You Will Be Alright

by E. L. Todd

  “But it won’t be as much fun,” Trinity said sadly. “I want to go with Skye.”

  Skye beamed in excitement.

  I tried not to strangle my fiancé. “Then I’ll ask Mike to take you.”

  “He has one arm, remember?” Trinity demanded.

  “Then Sean,” I said. “He won’t let Skye take off anyway.”

  “You’re being ridiculous right now,” Trinity hissed.

  “Milan is one of the largest sex trafficking locations in the world,” I said. “They search for beautiful women who are tourists and then they snatch them. It’s not a joke.” I didn’t allow myself to think about it in too much detail otherwise I’d have a meltdown. “I’m not letting you go alone. End of story.” I turned to Cayson. “Back me up on this.”

  Cayson turned to Skye. “I was going to make that argument in private… I really think you should take someone with you. It’s not that I don’t think you can’t take care of yourself. But it’s a country you’ve never been to before. I hate to spoil the fun but…you need to be safe.”

  Skye sighed. “Okay.”

  “Now why can’t you just listen to me like that?” I asked Trinity.

  Skye’s head snapped in my direction. “I didn’t just listen to him. I understand where he’s coming from.”

  “Whatever,” I said to Trinity. “Just listen to me.”

  “What if I ask Conrad or something?” Trinity asked. “He needs to get out anyway.”

  Conrad was good. He was a big guy and I knew he would take care of his sister and Skye. “Yes, I’d like it if he came along.”

  “Can you calm the hell down now?” Trinity hissed.

  “Actually, I can.” I drank my beer.

  Skye broke the tension when she spoke. “I know this is so selfish but I have a request to make…”

  “What?” Trinity asked.

  “Can you guys wait to have kids until we have kids?” Skye asked. “Because how cute would it be if they were close in age just like we are?”

  “That would be so awesome!” Trinity clapped her hands in excitement. “That’s what we’ll do.”

  Kids still terrified me but I kept my mouth shut.

  Cayson gave me a sympathetic look.

  “You guys need to get married soon,” Trinity said. “So you—”

  “We aren’t having kids right away,” I said. “Forget it.”

  “How about you let me finish talking?” Trinity said with irritation in her voice.

  “Fine,” I said.

  “So you guys can spend a lot of years together before the kiddos arrive,” Trinity finished.

  “We’ll get married whenever the time is right,” Skye said.

  Cayson rested his hand on her thigh. “We aren’t in a hurry. And we’re really happy for you guys right now.”

  “Awe.” Trinity beamed.

  I didn’t understand this wedding nonsense or what the big deal was but Trinity got really happy every time she talked about it. And that made me happy.

  “Bachelorette party,” Skye said. “What should we do?”

  “Vegas with strippers,” Trinity said immediately.

  My head snapped in her direction. “What did you just say?”

  “Vegas,” she said. “With strippers.”

  “Uh, hello?” I said.

  “Hi.” She smiled back.

  Was I missing something? “I’m not having strippers so why are you?”

  “You said you didn’t want any,” Trinity said calmly.

  “And I don’t. So why don’t you?” I asked.

  “Male strippers aren’t the same as chick strippers. It’s more funny than anything else.”

  “I still don’t want to see you biting some guy’s G-string with your teeth,” I snapped.

  “Eww,” Trinity said. “Geez, I would never do that. It’s all just for fun.”

  “How would you feel if I paid for a lap dance just for fun?” I demanded.

  “That’s different,” she said. “You get hard and turned on by half naked women. We just laugh at half-naked men.”

  “Get hard?” I asked incredulously. “My dick would be smaller than a cold shrimp. You think I would enjoy seeing other naked women? It would just make me feel like shit because they weren’t you.”

  Trinity’s eyes softened again.

  “How sweet,” Skye said.

  “He’s a softy under all those tattoos,” Cayson said.

  “So, how about Vegas but with no strippers?” I asked.

  She stuck her hand out to shake mine. “You have a deal.”

  I shook it then pulled her hand to me. I pressed a kiss to her wrist, an area I knew she found sensitive but pleasurable at the same time. “Thank you.”

  Skye sighed. “You know, Slade can be sweeter than you at times.” She looked at Cayson.

  “I’ll show you sweet when we get home,” he said darkly.

  “Lucky me,” she said with an excited smirk.

  “I’m going to powder my nose,” Trinity said as she left the booth.

  “Me too,” Skye followed her.

  “And there they go again,” I said. “Bathroom time together.”

  “They probably don’t even use the bathroom,” Cayson said. “They just talk about us.”

  “Maybe they’re figuring out how to fuck us later.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it,” he said before he drank his beer.

  “After putting up with this wedding bullshit, I deserve some great head.”

  “Isn’t head always great?” Cayson asked seriously. “Even if it’s mediocre?”

  “True. In high school, this one chick went down on me and she wasn’t the greatest. But I still came in her mouth and she swallowed.”

  “Thanks for sharing,” he said sarcastically.

  I chuckled. “I’m just glad she isn’t going to China alone.”

  “Italy,” Cayson corrected.

  “Yeah, whatever,” I said. “Sometimes I can’t get her to listen to me at all. But sometimes I can.”

  “It depends on their mood. When I usually try to get Skye to do things, she fights me with everything she’s got, even if it’s something small and not worth arguing about.”

  “Geez, chicks love to argue,” I said.

  “You’re telling me.” He finished his beer and left the bottle on the table.

  “So, I’m still trying to get those tigers but Trinity won’t budge.”

  He gave me a serious look. “You know those things can kill like ten people in two seconds.”

  “They’ll be on a leash or something.”

  He rolled his eyes. “People will still be terrified.”

  “But they’ll never forget the wedding, right?” I winked at him.

  He chuckled. “Good point. So, have you figured out your game plan for the night of the wedding?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Like, you know?” He lowered his voice.

  “I really don’t,” I said seriously.

  “The sex,” he said bluntly. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

  Was he being serious right now? “I’m not sure what I did or said to give you the impression Trinity and I haven’t had sex, but we fuck all the time.”

  He shook his head in amusement. “No, that’s not what I meant. The wedding night is really important to the bride. If the sex isn’t perfect, she’ll be disappointed. It’s a night she’ll never forget and the quality of the sex will tell her how the rest of the marriage is going to be.”

  “Shit, talk about pressure.”

  “That’s why I wanted to bring it up now. Maybe you can learn some new moves or something.”

  I rubbed my chin. “The sex is already pretty great…”

  “Don’t get cocky—no pun intended. It can be really stressful.”

  “Maybe she’ll be so tired she won’t want to have sex at all,” I argued.

  He laughed. “Are we talking about the same girl?”

  I grinned. “You�
��re right. My baby is a slut.”

  “I wouldn’t put it like that…”

  “Oh, she is,” I said. “Believe me.”

  “That’s always good for you.”

  “Yep.” I finished my beer then left the bottle on the table. “Geez, how long does it take to pee?”

  “They had a lot of wine,” Cayson countered.

  The girls returned, and when Trinity moved to the booth, I scooted closer to her then patted my lap. Then I gave her a wink.

  “I’m not sitting on your lap,” she said.

  I grabbed her and pulled her ass on my crotch. “See? Comfy, right?”

  She shifted her weight slightly. “Well, your dick is in the way.”

  “Nothing I can do about that,” I said with a proud grin. I knew Trinity liked the attention because she didn’t move. If she really didn’t want to sit in my lap, she would slap me then take off.

  Skye moved into Cayson’s lap voluntarily. “I feel like I’m sitting on a log.”

  “Thank you.” Cayson kissed her ear then pulled away.

  “What music are you having?” Skye said. “Band or DJ?”

  “Band,” I said before Trinity could speak.

  “We are?” Trinity asked. “You’ve never requested anything besides those tigers.”

  “Which we’re getting,” I said. “And my band is playing.”

  They all looked at me like I was crazy.

  “Your band?” Trinity asked.

  “Yeah, why not?” I asked.

  “Well, who will sing…?” Trinity asked hesitantly.

  “I’m the singer of the band,” I said. “So, me.” How dumb was she?

  “How are you going to play music all night but participate in the wedding?” Trinity asked.

  “I’ll move around,” I said.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “No?” I asked. “Just no?”

  “How are you going to have your first dance with Trinity if you’re playing the guitar and singing?” Skye asked.

  “I’ll figure it out,” I said.

  “No,” Trinity said again.

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re no fun.”

  “And you can’t be in two places at once,” she countered.

  “Uh, I beg to differ.” I gave her a dirty look.

  “Knock it off.”

  “You want me to show you right now?” My lips moved to her ear and I pulled her closer to me.

  “No, it can wait until we get home.”

  “Then let’s go home. Our company is boring,” I said.

  “You’re boring,” Skye snapped.

  “Shh,” Cayson said to her. “Let’s slip out and head back to the apartment.” His head was clearly in the same place mine was.

  Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Okay.”

  “You like beavers?” I asked Trinity.

  “What?”

  “You like beavers?” I repeated.

  “Um, I guess.”

  “Well, you want to chomp on my wood like a beaver?”

  She pushed my face away then got off my lap. “I’m out of here.”

  “Is that a yes?” I asked hopefully.

  She grabbed her purse and walked off.

  “So, that is a yes.” I chased after her, knowing I was going to get lucky when I got home.

  Chapter Nine

  Arsen

  It was my first date with Silke.

  My first real date.

  We were starting over, and I finally had my chance to make it right. Now she and I would have the relationship we should have had from the beginning. I would be the gentleman who opened every door for her and paid for her meal. I’d walk her home and tell her she was beautiful.

  We would start over.

  I was such a lucky bastard.

  I bought a large boutique of summer flowers before I headed to her apartment. And I had a bag of Skittles in my pocket since they were her favorite candy. When I arrived at her door, I felt the nerves take me. I was nervous even though I’d seen her a hundred times. I was just grateful I was standing there, about to treat her like a queen and be the best damn boyfriend in the world. I was making up for the way I would run off and ditch her one moment, then return while I begged her to take me back. I was mature, stable, and ready for love.

  I hopped on my heels for a moment, pumped up with energy. Then I knocked on the door. The excitement coursed through me and I was so glad this was really happening. All my hard work paid off and I was finally taking her out on a date. She was mine.

  She was mine.

  She opened the door then eyed the flowers. “Are those for me?”

  “Do you see any other gorgeous women around?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Is Abby behind you?”

  “No,” I said with a smile. “I come alone.”

  “Then they must be for me.” She grabbed them then inhaled their scent. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  “You picked them yourself, right?”

  I froze on the spot and felt my heart kick into overdrive. “Was I supposed to…?”

  “Yeah,” she said seriously. “You never buy a girl flowers.”

  Shit, I didn’t know. I thought I figured everything out.

  She smiled at the unease on my face. “Kidding.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a playful glare. “You know what?” I took out the bag of Skittles. “Now you don’t get these.”

  Her eyes widened when she saw the bag in my hands. “Whoa…let’s not get carried away.” She snatched them then ripped the wrapper. She dropped a few into her mouth. “I’ll be keeping these.”

  I smiled at her, amused with her playfulness. It was a side to her I hadn’t seen in a really long time.

  She arranged the flowers in a vase and let the bag of candy on the table. Then she came back to me. “Ready to go?”

  No. My hands cupped her face and I pulled her lips to mine. As soon as our lips touched, the fire burned inside me. The chemistry had always been there, but now it was explosive. My lips massaged hers, tasting every surface of her mouth. My tongue danced with hers, and my spine shivered. Silke kissed me with the same enthusiasm, her arms wrapping around my neck. My desire bubbled to the surface and I led her to the arm of the couch. I scooped her onto the armrest and kissed her harder. Her legs wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to her.

  I knew this was getting carried away but it was so hard to end it. Eventually, I found my strength, not wanting our first date to be a make out session on the couch. I pulled away, feeling my lips continue a slow burn. “Sorry…got out of hand there.”

  “It’s okay.” She gave me one final kiss before her legs dropped from my waist.

  I turned around and adjusted my hard-on in my jeans, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  I grabbed her hand and went to the restaurant. I found one of the fanciest places in the city, somewhere I never would have been able to afford to take her before.

  She stilled when we approached the entrance. “Arsen, this place is fancy and I’m a little underdressed.”

  “You look great.” My thumb massaged her knuckles.

  “Let’s just get pizza or something.”

  “Why?” My hands moved around her waist and I held her closer to me. Any reason to touch her and feel her in my arms was good enough. Silke faltered in her argument when I touched her this way. She felt the sexual tension just as I did. We’d wanted each other but neither one of us would acknowledge just how much.

  “Like I said, I’m underdressed.”

  “They don’t care about that. As long as you have the money, they’ll take it.”

  “Honestly, I’d rather go somewhere else,” she insisted.

  I studied her face. “I want to take you somewhere nice.”

  “And I appreciate that. But you know me. You know I don’t care about fancy dinners and expensive gifts.�
��

  “I’m giving you the world. Please take it.”

  “You are the world,” she whispered. “When will you understand that’s always been enough for me?”

  I never believed her before. Every time she told me I was enough for her despite the fact I possessed nothing, I rejected her words. I refused to do that now, not after I learned my lesson. “Pizza it is.” I grabbed her hand again and we found a parlor just a few blocks over.

  After we walked inside, I pulled out the chair for her then sat across from her.

  She grabbed the menu then browsed it.

  I just stared at her, unable to believe she was sitting across from me. I used to rot behind bars, pretending she was there. And now I was sitting across from her in a restaurant having dinner. I had the privilege of money and I could buy her anything she wanted. I could afford to make her my wife and she wouldn’t have to work. I somehow earned her forgiveness and now she was on a date with me. I could kiss her when I wanted. It was surreal.

  She looked up from her menu then met my gaze. “What?”

  “I’m just happy,” I whispered. I didn’t smile as I said it but I didn’t need to. The truth was in the sound of my voice.

  Her eyes softened just the way they used to. “I’m happy too.”

  I didn’t look at the menu once. I was more enchanted by her unnatural beauty then food.

  “What are you getting?”

  “I’ll split whatever kind you want.”

  “Well, I was going to order sardines.” She gave me a playful look.

  “At least both of our breaths will stink.”

  She chuckled. “How about pepperoni?”

  “That sounds good to me.”

  When the waiter came over, I made the order and handed the menus over. Then I returned my attention back to Silke. She was the most beautiful woman in the world and I could stare at her forever. It was hard to believe she was finally mine. When she was with Pike, I wanted to crawl into a ball and die. I wanted to drink Pepto-Bismol until the pain in my stomach subsided. But now everything was okay.

  She was mine.

  Silke held my gaze. “You like to stare.”

  “Does it make you uncomfortable?”

  “No.” Confidence was in her look.

  “Then I’m going to keep staring.”

  “Okay.” She met my gaze.

  I wanted to make love to her. Now it was in the forefront of my mind. I wanted to be inside her, to make her moan for me. I wanted her to scratch my back like she used to. I wanted her to tell me she loved me over and over again. The last thing I wanted to do was rush our relationship, but I couldn’t deny what I wanted. Physically, she and I had already done everything. So, it really wasn’t a new relationship. But I knew she wouldn’t sleep with me unless she trusted me again. I’d just have to wait until she was ready.