by K. S. Ruff
Rafael smiled. “Yes, sir. We’ll send the jet back for you on Wednesday.”
Kari and Brent were going to be busy over the next few days. They were flying my family back to Montana tomorrow, picking Rafael and me up on Sunday to fly us to Portugal, returning to Montana so they could retrieve my family on Wednesday, stopping in Virginia to pick up our friends, and then flying into Portugal Thursday morning.
The waiter returned with our drinks.
Cenia ducked out of his way as he began distributing the drinks. “Is Dan coming?”
Happily, I claimed my cranberry Sprite. I’d been addicted to the tart concoction ever since Maxim introduced me to it. “Yes. Dan and Kimme will be joining my family.”
“I can fly to Montana to accompany Dan if he needs help getting through this,” Kadyn offered.
I had briefed my entire family on Dan’s PTSD so they’d be prepared if his anxieties flared. “Kimme thinks he’ll be okay since he’s not flying on a commercial aircraft. He’s met my Dad, Lexie, and Nate so he should be comfortable with everyone. He has sleeping pills and a bed if he needs them.”
Kadyn nodded. “Let me know if that changes.”
“I’d like to propose a toast to Kristine and Shae.” Rafael stood and raised his glass. “You two are the most phenomenal women I know. You have overcome more challenges in the past two years than most people face in a lifetime. You juggled full time studies against full time jobs that required international travel. Still, you graduated summa cum laude. What you have accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. Your determination to continue on with your studies and your careers in peacebuilding despite the horrors you faced in Ukraine is truly humbling. What you intend to do with your degrees is even more humbling. It is truly an honor to know you.”
“Hear! Hear!” Shae’s father shouted. Our friends and family tapped their glasses.
“I love you,” Rafael whispered.
I gazed at him adoringly. “I love you too.”
* * * * *
Rafael eyed my bouncing knee. “Are you okay?”
I pawed at my seatbelt. “This is taking forever. Why haven’t we leveled off?”
His brow furrowed. “Do you need to use the restroom?”
I was still trying to figure out how a baby the size of a green pepper could squeeze the life out of my bladder. “No,” I grumbled irritably. “I don’t have to pee.”
He continued studying me. “Are you worried about the wedding?”
“What? No, of course not.” I forced my knee to stop.
He looked stumped. “Then why are you so anxious to get out of your seat?”
The intercom dinged. “We’ve reached thirty-six thousand feet, which is our cruising altitude...”
“Finally!” I ripped the seatbelt off.
Rafael stood.
I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bedroom. “I need sex.”
“Last night wasn’t enough?” He choked back a laugh.
I tugged my shirt off. “I don’t know why, but I need sex really, really bad.” My shoes, socks, jeans, and undergarments fell to the floor.
His eyes heated while amusement danced on his lips. “Well, I’m happy to help you with that.”
I watched him undress. “This is your son’s doing. You do know that?” I pushed him onto the bed.
Rafael grinned when I climbed on top of him. “That’s one thoughtful kid.”
I groaned when he latched onto my breast. “I need you inside of me. Now.”
He suckled my breasts while I positioned him. Suddenly, he grabbed my hips and thrust.
Pleasure licked my core. “Don’t move,” I pleaded.
He stopped breathing.
“I just… I’m on the verge of… Oh, God!” Spasms wracked my body.
Rafael laughed while he gently caressed my back. “That was easy.”
“I’m not done,” I whimpered.
He stared at me in disbelief.
My eyes narrowed. “Well you shouldn’t have laughed. I felt that, and… Ugh!” I grunted when Rafael rolled me beneath him.
He forced my hands over my head and thrust. “How’s this?”
My eyes glazed over. “Better.”
“How about this?” He thrust even harder.
I moaned more than spoke my response.
He buried himself to the hilt.
“More,” I pleaded. There was something terribly wrong with me. My skin literally crawled with need.
His hands squeezed my breasts. He pinched both nipples while he thrust. I braced my hands against the headboard. My ankles slipped. My hips rose.
Rafael pinned my knees to my shoulders and thrust… hard and fast… then deep and slow. Every time I neared release, he switched it up. I grew mindless with lust.
Finally, Rafael lost it. He pounded relentlessly.
My hands fisted in his hair as I dragged his lips toward mine.
He drove inside of me with unconscionable force. Once… twice… three times.
The room sheeted white. My back arched as the most intense orgasm I’d ever known tore through me. Rafael groaned as he pulsed inside of me. I writhed beneath him, savoring the heat.
“More?” he inquired warily.
My nipples hardened against his chest. I pulled his hips close until he was buried deeper than he’d ever been before. “Lots, lots more.”
* * * * *
I tucked the towel around my chest and rose from the thickly padded bed. The heated stone massage was heavenly. I loved that the Penha Longa Spa offered massages outside next to their botanical garden, a contrast pool, and a private waterfall. I dipped my toes into the Jacuzzi before perching on the tile. I’d read somewhere that pregnant women weren’t supposed to submerge their bellies in Jacuzzis, so my legs would have to suffice for now.
I took a deep breath, savoring the soft, soapy scent of the botanical gardens and the salty tang of the ocean. Birds chirped happily while I basked in the sun. This place was so peaceful, I could linger here for days.
I couldn’t believe how calm I felt. We were getting married in less than twenty-four hours. My friends and family were settled into the hotel. Every wedding guest was here… well, everyone except Maxim. He was busy running a country, so I wasn’t expecting him to show.
I felt a flutter in my tummy. I leaned back and caressed my stomach. Babies did weird things to your body, and they demanded everything in the extreme. I wasn’t just nauseous, I was insanely nauseous. I wasn’t just hungry, I was ravenously hungry. I didn’t just have to pee… I had to pee now.
And the sex, holy cow, the sex. Now wasn’t that the best kept secret among the pregnant crowd? Every nerve ending in my body felt so much more sensitive. Blood was pounding in places I never even new existed. I didn’t just need sex, I was pretty certain I’d die without it. Now I knew why men liked their women barefoot and pregnant, and why women truly loved being pregnant. All those extra hormones turned them into sex addicts.
We had spent nearly the entire flight in bed having sex. I slept while Rafael worked the next day. When he arrived home, I greeted him at the door naked. We enjoyed another night of marathon sex. Tuesday and Wednesday played out the exact same way. Our friends and family arrived Thursday, and now here we were at the Penha Longa Resort, just hours away from our rehearsal dinner. Since we were planning to sleep separately tonight, I was left questioning whether I could survive two and a half days without sex.
“A penny for your thoughts.” Shae dipped her toe in the Jacuzzi and sat down beside me.
I chuckled, too embarrassed to respond.
“Are you worried about the wedding?” she inquired curiously.
I shook my head. “Not at all. I feel calm and oddly content.”
She wiggled her toes in the water. “I thought weddings were supposed to be stressful.”
I shrugged. “Maybe it’s because we’re already married.”
She gazed out over the garden.
“So, no Konstantin?”
She shook her head.
I tried not to smile. “Is Kadyn your plus one then?”
She humored me with a sidelong glance. “I think maybe he is.”
I studied my friend. “How do you feel about him?”
She peered down at the water. “Conflicted. I don’t really have the best instincts when it comes to men.”
“Are you physically attracted to him?” I couldn’t imagine anyone answering “no” to the question.
She sighed softly. “Yes, but I don’t want to do anything that could compromise our friendship.”
I turned that thought in my head. “Kadyn isn’t an all or nothing kind of guy. Things didn’t work out between us, and we’re still really good friends.”
She quietly considered me. “Why didn’t it work out between you?”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. “Honestly? After everything that happened with Michael, I didn’t feel I deserved him. When I returned from Paris, he made it very clear we could only be friends. I worked hard to perceive him as such. I tried to view him differently when he admitted he still had feelings for me, but that switch proved permanently disabled for me. Rafael came along and swept me off my feet, and… well, you know the rest. I’m deeply in love with Rafael. For me, there is no one else.”
She eyed me worriedly. “Do you have any regrets? Any regrets at all?”
My eyebrows rose. “About Kadyn?”
She nodded.
I shook my head. “Not at all. Kadyn taught me what true love really is. I was such a mess when I met him. He built my confidence and my trust, and he showed me how to love selflessly. I am so grateful for Kadyn. He will forever remain one my most cherished friends.”
She gazed out over the garden again.
I nudged her shoulder with mine. “You can trust him with your heart. I promise. He will never hurt you, and he won’t abandon you if it doesn’t work out.”
A single tear slid down her cheek.
I pulled her against me. “You deserve to be happy, Shae. I don’t know what kind of crap these other men have been feeding you, but you’re beautiful, you’re intelligent, and kind. You should be with someone who appreciates that, someone who’s willing to make you a priority, someone who treats you like gold.”
She sniffled softly.
I leaned forward so I could peer into her eyes. “There’s no sense worrying about it. This will be out of your hands once Kadyn sees you in that bridesmaid dress.”
Shae laughed.
I stood and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s track down the rest of the girls so we can get our nails done.”
* * * * *
Rafael turned heads as we crossed the lobby. He was wearing a black dress suit and a crisp white shirt without a tie. The tailored suit accentuated his lethal frame, while his tousled hair lent a decidedly playful air. Throw in the five o’clock shadow and the look was utterly beguiling. I was wearing an elegant jumpsuit with a white twist-style halter top, a thin gold belt, and black flowy pants. Glittering gold and black Jimmy Choo heels and a gold cuff bracelet completed the ensemble.
Rafael opened the door leading out onto the deck. “How do you feel?”
“Like a wet noodle. The heated stone massage was wonderful.” I paused to admire the view. Lush mountains, pink clouds, and a lavender sky framed the teal green pool.
He led me around the softly lit pool. The salty air felt balmy, maybe even a little cool. “Did you sleep?”
We weren’t expecting much sleep between the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, so everyone slept this afternoon. I bunked with Shae since my sex crazed hormones couldn’t be trusted to sleep in the same room with Rafael. “For three hours. Did you get any sleep?”
“A little.” He stopped at the outdoor bar, where he ordered a glass of Vinho Verde and a cranberry Sprite. “Are you hungry?”
“Ravenous,” I assured him. Our friends were socializing along the outskirts of the linen clad tables, just a few feet away. I waved at my parents, but they too were ensnared by the view.
“Let’s get started then.” Rafael nabbed a fork off one of the tables. He tapped it against his glass as we neared our friends.
Everyone quieted.
He quietly considered our guests. “Thank you for joining us. Your willingness to climb out of bed at four-thirty in the morning so we can be married at sunrise speaks volumes about your love for us. On the off chance there’s still confusion about that, we are being married at five-thirty in the morning not five-thirty at night.”
There was a smattering of laughter.
Rafael smiled as he raised his glass. “This is just one of many ways you’ve shown your love for us, and that is why you’re here. Each of you has had a hand in how Kristine and I view friendship, family, and love. You helped shape this relationship. Thank you for guiding us down this path, for building our relationship, for standing beside us in good times and bad. Tomorrow we consecrate our love. But tonight? We celebrate your love. Tonight, we rejoice in you.”
We tapped glasses and drank to Rafael’s toast.
Through misty eyes I gazed at my family and friends. I whispered a silent prayer thanking God for each and every one of them.
* * * * *
Lexie extracted me from Rafael at eleven o’clock. She insisted it was bad luck for him to see me the day of the wedding. We dreamed and reminisced while sprawled on her bed. Jase settled into a chair on the other side of the room, unwilling to leave my side.
I must have fallen asleep because Jase was suddenly shaking me. “You’re going to be late for your appointment.” He shuddered when he caught sight of my hair. “The sooner we get down there the better.”
“Quit picking on my cousin.” Lexie flung a pillow at him.
Jase dodged the pillow before holding up his fingers in the sign of a cross. “She’s not the only one who needs help.” He laughed when she ran to the mirror.
We took the fastest showers on record, brushed our teeth, and slathered deodorant on before following him onto the elevator, across the lobby, and into the spa.
My feet stalled when we entered the spa. “Dan, what are you doing here?”
A slow, lazy smile slid across his rugged face. “I’m here to guard you and your ladies in waiting.”
Kimme giggled.
Shae popped open a Diet Coke.
Cenia and Marie walked through the door. “I can’t believe we’re getting our hair and makeup done at two o’clock in the morning.”
Jase shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m hanging out in a spa.”
Dan snickered. “I plan on shooting the nail polish off that far wall.”
The receptionist blanched.
I briefly considered confiscating their guns. “Whatever you do, don’t let Rafael come in here. I don’t want him to see me before the wedding. Don’t shoot him, just… extract him from the room.”
Dan tipped an imaginary hat. “Roger that, pretty lady. No one gets past me.”
“Good.” I followed the receptionist and my friends into the salon.
Marie sank onto the far chair. “Any idea where Rafael’s taking you for your honeymoon?”
I climbed into my stylist’s chair. “No.” Rafael had, in fact, secured a construction team, a list of renovations, and a set of blueprints before we left Virginia, so I hadn’t a clue where he was taking me.
Kimme eased onto the chair next to me. “Maybe you’ll stay here. This place is so dreamy.”
I laughed. “Honey, you ain’t seen noth’n yet.” I couldn’t wait for my friends to see Monserrate Palace glowing against the night sky and the gardens after sunrise. I grew giddy just thinking about it.
The receptionist delivered lemon water, herbal tea, and pastries on small silver trays while the stylists worked on our makeup and hair. They kept our makeup soft and natural while going all out on our hair.
My pale blond hair was piled atop my head in large, loose curls that were woven into an elaborate design. A pearl
head piece was tucked along the left side. Soft tendrils framed my face in the most romantic way. While their upsweeps, braids, and curls varied, my friends looked equally stunning.
We gathered our garment bags and climbed into the sleek black limousine at precisely four o’clock. We rolled into the parking lot at Monserrate Palace twenty minutes later. My heart stalled when I saw Rafael’s limousine.
“How are you going to ensure you don’t see one another?” Cenia inquired worriedly.
Jase looked up from his cell phone “Kristine and Rafael are getting ready at opposite ends of the castle. I’ve already confirmed Rafael and the rest of the guys are in their room.” He eyed Dan. “Would you mind watching over the girls while I change into my tux?”
Dan’s chest swelled. “I would consider it an honor.”
Jase typed his number into Dan’s cell phone. “Kadyn will join you shortly.” He offered me his hand as he stepped from the car. “You know where you’re going?”
“We’re getting ready in the piano room at the far end of the castle. There’s a gravel trail in front of the castle steps that branches off to either side. We’re taking the trail to the right. Rafael and the guys are in a room just off the main entrance on the left.” I pointed toward the main trail. We couldn’t see much beyond the parking lot. This area was heavily treed, and it was still dark.
“They’ve lined the trail with luminaries,” Cenia exclaimed.
“That’s so romantic,” Marie breathed.
We gathered our things. Jase led the way. Dan positioned himself on the end so we were sandwiched between the two men while walking the trail.
Lexie sucked in a breath when the trail opened up. “My God, that is a real honest to goodness palace.”
We stood dumbfounded by the view. Most of the palace glowed a soft shade of gold, but all three domes blazed crimson against the starlit sky. My heart sang while tears welled in my eyes.
Dan nudged us toward the palace. White chairs were set in a semi-circle around the fountain. A white aisle runner glowed in the moonlight.
I handed Jase the envelope and the gift I’d tucked inside my purse. “Can you give this to Rafael?” I’d purchased a Qlocktwo watch that displayed the time in words across a square face fashioned like a word find game for the groom’s gift.
