by Jerilee Kaye
Jin shook his hand. “And I’m the guy who will beat the shit out of you if you hurt my sister.”
“Jin!” Adrienne hissed at her brother.
“It’s okay, honey,” Justin said. Then he turned back to Jin. “I will take care of her, you don’t have to worry. She will be safest when she is with me.”
Jin nodded. Then he turned to Adrienne. “Keep in touch. Call me if you need anything. And I mean anything!”
Adrienne nodded. Then she hugged Jin again. “I love you, Jin,” she whispered to him. And she meant that. Even though, she just met her brother, she managed to build a sibling bond with him the way Kimberly never did in the twenty-five years she thought she was her sister.
“I love you too, sis. Be happy, okay?”
“You know I will be.”
Jin left and Adrienne turned to Justin.
“That guy is going to be my brother-in-law?” he asked, raising a brow while staring at Jin’s back.
“Justin….”
“I remember wanting to punch all his teeth down his throat when I thought he was interested in you.”
Adrienne smiled. “He was. But not for the reasons you thought. He suspected I was his long, lost sister.”
“Thank God, you were!” Justin smiled.
“I’m surprised you didn’t recognize him.”
“He probably hates going to our little family reunions as much as I do. So, we never met each other. But I’ve always known the girl I was supposed to marry belonged to the Starck family. Once, when I thought he was going after you, I feared an unimaginable fate for myself. You—becoming my sister-in-law.”
Adrienne’s eyes widened. “Oh my God! That would be really messed up, right?”
“Yup. I didn’t even want to think about what I was going to do. I think I’d probably live halfway across the globe and never show up to family reunions ever.”
Adrienne giggled. “Why would you do that?”
Justin’s eyes narrowed at her. “Did you really think I could ever stop loving you, Adrienne?” He pushed a lock of stray hair away from her face. “I probably would want to kill myself every single day if I ended up with that fate.”
Adrienne smiled. “Then let’s be thankful that I was the missing sister of Jin Starck instead. So be good to him, okay?”
He pulled her to him and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Yes…for now. So let’s get married soon so I can show him who’s the boss.”
Adrienne laughed. “Where are we going, anyway?”
Justin grinned at her. “We’re eloping to Italy,” he replied. Then he stared at her with a wistful expression on his handsome face. “Are you sure about this, honey? Because once you board that plane, there will be no turning back for you. When you go back to Paris or New York, you will be Mrs. Justin Adams.” His eyes were dancing and Adrienne could see just how happy he was. And she felt exactly the same way.
“Your parents called you yet?”
“Once every five minutes in the last two hours.”
“Did you answer them?”
“Nope. I did send my Mother an apology text message.”
“What did you say?”
Justin shrugged. “‘I’m sorry Mom. I really love my girlfriend. And I only want her in my future. Someday I hope you will understand.’ And that’s it.”
“Justin…she will think you went and eloped with your girlfriend,” Adrienne said.
Justin grinned at her. “And I am.”
“But…they don’t know me.”
“Yes. They don’t know I’m already in love with the girl that they wanted me to marry. And right now, I’m not too excited to break the news to them just yet.”
“Justin…they will be mad at us for running away.”
“You think?” he asked. Then he smiled. “They will get the ending they wanted. I just don’t want them to gloat just yet. I want them to pay even just a little bit of a price for it.”
“That’s why we’re eloping to Italy?” she asked.
He grinned at her mischievously. “That’s my excuse,” he said. Then his face turned serious. “The real reason is that…I know what it was like to not have you in my life and face an uncertain future without even knowing for sure that you’re going to be a part of it. I don’t want that anymore, Adrienne. I want to wake up with you in the mornings and hold you in my arms at nights. Right now… I just don’t care what anybody will think or feel. It’s our time, Adrienne. This time… what matters is just the two of us. Our parents…threatened our happiness before. I just want to make sure they couldn’t do anything to it again.”
“They will be disappointed when they find out we got married without them. Our mothers probably planned our wedding in their heads a long time ago.”
“But that’s the point. They were planning the wedding of the children they arranged to marry. That’s not us, Adrienne. We fell in love with each other without their help or influence. Our love story has always been about…just the two of us,” Justin said. “I planned to marry you in Italy. Like this. In a romantic setting fit for two lovers who won their fight against the world. Nothing should change that just because I found out that you and the girl I was arranged to be married to are one and the same person. I’m still marrying Adrienne Miller. Not Andrea Blanc.”
Adrienne smiled at him. She thought that he did have a point. She accepted her betrothal to the man she loved with all her heart. Not the person her mother thought she should marry. Sure, their parents might be disappointed and would probably get mad at them when they do not return tomorrow or the next day. But they’ve been through a lot in the past few weeks. She thought they deserved this little piece of heaven. And nothing changed between the two of them. Especially not their love for each other.
“Unless…you want a big wedding, honey,” he said. “In that case, we’re going to Italy not to get married…but to advance our honeymoon.” He grinned at her.
Adrienne smiled at him. She shook her head. “I never wanted a big wedding. Just because I found out that my mother is rich and can afford the biggest wedding of the century doesn’t mean it would change who I am and what I want. I am still Adrienne Miller—the girl with simple needs and desires. And right now…I only want one thing.” She stared up Justin. “You.”
He smiled at her. “Then I promise you, you won’t regret it, Mrs. Adams.”
“I’m not Mrs. Adams yet.” She laughed.
He kissed her lips and pulled her towards the check-in counters. “You will be in less than a week. So better get used to that name…Mrs. Adrienne Adams.” He winked at her.
As she walked beside him, she said her new name in her head.
Adrienne Adams.
“I like it very much.” She said to him. “It feels like… me.”
36. Upendo ni nuru ya maisha
Swahili for “love is the light of life”
Justin and Adrienne arrived at a luxury hotel in Florence. It was more like a luxurious, sophisticated home than a hotel with its elegant townhouse façade, neo-classical furniture and centuries worth of art collections in a four-story structure.
They were greeted warmly by all the staff dressed in expensive suits and uniforms.
Adrienne blinked back at Justin, obviously in awe of the VIP treatment they received. Justin smiled and whispered to her. “I rented the whole place for the whole week. So we are their only guests.”
Adrienne’s eyes widened. “Justin!” she hissed. “That’s too much!”
“What’s the point of eloping if you cannot have some sort of privacy, right?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.
A couple approached them. Justin smiled at the sight of his cousin. Mason. The only cousin that Adrienne hasn’t met yet. His wife, Abigail, accompanied him.
“Justin, my man!” Mason greeted him warmly as he approached them.
The two guys gave each other a manly hug. Justin hadn’t seen Mason in almost a year and among his cousins, Mason was his best friend. Sadly…he was…not
in good terms with his parents. Justin couldn’t forget the day he pulled everything off so he could get their private plane to get Mason out to Italy. And since then, Mason never looked back.
In a way, Justin couldn’t blame him. Mason was black and blue and being held for ransom by some poker sharks he owed a lot of money to. Half a million dollars in exchange for his life. Mason’s parents refused to pay up. They didn’t even believe him. They thought he was orchestrating the whole thing to get more money from them.
Justin couldn’t let anything happen to Mason no matter how many mistakes he made. So, he paid the money out of his own pocket, took Mason to the hospital to have him treated, and then boarded him on their private plane to Italy to where his long-time girlfriend Abigail lived.
He felt glad to see that Mason learned his lesson. Justin gave his cousin a fresh start. He ultimately gained his own casino hotel in the city and from the looks of it, it did quite well.
Gambling didn’t sit well with their family but Justin loved that Mason made good use of his talents for a change.
Justin turned to Adrienne and said, “Mason, I’d like you to meet, Adrienne. My fiancée.”
Mason smiled widely. “Nice to finally meet the woman who straightened my big cousin out.” He grinned. Then he turned to the woman beside her. “And this is the woman who straightened me out, Abi, my wife.”
Adrienne smiled at both of them and shook their hands. “How many more of your cousins are you still hiding from me?” she asked Justin.
“He’s the last one, I promise.” Justin chuckled. Then he turned to Mason. “All set?”
“Three more days, cuz,” Mason replied. “Your last minute requests are going to be the death of me.”
“Please do everything that you can. I don’t want anybody to come and put a stop to this whole thing, you know,” Justin said.
“Are you scared that there’s somebody more powerful than the formidable Justin Adams?” Mason joked.
“I know there is,” Justin muttered. “His name is Jac Adams!”
“Oh, you’re right. How’s everybody at home?”
“Still crazy,” Justin replied curtly. “But no one’s crazier than you, of course.”
Mason laughed heartily. “I refuse to relinquish the crown. Neither Jordan nor Gian seem fit to wear it.”
“Considering you took mischief to extremes, you’re probably right,” Justin said. Even when they were growing up, Mason got into a lot of things. Pot, drinking, smoking, gambling, gangs, street fighting and some underground stuff. He made Justin, Jordan and Gian look like angels.
“So which room do you wish to stay in?” Mason asked. “They have twenty, all for your own disposal.”
“Justin…this is too much,” Adrienne hissed beside him.
He put an arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Just because we’re eloping doesn’t mean I’m going to make it a rushed, less romantic experience for you, honey,” he said, looking down at her. “Come on, we need to pick a room.”
They all entered the small elevator, which took them to the top floor.
There were only two rooms on this floor. And they were both elegant, covered with cream-colored wallpapers with gold trim. Both the rooms had a four poster king-sized beds, crystal chandeliers, walk-in closets, fireplaces and sitting areas with lavish couch sets. The big balconies provided astounding views of the city.
“Which one do you want to stay in, honey? I’m okay with either of them,” Justin said to Adrienne.
Adrienne had her back on him. She was looking at the view of the city. Then she spun around and looked at Justin. Her eyes were twinkling and she gave him a dazzling smile. Justin had to blink back. He felt his heart skip a beat and he still wondered how she could steal his breath with just a simple glance or a sexy smile.
Justin felt that familiar feeling of desire creeping through him again, and suddenly, he had this urge to push Mason and his wife out of the room so he could have his way with his fiancée. It had been three weeks since he last made love to her…three weeks since his desires has been catered to. He didn’t mind being celibate for that long. For the previous weeks, his only focus had been how to get out of the prison his parents sent him to. Funny how the thought of marrying a girl he didn’t love was enough for him to stop thinking about sex at all.
“When are we getting married?” Adrienne asked him, her eyes sparkling and he could tell that she was up to something.
“Three days.” Justin whispered uncertainly. He was trying to figure out what was on her mind.
Adrienne smiled at him widely. “I’ll take this room. And you can take the one across the hall.”
Justin didn’t think he heard that right. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I said, I will take this one. And you could take the other one.”
Behind him, Justin heard Mason snickering.
“Why?”
Adrienne shrugged innocently. “Because we’re not yet married. Surely, we couldn’t share a bedroom until then.”
Justin stared at Adrienne as if she had completely lost her mind. He couldn’t get why she asked for that. Wasn’t she counting? It’s been three weeks!
“Adrienne…” He took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. “Honey…we’ve slept in the same room before. In fact, we’ve almost been living together until…you found out what my parents set me up with!”
Adrienne gave him a small pout. She approached him and put her hands on his chest. Her touch almost burned him. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
“Well…you rented like twenty rooms,” she said innocently and he knew she was doing this deliberately. “It’s a shame if we don’t maximize it as much as we can. If only you rented one room, then we wouldn’t have a choice to but to share, right?”
Behind him, Mason couldn’t help laughing. Justin wanted to punch something and he’s climbing high up on the target list.
“Honey…” Justin took a deep breath. “This isn’t funny. I’m serious.”
She stared up at him. “So am I, Mr. Adams,” she said. “You’re going to have me for the rest of your life. That’s in three days. Surely, you can wait, right?”
Justin took a deep breath. Then he inclined his head to the right. “Can you leave us, please?” he gently asked Mason. He and his wife, closed the door behind them.
Justin turned to Adrienne again. He wanted to kiss her and throw her on the bed and make her scream his name over and over. But now…she’s saying to him that not only were they going to stay in different rooms, but they were going to wait until their honeymoon to do the things he wanted to do to her in bed.
Justin drew a frustrated sigh. “You’re killing me,” he whispered to her.
“Do you really love me or are you just after the sex?” she asked. “Because if that’s the case, then let’s not get married. Let’s just stay in bed all day for a week and then go back home.”
He pulled her to him a little too roughly that startled her a little bit. “You little minx. You know I love you. And you’re not getting out of Italy until you become Adrienne Adams.” He gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. He traced her lips with his tongue and invaded her mouth in a kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. When he pulled away from her, her face was flushed and she looked disoriented. Her breathing was ragged and Justin knew she was as lost in desire as he was. He grinned at her. “I lasted three weeks. Surely, I can last three more days.” With a mischievous smile, he added, “But I will make sure you’ll be begging for it, too.”
Then he released her. Adrienne had to lean on one of the couches for support. She looked disoriented and innocent and Justin just wanted to take her right then and there. But she asked for three days. And the gentleman he is…he will give it to her. But he refused to be the only one hurting and burning every time they touched.
Adrienne looked up at him. “We won’t make love until we’re married,” she said but her voice no longer carried much conviction. “Do we have a dea
l?”
Justin took a step closer to her. She took a step back, as if she feared that her defenses would crumble if he touched her.
“That’s the only thing we cannot do, okay?” he confirmed. “Consummate the marriage before we say our vows.”
She smiled and nodded.
Justin grinned at her. “You’re playing with fire, Adrienne. It’s a dangerous game.” He narrowed his eyes at her and gave her a devilish smile. “Are you sure you want to play against me? I am, after all…Justin Adams. What did you use to call me? Manhattan’s most notorious playboy?”
Justin didn’t miss her hard intake of breath and he smiled at her. He took a step closer to her. She took a step back. He took a step towards her again, and she kept backing down, until she hit the wall behind her. Justin took a final step towards her, trapping her against the wall and his body. He caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Adrienne put her hands against his chest, giving him a gentle push that wasn’t convincing.
“Justin…” she whispered.
“Can you really stop me, Adrienne?” he asked her.
“Justin, please…” she whispered.
He smiled at her and then he leaned forward and took her mouth in his. She opened up to him like a flower. And Justin reveled in the fact that he had so much effect on her, the way she had so much effect on him.
Soon, they were kissing each other like they wanted to make up for all the weeks that they lost. Justin nuzzled her neck and made her moan. He felt himself completely falling. She was getting softer and softer by the second, making it easier for him to break her resolve. And Justin knew he, too, was gently drowning into that trance. One more kiss, one more pull will make it impossible for him to control himself.
There was a tap on the door. They both stopped, realizing that Mason and his wife were probably still waiting for them outside. Justin leaned his forehead against Adrienne’s. He took deep breaths. Then he looked into her eyes and smiled gently.
“You’re putting us both through hell, you little sadist,” he said to her and gave her a kiss on the lips again. “God, it’s going to be so hard to put my hands on you and then stop halfway through.”