” The smile that takes over her face lights up the room.
The picture is worn and from many years ago. It was a candid shot I’d pulled from the video footage I had taken of Naomi. In this one I could have sworn she knew she was being watched. That tilt of her head, her eyes narrowing. It’s also one of the rare times she’d had her hair down.
Tova hands it back to me. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” Her eyes are now filled with tears.
“I’m so happy you found her. She needs you in ways that no one else can ever fill or understand.
” Tova hugs me suddenly, and I return it.
This is the closest I’ve had to a family besides Sloane in a very long time.
“Can I escort you to your seat?” I ask her.
“That would be lovely.” I offer her my arm before I lead her out of the library and toward the back of the house, where everything has been set up. There will only be family here tonight along with some of the men who have worked for the Marinos for decades.
They might not be family members by blood or marriage, but if you give the Marinos loyalty and respect, they will return it.
Once I guide Tova to her seat, I step over to my sister and lean down and kiss her cheek before I make my way to the front to stand and wait for Naomi to make her appearance.
I honestly have no idea what to expect when it comes to what she’ll be wearing today. It’s the one detail everyone has kept under wraps. It doesn’t matter to me. She could wear a potato sack and she’d still be the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.
The music starts, and Naomi appears at the end of the aisle.
That woman always knows how to take my breath away.
The top of the creamy white strapless jumpsuit is fitted tightly like a corset, making a heart shape.
It leads down to wide-leg trousers. Connected on each side of her hips is a skirt that is embellished with intricate gold and crystal beading that matches the top of the corset and flows behind her.
A gold clip matching the choker she’s wearing holds her wild curls back. How did this woman ever think she wasn’t beautiful? Everything else fades away as I watch her, Naomi’s bright blue eyes staying trained on mine.
Not even when War kisses her on her cheek does her attention sway from me. I take her hands in mine, and the officiant begins. I don’t know how I manage to repeat what he tells me. I’m so enthralled by her. She’s regal, reminding me of an Egyptian queen. My queen.
Naomi lets out a small gasp when I slide on the band, which is encrusted all around in diamonds but smooth to the touch. It’s functional but still beautiful. I can tell from her expression that she loves it. Then she’s slipping the gold band onto my finger. She’s finally mine in every way now.
“You may kiss the bride,” the officiant says, and a smile breaks out across her face. I lift a brow. Naomi momentarily pauses for half a second, and then a small laugh leaves her, and that smile grows more for me.
“You can kiss me now.” I wrap my arm around her and pull her into me and claim her mouth in a deep kiss. Everyone cheers. “You’re mine now until death, and even then you won’t escape me.” Her words warm my heart. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Sunshine, I’ve always been yours.” I kiss my wife again.
The reception is small as well, but no detail was left out. We eat and dance and celebrate the new life ahead of us with the whole family. With everyone in one space, it’s a reminder of how big and tight-knit this family truly is.
I pull Naomi onto my lap as the night wears on.
“I love my ring,” she tells me, peeking up at me. “I love you.”
“I know you do, sunshine, and I love you too.” Her fingers trace my lips.
“You think we can leave soon?” she asks.
“Are you excited for our wedding night or the honeymoon?” I tease her.
“Both will be with you. So they are the same.”
“One involves my dick inside you, sweetheart, and the other involves murder and mayhem,” I point out, still teasing her.
“You’ll have your way with me after the murder and mayhem.”
“This is true.”
“Another dance?” Nix asks as she comes up to our table.
“No, we’re leaving.” Naomi slips off my lap, and I stand, taking her hand.
“You were beautiful tonight,” Nix tells her. “Every night.” I let Naomi’s hand go when she takes a step toward Nix to hug her. She whispers something into her ear, making a smile appear.
“Love you,” she tells Nix as she steps back toward me.
“Are you ready?” I ask her.
“For you, always.” I sweep her up into my arms and carry her back toward the house.
Tonight will be only about her and me.
Come tomorrow, my sunshine is going to burn for all the world to see.