“She won’t say anything,” I tell him honestly.
I was going to keep her too busy for quite some time. Before our little honeymoon was up, she wouldn’t be able to walk, and more than likely will be pregnant. Hard to send the father of your child to prison. Not that I believed she was capable of such shit. For some fucked up reason, I believed in her.
“There was more than just us in that room,” he reminded me.
Not that I needed the fucking reminder, I wasn’t a child. Our Pakan was in there as well as members of another family, the Carters.
“They don’t have anything to worry about,” I tell him truthfully.
“How long has she been yours?” he asked me.
I think about it for a moment. I counted back the months.
“A year,” I tell him, and the truth of that settles something inside of me. She has been mine since she threw that bottle of wine at me. The moment those beautiful brown eyes, which were full of sadness, met mine.
“Bring her to dinner tomorrow night. We need to get this wedding planned,” he tells me on a deep sigh.
“You going to tell mom?” I asked him wincing at the thought.
“I should make your ass tell her, but I won’t. I’m going to tell her in a moment. Better she’s prepared for what’s to come,” my dad tells me.
He’s right, and I was glad he was going to take most of the heat. Come tomorrow night she might be a little calmer.
“I don’t need her scaring Charlotte,” I tell him harshly.
“Are we talking about the same woman? The most you can hope for is she doesn’t skin you alive for keeping this a secret,” I laughed as I also groaned.
Chapter 18
Charlotte
Present Day.
I slept, but it wasn’t peaceful. It was another night of terror and sadness. I was surprised it wasn’t haunted by the man I watched die last night. Nope, it was my father again. Nothing from yesterday disturbed my dreams.
Was it sad I both wished that the events from yesterday would keep me up and I was also relieved it didn’t?
“I know you’re awake,” Dean’s voice penetrated the quiet room.
“I’m not ready to face you,” I tell him. My cheeks heated at the embarrassing slip of my tongue.
“You need to come out, eventually. You missed breakfast,” Dean said.
I sagged slightly, relieved he didn’t bring up my admission.
“What time is it?” I asked.
I left my purse and my phone somewhere after everything that happened. I wasn’t sure I even left the restaurant with them.
“Three o’clock,” he replied.
“Oh no! I need to get ready for work,” I shouted.
That was if I still had a job after watching my boss kill a man. Last night I wasn’t sure I was welcome back.
“You won’t be working anymore,” he tells me harshly.
My eyes grow big, and I debated the need to argue about this. I couldn’t quit, I needed the money to pay off dads’ expenses.
Just thinking about him had tears filling my eyes. I missed him so much. After everything, after all the fights, and the name-calling, I still missed the man.
“I can’t quit, I need to pay my dad’s bills,” I tell him firmly.
Somethings were important, and this was one of them. I may not fight Dean on the marriage and the kids because let’s face it, he saved my life last night. I also knew he also risked his.
“I’m not budging on this, Charlotte,” he tells me firmly.
“Neither am I,” if I let him win this, I will never win anything again.
“I’ll pay those bills,” he tells me in a gentle voice.
He was trying to soothe me into compliance.
“I’m still going to work at the coffee shop,” I tell him. Okay, I was giving up two jobs. I hated them anyway.
“No, no job,” he replied, his tone cold.
“Too damn bad,” I snapped.
This shit wasn’t happening. He wasn’t controlling my whole life.
I watched as the doorknob turned, and I swallow hard. I wasn’t ready to face the man. Right now, we disagreed on something, and if I had to argue in front of him, I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I mean the man was a killer.
I watched in frustration as the door swung open and Dean walked in.
“Listen, Charlotte…” he started, but I cut him off.
“NO! You listen here, I won’t budge on this,” I tell him firmly trying not to shake in both anger and fear.
I watched as anger darkened his eyes.
“We are having dinner with my parents tonight,” he changed the subject, and I relaxed for a brief moment. I won another small victory. That victorious feeling was quickly swallowed by the fear of dinner with his folks.
Shit, this was going to be a long night.
Chapter 19
Charlotte
Present Day.
His mother was eyeing me. Looking me over, and I feared she would find me lacking. Casting my eyes to Dean, I couldn’t have agreed more. He was hot as fuck, and I was plain, and I could blend in with any crowd.
I had no idea what we were thinking. There would be no fooling his parents. Was there any way to save myself? My eyes went back to Dean, could I save him? He put his life on the line, and it all hinged on my acting skills. And they were seriously terrible.
There was one thing, I could be honest. There was a small spark, a little fire Dean ignited inside of me. Every time we met, every look, and the brief touches all set my blood on fire. I wanted this man, and that scared me to the very marrow of my bones.
“So, Charlotte, how did you meet Dean?” Her sweet voice drifted over the silent room.
I breathed a slight sigh of relief. I could tell Dean’s mom the truth about this. I knew she would find it funny, at least I hoped she did.
“I was on my way home from Gary’s. He was my boyfriend at the time, well, he had been right up until I ran into Dean. Gary had been with another woman, and I was heading home to drink this bottle of wine...” oh god, I was rambling. Word vomit was literally spewing from my mouth, and it just kept coming. I couldn’t stop myself. “I got the wine for a special dinner, but after what happened, I was going to get drunk. It was something I never did, and I threw the bottle at him by accident. But still...”
Dean’s hand closed over my thigh. Caressing and gently squeezing giving me support.
“Oh, you poor dear,” his mother said. Her voice was filled with a motherly tone. Something I haven’t heard in so long. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I blinked hard trying to keep them at bay.
“Did you kill him?” his mother asked.
My mouth popped open, and I focused on her again. Only to realize she wasn’t looking at me but at Dean. He cast me a look out of the corner of his eye.
“He was a target,” he tells her.
My mouth turned dry. Gary was dead? Was fucking Jess worth killing over? Maybe Jess was Dean’s girlfriend. Jealousy made it self-known. The little green monster was like a tornado through my mind.
“Was Jess your girlfriend?” I asked him.
I honestly thought she would have told me about him. We were best friends, that is until she let Gary take her for a spin.
“No,” he tells me. His hand squeezed my thigh a little tighter not to hurt but to reassure.
“Oh,” I sighed picking at the food on my plate. My eyes cast down.
“So, you threw wine at him? And then what?” His mother pressed.
“Well, he was a gentleman and cleaned up the mess for me,” I tell her with a crooked smile.
“Where was your first date?” Her tone was soothing.
“Well, we ran into each other a few more times and the day he fixed my car cemented it for me,” I tell her honestly. I didn’t even realize that was the moment I wanted him. Hell, I didn’t even know I wanted him, not like this.
“How romantic,” she gushed.
My fingers twisted toget
her under the table. I gave up the pretense of eating.
“Mom, enough please,” Dean asks her gently.
“I’m not doing anything,” she replied, her tone hurt.
“You’re upsetting her,” he tells his mother.
I instantly felt like shit. Dean’s mother was nothing but nice to me and here I was being withdrawn. Reaching for his hand, the one still resting on my thigh, I gave it a light squeeze in thanks.
“Thank you for dinner. It’s really good,” I tell Dean’s mom, picking up my fork and forcing myself to take another bite.
“Thank you, darling,” she tells me with a big smile.
“Now we only have tonight to get this wedding ironed out. I hope you don’t mind, I already got somethings done today,” his mom tells me, looking concerned.
I felt nothing but relief. This wouldn’t be so bad, maybe I could have something similar to a real wedding.
“No, thank you! I really appreciate the help,” I tell her honestly.
“What about your mom? She might be a little upset about me taking over like this,” She asked.
My head lowered again as the reminder of how alone I really was. It started to settle around and suffocating me.
“My mother passed away when I was younger,” I tell her. I kept my head down while tears silently fell.
“Oh well, what about your dad. Won’t he want to be a part of this, besides just walking you down the aisle?” She asked.
I knew she was being nice, but it cut like a hot blade. Burning its way through my skin.
“He died four months ago,” I told her.
Had it really been four months? It felt more like one. The pain was still fresh and hard to bare.
“Oh, I’m so sorry Charlotte,” she said, sounding upset.
The one thing I’ve learned tonight was that his mother was a sweetheart, and I was a baby. Yes, I’ve lost people but so have others. Why was it so hard to talk about it? The mere mention of it set me off like a fountain springing a leak.
“We should get going,” Dean said to the very silent room, and I was thankful. He was saving me yet again. His hand gripped mine as he pulled me gently to my feet.
“Tomorrow will be a busy day,” he tells us all.
He was right and what was going to happen after I said those two words. I had a blush staining my cheeks as I thought about it. By the look in Dean’s eyes, he saw it and knew exactly what I had been thinking.
Chapter 20
Charlotte
Present Day.
Every girl dreamed of their big wedding day. The perfect white dress, the big bouquet of flowers, the flower petals sprinkled over the carpeted walkway.
These were the little details that turned a normal rational woman into a bridezilla. The food, drinks, cake and so many things that I missed out on.
I smoothed my hands over the white wedding dress that Sasha brought me. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, I loved the dress. It was long, and the bottom grazed my white dress shoes. The lace overlay covered a silky dress with an emperor style waist.
I picked up the flowers and looked at them. I loved the white rose bouquet with small white calla lilies sprinkled in.
My heart hurt as I was making this walk alone. My dad wasn’t here to give me his arm, and my mom wasn’t here to reassure me. No one was here. It was his family and their connections.
Today I would become Mrs. Charlotte Valisk. Tonight, he would be mine, all mine. It should have calmed my nerves. I should have been elated that this handsome man would be mine and mine alone, but I wasn’t. I was sad. Sorrow filled me at all the things missing.
“It’s time dear,” His mother announced.
My heart skipped and stilled for a beat. It was time to be brave. Time to stand tall and make the walk into a new life.
Placing one foot in front of the other, I reminded myself that he was mine, and I was his. If we didn’t do this, we wouldn’t be here anymore.
One step closer to a new future. Another deep breath followed by another step. Closing my eyes, I thought of all that I was getting with each step.
A man who would give me a decent life, and he would give me children. My eyes opened as I took another step. My breath stilled in my lungs as they connected to Dean.
I felt my heart leap in my chest. I already felt something for Dean. It wasn’t love, not yet, but it was close. This has been what I’ve been looking for, why I’ve been dating all the ‘Gary’s’ of the world.
He was going to be faithful, and that was more than most women got. He would be in my bed every night. Yeah when he’s not killing people, my mind whispered.
Shut it! We could have been one of those people, we should be thankful. And I was. With each step that I took, the closer I got to him, the more my heart swelled.
When I finally reached the end, my eyes stung, and my heart was beating hard. Dean’s hand was outstretched for me to take. A lifeline. Safety from all the bloodthirsty sharks watching us. Slowly lifting mine, I sucked in a deep breath at the tingles that I felt when his skin touched mine.
The priest started talking, and I responded when Dean squeezed my hand. Now, both of our hands had a band around our ring finger, each ring catching the light.
Then his hand was buried in my hair, and his lips were on mine. I was officially his. I was officially a Valisk and married into the mob.
The soft touch of Dean’s lips caressed mine. It was so hot and sensual the heat was flowing and my panties getting wetter. His tongue slid over mine asking for entry, and I was too weak to deny him.
I moaned as his tongue slid into my mouth and his other hand pressed harder onto my lower back, bringing me closer. The heat of his body soaked into mine.
I was lost until the clapping penetrated my lust and induced a haze. My cheeks burned as I pulled away. It was hard removing myself from him. It felt like I was peeling away a part of myself.
People waited for us to make our first walk as husband and wife. Dean was quick to make that happen. Before I could protest, I was in his arms my head under his chin, his long stride taking us closer to the door.
“You’re lucky my mother expects us at the restaurant or your ass would be mine,” he growled into my hair.
My pussy clenched, and desire heated my blood. I wanted that more than I should. I wanted Dean, my husband, to take me home and rip my clothes off and fuck me hard.
Instead, we were headed to the reception. Once I was placed in the limo, he crawled in after me. His hand went back to my thighs and slowly lifted my dress.
Those skilled fingers found my damp panties. Dean pressed his fingers hard against my clit and through the lacey material. He moved them in gentle circles, and my head fell back against the headrest. He caressed me towards an orgasm. Each circle drew me closer and closer to the edge.
“Fuck darlin’ you’re hot,” he whispered in my ear as he continued to move his sinful fingers. His lips slammed down swallowing my moans as I fell over the cliff and sailed through the pleasure.
“Oh god,” I cried against his soft silky lips.
Was this event over with? I wanted him now, no, I needed him now.
Chapter 21
Charlotte
Present Day.
I smiled and sipped my champagne and went through the motions like a good girl. At least that’s what Dean has been telling me. I loved when he leaned over and whispered how I was a good girl, his good girl. My thighs would clench together with need every time his breath caressed my ear.
I wanted to sneak away and let him have his wicked way with me. A man I don’t really know had my blood heating and my pussy clenching in need. I was sure the temperature of the room was rising by the minute.
“Now, it’s time for the couple’s first dance,” the DJ announced.
My hands shook as the need started to rise again. To be that close to him, to feel his heat sinking into mine. Looking up I grasped the hand Dean was holding out to me. The tingles raced along my arms and
straight down my abdomen to my pussy.
My feet moved with no direction from me as he tugged me along to the makeshift dance floor. The canopy above us held thousands of twinkling lights. They reminded me of stars.
“Come here, sweetheart,” he whispered to me as he pulled me close. His heat started to past through the fabric of our clothes and into my body.
The feel of him so close had my juices dripping into my already wet panties. I needed him like I’ve never needed anything in my life.
“Can’t wait to get you home,” he tells me as he leaned in close and pressed gentle kisses on my bare shoulder. Then he started placing little kisses along my skin.
When he reached the spot where my neck met my shoulder, my heart and lungs froze as more of my juices coated my lacey panties. They were so wet they were no longer holding the wetness in. I felt my desire slide down my thighs.
A small whispered moan slipped past my lips, and Dean lifted his head to give me a small cocky smile. Then his lips were on mine, kissing me deeply. His tongue slipped past my parted lips and caressed my tongue. He was devouring me right here on the dance floor.
The room quieted as I lost myself in him. We were no longer dancing in a room full of people. Instead we moved sensually as if we were in our bedroom. His body held me close, and his hands started to slip my clothes off my body.
My thoughts were interrupted by cheers and hooted suggestions. Heat burned my cheeks as I pulled back my hand and pressed them against my swollen, bruised lips.
“Come on, darlin’,” he whispered as he pulled me in close for another more chaste kiss. Before I could ask where we were going, we were leaving the room. I was all but running to keep up with his long stride.
Chapter 22
Charlotte
Present Day.
The ride was filled with romancing hands and frustrating kisses. It couldn’t have been over fast enough to suit my desperate need.
As soon as we reached his house, the car barely made it to a complete stop before he was ripping the door open and pulling me gently, but quickly, from the car.
Loving Dean (Mafia Generations Book 3) Page 5