by A. m Madden
“I love it.” I couldn’t stop staring at it, until I remembered my pathetic present still in his hand. On instinct, I attempted to snatch the gift from his grasp, but he raised his arm well above my reach.
“What are you doing?”
“Mine sucks.” My bottom lip jutted out. “I thought it was a good idea when I saw it yesterday. Normally, when I give a gift, I try to make it personal, but I couldn’t because I ran out of time. And this, it’s really not even complete, since I need to wait until after today…”
“Cassandra, breathe for God’s sake.” Ignoring my rambling, he lifted the cardboard lid off the box, revealing a silver frame complete with a photo of the models that it came with.
“That’s for our wedding picture. I wanted to have it engraved but didn’t have time. And since you don’t have any pictures of yourself, I thought this would be perfect. We can take it with us wherever we go. Those people…” I pointed to the couple under the glass. “I have no idea who they are. But even though they have gray hair, that could be us one day.”
A wide grin grew across his face, and he shook his head. “God, I love you.” He chastely kissed my lips. “This is perfect. I can’t wait to fill it with our first wedding portrait. In fact, technically it is our wedding day. Come…” Dante laced our fingers and led me to his studio. Adjusting the camera on the tripod so it faced the chair, he pushed a button and swiftly sat while pulling me on to his lap.
“Smile, beautiful.”
A bright flash made me blink, and I prayed my eyes were open. When we stood, he clicked a few buttons on his laptop, a printer came to life in the corner, and, before I knew it, in his hand was our first wedding picture. He immediately replaced the one in the frame with ours. “Done. Now can we go?”
“Where are we going again?” Not knowing where we would be exchanging our vows drove me nuts.
“Nice try. Do you have everything you need?”
I snagged my purse off the couch. “Yes.”
He reached into his suit-jacket pocket and pulled out a white satin scarf. “Sorry, but when we get downstairs, you’ll need to wear this over your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Is our entire marriage going to be like this? Please, indulge me.”
“Fine.”
I was absolutely clueless. Yes, I knew we were in a luxury sedan, I knew our driver’s name was Harry, and I knew we were running a bit late when I heard Dante ask him to step on it. During the ride, my husband-to-be tortured me with all the things he would have done if I had allowed him to sleep with me last night. The bastard.
It felt like an hour later when the car finally stopped and Dante said, “Ready to see where we are?”
At my nod, he untied the white silk scarf and removed it from around my head. It took a few seconds for me to get my bearings, but once I did, I realized we were in the parking lot where we met.
Since it was hours before Kyle’s lab opened, it dawned on me why we were there so early. “Oh my God, I love this. It’s perfect!”
“Really? I came up with it on a whim, and I know you deserve a long, rose-petal-covered aisle with your friends and family watching us exchange our vows, but…”
“Dante.” I held his face in both my hands and waited until he focused on me. “I don’t care where I become your wife. I only care that I’ll be yours. I don’t want to wait. I don’t need any of the pomp and circumstance. And since we planned this whole thing in a matter of two days, you couldn’t have picked a more perfect place.”
The relief he felt came in the form of a huge exhalation of pent-up breath. I pressed my lips to his just before he led me out of the car.
“Ready to marry me?” I looked around, wondering who would be performing the ceremony. Dante pointed over my shoulder, and when I turned, there stood an older gentleman holding a book and smiling at us. Beside him was the cutie pie whom Kyle had parking cars the night of Vanessa’s birthday party.
“Hi,” I said with a friendly wave. His returning smile mimicked the one he gave me the night Dante and I met.
“Congratulations, Cassie,” he said, handing me a nosegay of white lilies. “I’m Tyler, your witness today… kind of like I was the night you hit his car.”
“Wait a minute… whose side are you on, Tyler?”
My witness never had a chance to respond because Dante said, “Okay, stop flirting.” He leaned closer and kissed my cheek. “Let’s get married.”
Hand in hand, we walked toward the officiant, and our witnesses, Tyler and Harry, stood behind us. The opening words I’d heard so many times were recited as Dante and I stared into each other’s eyes. Today, those words were for me, for us, and it seemed surreal. Yet, at the same time, it felt like my whole life had prepared me for this moment.
Unlike my present to him, when we reached the point when vows needed to be exchanged, I was prepared. Dante and I faced each other, my hand still tightly held by his. “Dante, all my life I’ve been a rule-follower. I’ve done things in the right order, and took my time making life-altering decisions. Every one made was methodical, thought through, and carefully planned. And then you crashed into my world… literally. That night…” Tears welled in my eyes as I thought back to how my life was before meeting him. “You changed everything. Opposite of all I knew, and although you were infuriating, I think what was most frustrating was the attraction that came out of nowhere. As you know, I didn’t handle it well.”
“I keep telling you, I’m irresistible.” His nonchalant shrug forced me to glare, which caused a chuckle to rumble through him.
“Anyway… no matter how hard I tried to fight it, you wore me down and I thank God every day that you did… that you saw something in me that I never saw in myself. You, Dante, gave me a gift only you could give. Thank you for giving me your heart. I promise to cherish you, support you, and be with you through whatever life brings us. I promise when we have children, I will not allow them to have teddy bears.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the shudder that ran through him. “You’re the love of my life, and I’m so lucky that you want to share yours with me.”
Dante methodically ran his thumb across both of my cheeks, wiping away my tears. And my heart swelled when he repeated the process on his face using the back of his hand.
“Cassandra, the first time I saw you, I knew it wouldn’t be the last. The passion in your eyes, in spite of your vibrator dress, lit my insides on fire.”
Gasping, I whispered, “They were pencils.”
“Yes, dear,” he said with a wink. “Not only are you the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the privilege to lay my eyes on, but you’re smart, talented, and one of the kindest people I know. You astound me every time we’re together. Whether you’re grading papers, reading a trashy romance novel, or fighting seaweed, you manage to carve out another niche in my heart. I’ve never known a love like ours, nor did I think it would be possible. But you, Cassandra… you make everything possible. I promise our lives will never be boring. I promise to protect you from jellyfish and anything else that scares you. I promise to never break our having-sex-every-day resolution.” The officiant cleared his throat while Harry and Tyler laughed. Little did they know Dante wasn’t kidding. “I promise no matter where we are, where we go, or who we are with, you will always be the most important thing in my life. I will never take you for granted, and I will cherish you forever. Never will a day pass when I won’t tell you how much you mean to me. I love you, Cassandra… always.”
We exchanged rings and the officiant said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now…” The poor man wasn’t able to finish before Dante’s mouth crushed mine in a searing kiss.
Dante
My kinky girl had a request as we drove home from our ceremony. Apparently, she needed to fulfill her own little fantasy. Naturally, I agreed, because doing anything she asked was a no-brainer.
Once home, she enlightened me on what it was she wanted. Before we started the photo shoot / striptease I’d
be starring in, Cassie asked that I play one of the songs I used to strip to on the speaker in the corner. Amused at her game, I found “Hot for Teacher” on one of my playlists, smiling at the sexy gasp that escaped when she heard it. It wasn’t the best song to strip to, but it helped effectively prove my point.
That was until she peeled that sexy white dress off her fucking hot body and stood staring at me in nothing but heels and see-through scraps of lace… tables turned, the joke was now on me… yet again.
Even hearing her words wasn’t easy when all the blood in my body rushed toward my cock, leaving a dull thumping between my ears.
“Take off your jacket,” she said, her voice husky from lust.
I allowed the music to manipulate my moves as I used to years ago. With slow gyrations, I did as she asked, tossing my black suit jacket onto the chaise nearby. “Now what, Mrs. Benedetto?”
Seeing my diamond ring glinting on her slim finger as she held the camera to her face made it difficult to follow through with my promise to behave. “Shirt next, but slowly.” One by one, my fingers released the buttons from their confines, the only sound coming from the clicking of each shot she took. Once my shirt hung open, she quickly said, “Take it off.”
“Yes, ma’am.” My dress shirt soon found its place beside my discarded jacket.
“Run your thumb over your bottom lip.” Staring right at the camera, giving her a look that read the minute this charade was over I’d be fucking her hard, I obeyed my wife and gave her what she asked for.
Meanwhile, my cock screamed to be let out. I had no idea if she knew how challenging this reversal of roles was for me. Besides the obvious of needing to be the one holding the camera, waiting for her next instruction as she stood a few feet away in that sexy-as-fuck lingerie drove me insane.
The way her dark-pink nipples practically pushed through the fabric, and how it molded over her smooth pussy, made it hard to focus. Not to mention, that fucking garter that hugged her hips and held up sheer stockings, of which I couldn’t wait to drag off each leg with my teeth.
“Dante.”
My eyes cut up to her face, only then noticing she held the camera near one hip as her hand fisted on the other. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“Unbutton and unzip your pants. Show me your boxer briefs.” Now we’re talking. Again, I followed her command, leaving the black wool fabric to hang open and reveal the top of my shaft.
“Sorry, I’m not wearing boxer briefs.” I couldn’t see her eyes, but the way her mouth hung open before her teeth clamped on that full plump lip gave me the satisfaction that my photographer wasn’t as composed as she let on to be. “Should I take my pants off?” She gave me a small nod just as her throat worked a swallow. Hooking my thumbs between the fabric and my skin, with one hard shove they fell and pooled around my ankles.
Needing to move this along, I continued to stun my wife by rolling my hips, running my hands over my abs, and fondling my piercing. I wasn’t sure if the reason I no longer heard clicking was because her breathing had become so audible, or if she had stopped taking pictures. Either way, I was done.
“Cassandra,” I said as I gripped my cock and began pumping. “Your time is up. Put the camera down and get over here.”
“Fine. But first one more picture.” She smirked before lifting the camera to her eye.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?”
‘Just one thing… Smile, beautiful.”
Epilogue
Dante
“Are you ready, Mrs. Benedetto?” I’d never tire of saying her new title. The fact that I was responsible for it made it all the better. And watching her beam up at me, with a sparkle in her baby blues, gave me joy.
“More than ready, Mr. Benedetto.”
Hand in hand, we walked into our Saturday night hangout. Our friends didn’t know anything—not that we were together or that we were in New York, and most of all that we were married.
For the past few days, as we remained sequestered in our apartment, my wife was ready to combust. All she wanted to do was call her friends, but instead I insisted she call her family. Mine, on the other hand, would know soon enough when we arrived in Milan.
We weren’t at all surprised at her parents’ reaction. Besides shock, they were understandably upset Cassie wouldn’t have the wedding they always dreamed of. But hearing my girl tell them that I had fulfilled her dream seemed to appease them for now. Our compromise was that they’d throw us a party for closest friends and family once my contract was up and we returned to the States.
But tonight was all about breaking the news to our friends.
Walking into Dispatch, Cassie spotted Luca and Sabrina ahead of us. Camouflaged by the crowd, we stood a few feet behind them, not wanting to take away from their announcement as they greeted our friends.
Squeals echoed over the noisy bar, having us assume the cat was out of the bag regarding their nuptials. From where we stood, a round of hugs and kisses of congratulations rained down on them. Brae wiped tears of joy from her eyes, as she held Sabrina’s hand, admiring her new ring.
“Our turn, beautiful.”
In only a few steps, we reached the table and were welcomed with silent stares. “Surprise!” Cassie said with a wave of her left hand.
Sabrina twisted at the sound of Cassie’s voice. “Oh my God! You’re together?”
Brae followed with, “You’re in New York?”
Luca cocked his head to the side. “What happened to the job?”
Kyle and Jude smirked and remained silent.
But when Vanessa pointed at Cassie’s hand and exclaimed, “What the fuck is on your finger?” another wave of silence swarmed around us. “Not you too?”
“My brother wasn’t the only one to take a wife. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Mrs. Dante Benedetto.”
Brae’s hand fisted at her hip. “I can’t believe you!” She pointed to Cassie before doing the same to Luca. “And you.”
Jude shook his head. “The fuck! I had to deal with irate cocks and barn animals…”
Kyle interjected. “I loved that barn. Nessa, remember fucking on the haystack?”
She rubbed her backside. “I remember hay in places it shouldn’t have been.”
“Hey…” Jude snapped his fingers to get our attention. “My point is…, I would have gladly taken Brae to a remote place and married her without any of you clowns around.”
“And miss my fabulous toast?” Kyle nudged Jude with his shoulder. “Plus, Brae would have been sad, and we know how well you handle that.”
“This is true.” Jude leaned over and kissed his wife on the lips. “I’d do anything to make you happy, Sparky.”
“Thank you. And I for you,” she said in response. “But if you recall, I did make up for the fact we had a farmhouse wedding on our honeymoon.”
“Hmm… did you?” he asked teasingly. “I may need a reminder.”
Once the Sorens were done reflecting on their nuptials, Kyle ordered a round of champagne for the table and sparkling water for Brae, who insisted on hearing all the details. Luca shared everything that happened in Milan, and then I picked up where he left off. The only difference was our story included our reunion. The fact that we got married in the parking lot where our worlds collided… literally… brought about more sighs from the women.
“Vanessa, before I forget, I owe you a photoshoot.” Glancing at Kyle, I added, “You can join in as well.”
My suggestion had Vanessa smiling from ear to ear. “Ooh, like a sexy boudoir shoot?”
“Not a chance,” Kyle spit out. “Dante isn’t seeing us in our underwear.”
Rather than turn this into a debate, I shrugged. “I’ll leave it up to the both of you. Just call me when you decide, and we’ll set something up for when I get back.”
Brae, the romantic, smirked at Vanessa and Kyle. “You know, it could be an engagement portrait. You two are the only ones left. And…” She glared at them before spouting, “y
ou better not go off and elope. We need a big bash… Kyle can afford it.”
“Technically,” Vanessa said with sarcasm, “Desiree isn’t married either.”
“Did I hear my name?” All heads flipped around and stared at the woman I assumed by her comment was Desiree.
“Holy shit!” Cassie exclaimed, jumping out of her chair and almost knocking over her glass of bubbly. “What are you doing here?” She threw her arms around her brunette friend, not realizing a line had formed behind her to do the same.
It took a full thirty minutes for the girls to all calm down. When Desiree was introduced to Sabrina and me, she said, “I feel like I know you both already.”
Knowing about her last phone conversation with my wife, I thanked her for helping Cassie realize we needed to be together.
Tonight turned out to be a night full of surprises. And with this new extended family that I was now part of, I knew there would many, many more surprises to come.
The End
The Mr. Wrong Series
You can get to know each of these hot book boyfriends in:
Finding Mr. Wrong, Jude Soren’s story.
Taming Mr. Flirt, Kyle Cleary’s story.
Scoring Mr. Romeo, Luca Benedetto’s story.
Craving Mr. Kinky, Dante Benedetto’s story.
Details for each book can be found on the author’s websites.
www.ammadden.com
www.joanneschwehmbooks.com
Acknowledgments
Craving Mr. Kinky was an absolute blast to write. Once again, we laughed, cried, and swooned… and swooned some more. We hope we don’t forget anyone, and if we do, please know it wasn’t intentional.
First, we’d like to thank the readers. We all love to read and talk about the books and characters we love, and we’re so thankful for your support.
To our beta readers, your feedback, comments, suggestions, and, more importantly, your honesty were incredibly helpful. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to help us.
