by CR Robertson
He pulled out of me, spinning me until his hands lifted me up and his cock speared into me. My arms wrapped around his neck and I held tight as his lips crashed into mine. I almost cried when he kissed me, his lips devouring me as if he needed me to stay alive. Finally, the man I left in Cuba was back. I never realised how much I loved the sensation of his lips on mine, that intimate exchange of give and take.
The world shrunk until there was only Nicklas and me clinging to each other. He chased away the agony and fear that had tormented me the past few weeks, replacing it with the feeling of security that only he could envelope me in.
I gasped when he changed the angle of his hips and my entire body shuddered from the sensations echoing through it. A few more of those long, deep thrusts and I was hurtling over the edge into oblivion again.
He followed me a few thrusts after that, pinning me to the window while we both struggled to breathe.
“I missed this,” I said, my fingers combing through his hair that had gotten longer.
“Having sex against a window?”
“No,” I giggled. “Feeling this connection with you.”
“Hmmm.” My neck arched when Nicklas pressed kisses from my ear to my shoulder. “My dick definitely approves.”
Lying back on the bed, my stomach rumbled and Nicklas shot me a look with his right eyebrow arched. “Hungry?”
I rolled onto my tummy. “I haven’t really been eating.”
His finger traced from my shoulder to my ass. “I noticed. Luckily my fridge is full even though Maria isn’t here to feed us.”
He dragged me to my feet and threw his hoodie to me. It covered my ass and heated me up while I watched him wander around the kitchen in his boxers. He collected pans, eggs, and various ingredients from the fridge before moving to the cooker.
“Omelette?” Nicklas asked over his shoulder.
“Sounds good.” He filled it with cheese and ham that oozed out when I cut into it. My stomach almost tried to crawl out my throat to get to the cheesy goodness.
“So?” Nicklas sat opposite me, stabbing his omelette with a fork. “When you finish your exams, we need to head to London to meet up with your father and cousin Xavier.”
“Are you going to have to have a conversation with Papa accompanied by a portfolio?”
His lips twitched. “Lucas knows what I’m worth. Also, I have no intention of having any conversation with him. When we go to London, it’s as a unit, Sofia. No more running.”
He was right. The past few weeks had proved that I needed him. Nothing felt right without Nicklas at my side.
“My last exam is the day after tomorrow. My dissertation is already submitted. I used some pictures from Cuba to show cultural influences in my design, and my examiner gave me extra points.”
“I’m glad you learned something while you were there.”
I set my fork down. “When can we go home?”
His eyebrows shot up. “Home?”
“Yeah, I just want to go back to Cuba, to our house and our room. Life was less complicated there.”
He pointed at my plate. “Eat your food and then get your revision done. I’ll organise everything else, including letting your father know that you’re with me.”
“He’ll be pissed.”
“Let me worry about Lucas right now. I have a few other things to arrange before we leave, but until then, you can set up a study room in the lounge.”
I’d been studying in my spare time, so even though I felt like crap, I’d gotten through the exams so far. With my stomach full of food, I snuggled under a fluffy rug in the lounge while Nicklas prowled around and barked orders down his phone.
“Yeah, I need all the paperwork here this morning. Sofia has an exam the next day and then we’re heading out.” A long pause followed. “No, it needs to be this morning. Okay. Yeah. Thanks.”
“Problem?” I asked, looking up from my phone. It was still dark outside, but there was no way I would be able to get back to sleep.
“We have somewhere to be this morning,” he replied cryptically. “Looking at your clothes, we’ll need to pick up something on the way. What’s your size and I’ll have some choices left out for you.”
I eyeballed him suspiciously. “What’s going on, Nicklas?”
He sat down beside me and stole part of my rug. “Before we get to London, we’re making a stop at the chapel for a quick ceremony. You can organise something more extravagant at a later date.”
I bolted upright. “What the hell, Nicklas? Are you asking me to marry you?” My eyes were definitely bulging because they felt like they were about to pop out. I thumped him on the arm, and he glared at where I hit him.
“Did you just assault me?”
“I always dreamed of my proposal and it included romance and roses and champagne.”
Nicklas gave me that panty-melting smile before he pushed me back onto the sofa and crawled over me, the tip of his nose touching mine. “Considering that you’re already carrying my baby, it might be a little late for romance and roses, Sofia. So many people start with fancy words and sentiments, and they fail. We have something that is real. There is no way I’m going anywhere near your father without a permanent ring on your finger. I don’t ask for permission, Princess, I take what is mine.”
My heart tripped over its beat and I felt lightheaded. From the moment I peed on that stick, I refused to put what was happening into words. I wrapped myself around him, clinging to his strength.
“I’m terrified,” I confessed.
“Me too, Sofia, but I’m giving Lucas no room for manoeuvre here. He’s had his eye on suitable candidates for a son-in-law for years. I guarantee you there is some prick out there with your name above his head in Lucas’ mind.”
“Too bad I’m soiled goods.” I bit my bottom lip and excitement began to unfurl deep in my tummy.
His grin made me smile in return. “It’s okay, Sofia, I was the one who did the debauching, so I’m happy to live with the consequences.” He teased me with a kiss. “Marry me.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a command. Nicklas was the opposite of what I imagined when I thought about who my husband would be when I was little. But he was the only man I wanted to be with as a woman. “I’m only marrying you to save myself from some prick.”
Flocks of butterflies erupted in my chest when he kissed me. Yesterday I’d been wallowing in the pits of despair, never knowing that he was here and watching over me. Whatever happened, and whoever was waiting out there as an enemy, I knew one thing, Nicklas would be at my side no matter what, and that sent tingles rippling down my spine.
***
Chapter Thirty-One
Nicklas
Maria would kill me if I didn’t take a picture of Sofia in her dress. She wore ivory silk that set off her colouring to perfection. Her hair fell around her shoulders in loose waves, and her eyes and mouth were accentuated with makeup that gave her a sultry vibe.
Sofia was stunning.
Just the two of us, two church workers, and the priest stood in the chapel as we said our vows. I may have already planned this elopement a few weeks ago and had the paperwork processed. The same priest had buried my foster family a lifetime ago in the small graveyard beside the chapel.
No one knew they were here except Lucas and me. This place meant more to me than anyone would ever know. It was where I came when I needed to think, to find answers in the darkness.
Sofia smiled at me as I slipped the platinum band onto her finger. Her eyes never left me through the entire service. She could have her lavish ceremony filled with flowers and friends later. But this was all I needed. All I would ever need was Sofia.
“Congratulations, Nicklas. You found yourself a beautiful bride.” Father Patrick grasped my shoulder. I stood between him and Lucas at my weakest moment, and now he got to witness me binding myself to the heart that gave me strength.
“Thank you, Father Patrick. Matt and Doris would have loved her.”
>
He smiled and nodded. Doris had been an active churchgoer all her life. “They are smiling down on you today.”
The sun was shining when we emerged, and I gripped Sofia’s hand when I walked to the graveside that haunted me in my adult life. Sofia placed her small bouquet at the headstone. “I’ll look after him for you,” she whispered.
There were times that I believed I would never be able to love her any more than I already did, and then she went and broke my heart all over again.
“Come on, you need to study, Mrs. Stewart.”
She wrinkled her nose at me, screaming when I lifted her up and tossed her over my shoulder, my hand landing on her ass. I grinned at the stares we generated on the way back to the car. Even with the hand of death on my collar and the Council’s attention on me, I didn’t give a single fuck today. Sofia was finally mine.
***
“What the fuck was that for?” Jordan laid on the floor glaring up at me, rubbing his jaw.
“That was for interfering with my business,” I sneered. “Next time I tell you to get out of my home, I’d advise you to leave before I shoot you.”
“Boys, please,” Lucas stepped into the living room of his London townhouse and held his hands up between us. “Sofia, there you are. Where have you been? I’ve had people looking everywhere for you.”
“I told you that I needed to finish my course, Papa. Nicklas collected me from university.” Sofia said it so matter-of-factly that no one would guess that she’d spent several weeks alone in a disgusting bedsit.
“Indeed.” He gave me his best scowl with his eyebrows lowered as he held his hand out to Jordan to help him up. “And how did Nicklas know where you were when the rest of us didn’t?”
She produced the burner phone I’d left for her from her bag and waved it in the air. “I phoned him, of course.” She followed her statement with a disarming smile.
“Do we need to sit down with your portfolio?” Lucas asked with menace in his tone.
I hadn’t been able to wipe a smile off my face for the past two days. He narrowed his eyes at my smile.
“No need for a meeting, Lucas.”
“Sofia is my daughter,” he stated, gearing himself up for a rant.
“Sofia is my wife,” I countered. Deadly silence followed as Lucas and Jordan looked at each other for guidance. “Are we waiting for anyone else, or can we start?”
I saw Lucas’ gaze move to Sofia’s left hand where my ring sat on her finger. “You were supposed to protect her from predators.”
“Now, Papa, that’s no way to talk to my husband and the father of your future grandchild.” Her hand landed subconsciously on her stomach.
Jordan was quicker than me and had Lucas’ arms pinned behind his back before he reached me.
“Calm the fuck down,” I snapped as Xavier wandered into the room to see what the commotion was. “Sofia will want for nothing.”
“Except a husband if you get killed in this war.” The pain in Lucas’ eyes was unmistakable. “A child needs both parents.”
Xavier took the scene in and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “Congratulations, Sofia, Nic. Why don’t you go and show the other women in the kitchen your ring and I’ll try to stop your papa from killing your husband?”
Sofia glared at Lucas, before reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Stay safe.”
Just to prove my point, I kissed her on the lips before pushing her toward the door. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Fucking hell,” Jordan groaned. “Were you two married when I was in Cuba?”
“No. We were married two days ago since I knew we were coming down here.”
“Where has she been? Her tracker was pinging in Cuba.” Jordan stood with his hands on his hips in an attempt to intimidate me.
“Her old tracker is in my desk in Cuba. Her new tracker is working perfectly fine.”
“There was nothing wrong with her old tracker,” Lucas said.
“Sofia is mine. It’s not up for debate, therefore she has my tracker in her. She’s well aware it’s there, unlike the one you had implanted.” I held my hand up when he opened his mouth to argue. “We’ve known each other a long time, Lucas. Don’t spoil this for her. Sofia was so excited about coming to tell you about the wedding and the baby. Stop being a dick and let her need her papa.”
His shoulders slumped, and he closed his eyes. “She was always my rock after her mother died. Sofia was born to be a mother, bossing her sisters about and putting them to bed when I could hardly function. I can’t bear to let her go.”
“She needs to hear that, Lucas. If you make her choose between us, I guarantee you that I’ll be the one walking away with her. I don’t want that to happen, but I have no intention of losing her again.”
Jordan had the good grace to glance away.
Lucas suddenly appeared old and tired as he trudged from the room.
“Arriving here with a ring on her finger was genius,” Xavier said when his uncle was out of earshot. “Ash should take a leaf out of your playbook.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Do you want to tell me why I’ve been summoned?”
Jordan cleared his throat. “Colin Davidson and Mario were working for Silas on the Council. He’s not a happy bunny that they’ve disappeared.”
I fucking hated even the sound of Silas’ name.
“Colin was your mark. He died of a heart attack while wanking in the warm Cuban air. Not my problem. Mario, on the other hand, had been drugging Sofia for years while trying to have sex with her unconscious body even though he was incapable of the act. Anyone who has a problem with me sending the fucker to hell can piss off. I would do it again with no remorse. He let those animals attack her the night she ran and arrived on my doorstep covered in bruises. My only regret was that he didn’t die slowly enough.”
Jordan and Xavier stared at me with stunned expressions. Mario had been one of Lucas’ men. They probably oversaw his employment and thought he was a good guy. Wankers.
“Silas, on the other hand, has been my mark since he killed my foster parents.”
“Yeah.” Jordan trailed his fingers through his hair. “Lucas said you had your eye on him.”
I settled myself in an armchair and eyeballed them. “So, talk. What is it you need from me?”
“Lucas said you can get into any building you want without detection,” Xavier replied. “We need to retrieve a few objects from members of the Council in the coming weeks.”
“I would need the rest of my crew as we work as a team. What are you looking for?”
Jordan’s jaw tightened, and he looked away. The sanctimonious asshole thought he’d click his fingers, and I’d do his bidding.
“You do realise that I have enough resources to have been approached about a seat on your precious Council in the past. I just had no interest.”
“Seriously? As lead security officer, I would have known,” Jordan snapped.
“Yet it’s true,” Lucas said from the doorway with Sofia beside him. “Nicklas has amassed a fortune over the years. More than enough to make my eldest daughter comfortable. The Council is always on the lookout for someone with too much money at their disposal. His base of operations was the perfect place to be off grid.”
I shrugged and held my hand out to Sofia. She moved to me without question and I tugged her down beside me. Right now, I could only breathe easy when she was close. The past few weeks had been my own personal hell of watching her and not being able to touch her.
“I asked you here because Silas has become a problem,” Lucas said in a low tone. “He always displayed an interest in Sofia. It was one of the reasons I agreed for her to attend university. I thought that by changing her name that we could hide her in plain sight. My guess is that he told Mario to bring her to him and his abduction went wrong.”
“If he had grabbed Sofia without the elaborate ruse, he would have succeeded,” I muttered, bile rising up my throat.
“That part I do not understand,” Lucas confessed.
Xavier and Jordan shared a troubled look. Sofia sank in against me until she was practically sitting on top of me.
“Mario was a sexual pest who had been drugging and molesting Sofia for years,” I said in a dead tone because if I allowed myself to feel right now, I would explode. Sofia whimpered and burrowed her head into me. “His inability to perform in the bedroom fuelled his frustrations. My guess is he wanted to be her hero in the middle of the abduction and continue with his perverted role.”
Lucas’ mouth fell open and all the colour drained from his face.
“I would advise you to take a double look at the security patrol you have on Catarina and Lucrezia.”
“Where is Mario?” Lucas grated out.
“Fertilising a field somewhere in Cuba.” I stared at him and he nodded in understanding. There was no way Mario would ever have survived after I discovered what he did to my wife. Even back then, I knew she was mine. His touch on her soft skin repulsed me.
Silas was only alive today because Lucas had wanted to leave him as a player in the game. Otherwise, he would have been paid a visit a long time ago.
“Considering that you just told me that Silas is a risk to Sofia, his usefulness on the Council has just come to an end,” I said, barely able to control the wave of anger and pain that crested over me.
“He’s a high-level member,” Jordan said. “Taking him out now could be a mistake.”
I shot him a disgusted look. “I don’t care if he sits on the right hand of God. If he’s a threat to my wife, then he needs to be eliminated.”
“There’s a charity dinner tomorrow night that I have tickets for,” Lucas said, his gaze moving to Sofia. “If he knew Sofia was there, it might be enough to draw him out.”
“Absolutely not!” I snapped. “You’re insane if you think I’ll put her at risk.”
“Nicklas, please.” Sofia sat up to watch me. “Let’s just end this so we can go home.”
“I’ll have my jet ready to fly to Tuscany after the charity dinner,” Lucas replied in the background.
