Mine

by Stacey Kennedy

  He moved close to Presley, tucking her arm into his. “Big day, hmmm?”

  Presley sniffed and laughed. “Apparently.”

  “Come on, then.” He gave his classic dad wink—the one that always told Presley everything would be okay—and tucked her arm into his. “Let’s see to getting on with it.”

  Cora blew Presley a kiss. “Love you, girl.”

  “Love you back.” Presley smiled, then allowed her dad to lead her.

  All of Presley’s closest friends followed behind them, and Presley felt their love surround her. Her heart banged in her chest, as it seemed like everyone important in her life was there to usher her forward on to her next journey.

  She scanned the crowd, seeing her aunts, uncles, and cousins—Dmitri had made sure all of her family was here. This display of love and thoughtfulness stitched up those places in her heart that had fractured from their week apart.

  They finally reached the top of the stairs, and Presley’s breath hitched as Dmitri’s eyes locked on hers. The light from the fountains cast a gorgeous glow over him, highlighting the masculine lines of his face and body.

  Her father mistakenly took her reaction as nerves, and he squeezed her hand. “You’ll do fine.”

  “I know.” She glanced at him and smiled. “I love you, Dad.”

  “Love you, too, kid.” His eyes became shiny with unshed tears.

  As Presley approached Dmitri, the world seemed to narrow: sounds became distant and her heart rate slowed. After another step, her father turned her in his arms and kissed her cheek. “Go on now, sweetheart.” He shook Dmitri’s hand, then joined her mother to Presley’s left.

  Presley drew in a deep breath, glancing at Dmitri standing next to her. The fountains played, her friends and family looked on, strangers gathered to watch, but all that mattered was him—this moment that she’d wanted.

  Dmitri’s gaze raked her from head to toe before his heated eyes met hers. “No one has ever looked as beautiful as you do right now,” he told her.

  The anticipation of the moment made her face flush and rattled her nerves; her voice was seemingly lost to her.

  But he didn’t seem to notice. Taking her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb, he said, “You know why you are here, don’t you?”

  Summoning all her strength just to squeak out an answer, she said, “Yes.”

  His smile was about as confident as she’d even seen as he lowered to one knee. The crowd went wild around her, cheering and clapping. She stayed focused only on him. “Presley, you’ve changed me. Changed me in ways that I wasn’t sure I could ever be changed. Not because you wanted me to be someone different, but simply because I wanted to be a better man for you.”

  Tears rushed down her face as he added, speaking loudly and proudly for everyone to hear him, “I’ve made some mistakes. I can’t promise I won’t make more. But I can promise that I will always love you. I will always respect you. And I will always protect you. You will always come first.” Something hard and intense filled his gaze, warming her as he reached into his pocket. Her breath hitched as he opened a little black box, revealing a sparkling vintage ring. “Presley, will you honor me by becoming my wife?”

  “Yes!” she all but shouted, and plowed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

  Loud applause and cheering erupted from the crowd. Dmitri laughed as he rose and then placed the ring on her finger. Once the ring settled to where it would stay forever, he kissed her—probably an inappropriately passionate kiss, since her parents and entire family were there, but Presley didn’t care. She gave him all of herself, poured all of her love into this moment.

  He loved her.

  She loved him.

  So uncomplicated.

  Once he broke the kiss and pocketed the box, he arched a brow. “You’re sure about this?”

  “Yes, of course,” she replied, thinking the question odd. “I’ve never been so sure about anything.”

  “Good.” He took her hand and turned slightly. “Because we’re doing this now.”

  “What?” she gasped.

  He glanced sideways, those piercing eyes zeroing in on her. “Seven days without you were enough to make me realize I cannot endure that again. There will not be another day that passes before everyone knows you are mine.” His chin lifted, pride evident in his voice. “My wife.”

  She blinked, pulling her back from the trance those eyes were possible to put her under. “But what about the paperwork? The license?”

  “Sometimes knowing the right people creates opportunities,” he said with a sly smile. “We’re doing things a little backward, but not to worry—it will be a legal marriage.”

  Her head spun. Yes, she had prepared herself to be engaged, but married? Now? “Are you serious?”

  “Very serious.” He gestured toward the man waiting near the stone statue of an angel on the walkway by the fountain. “You did say you wanted this. Have you changed your mind?”

  “No.” She shook her head, squeezing her fingers around his. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

  His grin was pure happiness, and she imagined just for this split second that perhaps this was a smile that his parents had seen on him as a child. Carefree. Blissfully elated. Knowing his parents weren’t here, since they had died long ago, only made her glad Dmitri had so many others who loved and respected him as much as she did.

  Without another word, she followed Dmitri to their future.

  The dark-haired officiant, dressed in a blue suit, smiled as they reached him. He didn’t hesitate; into a microphone fastened to his lapel, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we’re here to witness the marriage of Dmitri Pratt and Presley Flynn…”

  Nothing else of what he said registered as Presley glanced up at Dmitri. She realized then how important this moment was to them. This big show told her that Dmitri didn’t only want to marry her; he also wanted the world to know she was his wife. This would make news, there was no doubt about it. But she didn’t need the show—she needed only him.

  The officiant went on, “Dmitri, please face Presley and take her hands, then repeat after me…”

  Again, Presley heard only Dmitri’s powerful voice saying, “Presley, I promise to encourage your compassion, because that is what makes your soul shine. I promise to you perfect trust and perfect protection as we go on this journey together. You have seen me at my worst, but now I’m going to love you forever at my best. This is my vow to you.”

  Tears rushed down her cheeks, because she knew all of what he said was spoken not only as her future husband but also as her Dominant. She listened to what she needed to say, realizing her vows were different from Dmitri’s. That told her that Dmitri had personally written them, and she became aware of how perfect they were. “Dmitri, I accept you as my husband.” As she had accepted him as her Dom. “I promise to live in truth with you, and to communicate fearlessly. I give you my hand and my heart, as a sanctuary of warmth and peace. And I pledge my love, devotion, and honor. This is my vow to you.”

  A round of applause erupted, and Presley laughed through her tears, seeing Dmitri’s bright smile. The officiant went on. “The future is bright…”

  Dmitri leaned in as if no one else was there, as if only Presley mattered now, his crystal-blue eyes only on hers—piercing eyes that had awakened a passion in Presley that she had never imagined existed. That look from him had been the start to a love so pure and perfect that they had inspired others in Club Sin to find that for themselves. “The future is…”

  Presley saw it in the depths of his eyes, the promise he was offering now: a house (one without a dungeon in the basement), children filling their life with joy, and kinky nights when he would always make her feel as if she was the only woman who mattered to him.

  She smiled. “Irrevocably ours.”

  Epilogue

  Mrs. Dmitri Pratt.

  Six months of marriage to Dmitri had flown by in a blink of an
eye. Presley liked being Dmitri’s submissive, but she adored being his wife. Surrounded by the soft lighting in Club Sin, she rubbed her rounded stomach and smiled to herself. In four months, she’d meet their daughter, Hannah. And she knew Dmitri was as excited as she was to hold their baby girl.

  Even though happiness swirled within, she wondered if some of that was due to the afterglow from her flogging scene with Dmitri earlier. Just because she was pregnant didn’t mean she still couldn’t play. Only Dmitri seemed gentler than he had been before she was pregnant. He was definitely more careful where he flogged her, keeping the leather tails focused on her bottom alone.

  She lifted her head from her growing belly and glanced out in front of her. Cora sat on the couch with Aidan beside her. Cora’s body had bounced back after the birth of her and Aidan’s son, Jackson, only eight weeks ago. Presley hoped her body tightened up as fast as Cora’s had, though she knew Cora had opted for corsets since Jackson’s birth. Next to them, Kenzie—who was due to give birth at any moment now—sat beside Porter. And in front of Presley, Ella and Kyler were lost in love, with eyes only for each other.

  Presley couldn’t hold back her smile. Things were good. Really good.

  “Now what is that smile for, doll?” Dmitri’s low, rumbly voice caressed down her spine.

  She turned, staring into the strength of Dmitri’s eyes. “Things just seem so great, don’t they?”

  He scanned the dungeon, glancing over the members either in aftercare or those who were actively playing on the BDSM stations. When he turned to her again and said, “Things are very good,” the softness in his voice warmed her. He leaned across her and ran his hand over her stomach. “How is my girl doing tonight?”

  “She’s moving a lot,” Presley admitted.

  Her eyelids fluttered as he moved his hand from side to side across her belly, and she sighed again with the slight exhaustion that had settled in of late. She’d thought that the tiredness would go away after the first trimester, but it never seemed to. “I think she likes the music.”

  Dmitri winked. “Of course she does. I anticipate her being a mini you.”

  “Well, let’s hope so.” Presley laughed. “That means she’ll be much easier to deal with. With your personality…” She hesitated as Dmitri’s brow arched. “Well, we don’t want a toddler running around who thinks she owns the world.”

  He chuckled softly. “This is true.”

  Warmed by the love in Dmitri’s eyes, she glanced out at the dungeon again, fighting off the heartburn that also never went away. She scanned Club Sin’s members, realizing that even though things had seemed disastrous only months earlier, Club Sin’s new location wasn’t such a bad thing after all. A lot had changed. But it had changed for the better.

  Miles stood across the dungeon, talking to a Club Sin submissive. Presley had wondered how Dmitri would feel when submissives went to Miles instead of coming to him. As far as Presley could tell, it didn’t bother him. In fact, Dmitri sat relaxed next to her, simply enjoying his night.

  “He’s happy, too.”

  Presley slid her glance at Dmitri, finding him more at ease than the last time she looked. “Who’s happy?”

  Dmitri gestured at Miles with a jerk of his chin. “I’ve never seen Miles smile as much as I have in the last few months.”

  Curious about that, Presley eyed Miles’s smile, thinking the same thing herself. Truth be told, she hadn’t known much about Miles until these past months. Before, he’d only come to Club Sin occasionally, because his business had kept him so busy. Now he put his life into the nightclub and Club Sin, and it appeared to be exactly what Miles needed in his life. She turned to Dmitri and asked, “Does that make it easier for you?”

  His head cocked, eyebrows drawn. “Easier how?”

  “To give up the club?” she explained gently. “Is it easier to hand over the control to him because of how happy it makes him?”

  Dmitri paused, clearly thinking her question over. “Club Sin is in a good place. The dungeon is also in the right hands.”

  She understood that, and figured that’s what most of the members thought, too. Perhaps the lack of security at Club Sin had been an issue for a few of the members, because everyone seemed a lot more carefree now. With two checkpoints, a fingerprint scanner, and the nightclub to explain their presence, Club Sin members seemed more comfortable now than they had when the dungeon was in the basement of the house.

  Presley looked at Miles again, seeing the smile that Dmitri had seen, so free and honest. “It’s a new start for him, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. We’ve all found love and moved on from the task of looking after many submissives. Now we are Club Sin Masters”—he had raised his voice and Presley noticed that all eyes were on them as he spoke—“who still have a responsibility to the members, but each of us has only one submissive that we put all of our focus into.”

  “I, for one, wouldn’t change a thing,” said Porter, who wrapped his arm around Kenzie’s shoulders.

  Aidan and Kyler nodded.

  “Things have changed so much in just two short years,” said Cora. “It’s kinda unbelievable. I mean, I’m still getting used to Sawyer not being here.” Her bright smile shifted to Presley. “And you do realize it’s all because of you.”

  “Me?” Presley gasped.

  “Of course it is,” Ella said, from her place on the couch. “By coming to Club Sin, you started the chain of events that brought us all together.”

  Presley pondered Ella’s words. She’d never thought about it that way, though she supposed they were right. If she hadn’t been brave enough to walk through Club Sin’s door, none of this would have happened. Or maybe it would’ve happened for some of the others, just in a different way. She realized that having a hand in everyone’s happiness brought her joy—a joy erasing all the heartaches of the past.

  She’d been brave when she was scared. She’d been daring when she wanted to run. She’d been strong when she needed to be. Fate had led her to many places, but she’d taken control of her life to get what she wanted. And realizing all of that made her feel good about herself. “I guess you’re right,” she said to the group. “But you all had a hand in it, too.”

  Kyler nodded. “Very true, but your love inspired us.”

  Dmitri placed his hand on Presley’s stomach, feeling the baby kicking. “I’m pleased that we did.”

  Presley nodded, thinking it funny how life was like a roller coaster. Things could be great. Things could be bad. But somehow the middle ground, where everyone was just content and settled, was the place that Presley liked most. Every bump in the road with her relationship with Dmitri was worth it. Now she was pregnant with his child, and they were going to start a new chapter in their lives. Maybe life’s ups and downs weren’t so bad after all.

  She turned again and gazed thoughtfully at Miles, knowing she owed a lot of her happiness to him. If it weren’t for Miles and the trust Dmitri had in him, her dreams of a family would never have happened. She noticed how Miles stood straighter than he ever had. Now it seemed he had a purpose, something that he had lacked before. The dungeon was under his control, and Presley grinned to herself, knowing he used it to his full advantage. She’d never seen Miles play with so many submissives before. Apparently he was enjoying the single life, and then some.

  Still, a little voice in Presley’s head—the one that always told her to worry about others—made her stand up. “Want a drink?” she asked Dmitri.

  “A water, please,” he replied.

  She hurried away to fetch their drinks, quickly stepping toward Miles. He stood with a submissive next to the fridge by the stools. He caught her eye as she drew closer.

  “Yes?” he asked when she reached him.

  She laughed. “How did you know I wanted to talk to you?”

  He grinned. “You’ve been staring at me all night. What would you like to say?”

  “Sorry for staring.” Presley took two bottles of water from the
fridge, then she turned to him again. “It’s just that things have changed—a lot. You seem to be enjoying yourself more now. I guess I’ve just noticed it.”

  “I am enjoying myself,” he said dryly. “Should I not be?”

  “Of course you should. I suppose I was…”

  “Let me guess. You’re wondering if it bothers me that Dmitri has handed all the responsibility over to me. You’re worried that maybe that responsibility wasn’t what I wanted. And you’re thinking all of this, because Dmitri gave up the club for you.”

  She shrugged. “It’s a lot of responsibility. It can consume your life.” This was what had been bothering her lately—she’d wanted Dmitri to change his life for her, but to do so, he’d given his responsibility to Miles. She needed to know that was okay. “Maybe I feel a bit guilty.”

  “You are a sweet woman, Presley. It’s endearing how much you care about others.” His voice became tender, which was unusual for Miles, who usually came across as tough and arrogant. “You never need to worry, though. For the first time in my life, I’m finding out what I want for my future and myself. I’m no longer working at a job I hate, only because of the money it can offer me.” He leaned toward her and winked. “Besides, now I have the chance to explore submissives and find out exactly what I want out of a relationship as a Dom. Maybe even one day I’ll find a submissive who will accept my collar.”

  “So you’re happy?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I am. Very much so. The future is mine to take, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.”

  Relief brushed across her. Knowing how excited Miles was about his new life made everything that much better. All the bad things that had happened to Club Sin had only made it stronger. The changes had not only made her and Dmitri’s life happier but also had brought something special to Miles’s life. A new future for him—one with endless possibilities. She didn’t know where he’d end up, but somehow she knew Miles would take Club Sin in a new direction, breathing new life into the dungeon.