Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
VICKY
Almost three months later…
“Clean bill of health.” I wrap my arms around Nicholas’s waist from behind and rest my cheek on his broad shoulders. “Thank goodness I don’t have to go for another check-up for three months. I’m sick of being poked and prodded.”
He twists to face me, an amused quirk to his lips. “Not by me, I hope.”
I laugh. “You need to work on your sexy talk.”
“Is that right?” He moves closer to my ear, his lips grazing the shell. “All I could think about on the drive home was eating your pussy and having you squirt your cum all over my face.”
The low-lying muscles in my abdomen clench, and I press my thighs together. “That’s better.”
He runs his gaze over me. “If I put my hand between your legs, how wet would you be?”
“You could always test it out.”
“I plan to.” He pivots me and slaps my arse. “Go get naked, and I’ll be in shortly.”
“Don’t need to ask me twice.” These last few months, my husband has treated me like I’m made of brittle glass, and I’m over it. I want to be flung about, bent over and pounded, have him pull my hair, and spank my backside.
Stepping into the bedroom, I skid to a halt, frowning at what I see on the bed. How odd. “Nicholas?”
“Mm-hmm?”
“Why is my wedding dress and your morning suit on the bed?”
He sidles up behind me, caressing both my hips before he kisses along the back of my neck. “I thought we should do it right this time.”
Turning me in his arms, he drops to one knee. In the palm of his hand is a beautiful diamond ring encrusted with what looks like rubies.
“They’re red emeralds,” he says as if he’s reading my thoughts. “Extremely rare and precious. Just like you.” Capturing my left hand, he removes my wedding band and slides the ring onto my finger. “Victoria De Vil, will you re-marry me?”
I press my palm to my chest. “Oh, Nicholas.”
“Is that a yes?”
Nodding, I say, “It’s a hundred percent yes.”
He slides my wedding band into his pocket and removes his own. “Then we should get dressed because we’re already late for the ceremony.”
Twenty minutes later, I float down the stairs in a dress I never thought I’d have cause to wear again. I haven’t had a chance to do much with my hair, nor apply any makeup other than the light layer I wore to the hospital, but when I asked for more time, Nicholas insisted he loves me bare and mussed up.
Parked outside the front of Oakfield is a Rolls Royce silver shadow. Sol’s standing by the open back door dressed head-to-toe in a chauffeur’s outfit, including a top hat, when he usually wears black trousers and a shirt.
“Did you threaten to behead him if he didn’t comply?”
Nicholas chuckles. “It was his idea.”
“Aww, Sol.” I give him a playful nudge as I get in the car. He blushes so fiercely, even his ears turn red.
It only takes five minutes to drive to the chapel. As we alight, my father appears from inside, presumably to walk me down the aisle.
“We’re recreating the entire ceremony?”
“Not entirely.” Nicholas winks at me, claps my father on the shoulder, and enters the chapel.
What does that mean?
“Vicky.” Dad holds out his arms and embraces me. It’s a stark contrast to my original wedding day.
Since I almost died, my parents have become a lot more tactile and open. It’s taking some getting used to. It’s difficult to wipe out twenty-four years of conditioning, but I’m trying.
“Ready?”
Taking a deep breath, I smile and slide my hand through the crook of his elbow. “Ready.”
The organist begins playing the wedding march. I enter the chapel, expecting to see the hordes of guests who were at the original ceremony. Instead, it’s mostly empty, with only a few people occupying the first two rows of seats.
“Nicholas insisted only close family and friends were to attend. He said they were the only ones who mattered.”
My heart squeezes, the rush of tears blurring my vision. I blink them away, and Nicholas comes into focus, with Christian standing beside him as best man, as he had at our original wedding more than seven months ago. Eloise and Briony stand as we approach, and it’s only then I realize they’re wearing their maid-of-honor dresses.
He’s thought of everything.
“Your husband is gonna get so laid tonight,” Eloise whispers in my ear.
I jerk my elbow back, warning her off. Dad’s cheeks flush pink. Wonderful. I’ll murder her once this is over.
Dad releases me, and I move into position beside Nicholas. The memories of my first wedding day rush back. I’ll never forget how he’d told me I looked lovely. In hindsight, it was my first indication that my impressions of life with Nicholas weren’t going to turn out the way I thought they would. His declaration in my parents’ house that he’d never love me had implied he’d be a cold and distant husband, but his actions had proved the complete opposite.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“We traveled here together.”
“Yes, but every time I see you, you’re more stunning than the time before. In my eyes, you only grow more beautiful.”
God. I’m not going to make it through this service without blubbering. Good thing I didn’t wear makeup. Panda eyes are never a good look.
A baby’s wail echoes around the virtually empty chapel. I glance over my shoulder, a ready smile for a woman who has become one of my closest friends. Imogen grimaces and mouths an apology, then shifts the baby onto her shoulder and pats his back. Alexander Charles De Vil came into the world the day after his grandmother’s secrets rocked the foundations of this close-knit family. It was a timely arrival, allowing a joyous moment to temporarily quash a shocking one.
Despite an extensive search, George and Alice have disappeared off the face of the earth, or so it seems. But with The Consortium members covering vast swathes of the world, Nicholas is confident they won’t stay hidden forever. So much is still unknown, and locating the man with all the answers is the only way the full story will come out. The DNA test Charles commissioned confirmed he couldn’t be Alexander’s father, although it confirmed that he was a close relative. The good news is that the two of them seem closer than ever.
To think I once believed that George was the best of a bad bunch, but he turned out to be the worst. It just goes to show how wrong you can be about people.
Like how wrong I was about my husband.
Nicholas takes my hands and brings them to his lips, kissing each one. “Last October, I stood here in this exact spot ready to marry a woman chosen for me by my father. Arranged marriages are the standard in my family, and I was happy to do my duty. I expected to maybe find a companion and a mother for any children we may be blessed with. Instead, I found my soul mate.”
Dropping my hands, he cups my face instead, his thumbs tenderly brushing over my cheeks. “I love you with every breath, every heartbeat, every fiber of my being. My love for you grows stronger each day. Whatever life throws at us, whatever challenges we may face, I know we’ll overcome them because we’re in it together. You’re not only my wife; you’re my lover, my friend, my partner. You’re the part of me I didn’t realize was missing. I will love you with every piece of my soul until time stops turning.”
My throat narrows, choked by emotion and love for a man I never expected to hear such words from. I know it’s my turn now, but I can’t speak. I simply gape at him, hot tears blurring my vision.
“You don’t have to say anything.” Nicholas brushes his lips over mine. “You show me every day how much you love me. It’s in the small gestures, like making sure my phone is plugged in to charge at night, or turning on the towel rail before I take a shower. It’s in the way you touch my lower back as you’re passing, and make sure I eat something when I become embroiled in work. It’s how you listen without trying to fix everything for me. I chose badly the first time around, but fate gave me a second chance. If you don’t remember any of these words, then remember this.” He looks deep into my eyes, his molten like the richest dark chocolate. “You’re my first, my last, my everything. My number one. I love you.”
And in spectacularly embarrassing fashion, I burst into tears.
“I’m calling it.” Nicholas laughs. “Let’s do the rings.”
With cheeks stained with tears, Nicholas pushes the wedding ring he removed less than an hour ago onto my finger. My hands tremble as I do the same for him, the emotion and surprise of having this sprung on me all too much.
He captures my lips with a kiss that’ll probably corrupt poor baby Alexander, or I should say Sasha, which is the informal name Imogen and Alexander decided on as a homage to his dead twin. According to Imogen, Annabel was the only family member who called Alexander Sasha. It’s so darned cute, my heart can’t take it.
Our families and my friends crowd around us as we break apart. Hugs are traded, kisses are exchanged, and confetti is thrown as we walk back down the aisle. Sol greets us with a beaming grin and removes his hat, bowing low.
“I bet you can’t wait to change out of that, can you?” I stand on tiptoes and kiss his cheek, earning a growl from Nicholas, who tugs sharply on my arm, bringing me back to his side.
“Sorry, Mr. DV.” Blushing for the second time, Sol opens the car door, and Nicholas ushers me inside.
“There’s no need for jealousy, you know that, right?”
“I know nothing of the sort other than my wife’s lips touching another man’s skin makes me want to commit bloody murder.”
I giggle, so damn happy I can hardly breathe.
“Those things you said in the chapel, I’ll never forget them, Nicholas. I love you more than my soul can express.”
I tuck myself into his side, and his arm comes around me, his thumb tracing lazy circles on my hip. Our journey hasn’t been plain sailing, but there’s no denying we fit together like two halves of the same impossible, beautiful love story.