Wild Wedding Hookup

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “You stay out of this.” Carmen drilled her finger into his chest.

  He slapped it away.

  “I thought your family sold it. I would have never,” Mikelina babbled, wiping herself off with her napkin.

  “This is between me and her. Move.” Carmen tried to get around him.

  Good luck with that. There was no way he was going to let her get another cheap shot in on Mikelina. “You need to back off, lady, or I’m going to call the cops.”

  “That’s a laugh,” Carmen said, trying to push him. He removed her hands from his chest, releasing her immediately.

  “You want to make sure you keep your hands to yourself.” A man sauntered up behind Carmen. He was trim and light on his feet and looked familiar. Bastien outweighed him by a good twenty pounds. He hoped the man wasn’t looking for trouble because he was just in the mood to give him some.

  “Is this horrible person with you?” he asked him.

  “That’s my sister,” the man said between his teeth.

  “Bastien,” Mikelina shrieked. “That’s Pedro Santanna. The former middleweight boxing champion.”

  Bastien nodded. “I saw you fight in the Garden. You’ve got a glass jaw.”

  “Oh. My. God,” Mikelina said.

  “Is he nuts?” Carmen asked.

  “We could step outside and you could try to shatter it,” Pedro said mildly, gesturing toward the door.

  Bastien reached inside his jacket pocket.

  Pedro tensed and went up on the balls of his feet. Bastien pulled out his billfold and smiled at him. Tossing three hundreds on the table, he tucked his wallet back inside his jacket and gave Pedro an after you wave.

  “How did this become about them?” Carmen said.

  Bastien had no illusions that he was about to get his butt kicked, but he needed to blow off steam. Otherwise, he might be punching Jace out later.

  “You sure you want to do this, man?” Pedro asked.

  “Your sister threw a drink at my date. I can’t hit her, and since you butted into the argument, that makes you fair game.”

  “How well do you know that little chica you’re with?”

  “I know she’s my girlfriend.”

  “Then you deserve this.”

  * * *

  Mikelina held a cold compress over his eye and pressed an ice bag to his jaw. “You’re an idiot. You know that, right?”

  “Did you see the shot I got in on him? He was expecting a haymaker, not a gut punch.”

  “He’s a professional boxer. He could have killed you.”

  “Nah, he wasn’t wearing gloves. He’d never have risked his hands.”

  “He might have, if you pissed him off enough. Bastien, don’t ever do that again.” She made him hold the compress and the ice bag. Sinking down into the couch, she cradled her face in her hands. “I can’t believe you did that. Who asks a boxer to step outside? What are you, sixteen?”

  “You want to tell me what that was all about? Why did Carmen throw your water in your face? Did you steal her man or something?”

  Mikelina snorted. “If I could steal him, he wasn’t her man to begin with.”

  “Not a lot of people see things that way. Did you break Pedro’s heart?”

  “No. I only know Pedro professionally.”

  “Are you a boxing fan?”

  “I’m a concierge. I get tickets to his fights from his agent.”

  Bastien waited, but she wasn’t more forthcoming. “Do I have to play twenty questions or are you going to tell me?”

  “It’s complicated.” She sighed. “I don’t want to get into it right now.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  “No.”

  “Would you tell me if you were?”

  “Yes, it’s old news. Carmen and Pedro are holding a grudge and I don’t blame them. I’m sorry you got involved. But if you hadn’t stepped in when you did, it wouldn’t have escalated.”

  “I got hands on a middleweight champion. Best bachelor party ever.”

  “You’re an asshole. Would you have let Jace get into a fight with the champ?”

  “Pedro hasn’t been a champ in a few years.”

  “Bastien! Not the point.” She threw a pillow at him, but missed him by a mile.

  “And no. Jace couldn’t take a punch from a guy like that.”

  “Neither could you. You look like you went ten rounds with the man.”

  “I used to box in college. This is nothing.”

  “Fine,” she said and removed the compress and ice bag.

  “What are you doing?” he asked when she grabbed her phone.

  “I’m going to take a picture and send it to your sister. See what she has to say.”

  Bastien held up his fists and mugged for the camera. “She’d say I probably deserved it. Hashtag prick.”

  “I don’t know what to do with you.” Mikelina took a few pictures and then tossed her phone on the table. “Put that compress back on your eye to keep the swelling down.”

  “Maybe you could kiss it and make it better?” he grabbed her around the waist and tugged her in close. She felt amazing against him. He knew he’d be feeling the bruises later, but right now he was flying high on adrenaline and freedom.

  Ever since the scorched-earth debacle of his marriage, he had been playing it safe. Keeping to his schedules and working like a madman helped him get over the absolute failure of his relationship. He really thought Gina had been the one. But she never made him feel like Mikelina did.

  Her lips were stiff and unyielding against his at first, but then she relaxed, and it was like her whole body opened up for him. Walking her back into the kitchen, he hoisted her up on the island.

  “I’ve been thinking about doing this for two days,” he muttered against her lips.

  Mikelina demanded more kisses and he gave them to her. She made his head spin faster than Pedro’s cross jab. Pushing up her skirt, he peeled her skimpy panties down her long, toned legs. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful and that she drove him crazy, but his tongue was too busy dancing with hers.

  His cock was pounding with the need to sink inside her dripping wet pussy, and while he wanted to lick her until she drenched his face, he needed to be inside her more. Unbuttoning his pants, he slipped them down his hips. She immediately grabbed him and guided him inside her.

  Greedy little thing. He loved that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He’d fight ten Pedro Santannas for her honor. She clamped around him and he moaned against her mouth. She was tight and sweet. When she squeezed him, he lost his mind. Somehow their clothes went flying in all directions as he eased in and out of her trembling body. Her legs wrapped around his hips and held him close.

  His phone rang.

  Fuck it.

  “It could be Jace,” she gasped, wresting her mouth away from his.

  “Fuck him.” Bastien took her mouth again. He didn’t want to think about his brother-in-law. He wanted to concentrate on making Mikelina come all over him. Her earthy grunts told him she was so close. He thumbed her nipples and pumped into her faster and she kissed him with desperate, needy moans.

  The wet slap of their bodies as they repeatedly came together was a mesmerizing wave of cresting pleasure. She screamed into his mouth and held on tight as she shook apart. His eyes rolled back in his head and his back arched as he followed a few seconds later.

  He would never get enough of her. Slowing down, he lifted her off the island and carried her into the bedroom, still inside her. Easing them both down on the bed, he continued to fuck her, this time slow and easy.

  The excitement built up again. Her fingers dug into the duvet cover and when he slid his mouth to attack her gorgeous throat, her husky cries encouraged him to pick up the pace.

  Mikelina came screaming, wr
inging every last drop of come from him. He shook with desire and was barely able to roll off her.

  “Worth it,” he panted. “Every punch.”

  “You idiot. I would have fucked you anyway.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  THE NEXT MORNING, Bastien was still conked out after she had taken her shower and gotten dressed. She let him sleep and closed the bedroom door on her way to the kitchen.

  “Morning,” Jace said from the kitchen table.

  Every muscle in her body froze. “Hi,” she said brightly and then, because she couldn’t think of anything else to say, made her way to the espresso machine.

  “So, you and Bastien, huh?” he asked. Jace had a huge bowl of cereal in front of him and was watching something on his phone.

  “Yeah,” she said. “Where have you been these past few days?”

  “We did an overnight in Cuba.”

  “Cuba?” She blinked. “You are aware that travel to Cuba is prohibited, right?”

  “That’s why we didn’t tell Bastien. He’d never agree to it and now he can’t be held responsible if it comes back and bites us in the ass. It’s also why I didn’t ask you to arrange it for us.”

  “Out of curiosity, how did you do it?”

  “Canadian registered boat. Paid cash. Max is a stringer for the Washington Tribune. Shane’s a professional photographer. We went under the journalistic activity general license category.”

  “That was risky. Dangerous.”

  “Have you been to Havana?”

  Mikelina shook her head sadly. “I missed my opportunity. I was waiting for the cruise ships to get out the kinks and the tourism to build up a bit.”

  “It’s amazing. We took a vintage car tour around the city. Went to a rum museum. Snorkeled in the Bay of Pigs. Saw a cigar factory. It was great.”

  “I’m jealous,” she said with a smile.

  “And I’m bummed I can’t share the pictures on Instagram.”

  “If it’s not on social media, did it really happen?”

  “Exactly. We want to keep it on the down low, though. So we’re going to go old school photo albums. Do you think you can get us some?”

  She nodded. “If you save the pictures to my Dropbox, I’ll have them printed out for you.”

  “Sweet,” he said. They exchanged information. “One for each of us.”

  “Even Bastien?”

  “Maybe not for him.”

  “He probably would have liked to have gone.” She didn’t want to sound like she was scolding him, but she wanted Jace to know that he’d hurt Bastien’s feelings by being so selfish.

  Jace shrugged. “He wouldn’t have lied to go to Cuba. He’s too much of a straight arrow. At least, I thought he was.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

  Oh, was that how he wanted to play it? “I bet Kitty would have liked to have gone.”

  “I would have taken her if she had been here.”

  “If you asked her, would she have come?”

  Jace stared at her, thinking about it. “Come to my bachelor party?”

  “Shared a forbidden trip to Cuba with her fiancé?”

  “She has to work.”

  “She wouldn’t have called in sick to go on an adventure with you?”

  He sighed. “Yeah, she would have.”

  “But you didn’t want her there?”

  “It’s not that. I would have worried about her. She’s beautiful, rich and American. What if I let her out of my sight for a second? I’d never forgive myself if something had happened to her.”

  “Don’t you think she feels the same way about you?”

  “I don’t spend a lot of time in self-reflection,” he said.

  “I get it. It’s your bachelor party and you get a lot of leeway for kicking loose. But going forward, don’t leave Kitty out of the adventures. I think she’d be a great partner.”

  “You don’t even know her.” He smiled. “But she is.”

  “I know her through Bastien and if he adores her that much, she’s got to be pretty special.”

  “Yes, I think so, too. And she loved the jewelry you picked out for her. She thinks I’m a rock star. Thank you for that.”

  Mikelina shrugged. “It’s my job. I’m glad she liked it.” Her eyes caught sight of his travel humidor on the dining room table. “Please tell me you didn’t bring back any Cuban cigars?”

  “Smoked them all on the boat coming back.”

  “Good.” She sighed.

  “As far as you know.”

  She shook her head. It was better not to know. “Have you told Kitty where you were?”

  “Not yet. She’s in a tizzy over her brother.”

  Mikelina frowned. “Why?” She hadn’t sent the picture last night.

  Jace turned the phone over to her. There was a great YouTube video of Bastien’s fight with Pedro.

  “Oh shit,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand.

  “That’s you in the corner, right?”

  Mikelina nodded.

  “Was he defending your honor or something?”

  “Something like that. I didn’t want him to.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s the bro code. I’m glad. He’s such a tight-ass. He needs to get into more fights and have raucous sex on vacation.”

  She blushed. “Just when did you come back?” Mikelina was mortified that he might have heard them.

  “A few hours ago.”

  “Are you going water-skiing today?”

  “It’s on the schedule, isn’t it?”

  “Are you done screwing around with him?”

  Jace shrugged. “Probably not.”

  “Do me a favor,” she said.

  “I’ll try.”

  “Go easy on him. He’s trying his best to like you for Kitty’s sake and you’re not making it any easier.”

  “I am who I am, but I’ll see what I can do.”

  “And if you could keep this...” she gestured to herself and the bedroom “...between us, I’d appreciate it. It’s not very professional of me to be sleeping with my client and I’d rather it didn’t get back to my boss.”

  “You got it.” He leaned back in the chair. “What are your intentions for my soon-to-be brother-in-law?”

  “I intend to have a good time.”

  “Is that all?”

  “For now.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Why?”

  “I was curious about you. Why your business card only had your first name. I was also curious about who the owner of this property was because I’m looking to buy it for Kitty as a wedding present.”

  “You could have asked.”

  “Would you have told me?”

  A cold chill passed over her. She schooled her face. “I don’t like sharing my last name, and if you know the history of this house, then you know the reason why.”

  “I’m assuming Bastien doesn’t know.”

  “Why are you assuming that?”

  “Because he’d be more guarded with you if he did know. You wouldn’t be in his bed, that’s for damned sure.”

  My bed.

  “He’s been hurt before,” Jace said.

  “I know. He told me about his ex-wife.”

  “Gina was a user and a gold digger. You don’t strike me as either. You should tell him, before he hears from someone else who your father is.”

  She grimaced. “Not yet. I don’t want to ruin things. My father has nothing to do with this. I’m not asking Bastien to invest in stocks and I’m not a broker. What my father has done has no reflection on me.”

  “And yet, it does. With the money you would make on the house, you could change your name and start over somewhere people won’t pick fights with you in local restaurants.” He jiggled his phone at her again.
<
br />   “You’re not the slacker idiot everyone thinks you are, are you?”

  “Everyone? Or just Bastien?”

  “Good point.” She sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “What do you want for the house?”

  “If it was just the money, it would be an easy decision.”

  “If you do decide to sell it, can you give me the right of first refusal?”

  “Bastien was interested in buying it, too.”

  “I have a deal for you.”

  “This should be good.”

  “I’ll keep quiet about your relationship with Bastien, and I won’t tell Bastien your last name. In return, before you put the property on the market—no pressure—if you do, please contact me first?”

  “That sounds a little like blackmail,” she said. Mikelina wouldn’t underestimate Jace again. He was just as much of a businessman as her father had been. Maybe a little more honest. Maybe.

  “You know how to make blackmail powerless, don’t you? Just tell the truth.”

  She nodded. That wasn’t so easy either. “I accept your terms. But I’m still not sure I want to sell this place.”

  “I get it. It’s great.”

  “There are a lot of happy memories here,” she said, surprising herself that she was opening up to him. “I don’t have a lot of those to fall back on and it’s hard to let go.”

  “It’s just a house. You still have those memories.”

  “They’re being replaced with new ones. Not necessarily better ones. Sometimes, I think this house is the only proof I have that at one point, my life wasn’t a total shitshow.”

  She heard the shower click on from the bedroom. “I should go before he comes out and it gets even more awkward. Have fun water-skiing today. I’ll deliver the photo albums before dinner tonight.”

  “You’re welcome to join us for dinner,” he said.

  “No, I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Thanks for everything you’ve done,” Jace said. “But especially for getting Bastien to lighten up.”

  * * *

  While the bachelor party was water-skiing, Mikelina decided to contact Kitty Ainsworth. Even though she knew Kitty loved the jewelry and that Jace was back where he belonged, she felt that she had to explain to Kitty why her brother went a few rounds with the middleweight champ. She sent her the picture of Bastien goofing off from last night with the caption, Got time to talk?