5
Knox
I never expected to be standing at the altar in my sisters’ wedding chapel, let alone waiting for a woman I’d only met hours before. Even after seeing the girls fall so quickly for the men in their lives, I hadn’t truly believed in love at first sight—at least not when it came to me. But when I spotted Addilyn on stage, I finally got it. And watching my gorgeous woman walk down the aisle toward me made all the shit I was bound to get when my family found out that I’d gotten my ring on her finger the same night we met worth it.
Her dress was a cock-hardening mixture of sweet and sexy. The lacy top was delicate, and the soft material flowed down her legs from her waist, but the neckline plunged all the way down her chest, giving me a tempting view of her luscious tits. And when she walked forward, the split on both sides of her skirt treated me to the view of her long and gorgeous legs. She was stunning, and I couldn’t wait for her to get to me. Striding down the aisle to meet her halfway, I laced my fingers through hers with one hand and cupped her cheek with the other as I brushed my lips over her mouth. “You’re so damn gorgeous.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” Her brown eyes darkened as her gaze swept down my body and back up again. “Dang, I almost forgot how hot you were while I was getting ready.”
I loved how open she was about her attraction to me. It was sexy as fuck. Pulling her close, I devoured her mouth in a deep kiss. I didn’t pull away until the officiant cleared his throat behind us. After aiming a glare his way, I led Addilyn over and turned to face him with her hand still held in mine.
“Don’t forget these,” Amanda whispered as she thrust a big bouquet of pale purple roses into Addilyn’s free hand.
She lifted them to her nose and inhaled deeply. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” Amanda waved off her gratitude with a smile. “Knox is the one who picked them out while you were getting changed.”
Addilyn’s plump lips curved up in a pleased grin as she turned to me. “Thanks, hubby-to-be.”
Knowing she was going to be my wife in the next five to ten minutes had my cock pressing hard against my zipper. I was going to have a hell of a time keeping it in my pants tonight, but I had no doubt the wait would be worth it when she was sober in the morning, and I could finally sink inside her hot little pussy. “You’re welcome, baby.” Giving in to the temptation my gorgeous bride presented, I brushed my lips over hers again. “I’m glad you like them.”
Her smile widens. “What’s not to like about two dozen of my favorite roses wrapped with a ribbon that matches my dress?”
Amanda mumbled something about me being a flower thief under her breath, and I scowled at her. When she looked like she was ready to back out of the chapel, I tempered my expression. The last thing I needed was for her to go running because then I’d need to hunt down someone else to witness our marriage. I didn’t want to run the risk of Addilyn having time to change her mind, so I flashed an apologetic smile at Amanda.
In all fairness, I had commandeered the flowers that had been meant for a ceremony tomorrow. I had also ordered her to sneak a peek at the dress Addilyn had picked out to make sure the bouquet went with it. Then I’d stood over her shoulder while she put it together to make sure everything was perfect for my bride. I was willing to admit that I’d been an asshole, especially considering she was going to need to get replacement flowers for the other couple, but I also knew I’d do it again if Addilyn’s beaming smile was my reward. I was more than willing to go to whatever lengths it took to make her happy.
Amanda held her position next to Addilyn, and the officiant started the ceremony. When he got to the part about exchanging rings, my beautiful bride’s smile faltered. “Oh, no! Is our marriage still legal if we skip that part because we don’t have any—”
Her brown eyes widened in shock and her words trailed off when she spotted the jewelry box I’d just taken out of my pocket. After flipping the box open with my thumb, I pulled the bridal set out so I was ready to slide it onto Addilyn’s finger.
“Whoa! Where did you get those?” Addilyn gasped, peering down at the three-carat oval diamond engagement ring and matching diamond-studded wedding band in awe.
“I made a call to the jeweler while you were shopping for a dress and had them dropped off when you were getting ready,” I explained.
“Double whoa! I had no idea it was possible to just call up for something like these.” She traced her fingertip over the platinum band of the engagement ring.
Amanda looked at the bouquet before saying, “With the power Knox has around here, he can snap his fingers and get pretty much anything he wants.”
“Like me,” Addilyn giggled, swaying on her feet toward me.
Knowing my bride was still drunk as hell, I gave the officiant a look to let him know to get on with the ceremony. I slid my rings on her finger at the appropriate time. Then I reached into my other pocket when he mentioned my ring. It was also platinum with a satin finish and beveled edges. I’d asked for the biggest width and thickness available because I was damn proud to wear a symbol of our commitment to each other for everyone to see.
“You really pulled out all the stops,” Addilyn murmured as she slid my ring onto my finger.
“Damn straight, I did.” As soon as she suggested we get married tonight, I’d run with it. Each time my conscience reared its head, telling me that I shouldn’t take advantage of Addilyn’s drunken idea, I forced it down and reminded myself that the truth came out when people were drunk. She wouldn’t have thought of marrying me unless she actually wanted to. Plus, I would’ve talked her into it soon enough if she hadn’t suggested it tonight. She was meant to be my wife. Period.
When the officiant finally got to the part where I could kiss the bride, I lowered my head and claimed Addilyn’s mouth in a passionate kiss. I tangled one of my hands in her hair at the back of her head and pressed the other against the smooth skin exposed by her dress at her lower back. I didn’t lift my head until Amanda mumbled, “Uh, maybe you guys should get a room.”
“Great idea!” Addilyn cried, pulling on my arm to lead me down the aisle and out of the chapel. “Where’s the registration desk?”
“No need for that.” I guided her to the elevators and slid in my identification card to access the penthouse floor where I had a suite. Drew had insisted on making it available to me because of the hours I kept, and I’d eventually gotten rid of my apartment since I was rarely there. I’d never been happier to live at the hotel than now, only minutes away from getting my new wife into the privacy of the space I called home.
Pressing her against the wall inside the elevator, a deep growl crept up my throat as I kissed her. I knew damn well that the footage on the cameras in here wasn’t watched as closely as the ones on the casino floor, but I hated even the slightest possibility of one of my men seeing Addilyn in a state of arousal. Luckily, the ride up was quick since my card allowed us to bypass the other floors, and the doors quickly slid open again.
Sweeping Addilyn into my arms, I carried her down the hall to my door and waved my card in front of the knob to unlock it. I strode through the living room and straight into my bedroom with her still in my arms. When I set her on the edge of my bed, my need for her grew fiercer. Reluctantly pulling away from her, I strode toward my walk-in closet. “I’ll get you one of my shirts and a pair of boxers to sleep in.”
“But—”
I didn’t give her the chance to argue before I ducked into my closet, but it turned out to be a tactical error because she used the moment I was gone to strip out of her dress. The soft material was pooled at her feet on the floor, leaving her in nothing but a white lace panty and bra set. “Fuck,” I groaned, shoving my shirt and boxers into her hands. “Put these on, baby. I only have so much willpower when it comes to you.”
“Why do you need any?” A lock of dark hair nestled between her breasts when she tilted her head to the side. “Isn’t it customary for t
he groom to ravish his virgin wife on their wedding night?” Her lips formed a sexy pout and my cock throbbed painfully.
“Not when she’s had too much to drink and won’t remember it in the morning,” I grumbled as I pulled the shirt down over her head and helped her stick her arms through the holes before pulling the boxers up her legs. Keeping my eyes averted from the spot where I could smell her sweet arousal was one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life.
“Fine,” she huffed with a sniffle before crawling under the covers and grumbling something about how easy it was for me to say no to sex.
If she only knew that I wanted to fuck my bride more than I wanted to take my next breath. There were only two reasons I was able to hold back—it would be all kinds of wrong to have sex with Addilyn while she was drunk—especially if it wasn’t just the alcohol talking when she called herself a virgin bride—and I wasn’t going to let her out of this bed until I finally had her. But if her little sniffle had turned into outright tears and she hadn’t fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, I wasn’t one hundred percent certain that I wouldn’t have caved into our mutual need.
6
Addilyn
Good grief. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I’d run off and joined a Mariachi band for all the noise going on inside my head when I woke up.
However, despite the maracas bouncing around my skull, I couldn’t remember a time when I felt so relaxed and content. I was warm, in a comfy bed, and surrounded by the most delicious, manly smell—and that’s the moment when my eyes popped open and reality came rushing in. Yep, there was no mistaking the man sleeping on the other side of the bed from me.
So...this was new. The whole not waking up alone thing. Not that I had any objection to seeing the sex-god-like face of Knox Dawson as soon as I opened my eyes. Or being wrapped up in clothes that smelled like him—wait.
I got married last night. Shouldn’t I be naked?
My eyes scanned over Knox’s sleeping form and took in the outfit he was wearing—one very similar to mine. Then I started to remember even more. My recollections from the night before definitely had a blurry quality to them, but they were clear enough for me to remember how my “wedding night” had apparently gone terribly wrong.
I studied Knox’s sleeping form for a minute. He looked so sexy and peaceful in his sleep, and I took a second to imagine what it would be like to wake up to this every morning for the rest of my life. It’s what I’d thought I was signing up for by marrying him last night. But then...by the time we got back to our hotel room, he already seemed to be regretting the choice. He couldn’t seem to get away from me fast enough. Then when he saw me almost naked...apparently, he hadn’t been satisfied with what he saw. A tear leaked from the corner of one eye and slid down my cheek as I thought about how fast he’d covered up my body. Not to mention the fact that he’d slept as far away from me as possible while still being in the same bed.
I was short and extremely curvy, and I’d always loved that about myself. I hadn’t cared one way or the other how men looked at me. Until I met Knox. I’d loved the way he looked at me with such hunger in his eyes. Now, seeing how he’d changed his mind after I dropped my wedding dress...I didn’t know how to feel. Other than devastated.
Knox suddenly shifted, turning toward me, and I froze, praying he would stay asleep while I worked everything out in my mind. The only thing I knew for certain at the moment was that I had to get out of there before he woke up. Clearly, this whole thing had been one giant, universe-sized mistake. I sucked in my breath—as though that would somehow make me float out of bed or something—and scooted as lightly as possible to the edge of the mattress.
It took me a good ten minutes of slow inching and sliding before I slithered soundlessly to the floor. Quickly, I popped my head up to see if I’d woken Knox. Then I slapped a hand over my mouth when I almost let out an audible sigh at seeing him undisturbed. I dropped back down to the floor and crawled over to my wedding dress. After gathering it and my shoes, I crawled out of the bedroom into the suite’s living room. When I looked up, I saw a glimpse of myself in a decorative mirror and let the sigh escape. With my hair a tangled mess, my makeup smeared, and my skin paler than usual, this was definitely not my finest hour.
Climbing to my feet, I went in search of a powder room. After finding one by the front door, I switched out Knox’s T-shirt and boxers for my frilly white reminder that I was an idiot. Then I padded barefoot back to the living room to grab my purse and shoes. As I reached for my bag, the rings on my left hand sparkled, and I felt another wave of sadness for the dream I thought I’d found. Maybe my parents were right, and I was too sheltered, too unrealistic.
Shaking my head, I slipped the rings off and set them on the marble coffee table in front of the large blue sofa. Then I hopped toward the front door as I put a stiletto on each foot. Not without stubbing a toe, of course. “Ouch! Shit!” I exclaimed in a whisper-yell. Terrified that I’d woken him and would have to deal with morning-after bullshit, I ran out of the room, making sure to let the door shut quietly.
The elevator opened immediately when I pressed the button, and I sighed in relief as the doors whooshed shut with no sign of my “husband.” I was dreading the “walk of shame” I’d be doing shortly, but halfway to the lobby, I rolled my eyes at myself and hit the button for the tenth floor. Thank goodness. I’d almost forgotten that I was staying at the hotel since I sold my house. I certainly wasn’t going to take up my old room in my parents’ house. My mind suddenly flashed back to the night before when I’d suggested we get a room after the wedding ceremony. Well, perhaps my addled brain had done me a favor. It’s not like Knox would know where to find me. Not that he’d come looking.
By the time I reached my room, I’d given myself a long lecture and was determined to move on from my drunken blunder. I was made of stronger stuff, dammit. I quickly showered, removing all traces of Knox’s scent from me before dressing in tight black jeans, a shimmery purple tank top, and tall black suede boots. After shaking out my hair, I grabbed my leather jacket and purse, before marching out of my room with a determination that I was faking really, really well.
I wasn’t a hundred percent sure what I was going to do next, so I headed for the place where I felt the most comfortable. The lounge was empty, only lit by the glow of the tiny lamps on the tables.
I climbed the short steps up to the stage and sat down on the bench at the shiny black grand piano. My fingers tinkled with the keys, and I hummed a melody that had been floating around in my mind ever since I met Knox. I just couldn’t seem to get the stupid man out of my thoughts. Annoyed, I punched my fingers down onto the keys, the clash of the notes making me feel a tad better.
“I don’t know much about music, or the blues, but that seems a little harsh for music that should be soulful.”
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, my head whipped to the side to spot the visitor. A tall redheaded beauty was seated at a table a few rows back.
“It’s definitely not something I’d play for an audience,” I replied with a shrug. “But sometimes I need to get my frustration out, and this is a better option than kicking someone’s ass.”
The woman snickered, then her expression turned thoughtful.
“You’re even more beautiful than Amanda described,” she announced.
“Uh...thank you?” I was digging around in my brain trying to figure out if I knew this woman. Considering she’d mentioned Amanda, I figured she probably worked at the Lennox. But still, the situation was definitely weird.
“Amanda spilled the beans about your marriage.” My brow rose in surprise. The woman shrugged, and her lips curved in amusement. “I'm not crazy, I promise. Just really nosy.” I laughed, liking her more by the instant.
“I was pretty shocked to hear someone had tied down the biggest cynic I know, and I just had to meet her.”
“Yeah…” Things hadn’t exactly worked out so well for me in that situa
tion, so I wasn’t sure how to respond. Instead, I trailed off as I bent over to pick up my purse. Then I stood and made my way down to approach the lone table with an occupant.
“I presume it’s his ass you’re considering kicking?” She cocked her head to the side with a knowing gaze. “I know him pretty well and often contemplate shoving my foot up his ass.”
I couldn’t help laughing and appreciated her humor when I was so angry and sad at the same time.
Opening up to a stranger wasn’t something I would normally do, but for some reason, I felt comfortable with her. “It was a giant mistake, and since I’ve never gotten drunk and married in Vegas before, I’m not sure what to do next.”
An odd smile curved her lips. It looked almost diabolical, but I figured I was just reading her wrong.
“Why don’t you visit my sister’s husband? He specializes in annulments, and his office is attached to the hotel.”
I perked up at her suggestion, but relief and dread both filled me at the same time.
“I’m Ariel, by the way,” the redhead said as she set her purse on the table and dug through it. “A-ha!” She pulled out a card and handed it to me.
“Addilyn,” I introduced myself, even though she clearly knew who I was. “And, thanks.” I glanced down to see that it was a business card for Will Scott, divorce attorney. My hand trembled as I stared at it. Then I swallowed hard and squared my shoulders. Why was I being such a baby about this? Obviously, this was the best solution.
“You’re welcome,” Ariel answered. I glanced up to see her giving me another mysterious smile. “And, good luck.” Then she stood, and her smile turned genuine and bright. “I’m happy to have met you Addilyn...Cole. I’m sure we’ll become great friends.”
Her smile was infectious, and I returned it with a nod. “I think so, too.”
Vegas, Baby: Complete Series Page 37