“All right, you two. Get over here and let’s pose for some pictures before you make me and my wife cry. We haven’t seen two people this happy through our chapel in over a decade,” the man said.
“Oh! Oh! We have costumes. Would you two enjoy wearing costumes?” his wife asked.
Syn and I looked at one another before we both shrugged.
“Sure, why not?” we said in unison.
“Oh! I love it so much,” the man said.
We went all out for the pictures. I dressed up in a terrible Santa costume while she dressed up as Mrs. Claus. And somehow, she made that wretched Mrs. Claus outfit even sexier than the gowns she wore to awards shows. We also dressed up as elves and then took silly pictures as snowmen.
Which devolved into me falling over and the man of the chapel taking several pictures of Syn laughing.
Those were my favorite.
After almost two hours’ worth of pictures, we changed back into our original clothes and prepared to leave.
“All right let me go get these pictures downloaded onto a thumb drive and you can take them with you. Give me a few more minutes,” the man said.
I wrapped my arm around Syn. “We’ll be right here gazing into each other’s eyes.”
Syn giggled. “You’re too much, you know that.”
“And you know you love it.”
“I really, really do.”
My heart surged at those words even though I knew they weren’t real. Even though I knew none of this was real, it didn’t stop me from being affected by her beauty. By her touch. By the words that fell from her perfect lips. I pulled her close to me and kissed the top of her head. I felt her wrap her arms around me, and I held her there, in the middle of the chapel. And as I did, pieces of the ceremony came wafting back to me.
“Whatcha thinking about?” she asked.
I drew in a deep breath as a soft smile crossed my face.
“What’s just happened, honestly,” I said.
She nodded. “Are you regretting your decision?”
“Hell, no. What about you?”
“Not even a little bit. Thank you for being so understanding about this. I promise, I won’t be a pain in the ass with the divorce.”
She whispered the last few words as if they were already dirty. As if both of us didn’t already know where this was headed. I nodded before I held her tighter against my side, trying to commit all of this to memory because while I knew this was something Hunter would hold over my head for the rest of my life, that didn’t mean I wasn’t enjoying myself and the time spent with Syn, with her tucked against my side. Who cared if anyone mocked me over it? It would be worth it after spending quality time with a woman who was beyond outstanding.
And sexy, to boot.
“So, what should we do now?” I asked.
I gazed back down at Syn and watched as she racked her brain.
“Well, I mean, it is the weekend. It’s going to look weird if we get married and then drive right back into town,” she said.
“So, what I’m hearing is we should snag one of those coupons for the Vegas hotels.”
“Ah, so you were paying attention. I was worried there, for a while.”
I grinned. “Sorry if I’m dazed at the idea of marrying the Syn Sycamore.”
She snickered. “Play your cards right and this might pan more in your favor that you realize.”
What could she have possibly meant by those words?
“Well, I look forward to the journey,” I said.
“I heard something about coupons!”
The wife of the chapel came soaring out, wiggling a small stack of papers in her hand. Her husband came out behind her, shaking his head, a small bag in his hands containing the thumb drive, our marriage certificate, and a receipt of purchase for everything. There were even a few condoms in the bag, which made Syn blush as I chuckled.
“Thanks,” I said.
The man winked. “Always gotta look out for the young ones that come through here.”
“We appreciate it,” Syn said through her giggles.
“All right. Here are some coupons. Choose wisely, now. Because your honeymoon is something you’ll always remember,” the woman said.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for us,” Syn said.
“What she said,” I said.
“You two are very welcome. And don’t forget to recommend us if you have friends who would rather elope than spend all that money on a lavish wedding,” the man said.
I nodded. “I will, definitely.”
“Yeah. Sounds good,” Syn said.
There was a twinge of sadness in her voice that made me stop. I gazed into her face, and for a fleeting moment I saw regret. It was unmistakable. There was regret behind her eyes. Probably regret from getting herself into this mess in the first place. Marrying a man like myself, well below her station in life.
Time to make this something she’ll never forget.
“Come on, sweetheart. Time to find a place to rest our heads. It’s the early hours of the morning, and I know how much you love to sleep,” I said.
“Thank you, again,” Syn said.
“You’re welcome,” we all said.
The couple of the wedding chapel looked at me with a quizzical look, but I brushed it off as best as I could. I led Syn out of there, and we headed back to the limo. Sliding against the seats before I closed the door, she took the bag from me and rifled around in it, pulling things out to study them. And after a quick search of hotels in the area, I landed on the one I wanted, one I could afford for one weekend.
“I’m booking us a room at the Bellagio now,” I said.
Syn paused. “The Bellagio has open rooms this time of the year?”
“Apparently so. And it’s one of their suites.”
“You can afford that?”
I looked over at her, and she doubled back.
“I just mean, I can pay for it if—”
I chuckled. “I can afford it. Don’t worry, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay. But I’m buying our food. And drinks.”
“Fair enough.”
“Driver? To the Bellagio, please,” she said.
As the driver pulled away from the chapel, I solidified our weekend reservation. Then, Syn snuggled back against me. I stroked her back softly as we headed for the hotel. I helped her out of the limo like a gentleman before offering her my arm. It felt good. Even though I knew Hunter was going to jump out any minute, this entire prank was something I’d never forget. Including how wonderful Syn made me feel.
“Smile for the camera!” someone exclaimed.
And as we both turned our heads, cameras flashes started going off.
“Get the hell out of here,” I said.
I waved the man away in annoyance just as the sun started cresting the sky way off in the distance. We headed inside, shutting the lone cameraman out as he continued to take pictures through the tinted glass of the front lobby. Security guards quickly ran to the doors and hauled the man off. And us? Well, we made our way to the front desk.
Where I waited for everyone to jump out and start heckling me for the insanity of the evening I decided to go along with.
10
Syn
“Good morning, and welcome to the Bellagio. Are you checking in, or out?”
“In. The reservation is under Gael Diaz.”
The clacking of the woman at the front desk computer gave me time to think. And what I thought was how lucky we were that the photographer was already there at the hotel doors. I had no idea how the hell information filtered through their community like that at such a fast speed, but it would play out in my favor. Come true morning time for everyone else, those pictures that man took would disseminate themselves through blogs, newscasts, and entertainment media. And my marriage to this hunky Spaniard would overshadow any make-out pictures Liam might have of himself with Anna.
“Ah, a honeymoon suite. Congratulations, you two. Would you
care for a complimentary bottle of wine or champagne?”
My eyebrows rose. “Honeymoon suite?”
Gael squeezed my hand. “Yes, sweetheart. I figured that’s what we’d want after getting married.”
“Oh! How beautiful. I’ll go ahead and book you for both the complimentary wine and champagne. And half off a romantic in-room couple’s massage for tomorrow.”
I smiled. “That’s very nice of you, thank you so much.”
Oh. Hell. Yes. Pictures and a honeymoon suite? Come nine o’clock in the morning, while Gael and I were snoozing away in our beds, our marriage would be plastered everywhere. Our honeymoon suite at the Bellagio would overshadow some kisses on some ocean rocks somewhere. Everything was coming together. It all felt so surreal.
I expected to be nervous as to how we’d pull it off or how we’d look in public. But I wasn’t. Gael played his part well by shooing the photographer off. It would look even better, a big, strong man protecting his newly wedded wife. Things couldn’t have gone any better.
“One question. You can have your choice of a room with a canopy king-size bed or a heart shaped bed. Any preference?”
“The heart-shaped bed, of course,” Gael said.
Oh shit.
I had to find a way to stop myself from falling for his charms.
And it started with putting some space between us.
“All right! Here are your room keys. We have your pick of restaurants and cafes as well as room service for your pleasure, a spa and salon on this floor, and housekeeping can assist in case you’ve forgotten anything. You know, razors or more soap or toothbrushes. That sort of thing.”
“Oh, that’d be good. We didn’t bring much with us,” Gael said.
“Should I have a few things sent up?”
I nodded. “Yes, please. A little bit of everything should be just fine, thank you.”
“Wonderful. I’ll get it done. In the meantime, we really hope you enjoy your stay with us. And if there’s anything we can do to make you more comfortable, you call down and let us know.”
Gael grinned. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“And congratulations again on your wedding.”
I couldn’t get up to the suite fast enough. As we rode up to the twelfth floor, Gael kept looking around. I had to practically tug him down the hallway and shove him into the room. What the fuck was he searching for? “Holy shit,” he murmured.
I grinned. “Ah, this is more like it.”
The Bellagio always had wonderful rooms. Gael walked around and kept sticking his head into rooms, opening doors, and moving the curtains. There was something oddly exciting about experiencing his first luxury hotel suite with him. The plush carpet underneath my shoes, the French doors that swung open to a balcony that overlooked the Bellagio fountains, the fresh smell of flowers from the bouquets in the corner, and beautiful little sweet treats set out on the bed for us to enjoy were all new to him.
“Wow,” Gael murmured.
“You like?” I asked.
He snickered. “Nicer than any place I’ve ever stayed!”
He hopped into the bathroom, as if he were trying to scare someone away. How cute. Checking out the rooms to make sure no one was watching us.
“Don’t worry. Paparazzi aren’t allowed in the rooms or anything like that,” I said.
He nodded slowly. “Uh-huh.”
“There are chocolate-covered fruits for us. Might as well enjoy ourselves, right?” I asked.
His head whipped around to me as I sat on the edge of the sprawling bed.
“Come on. Just a few bites before we climb into bed,” I said.
He narrowed his eyes. “Okay. Sure. Just a few bites.”
I didn’t know what the hell had gotten into him all of a sudden. But he relaxed when he sat down beside me. I picked up a strawberry and held it up to his lips, giggling as he practically inhaled the thing from between my fingers. “All right. Your turn,” he said.
He picked up a piece of pineapple and brought it to my lips. When I took a bite out of it, some juice dripped down my chin. I went to wipe it off, but Gael’s thumb beat me to it; he slid it slowly across my skin, capturing the juice and smoothing it away from my skin.
I snickered. “Sorry about that.”
He shook his head. “No problem. That was a pretty big bite anyway.”
His stare found my own, and my heart stopped in my chest. So much had changed over the past few days. I went from being in a relationship for the cameras to being single to being married for the cameras. The entire thing spun my head, and I found myself worrying about Gael.
“Are you really okay with all this?” I asked softly.
His eyes fell to my lips before his hand cupped my cheek.
“I am. Are you?” he asked.
His touch felt amazing, and I wondered what it might feel like on other parts of my body.
“I think so, yeah.”
“You think so?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Kind of an odd position to be in.”
“You recognize that now?”
I giggled. “Not just now. But you know.”
“Yeah, I know.”
His eyes danced between mine. Holy. Hell. There wasn’t a light this man didn’t look sexy in, and I had enjoyed my time with him. Truly. He made me forget about things. He made me feel alive. He made me feel like less of a crazy woman. He made me hurt less.
Why can’t this be real?
“Syn?”
“Yes?”
“What are you thinking about?”
I nuzzled against his palm. “Just… things.”
“Like what?”
“Like, about this being our wedding night.”
He paused. “Well, morning.”
I giggled. “Yes, morning.”
“What else?”
“Just—about how I hope one day to find something real. Something good, like this.”
“You think this is good?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Treat me like I don’t.”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Try for me.”
“I can’t, Gael.”
“Yes, you can. For far too long, people have told you that you can’t. For once, believe that you can.”
I shook my head. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Say exactly what I need to hear?”
He shrugged. “Maybe because we aren’t so different.”
If this was our wedding night, I wanted to do it right. If this was only temporary, I wanted it to be the best temporary situation of my life. So, as his heated words swirled around in my head, I pushed the fruit to the floor, creating a mess at our feet before I fisted his shirt.
“Come here, husband,” I murmured.
11
Gael
I growled into her mouth as my hands caught my fall. She ripped my shirt over my head, kissing me with a passion that spun my head. I couldn’t contain myself any longer. The way she clawed at me. The way she bucked against me. I had to have her. I had to bury myself between her legs.
And that’s exactly what I intended to do.
It was our fucking honeymoon—this was what people did on their honeymoon. And consummating things would help us sell this shit to the photographers. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her against me, then upright so I could strip her clean of her clothes. Every inch of her body that I touched filled me with pride. Every inch of her skin that I tasted against my lips sent me shooting into the heavens. Her body was perfection. Her tits beautiful, handfuls pouring into my hands. Her legs were long and soft, wrapping around me and locking as my cock leaked against her thigh. Her lips tasted of chocolate and paradise. And as we stripped one another down, she kissed me, down my neck and down my chest, tracing her tongue over my numerous scars.
“Fucking hell, Syn.”
“My God, you’re amazing,” she mo
aned.
She whipped me around, and I fell to my back with my cock standing at attention. She crawled between my legs, and I looked down in shock, completely amazed at how the incredible Syn Sycamore was, staring at my cock with wide eyes. And when she wrapped her hand around its base, my head fell back to the pillow.
“Oh, fuck,” I grunted.
She stroked it, softly, smoothing my precum over my skin. I bucked my hips, needing more, wanting more, but unable to request it. The touch of her hand against my cock sizzled my mind into darkness. My eyes rolled back, shrouding me in a black night as the sun slowly rose over Vegas. I felt the beginning stages of its heat streaming through the window. A heat that threatened to swallow us whole if we didn’t shut the curtains.
The second she wrapped her lips around my dick, however, everything else fell to the wayside.
“Holy hell,” I growled.
My hand fisted her hair. I raised my head and watched those perfect, full lips rise up and down my dick. I felt my balls curling up. As she swallowed me whole, allowing me to touch the back of her throat, I knew I was about to burst. And while I didn’t want things to end this way, she didn’t stop. She bobbed faster, sucking harder.
“Syn!” I grunted.
And as my head fell back to the mattress, my cock exploded.
“Mmmm, yeah,” she moaned.
Thread after thread of hot arousal burst down the back of her throat, and she swallowed every ounce I had to give her. My body locked up. My thighs quaked. I rutted against her face like a wild animal as my hand gripped her tendrils even tighter. She swirled her tongue around the tip of my dick. “Shit, Syn. I—fuck.”
She giggled around my dick before finally letting me loose. I trembled against the sheets, overcome with a need to have her. Sweat dripped off my brow as she kissed up my body, making me jump and groan with every touch of her lips.
“Holy fuck that was good,” I said breathlessly.
“Well, I hope you’re up for returning the favor.”
The purr of her words filled me with a desperation, a heated need unlike anything that had ever filled me before. I don’t know what the fuck this woman had done to me, but I’d take it with every stride I had. Fuck the prank. Fuck Hunter. Fuck everything about this. Right here. Right now. I had the hottest woman alive in bed with me. Naked. Sucking my cock dry.
His Secret Baby Page 6
