I came hard, fast, and needed to bite his shoulder to control the shout that was collapsed in my throat. As soon as I was coming down, Blue Eyes’ body stiffened and followed me with a powerful explosion inside me that weakened my insides. In a crazy fast speed, gaining his composure back, Berkeley arranged himself, and helped me to get as presentable as possible. Your fuck hair is exquisite darling. Pair of perves!
I hopped down from the sink and Dylan kissed me softly. “Fuck, Berkeley. Now you have to buy this place.”
“And why’s that Katherine?” His stupid smirk was even more enchanting after hot, forbidden sex.
“Because we just christened the bathroom!”
He took my hand and started walking towards the door. “Don’t be naïve Katherine, if I had to buy every place I had fucked in, I would own half of the country.”
I slapped the back of his head for his stupid comment that only brought my insecurities back, and started looking for the realtor. “Keep talking like that, and I swear I’ll make a priest baptize you to erase your sins, Berkeley.”
“Do you like it?” The voice of the agent called our attention. “It is the perfect place for a young couple to start their family.”
Shit! I could only hear them with the sound of my heart, this family thing was moving strange things in my body. “The lady has the future in her hands. She’s the one who will decide. So what it is it Katherine, do you want it?”
This was not for me, this was HIS apartment. I couldn’t understand why it was my decision, but if he thought for a second that it would intimidate me, he didn’t know me. “This is the most beautiful apartment we’ve seen today, Berkeley. You would be a fool, if you lose it.” The 55 million dollar price, will be fantastic for your ego, Blue Eyes!
“Well, then it is settled, please take care of this with my assistant.”
The realtor’s face lit up as if she had just won the lottery, and probably she had. A commission on that apartment would solve anyone’s problems. In fact, that apartment solved one of my problems, Dylan would be in New York, with me, permanently.
We kept our composure until we got to the SUV. “You have a damn fine apartment, Berkeley, I love it.” I kissed him and turned to Joe. “Big Guy, give me your iPhone.”
The three men in the car looked at me as if I had gone nuts. But Big Guy didn’t have a way out, he unlocked it and gave it to me. “Choose a number Max.” He mumbled a 25, keeping his threatening posture and driving the car. “Oh holy shit Joe, please tell me you are kidding me.”
From the car’s sound, Kenny Roger’s voice started. Dolly Parton joined him soon, ‘Islands in the Stream’ in all of its glory. Even Max mocked poor Joe for his music taste. “We ride together, uh huh. Makin’ love to each other uh huh.” I was singing at the top of my lungs.
“Katherine, how do you know these lyrics?” Dylan tried to seem serious, but the corners of his lips were pulled up.
Instead of answering I kept singing, playfully I turned to him and looked him straight in the eye. “And the message is clear, this could be the year for the real thing.” I hadn’t even finished the sentence when he was taking my face purposefully and kissing the hell out of me. Really kissing me.
The car didn’t stop until he had stopped kissing me. The song already forgotten, what started as a game to celebrate my good mood because of Dylan’s new residence, finished as a make out session in the back of a car. We got to my apartment between kisses. “Don’t even think this will make me forget, Mr. Berkeley.” I punctuated his name. “You are not allowed to ask favors from me anymore.”
With his arms around my waist, his face was too close to my face. “Good thing I just need one more favor.” I truly thought I knew which favor it was, and I had the exact same thing in mind. I went for his lips. “Not that quickly, the favor, I need you to come with me to a dinner next week.” I raised my eyebrow and reduced the distance between our mouths. “You’ll need a new gown, it will be at the Met.”
“You’ll have to give me something in exchange.” He smiled at me and pulled my head to his face kissing me madly. If one thing has to be recognized it is that Berkeley knew how to be fair in his exchanges.
Chapter 9
“Your boss will kill us Joe!”
The SUV stopped in front of the Met stairs. “Don’t worry ma’am, you look beautiful, he will forget the delay.” I was adjusting my dress, getting ready to leave the car.
“You are way too big to be a fairy godmother Joe, now let’s see if the prince is waiting for me.” His low laugh was the last kind thing before I had to face Dylan’s anger. I was supposed to arrive an hour earlier, but getting into my dress took longer than planned.
I felt like a princess, my purple Zac Posen dress was everything I had ever dreamed of. The off the shoulder deep purple dress, had the construction that only Posen could create, a beautiful corset, and a mermaid skirt to the knees, where the tail widened. I was wearing purple Louboutin shoes, and my Alexander McQueen clutch, the same as our first night together. Since the dress was dramatic enough, I put my hair in a soft bun at the bottom of my head. And my only accessory, besides my pearl earrings, was my pearl pendant, the one I hadn’t taken off since Dylan and I got back together.
Pulling my dress up, I ran up the stairs. I caught Joe taking a picture of me, the tail of the purple dress against the white building would look perfect. I was almost too nervous and in need of walking faster to pay too much attention. But taking me by surprise, the stairs and entrance were empty and the door was closed. Fuck, it is over! In a desperate moment I looked for some guidance. A gentle, thin, black, old man was at the main entrance. “Excuse me sir, I’m supposed to attend a dinner here.”
“Are you Ms. Bianchi?”
Fuck! I was the last person, Dylan was going to kill me. “Yes, please tell me I’m not the only one left.”
He scrubbed his white hair and smiled to me. “Don’t worry ma’am. They’re waiting for you.” He opened the big door and let me enter.
“Do you know where I am supposed to go?” An empty museum at night had to be the creepiest thing in the world, but the nice man made it a little easier for me. If I had been on time, all this mess would have been avoided.
I heard his voice behind me, staying by the door while I started walking. “Follow the candles, they’ll lead you to the salon.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, while trying to calm myself. I was freaking out, I was a hundred percent sure that there had to be thousands of ghosts in the museum. But I was a little more afraid of Berkeley’s reaction to my tardiness.
Losing sight of the surroundings, and focusing on following the candles, I arrived at the salon. The boring room, the one where Dylan decided to make his Met’s statement by kissing the hell out of me a couple of months ago. When I entered, my heart skipped a beat. In the middle of the room was only one table lighted by more candles. Waiting for me was a perfectly tuxed Dylan Berkeley, looking absolutely breathtaking. His hair completely pulled back, the black and white of his tux only framed by the deep blue of his eyes.
When I finally took a step to cut the distance between us, he extended his arm to take my hand. “Beautiful, doll.”
“I thought we were coming to a business dinner.” He put his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek in his signature, too long kiss.
“I wanted you for myself.” It was unfair that looking like that he could smell that good. I tried to disguise the fact that I was sniffing his neck. And he put his finger under my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. I was still not comfortable with this physical closeness, but Berkeley was not making it easy for me any longer. “We’ve had a couple of rough months, but tonight you are mine.”
“The Met, Berkeley?”
“I know some people.” The waiter came to us as soon as we were in our seats. He served champagne in Dylan’s cup, and regular Coke in mine. I couldn’t help it, I laughed at the fact that Berkeley had instructed him to give me that. The food came soon,
while we talked about the stupid things we always found so funny.
The weight that had been over our shoulders since the night that I lovingly called the “Chicago Whore Debacle”, was finally erased. We were relaxed, enjoying each other’s company in a place where, since the very beginning he had proclaimed as part of our relationship, which was non-existent then.
By dessert, my tight corset was already a challenge. But I couldn’t help it, I ate almost 2 pounds of strawberries covered in white and dark chocolate. Suddenly, I noticed Dylan was not eating, just staring at me with a warm smile in his face. “What is so funny, Dylan?”
“Why are you eating strawberries with a knife and fork?”
I kept cutting my fruit with no shame. “I hate to have dirty fingers.” I put the last piece in my mouth, uncomfortable of how Dylan always stared at me. Just when I thought that since we had finished eating it was time to leave. I heard the first notes, a violin version of ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ was being played by a man standing in the corner of the room.
I hadn’t even overcome my surprise when I noticed Dylan standing next to me, offering me his hand. “Would you dance with me?” Once again, just like that night in San Antonio, I couldn’t speak. I just stood up and let him guide me to the center of the room.
He took me in his arms and started dancing. Surrounded by a thousand candles, I got lost in the sound and Berkeley’s arms. By then I already knew that my body would never get used to being close to him. My heart was crazy beating, my breath was collapsed in my lungs, but I was no longer stiff against his body. Treacherously, my own body tried to be as close to him as it could. Feeling safe, even with all my stupid body reactions, I closed my eyes and put my head on his shoulder.
There was no other place in the world where I would prefer to be, than dancing to that song, played only by one instrument, in the arms of this man. His lips were so close to my ear, that it took me by surprise when I heard him singing in the lowest voice. I was not sure he wanted to, probably the words just came out of his mouth.
Too soon the music finished, so I turned to clap to our own musician. I had never heard that version, and it was amazing. The smile on my face was so big, that the violin guy couldn’t help but to smile back and left the room.
When I turned back my heart stopped. Dylan was no longer at eye level. Looking at me, he was on one knee, holding my hand in his, and I knew my world was about to change. “Katherine.” For the first time since I had met him his voice trembled. “I love you more than what I ever knew I was capable of. You’ve changed my life, you made me feel and you made me live. I don’t want to wake up a day of my life without you by my side. Katherine Elizabeth Bianchi, would you marry me?”
I fought to find my voice, my hands were shaking, and I had never seen his eyes brighter than they were in that moment. “Yes.” Incapable of saying anything else, I pulled him up. I needed his mouth, but I needed to do something first, that required to be on eye level. “I love you Dylan, I love you with all my heart.” Oh my God! What have you done?
He kissed me, really kissed me. Like every single time, as if he couldn’t half kiss, or give normal standard kisses. He always needed to devour with kisses, always desperate, always making my knees weak.
Holding me in his arms, molding his body with mine, he whispered in my ear. “Are you going to look at your ring?”
I hadn’t even seen what he had put on my finger, it could be a plastic trinket, and I wouldn’t care less. He took my hand, both of us still shaking and put it in front of my face so I could see. Perfect. A simple, perfect, Tiffany setting, round diamond ring. I couldn’t speak or move, or breathe for that matter. “You don’t like it. Katherine, I can take you to Tiffany or Cartier and you can choose any ring that you want.”
Without removing my eyes from the ring, I shook my head. “You would have to cut off my finger before I let you take my ring away. Since I was a kid this has been the ring of my dreams, how could you possibly know?” It was the most common ring in the world, but knowing him, he could have given me one with a bigger, more expensive rock. A sapphire that matched his eyes, or his mother’s ring, there were thousands of options, but this was what I had always wanted.
We remained in the room just holding each other for a while. My poor heart couldn’t slow its pace and I could feel his banging against my chest. I could have expected my brain to be analyzing my decision, but it didn’t. I felt peace and calmness and an overwhelming happiness that only could mean that this was right, that we were right.
Without talking he took my hand and walked me out of the building. Leaving behind the magical setting. Both Max and Joe were waiting for us. Not really thinking about it I ran to Joe and threw myself at him. “I’ll marry him, Joe.” The life sized teddy bear hugged me back and chuckled in surprise at my weird display.
“Congratulations, Ms. B.”
Max was already giving a brief hug to Dylan, and then I went to him. The frozen eyes that were always so closed, seemed a little warmer and less dangerous. “Thank you for making him happy, Ms. Bianchi.” He barely whispered against my ear avoiding Dylan’s attention.
We got into the SUV, still in our blissful estate. “Call your parents, doll, they are waiting for you.”
I turned to him in disbelief. “They know?”
“Who do you think I am, Katherine? Of course, I asked for their blessing when we visited them.”
“What?” I took his face between my hands. Who was this man and what had he done with the barbaric asshole who asked me to sleep with him after 2 hours of knowing me?
My mom answered after the first ring. “Mommy, Daddy, I am going to marry Dylan!”
“Congratulations, Princess. We love you so much! We are so happy for you two!” Dylan’s arm was around me and I rested my face over his chest, really not believing what was happening.
“I love you, too. I’ve got to go, but I’ll send you a picture.” The happiness in my parents’ voice just added to my happiness. The SUV stopped, and I didn’t even need to turn to know where we were. Our place, the Bethesda Fountain was waiting with a pad of candles that directed to our spot. My parents already knew the news, now he needed to share it with his.
We walked in silence as we had been since Dylan’s proposal. He took off his jacket and put it in the floor. Zac would have killed me if I had sat there in my beautiful dress. And we both assumed our usual positions, his head over my lap. “Are you happy?”
I didn’t even need to think about it. The words came out of my mouth with the usual lack of filter of my head. “Completely happy.”
“Could you say it again?” His eyes were brighter, and his lips were already displaying that pain in the ass smirk.
“I love you, Dylan Berkeley.” He took my face between his hands and kissed me, taking my breath away.
“I want you to plan the wedding.” I was already mentally calling Carolina Herrera for my dress and reserving Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. “But I just want to ask you for one thing.” He opened his eyes and looked me straight in the eye. “Can we have the reception here?”
“I could have never thought of a better place.” He wanted his parents present, that was what this place represented for him. And it was so much for us, it was ours, the refugee where, since the beginning, both of us let our walls down and our bullshit out. We stayed there for hours not wanting to break the magic of the night when we decided to share the rest of our lives.
Chapter 10
What have you done? What have you done? Breathe, breathe. OH.MY.GOD. Why did you say yes to this? It is too soon? Is it too late to back out? Oh God I’m going to puke! Breathe in a bag, Princess…breathe…The door startled me, so I took the paper bag out of my face for a second. My eyes as big as plates in my best rendition of a heroin addict on a high.
“Princess, are you ready?” Mommy was looking at me as if I were crazy.
I cleaned my hands worried about staining my perfect Carolina Herrera dress with all the swe
at and tried to smile at her. Of course it came out as a beautiful, creepy smile. “Is it already the time, Mommy?”
She was fighting not to laugh at me, probably afraid of moving fast and cracking my barely there control. “Yes darling, we need to go there, now.” Momhad always surprised me for being so strong, even with her age. So when her arms surrounded me and walked me to the door with the strength of a WWE wrestler, I wasn’t that surprised.
Daddy was waiting for us just outside of the door. They both exchanged a conspiratorial look, and I tried to smile, but didn’t make it. “Come here, Princess.” Daddy offered me his arm, and Mommy took my free hand. I couldn’t choose one, I wanted to walk with both of them; they were everything for me.
Before I could understand what was happening, the string quartet started performing Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’. Think of something else…not his abs…you are in a church for God’s sake! I started picturing what was happening inside. I borrowed little Maya as my flower girl, the only other woman wearing white. Dylan had walked with Claudia, then Marc and Spencer followed, Joe and Max reluctantly made their appearance.
If they had made it on time, it would be the moment for Michelle’s entrance in her dress, which of course I chose to be in light pink, behind her, Chelsea in the same color. And just before my parents and I, Kevin walked in wearing his beautiful tux with a light pink handkerchief, holding a peonies bouquet. He was one of my bridesmaids and embraced it like the golden boy he was.
“Walking, Princess.” Daddy was already pulling me to the entrance. The doors opened wide and it was my turn to enter. The cathedral covered in candles and white peonies took my breath away. And I couldn’t really see Dylan’s face, but I felt how the corners of my mouth pulled up instantly. While walking I recognized a few faces, John, Mrs. Cherry, Mrs. Danvers, all my family.
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