by Lacey Silks
“Tristan, I’m serious. This isn’t the right place.”
“So am I. You can’t expect to tease me with this cleavage and get away with it, do you?”
“I’m wearing a sweater, Tristan.” I giggled as quietly as I could, but resisted him nonetheless.
“Can you blame a guy for imagining what’s underneath?” He shrugged. “Besides, I want to use one of my coupons.”
“That fast?”
“Use them while they’re fresh, right?”
Suddenly I regretted being so creative with my Christmas gift.
But he’d already yanked my pants down and his hand skimmed my inner thigh. And when he reached my panties and touched the wet desire there, he said, “You’re excited as much about this as I am.” He then lifted my hand to the hardness straining under his zipper. I imagined his warm flesh in my hand and squeezed my knees together.
And he did have his coupon, fluttering it right in front of my face.
“Fast, do it fast.”
“You know that only makes me want to do it slow.”
“Okay, okay, do it slow.”
He flicked my heated bud. “Like that?”
Oh, gosh! I nearly jumped up and closed my eyes. That little skim of his finger on my sensitive part awakened a whole new enthusiasm in my body.
“Yes, a little faster, please.” I was already panting.
“Imagine my tongue there,” he coerced. And that wasn’t too difficult to do. The way he pulled my juices upward and circled his fingers over my clit had my ass and thighs tightening, pressing in for more. Once his mouth latched onto my neck and grazed up to my earlobe, the world closed in. He smelled so good and so delicious. That beautiful quivering sensation began to build between my legs, right in the palm of his hand.
Opening his zipper, I gripped him in my hand, stroking his smooth length from the bottom up in the slow rhythmic motion of his hips. The heated flesh expanded with each moan that escaped my mouth. I slid my thumb over the moistened cap. The smell of his desire floated around us, mixing with mine. My other hand lowered to his sack, feeling the soft skin contract in my palm.
I wished we had more space so I could kneel down to taste him. I’d lock my lips below the crown and suck him like the best lollipop ever.
Tristan sped the movement of his fingers. His heavy breath rested against my neck and mine against his chest. Tucked away in the closet we were like two horny teens, hiding as if we didn’t have access to a bedroom, in a place where anyone could open the door and see us.
I increased the rhythm and pumped him with vigor as my own keenness to come began to reach a threshold. A few more strokes and flicks, right there in the center where he strummed my clit so flawlessly, and I’d be done.
And then it happened all at once. My toes curled and I pressed my mouth to his chest trying to muffle the scream that wanted to escape. Tristan lowered his shirt over my hand, his hips stilled, and he jetted a hot stream against the fabric.
Our breathing eased and my senses slowly returned. I removed my hand from his pants, pulled my own up, and started laughing uncontrollably, trying so hard to be quiet… yet I couldn’t.
“Shhh.” I felt his chest vibrate against mine.
“Zip up,” I whispered. “And clean up.”
A few voices echoed in the hallway, and I froze, pulling my wet fingers to my lips with a mouthed Shhhh. The smell of his excitement lingered on my skin.
He leaned toward my ear with a whisper, “If we go out right now, everyone will know.”
“Stay. Be quiet.”
“Come on, Allie, we’re adults.”
“Which means we should be saving our hanky-panky for the bedroom,” I gritted through my teeth quietly enough so that no one could hear. “What if Emma stepped into the hall?”
And without seeing his face, I knew he’d sobered up from his frivolous thoughts and returned from La La Land.
“Okay, just be quiet.”
We waited until whoever was walking by had left. Tristan peeked out the door and pulled me out with him. We closed the closet and snuck up the stairs to our bedroom.
“I can’t believe we did that! We’re supposed to leave in five minutes.”
“Then you better hurry.” Tristan removed his soiled clothes and quickly jumped in the shower.
“Wanna join me?”
“Yes, but if I do, we won’t come out!” I laughed, and instead used the bidet to clean myself.
We rushed to change and headed downstairs to meet the rest of the family for a beautiful day out in town. And little did I know our closet escapade was the first of many surprises I would get that day.
CHAPTER 22
It was the warmest winter day I could remember for a long time. We strolled through the village’s town square with cups of hot chocolate in our hands. Why was it that chocolate only reminded me of our adventure in our home with the ice cream? I got a pleasurable tingle at the thought and couldn’t wait until we went back home to New Jersey in a week. But for now, I made every effort possible to enjoy the few days we had remaining in Austria. Somewhere mid-town we separated from the family and enjoyed our walk alone. Apparently Tristan had also booked a hotel for us for tonight, so we could get some privacy away from the cabin and the family. As monstrous as the chalet was, lodging there with seven other guests, even if everyone had their own full-sized bathroom, didn’t really allow us to be as frivolous as we were used to. And this morning was a perfect example of that.
At the edge of town square we passed an old church with a staircase higher than any I’d seen before. The building looked like it was up on a hill. I stopped, admiring its enormous wooden doors.
“If I ever get married, I’d want it to be a small wedding, like Sam and Gabe’s. But in a church like this one.”
“They have small churches in New Jersey,” Tristan joked.
“Are you suggesting something, Mr. Cross?” I wrapped my arm around his waist as he tightened his over my shoulder.
“No, just making an observation.”
I detected a hint of nerves in his voice; or perhaps it was the chills I’d just felt running through my body. The wind picked up some flakes, lifting them off the ground.
We passed the church. Down the road, an area opened up, its space resembling a park. The mature trees appeared to have been here since before the town was built, creating a small forest right in the middle. My boots squeaked under the fresh layer of snow, blending in with the white color. In my color coordinated outfit, courtesy of Emma insisting I wear white, I felt like a snow bunny today.
I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve than here, enjoying the culture and peace of Austria. This quiet town was the perfect getaway from Times Square. I wondered what Laura was up to and whether she would be spending the evening with James. She’d thanked me for her gift in an email and mentioned she’d got a lead on the guy who’d bought Marissa. New DNA evidence from the murder scene has just been processed as well. I couldn’t wait to get back to work to find the bastard who let her die – or had perhaps even killed her.
Taking the last sip of my hot chocolate, I finally asked Tristan, “Why are you nervous?”
“Am not.”
Yeah, and I’m the Queen of England.
“You insisted on heading north and now you’ve stopped here. Why?” I pointed to the forest-like park.
“You’re the perfect woman for me,” he said in a mysterious tone, and then took me into his arms and plopped down into the snow, right by one of the tall spruce trees. “You fit into the Cross family like a fish in water.”
“Why, Mr. Cross, are you getting soft on me?”
“It seems I never get soft around you.” He kissed the tip of my nose. The warmth of his lips remained on my chilled skin for longer than usual. I giggled freely.
“Are we done sightseeing for today?” I asked leaning back against his chest. “I’m looking forward to seeing the hotel room.”
“I love t
hose hormones of yours, but there’s just one more place I want to take you to.” I heard that vibration in his voice again. Tristan had been composed thus far, his gaze never leaving mine, as if he didn’t want me to know where he would be taking me.
“Why the nerves?”
“If you weren’t pregnant, I’d roll around with you in this snow.”
I knew he’d changed the subject, but I’d let it go… for now.
“I’m not handicapped. I can still roll around with you.”
“We’ll get busted for public indecency. The minute you’re under me I won’t be able to restrain myself.”
“I think we already established in our kitchen you have much more strength than you admit, Mr. Cross.”
“But you have no idea how much self-control it takes not to strip you down every time I look at you.”
I felt my nipples turn into little grains. Partly due to the cold, but mostly because of what Tristan had said.
“I had to think about everything from Emma spying nearby to our parents in the dinette.”
“Geez, I didn’t realize it had gone that far.”
His phone buzzed and Tristan reached into his pocket. After reading the text, Tristan bit his lip. He’d never done that before.
“Okay, I have one more place to show you, and then we can go back to the hotel room.” His eyebrows rose up and down as he tried to sway my attention from the fact that he had just received a mystery text he wasn’t willing to share and now he was in a bigger hurry than before. I was certain it wasn’t a text from work, either. He never made that face when he received emails or texts from the office.
We left the park and walked back toward city square. Passing the same local church, Tristan skipped up to the top of the steps, saying, “Come, the view from here is breathtaking.”
I followed him up what seemed like a staircase to heaven (as that’s how long the steps felt) and turned to look at the scenery of mountains just beyond the red rooftops of center square. The snow made them appear as if they’d faded. Tristan was right. The view was postcard perfect. With the bright sun shining down, the white fluff reflected its beams, and I reached up to shade my eyes. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. I loved when Tristan had smoothed his hands over my growing belly.
The church bells chimed through the city, part of their echo getting lost in the distant Alps, but part of it managed to bounce off the buildings, creating the most beautiful harmony I’d heard.
“They always ring them at noon,” he whispered into my ear.
“To commemorate a victory against an invasion,” I told him.
“I didn’t expect you to know that.”
I turned around to face him. Tristan’s hands were at my waist, and mine around his; except I couldn’t quite reach all the way.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Mr. Cross.”
“I thought I had everything on you in that thick file in my office,” he teased.
“But some things aren’t written. They’re in here.” I touched his chest, just above the heart. Even through his winter jacket I could feel its beating. His pulse nearly raced.
“You couldn’t be more correct.” He took a deep breath in and let out a long exhale which resembled a whistle.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Better than okay. I’ve never done this before, so please bear with me.”
“Done what?” I looked up into his hazels. Seeing him so vulnerable and helpless was rare. Tristan had never allowed too many people to reach this deeply into his emotions. Up until recently, I hadn’t thought I’d ever peel those layers of protection away. And now, looking at him, I knew I was looking right into his soul. What was he thinking? And why was he so nervous?
And then it all happened so fast. I could swear someone pressed a forward button on my life. But I’d fainted before I could say a word. Thankfully Tristan caught me, and the only vision in my mind that kept playing over and over again was of Tristan getting down on his knee, saying, “Allie Green, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and marry me?” Well, at least I remembered the most important part of his longer monologue. I’m sure he had it memorized, so as I lay there in his arms, on top of the staircase of a church with crystal-like snowflakes falling from the sky, I made a mental note to ask him to write it all down for me. But I couldn’t get a word out. For a longer while the only sound I heard was the church bells… although they’d stopped ringing a minute ago.
“That’s not quite the response I was looking for, Ms. Green.” He looked at me from above with that beautiful lopsided smile which lifted the scar on his lip. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, finally saying, “Did you just ask me to marry you?”
“Yes, and I didn’t get an answer.”
I lifted my hands up to his neck and pulled him down to kiss me. His tender mouth enveloped mine as if it was that first kiss all over again that we’d shared in his car months ago. His lips were soft and passionate at the same time, melting me from the inside out. Their warmth slowly thawed everything inside me, reaching deep into my heart. My head spun and before I ran out of air, I said into his mouth, “Yes, Tristan, I’ll marry you.”
“Today?”
“What?!”
Then he looked at his watch. “Actually, in fifteen minutes.”
I’d normally panic, but somehow, this proposal and Tristan here with me, it all fit. Marrying Tristan not only made sense, but seemed like the easiest decision I’d had to make: ever. There was no doubt or fear.
“Next you’re going to tell me the priest is booked too.”
“He is.”
Of course he was.
He bit his lip again. “Are you all right to get up?”
“I think so.” I lifted myself up, using Tristan’s arms for support.
His steady grip didn’t let go until he was certain I wouldn’t fall again. He took my hand into his asking, “May I?”
I just nodded as he slipped a ring on my finger. It was a simple stone, one that reminded me so much of Bedrock and the Flintstones – it was unbelievable. The glistening gem was carved to resemble a rock, yet so meticulously. The diamond was one of a kind.
“We have no witnesses,” I said, admiring the stone.
“Come,” he pulled on my hand and I got the feeling we were about to get a few more witnesses than I suspected. He pushed open the church entrance. I couldn’t help but giggle with happiness. Was this really happening? Had Tristan planned a proposal and a wedding all in one day? And I was okay with that?
Abso-frickin-lutely.
There was nothing more that I wanted than for us to be one big happy family.
Stepping into the small foyer, Tristan announced, “She said yes!”
The first squeak I heard came from Emma. She rammed into me, pleading, “Can I be your maid of honor? Pleeeeeaaase?”
Stunned, but not shocked, I scanned the small room, which contained our family from the cabin. My mother was crying along with Mrs. Cross, and Mr. Cross kept passing tissues to one, then the other.
“It would be my honor,” I said to her.
“Yay! I knew asking you to wear all white this morning would pay off.”
“And I presume you have a best man?” I asked.
Julian raised his hand. He stood there with Kendra under his arm, and for the first time since I’d met her, I saw her at peace. Both of them appeared happy. It seemed her recovery finally was having its effects. The family, including Tristan, has been worried about her. But with Julian’s help, it seemed the couple was beginning to find each other.
The priest cleared his throat and said with a thick German accent, “Are we ready?”
Under Mr. Cross’s kind arm I was led down the aisle. My mom placed a bouquet of daisies in my hands. At the sides, each pew was decorated in white flowers and glistening ribbons. And at the front, in his white fluffy sweater, Tristan waited with the widest smile I’d ever seen. Once I joined him it felt a
s if we were encased in our own bubble, away from the world, repeating our vows after a voice from the heavens which of course was the priest’s. Looking at my husband to be, I’d never been so mesmerized by anyone or anything in my life. Tristan held my hands, giving them an extra squeeze as if to affirm every promise and commitment he’d made to me that day. And even if our family was present, when we’d said our I do’s, it was just me and Tristan and no one else – and I couldn’t have been happier. I didn’t choke the way I thought I would. The words seemed to flow naturally, without a flaw.
And someone must have clicked that fast forward button again, because the private ceremony seemed to pass in a few seconds. Thankfully my maid of honor had a camera ready for the event, and one day I’d be able to watch the tears, the laughter, and the happiness of one of the best days of my life.
CHAPTER 23
Back at the hotel, Tristan carried me over the threshold to our suite. He set me down. The moment I’d said “I do,” I couldn’t help but notice the shift in his face. The one that said “I want you and I want it now.” That was part of the reason the rest of the ceremony was a haze for me. Once I saw that conspicuous look, I couldn’t get him out of my mind – even in church where those kinds of thoughts should have been banned, or at the least left outside. I just couldn’t get rid of them. I was sure someone had reserved a private spot in hell just for me, and made a mental note to make up for the thoughts of my naked husband.
There would be no reception until we returned to the States, but I didn’t really care about one either. The most important people in our lives had just witnessed us getting married, and they were all who mattered. I’d make sure Laura would get to throw me a bachelorette party, the way she’d always planned, but other than that, I was sure my friend would understand.
We had dinner at a local restaurant. I loved the fact that Tristan didn’t close it down just for the family and we could share our joy and announcement with the rest of the guests, who cheered and sang and danced. Mr. Cross bought a round of drinks for the entire restaurant, my mom snuck a few tequila shots and couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, and Emma flirted with a local boy whom Julian and Tristan watched carefully with a guarded eye.