Face-Off at the Altar

by Toni Aleo

  He laughed nervously as he shook his head, still unable to understand what he had just read. His heart was pounding, his stomach was in knots, and all he wanted to do was kiss Mekena.

  So he did.

  Dropping his phone, he tangled his fingers in her hair as their mouths moved with feverish need. His whole body was trembling, and she molded to him in such a sensual way. As they fell back, their legs tangled while they tried to become one, celebrating this monumental moment in his life. Something he had been working for since he was a kid. He finally had it. It was finally happening, and he couldn’t think of any other way to celebrate than to be with Mekena.

  As he pulled back, looking down into her face, his grin was unstoppable. “I can’t believe it.”

  Cupping his face, she kissed his jaw. “I can. You’re amazing.”

  His phone started to sound, but he ignored it, staring into her eyes as she stared back into his. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered, running her fingers down the back of his head and neck.

  He grinned down at her, and their eyes met as he said, “Now it’s your turn.”

  She nodded. “It is.”

  His stomach clenched. “But if you don’t get it, Mekena, what does that mean for us?”

  She ran her thumbs along his jaw. “The same thing as if I do get it. We’ll make it work. Don’t you worry about that, and don’t ruin this with the what-ifs of our life. We’ve got this.”

  His fingers dug into her waist as he nodded. “So you want to do this?”

  Her brows pulled in. “I told you last night I did.”

  “I know, but I wasn’t sure. Took you forever to commit to me before.”

  “That was before,” she said with a grin. “Now, I’m done resisting you. I want to be with you.”

  “I want that too.”

  “Good, because I think we’ve been through enough shit that when I say something, I mean it, and there is no changing that.”

  He chuckled as he nodded. “I hear ya.”

  “Good, now stop trying to ruin this and kiss me.”

  He liked that idea and soon captured her mouth with his. Rolling on top of her, he fell between her legs, pressing into her as her fingers bit into his back, her mouth moving unrestrainedly against his. She kissed like a dream, but then, everything about her was beyond his reality. It was magical. Sliding his hands up over her hips, he squeezed her ribs, her bare breasts teasing the tops of his hands.

  Pulling back, he kissed her nose and looked down at her. “Still too sore for round two?”

  When his phone sounded once more, she eyed him. “I mean, I can’t even think about getting down with you when that phone keeps going off.”

  He rolled his eyes, reaching for his phone to shut it off. But before he could, he saw a text.

  From his dad.

  His face scrunched together as he sat back on his haunches, looking down at his phone. “Markus, you okay?”

  He shook his head as he opened the message, reading it.

  Hey, son, we saw the notification that you’re playing for the Assassins Wednesday. We’re proud. We’d love to come to the game. Should we get tickets, or did you get some for us already?

  As his stomach dropped, he couldn’t understand what he was reading. He hadn’t spoken to his parents in almost two years, and his dad was acting as if they had chatted yesterday and he was invited to Sunday dinner.

  Swallowing hard, he looked to Mekena. “My dad just texted me.”

  Her brows rose. “I thought you didn’t talk to them.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Letting his phone fall to the bed, he exhaled hard as he said, “They want to come to the game.”

  She just watched him, probably unsure what to say. But then she asked, “What do you want?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Reaching, she took his phone and threw it to the other side of the bed before wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing him down on top of her. “Well, why don’t you worry about that later, and right now, focus on me?”

  As she bit at his bottom lip, his lips curved. “I’m always focused on you.”

  Holding his gaze, she licked his bottom lip. “Keep it that way.”

  “Done,” he said, taking her lips with his as he pulled her shirt up and off of her.

  He drank in her naked body as she shimmied out of her panties. She was glistening between her legs, wet for him, and that made him throb even harder than before. He had always thought she was beautiful, gorgeous, even, but at the moment, he found her undeniably sexy. And he wanted her more than he could even fathom. Taking her lips with his, he kissed her hard, his hand finding her mound as he squeezed her, causing her to arch into his hand. Hissing out a breath, he pulled away, shaking his head.

  “You drive me crazy, woman,” he accused, standing up and throwing his shorts down before reaching for the condoms he had brought in the night before. Her laughter was intoxicating; it was almost whimsical as she watched him, her tongue coming out to lick her lips. He had heard her laugh before, it wasn’t anything new, but her sexy kitten laugh was something he had never experienced. He decided he needed to hear that giggle every day. As he looked over at her, to gaze upon her ravishing naked body, he took his cock in his hand, ready to sheath himself. But he paused when he realized she was watching him. Seeing her study him stunned him completely.

  Unsure of herself, she glanced back up at him and shrugged. “I’ve never…”

  He swore he almost came right there.

  He swallowed hard. “Oh.”

  “Yeah, I kinda wanna try it.”

  He couldn’t breathe. “Now?” he squeaked like a fourteen-year-old going through puberty.

  She smiled shyly. “Yeah…?”

  How in the world was he supposed to handle that?

  But before he could even decide how, she was moving, her hands coming down his chest, over his stomach, and then one hand landed on his thigh as she grasped his throbbing cock in her cold hand. When he hissed out a breath, she looked up at him, worry filling her face, but he shook his head. “Your hand is cold.”

  She grinned an apology as she looked back to his aching cock. “So I guess…” She tried but then she paused, running her tongue along her lips. She had no clue that she was driving him completely mad. But then she moved her mouth over the head of his cock, her tongue coming out and swirling around him. Thrusting forward, he felt his eyes fall shut as his whole body shook. He had been dreaming of this since the moment he met her, and finally, he had her sweet mouth around him. He almost couldn’t handle it. Looking up at him, she kissed him, and he was basically salivating at how beautiful she was. When she took him whole into her mouth, he moaned loudly, his fingers threading through her hair as she started to move up and down on him.

  As much as he wanted her to explore him, figure it out, he didn’t know how to sit there and not touch her. He reached out, and his hand explored her breast as she ran her tongue and lips along his shaft, making everything inside of him go taut. When her other hand found his balls, he almost came out of his skin, his heart beating so loud in his chest he was sure it would burst his eardrums. Soon, she was moving faster, her head bobbing up and down on him, her hair brushing his thighs as he squeezed and molded her perky breasts.

  Curling his toes into the floor, he squeezed her hair as he forced out, “I’m about to come. Come off, babe.”

  He expected her to back off, let him come in his own hand, but she pushed his cock to the back of her throat and there was no holding back. He came hard, his whole body shaking with the motion as she sucked him dry. He felt her start to gag. But he couldn’t see, his eyes were squeezed shut, his body completely rigid and unmoving as she continued to gag, her mouth no longer on him.

  “Ugh, that’s disgusting! Women like that?”

  His lips curved as he pulled in a deep breath through his nose, his body still trembling. “Some do,” he somehow got out.

&nbs
p; “Well, they lied in that romance novel. She said as long as she pushed his cock to the back of her throat, she could drink him all day. Um, no, I think I might puke,” she decided, and all he could do was laugh.

  She was a nut.

  She had her tongue out of her mouth as she reached over for a bottle of water on her nightstand. He watched as she swirled the water in her mouth, but she still had such a disgusted look on her face. “It wasn’t that bad,” he teased and she glared.

  “I guess I have a texture issue ’cause that was gross.”

  He smiled. “So that was the last time I’ll get a hot-ass blow job?”

  She raised a brow, her little cheeks reddening. “It was hot?”

  He nodded, his breath coming out in a whoosh. “So fucking hot.”

  Grinning with pride, she shimmied her shoulders. “Maybe not.”

  He pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard on the mouth. He loved this side of her, couldn’t get enough of it. As he pulled back, he grinned back at her. “You’re so cute.”

  Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “You can’t say I gave you a hot blow job and then call me cute!”

  He laughed, brushing his nose to hers. “Fine, you’re fucking sexy as hell.”

  Grinning, she nodded her head. “Better.”

  They fell onto the bed as she collapsed in a fit of giggles, and he nuzzled his nose into her chest as he exhaled happily.

  He loved this woman something insane, but even with all that love surrounding him, he couldn’t shake his father’s text.

  Or decide what he was going to do about it.

  Crossing his arms over his chest, Markus leaned back in his lawn chair as he shook his head. While he felt completely relaxed and all kinds of good, he swore he was going to burst with annoyance.

  Never in his twenty-five years of life had he seen a bunch of men throw a volleyball game.

  It was plain ridiculous. He was a winner, and he thought Jude, Jace, Jayden, and Benji were too. But apparently, they forgot how to win when they were playing their wives and daughter/niece. He didn’t want them to spike it on Angie, but shit, at least try to volley it back!

  “We kicked your butt, Uncle Markus!” Angie teased as she danced around, her water cup in her hand and her little face red with exhaustion. She was still getting over her stomach bug, but the kid was resilient.

  “Hush, you. Your daddy and uncles are horrible,” he threw back at her playfully, and she just grinned.

  “That’s what haters say and you’re a hater, and I’m gonna shake, shake, shake you off,” she sang, dancing away.

  He decided he didn’t like that kid anymore.

  “I’m not a hater!” he yelled back to her. He was answered with laughter not only from Angie, but from the other Sinclair women who were all getting water. When Jace laughed at him, Markus glared, “And you guys suck. Bad. I mean, come on. We are hockey players, we live on hand-eye coordination, and y’all did nothing!”

  Jayden shrugged. “What can I say? I like getting laid.”

  “Amen,” Jude agreed.

  “For sure,” Jace said, raising his hands in the air. “Preach it, brother.”

  “My wife beats me,” Benji said, and everyone crumpled with laughter. Even Markus couldn’t hold back his grin.

  These guys…

  When Lucy fell into the seat beside him, he grumbled as he looked away, her laughter running down his spine.

  “Jeez, Markus, it’s a game.”

  Looking back at her, he raised his chin at her. “You’re marrying a pansy.”

  She giggled. “Little secret, I’m already married to him.”

  He made a mock face of annoyance since he was well aware of that. “Then why are we here? I don’t like getting my ass kicked in family-fun volleyball. This is not fun!”

  Laughing, she smacked him as they watched Benji run after Angie, gobbling her up and then throwing her up into the air. She was laughing and smiling so hard, it took Markus’s breath away.

  “I do love him,” Lucy whispered, and Markus grinned over at her.

  “When he isn’t being a pansy and letting you win, he’s a great guy.”

  She laughed as she rolled her eyes. “You’re too competitive.”

  “Lucy, he let the ball fall—right in front of him!”

  “And…? He loves me.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  She looked over at him, her eyes going serious. “How are you?”

  He eyed her suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

  She eyed him back. “I mean, how are you?”

  It was a loaded question, and within seconds, he knew she knew about Skylar. “Man, this family runs their mouths.”

  She shrugged. “You’re basically my brother, so, yeah, I know. And, yeah, Baylor and I are plotting ways to get rid of her body.”

  That had him laughing as he shook his head. “She isn’t worth it.”

  “Eh, we feel differently on that,” she announced, and he smiled, reaching over and taking her hand in his. “I’ll kill her for you.”

  “Don’t. You guys are taking Angie to Disneyland, and I don’t want to ruin that for her.”

  “Good man you are, Markus Reeves.”

  He shrugged. “I try.”

  “So, are you okay?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, and it’s weird. I feel like I should be more fucked-up, but I’m not. I’m just glad I got the answers I needed. I hate what she did to me and I hate that I don’t know all of what happened, but I’m not dwelling. I had my time to stress about it. Now I have my closure, and I’m good.”

  She watched him for a moment. “Maybe you should still talk to someone, though. Just to be sure.”

  “I am,” he answered with a nod. “I’m going to the lady Baylor went to, the team doctor.”

  She smiled. “Benji’s talked to her about Ava and Leary. She’s wonderful,” she said, speaking of the family Benji had lost years ago in a deadly car crash.

  “Cool. She seems to be.”

  Squeezing his hand, she nodded. “I’m glad you’re going to get help. But mostly, I’m glad that you aren’t stewing. Shit like that can ruin people’s lives.”

  “I know, but I think because she didn’t physically hurt me—and we also didn’t actually have sex—I’m letting it go. Yeah, she touched me inappropriately, she made me live two years without the person I love, but I’m okay. Life is way too short for me to live with such hate, I can’t do it. It isn’t fair when I have a decent life, a good life, you know?”

  She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she smiled. “Just don’t hide the pain. If you need help or someone to talk to, I’m always here for you.”

  Bringing her hand up, he kissed the back of it and nodded. “Thanks, Lucy.”

  Sending him a wide smile, she looked up when Angie screamed. It was a happy scream as Jace ran with her like she was a football, Benji and Jayden following behind, trying to catch them. Markus saw Jude take Claire in his arms, kissing her hard on the mouth. Jude leaned her back, and Markus smiled as she cupped his face during the elaborate kiss. Seeing them made him miss Mekena, but he wouldn’t see her until later that night. She had some photography stuff to do with her aunt and Grace, which sucked for him. It would have been fun for her to be here to play volleyball.

  As Jude wrapped Claire up in his arms, Markus could still recall the day the eldest Sinclair brother had made a big production out of getting her to date him. Filling up the whole rink with pucks, asking her to be his. Markus wondered if they knew they’d end up where they were. He wondered how they made it work because every time he saw them, he swore they loved each other more. It was crazy; they were so young when they met, and yet, they only got stronger. They were a symbol of true love. Hell, all the Sinclairs were. He just prayed that he and Mekena would be the same.

  Because, boy, did he love her.

  Her innocence was overwhelming, but it also scared him. Would she really want only one man forever? Could he ask
that of her? Was that fair? He wasn’t sure, but he felt like there was no other choice. She was it for him. He knew it the moment he met her. He had tried to ignore her for the simple fact he didn’t want to get distracted, but apparently, the universe had other plans.

  And Markus was downright distracted by Mekena. All the time.

  Well, except when he was going back and forth about his parents. He didn’t know what to do. Should he get them tickets, have them come? A part of him wanted them there, but he was still so mad about how they’d treated Mekena. He wouldn’t allow them to treat her like that again. He wouldn’t lose her. No way in hell. He was in this for the long haul, and no one would stop that.

  What should he do?

  He looked over at Lucy. She was watching as the guys were chasing Angie, falling to the ground as she hopped over them, laughing so loud it was infectious. He didn’t want to bother her, though she said she wanted to help. Maybe this was something he had to figure out himself.

  “Why are you staring at me? I told you we can’t be together,” she said, and he snorted. “Out with it. Proclaim your love before the wedding.”

  He rolled his eyes, and she laughed while he leaned back before whistling playfully. “Your ego, woman.”

  “Is top-notch. See the dude I’m married to? He tells me I’m gorgeous every day,” she said with a wink and he smiled.

  “Smart man.”

  “That’s what I say,” she added, leaning back against the chair. “So what’s up?”

  Drawing in a breath through his nose, he let it out and shook his head. “My parents want to come to my first game.”

  She looked at him, confused. “I don’t understand, why does— Oh wait, y’all aren’t talking.”

  “Yeah, we haven’t in way over a year.”

  She paused. “Why, again?”

  “You don’t know?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, this is something that was not passed down the grapevine.”

  He laughed. “Surprisingly. Anyway, I took Mekena, my then-girlfriend, to dinner with them, and they basically called her white trash and wanted me to date a black girl.”

  Her face twisted in horror. “Shut up! Really?”