6. Tori
TORI
“Wow,” I breathed, taking in the view.
“Impressive enough for you?” Stefan asked.
We’d reached the apex of the wheel, Prater Park and the whole city spread below. Everything in Vienna was a feast for the eyes, with so much lush greenery and incredible, castle-like architecture surrounding us that I felt as if I’d woken up in a fairytale.
I smiled, shaking my head. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. I mean I’ve been to the Skydeck at Willis Tower, but seeing Chicago from a skyscraper is nothing compared to this.”
The ferris wheel cars, painted red with white trim, were huge—instead of small pods of single benches, they were spacious cabins with windows looking out on every side, big enough to hold several tables and chairs.
Our car could have fit at least two dozen people, but Stefan had paid for us to take the ride alone.
He’d even put his phone down to take in the sights with me.
The cabin gave a slight lurch, and I gasped in surprise, the two of us rocking back and forth above the city. That’s when his hand found mine and gave a reassuring squeeze.
My pulse leapt into my throat.
But before I could turn to him, he released my hand to pull out his phone, his focus back to his work life as if the tender moment had never occurred.
Even if he didn’t want to acknowledge it, I knew that gesture would stay with me for the rest of the day.
The five seconds he took to let his guard down was all the confirmation I needed that there was still something real between us.
My fingers still tingled with the pressure of his hand.
It boded well for the night we’d be spending together.
After a long day of sightseeing, during which I spent more time talking to our tour guide than with my husband, we returned to the hotel. The whole excursion had felt more like a business trip on wheels than a honeymoon, but I’d still loved every minute of Vienna.
Now that I was finally stepping out of the car and craning my neck to look up at our hotel, I was just as awed. It was like a palace—everything accented in gold.
“I feel like we’re staying in a castle,” I said.
Stefan nodded. “I thought you’d like this better than something stark and modern.”
I smiled at him. “I love it. Thank you.”
All the details inside were ornate and luxurious, from the lush patterned carpet to the heavy embroidered drapes that were pulled back from the windows with silken cords. The place felt historic and expensive. There was no doubt in my mind that it was both.
We got to the suite and I walked through each room with my jaw hanging open. There was a sitting room, a living room, a small office and of course a huge bedroom, complete with a carved four-poster bed and inlaid antique furniture.
“This room is straight out of a Jane Austen novel!” I yelled over my shoulder at Stefan.
Even from across the room, I could see that the bed was pure luxury, a high mattress draped in thick down bedding and piled with fluffy pillows. Unable to help myself, I ran over and jumped onto it, sinking down into the cool softness with a satisfied sigh.
I heard a throat clearing from the doorway and I sat up with a jolt.
“We’re going out for dinner,” Stefan told me.
“Come lie down for a minute,” I said as I patted the mattress next to me. “You’ve been working all day.”
It was the first time we had been truly alone since leaving the honeymoon suite in Chicago. My skin was tight with anticipation, but Stefan didn’t move an inch.
“We leave in an hour,” he said. “Wear something nice.”
Then he disappeared to another section of our enormous suite, his ubiquitous laptop tucked under his arm. I was starting to really, really hate that laptop.
“Going out” probably meant a date, didn’t it? Dates were for couples to connect. Dates led to sex. He’d take me out tonight and when we returned to our hotel, refreshed and completely finished with his workday, he’d have more energy for me. And more desire. Unless…
Was our chemistry completely one-sided? Our first kiss had felt so real, so intense. Had it only seemed that way to me because of my lack of experience?
I headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
True to form, I was surrounded by gold fixtures and gleaming marble floors.
There was a clawfoot tub and a separate shower walled in by glass, stacks of fluffy towels and Turkish cotton robes waiting to be used.
I took advantage of the well-stocked cabinet of luxury bath and shower items and then stepped under the spray, imagining the hot water washing away my insecurities.
Stefan did want me, I told myself. I’d seen the interest in his eyes when he’d watched me walk down the aisle in my wedding dress, especially when he had gotten a good look at the neckline. And our first kiss had been long and deep, his hands tight and needful around my waist.
The memory of that kiss sent a shiver through me. Despite the distance Stefan kept putting between us, I still wanted him. And wanted him to want me.
Closing my eyes, I tried to visualize what my first time would be like.
I called up the sensation of his lips against mine, hard and hot, like the rest of his body.
What would he do if he was standing here right now?
He’d kiss me first, his tongue thrusting strong into my mouth, his hands gripping my hips firmly.
He’d be naked, of course. I’d gotten a look at his bare chest on our wedding night, and I knew it was broad and smooth and well-muscled. The rest of his body was no doubt just as gorgeous and I had no doubt that he was a man who knew what to do with it in bed.
The thought of Stefan pulling me against him, our naked, wet bodies steaming up the shower, made me tingle. All over.
With my eyes still closed, I slid my hands down my chest, imagining that it was Stefan touching me. I cupped my full breasts, pinched my nipples, rolled them between my fingers. Gently at first and then a little harder. I imagined he’d be a little rough. I liked imagining that.
Heat pooled between my thighs and my legs spread wider as I dragged my nails lightly down my stomach. I’d gotten completely waxed in anticipation of my wedding night so when my hand reached lower it met no resistance, just smooth, bare skin.
I gasped as I touched my swollen clit, imagining that my hand was Stefan’s.
He would be standing behind me, his body pressed against mine as he stroked me.
I dipped my finger lower to trace my lips, fantasizing that Stefan was breathing close to my ear, letting out a groan as he finally pushed a thick finger inside. “You like that?” he’d say.
“Mmhmm,” I murmured quietly, grinding against that finger. I probed in soft, slow strokes, my entire body starting to hum. This was what I’d needed. I’d been on edge ever since our first kiss but now I needed relief. I needed release.
Pressing my forehead against the glass wall of the shower, I fingered myself deeper, faster, my walls wet and hot, my breath coming fast as my hips pumped back and forth.
“Come for me,” Stefan would say, commanding me. “I want to feel you come.”
I pumped faster, one hand reaching up to squeeze my breast. I shut my eyes tight, pleasure spreading through my entire body as the orgasm built inside of me.
“Yes,” I moaned softly.
Just before I climaxed, my skin prickled with the sensation of being watched. I opened my eyes and found Stefan standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
He was watching me, his jaw set, eating up the sight of me—his own desire visible, the front of his pants bulging. My body trembled as the shockwaves hit me, unable to prevent myself from coming right in front of him in breathless gasps.
When I looked back toward him, my spent body feeling loose and languid, I fully expected to see him shedding his clothes and throwing open the shower door to take me in his arms and continue what I had started.
Instead, I found an empty doorway. He was gone.
Stefan was keeping to himself in the suite’s office while I got ready.
I chose a black evening gown that looked demure from the front, but when I turned around, revealed an almost completely open back.
It was the kind of dress that I couldn’t wear a bra with.
I pulled my hair into a messy yet artful twist with some loose tendrils framing my face and finished off the outfit with a pair of heels and a small clutch.
I was very dressed up, but I didn’t know where we were going tonight, and I wanted to make sure people noticed me. Especially Stefan.
“Are you ready yet?” he asked, knocking on the door.
I flung it open but for a moment just stood there, taking in his dark suit, the scent of his cologne, his gold cufflinks. He was typing something on his phone, but when he glanced up his gaze zeroed on me and his hand dropped to his side.
“Is this okay?” I asked, turning in a slow circle, making sure he got a good look at the back.
His eyes blazed hot. Just like when he’d watched me in the shower. “You’ve done well.”
“Where are we going?”
He pulled a cream envelope out of his pocket and handed it to me.
Opening the flap, I saw that there were tickets inside. Tickets to the Vienna Opera House. For tonight.
“I…”
“You’re welcome.” His voice was gruff, as if to quell my overpowering emotions.
“I never expected this,” I finally managed.
He nodded. “I have something else for you.”
Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a long, velvet box and handed it to me. I opened it to find the most gorgeous diamond necklace I had ever seen. It was composed of two strands of glittering stones with a large teardrop-shaped diamond suspended from it.
I was speechless at its extravagance, my fingers gently resting on the pear cut stone nestled in the velvet. Stefan came around behind me, reaching over my shoulder to take the box. His hand brushed mine, and I felt a spark.
He lifted the diamond necklace out and draped it around my neck.
It was heavy, the teardrop nestling between my breasts.
I touched the cool stone, holding it in place, as Stefan fastened the clasp.
His fingers brushed the nape of my neck, then slid lower to caress my bare back. Once. Twice. Three times.
It couldn’t have been an accident.
My skin tingled with each brief moment of contact.
I walked over to the closet mirror, gazing at the necklace, loving the way it sparkled against my skin.
“It’s gorgeous,” I breathed.
Stefan was stoic behind me, his expression giving nothing away.
“It is,” he said.
I appraised our reflection. We were a handsome pair, in our matching black clothes. It looked like we belonged together. Did Stefan think so too? I glanced at him, but his eyes were on the necklace. My nipples went hard. I knew they would be visible through the dress.
“It looks like it was made for you,” he added, his voice husky.
My eyes met his in the mirror. There was that intense, dark stare, and for a brief moment, I thought he might bend down to kiss me. But then he walked away.