The Marriage Dare

by Wylder, Penny

  I remember she was nervous to make a good impression, and I can’t imagine how completely humiliated she must feel right now. I never meant for to hear any of this. I never meant for them to even say any of it. In my wildest dreams I didn’t expect this reaction from them.

  I manage to make it to the front door, but by the time I'm there she's already outside. The car that dropped her off hasn't even left yet, and she's back inside before I can reach it. Running across my parents’ front lawn, I’m desperate to get to the car door, but the car starts to move before I make it. I call after her, running after the car, but I know there's no point in that.

  Pulling my cell phone from the pocket of my suit, I dial her number, but there's no response. After what she heard, I don't think that there would be. But this will not stand.

  I stalk back into the house, filled with unholy rage. I don't remember ever being so furious at my parents before. My parents are good people. Solid people. I can't understate the amount of love that they've shown me in my life. I never want to make them feel like I don't appreciate them, and I understand more than most how deep this grudge can go. But to not even give somebody a second chance because of who their family is, it’s utterly unacceptable to me.

  I try to calm myself down as much as possible. I don't need to be driven by anger in this. I think anger will only make it worse. “I would like you both to explain yourselves," I say.

  My mother looks a little stricken. And it is a moment before she speaks. "I'm sorry that she heard that, but it doesn't make what we said any less true."

  "If you or Dad had committed a crime and gone to jail when I was in high school," I say, "would you want my life ruined, tainted by your own actions?"

  I let those words sink in, so that they can see how ridiculous they’re being. Monica was a teenager when most of these crimes occurred, despite the fact that they didn't come out until later. There is no excuse for blaming her for her parent’s actions. "Because that's what you're doing. And frankly I don't care what you think. I love her, and I married her. If you can't accept that, I'm going to have to reevaluate our relationship. Believe me," I say, "I don't want to have to do that, but I will, for the sake of my marriage."

  They look at me, and then they look at each other. I'm gratified to know that they look at least a little bit ashamed. But they say nothing.

  “Will you at least meet her? Talk to her if she's even willing after what she just heard? Instead of condemning a woman that you barely know?"

  They don't look happy about it, but both of them nod.

  “Enjoy dinner," I say. “I need to go repair the damage that you've done."

  My mother catches me before I reach the door, and pulls me into a hug. "I'm sorry,” she whispers.

  I can’t say that I forgive her. Not yet. "If you really are sorry," I say, "prove it. Take a hard look at everything you said tonight. Let me know your decision." I do hug her back before I leave, because I love her. But right now, I need to find my wife. Because I need to tell her that I love her, and it can't wait another second.

  14

  Monica

  I hold it together. I hold it together while I'm in the car, and I hold it together as I walk through the doors of the casino. Jack is the one who sees me, and sticks himself to my side as I enter. I hold it together as people take pictures, and I smile. But I don't go up to the suite. That's the first place that he's going to look, and I need some time. So instead, I go to the poker room. Jack doesn't even question when I go inside, standing outside the door and sealing me in.

  It’s then that I let myself go, and the tears come.

  I got the text to come straight inside from Daniel. But I didn't know that when I walked inside, I would hear his parents giving voice to my worst fears. They think I'm a gold digger who's going to run away with his money. They think I'm a monster for what my parents did. They think that I'm seducing him for the sake of money and nothing else. And they are not wrong. I thought about giving into my father and sending him the money that he wanted.

  But that would make me exactly who they think I am. I can't do it. I'll let myself be ruined, and I’ll risk Daniel leaving me behind, but I won't do it. I love him. I can accept it now. I want to say it. I wish I had said it before I heard all of that. I know that he loves and respects his parents, and there's every chance that they'll get through to him. I don't want to think that it could be possible, but it is.

  All that I want right now is to curl up into a bed and bury myself in blankets. But my situation hasn't changed, and I have nowhere to go. I suppose I could lock myself in the guest bedroom in the suite, but I don't want to do that. I'll just stay here for now.

  The tears fall down my face, and I start to hiccup because I can't breathe. There's pain in my chest— an ache that I can't describe. I want to scratch it out and eliminate it. I want to tear it out of my chest and throw it far away. But I can't. It's the feeling of deep and utter betrayal. The knowledge that every horrible suspicion I had was true. The world sees me as evil, ruthless, a rotten apple by virtue of my terrible parents.

  That makes the tears fall harder.

  I sit down in the corner, pulling my knees up to my chest and taking off my shoes. It feels good to be small, and I press my head to my knees to make myself smaller. And I let myself cry. In a way, that feels good too, even though it hurts.

  When the door opens, I know that it's him. I should have known that they wouldn't keep my location a secret for long. But they work for him, and not for me. I don't want to see him, and yet I want to see him so badly that it makes the tears flow fresh.

  Daniel’s footfalls are soft on the plush carpet, but I can still hear when he stops in front of me. "Princess?"

  I squeeze myself further into a ball at the nickname. It feels childish, but I can't bear to look at him. I don't want to see his pity.

  Hands brush my arms, move across my hair, stroking down my sides. "Please, Monica," he whispers. "Please look at me."

  I can't.

  “I got there early to tell them about you and me," he says. "I never imagined that they would react that way. I thought that they would be happy for me. I never meant for that to happen, and I never meant for you to hear any of that. It's not true."

  "Yes, it is," I say, finally looking up at him. My mascara is probably all over my face, and my eyes feel puffy enough that I have to squint. "It is true."

  Daniel doesn't look betrayed, he looks exasperated. “What are you talking about?"

  I duck my head down in between my knees again. “My dad called today. He wants your money. He promised me that he would ruin me if I didn't help him. He also promised that he would tell me where my mom is, if I just wired him a few hundred thousand dollars. And I thought about it. I actually thought about it. So, you see? They’re right. Everything they said is true. You should hate me."

  "I don't hate you," he said softly.

  I push myself up to my feet and brush past him. "Don't you see, though? I almost robbed you. I don't deserve whatever love you ever had for me. I thought about helping a man who has already destroyed my life so thoroughly I didn't think it could recover. But I still thought I should help him. Because I didn't want to lose anything more. You won't be able to trust me again, and I understand. You'll never be able to know how bad I feel, but I understand whatever action you have to take.”

  Daniel stands slowly. "But you didn't do it."

  “No," I say with a shuddering breath.

  "So why wouldn't I be able to trust you? Why shouldn't I love you?"

  I shake my head. "Because I thought about it. Because I'm my father's daughter, and his blood is in me. I have the same instincts. It's just a matter of time."

  He takes a step forward, and I take one back. He takes another one, and I'm backed against the wall. This feels a little like déjà vu, because we were just here a few days ago in the same position. "You're not even hearing what you're saying, Princess," he says. "Your mind is twisted up because what
my parents said is what you're afraid of. You didn't steal from me, and you didn't even want to. Your father blackmailed you. He used her mother against you, and your fear. Even if you had tried, it would have been his fault for making you feel like you couldn't. But you didn't. You told me.” He leans close, not yet touching, but surrounding me. "And he won't touch you, I swear it. I can help you find your mother. I can make it so that his influence is nothing. You are mine, and I will protect you. That's the end of the story."

  I shake my head. "You shouldn't trust me."

  Daniel kisses me, and it undoes me. I'm crying again, but I so desperately want his kiss that I'm clinging to him too. “Who we were in the past doesn't matter anymore. That's what I'm trying to get through to my parents. That's what I've learned in these days with you. We are not the same people we were then, and our actions from that time do not have to define us. Our parents don’t define us. We get to decide who we are now and what we want now. Right now, in this moment, I am a man who loves you. I am man who wants to be your husband, and give you everything. Who are you?"

  Fresh tears fill my eyes, and I have to close them. “I am a woman who loves you," I say, though my voice is shaking. "I want to be your wife."

  Daniel's mouth crashes down on mine in a powerful kiss, taking me completely. There's no room for any other thought until he pulls away and leaves me gasping.

  “Forget everything,” he says. “Forget our history. Do you want me? Do you really want me?”

  I look into his eyes, and at once, I know the truth. “Yes,” I say. “But what about your parents? Do you really want to be with me if they hate me?"

  "Yes." He presses his forehead to mine. "They're good people," he says. "But you know that forgiveness is complicated. They are going to come around. I'm absolutely sure that they'll love you the way I love you. And I love you so damn much, Princess. you are not to blame for the actions of your father. Eventually they'll understand that."

  "Okay," I say.

  "Do you believe me?”

  I nodded. I do, but I can't help but worry. I don't want to be the thing that comes between him and his family. My own family has already done too much damage.

  “Hmm,” he makes a noise, pulling back to look at me. “I’m not sure that you do.”

  “I do, I swear.”

  His smile is gentle, but I see the gleam in his eyes. “I think I’m going to have to make sure that you understand how unequivocally I love you. And how much I want you.” He leans close to my lips. “I cannot get enough of you.”

  Daniel reaches down, and he grasps the hem of my dress, pulling it up, bunching it around my hips. He undoes his belt and pulls out his cock, already hard, and he lifts me off my feet like it’s nothing. Like I’m a feather. And suddenly I’m trapped between his body and the wall as he wraps my legs around his waist.

  He slips into me like he’s meant to be there, filling me up to the brim and taking my mouth again. He kisses me until I’m dizzy, and doesn’t stop. I’m lightheaded when he releases my lips, chest heaving against his for air. “Do you believe that I want you?” he asks.

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know,” his voice is rough. “You don’t sound convinced.”

  He thrusts upward into me, and I cry out. Fuck, yes. Arousal and pleasure and friction roll through me. I love this, and I love him. He fits with me the way no other person has. He sees all of me, even when I don’t see myself. I don’t think anyone else before him has ever seen me at all.

  “Please,” I tell him. “More.”

  “You don’t have to fucking beg me,” he breathes. “I want you to know that I want this. No strings attached. I want you forever, Monica.”

  I close my eyes and let the words sink in as he slows the rhythm down. Pumping into me smoothly and slowly.

  He pushes me harder into the wall, so I’m absolutely pinned. Held in place by his hips and his cock. Impaled. He slides his hand up my neck and grips my hair. He loves grabbing my hair, and I’ve grown to crave the feeling of his fingers on my scalp. The guidance of his hands as he shows me where he wants me.

  Right now, he tugs my head back, so I have no choice but to meet his eyes. I love his eyes, dark and filled with lust and more. Now I know that that unnamed emotion is love. I can see it there. He loves me.

  That’s what it takes for it to snap in. “Oh.”

  “There it is, Princess.” He’s smiling now as he kisses me. He speeds up his rhythm again, slamming into me hard and fast. So deep and so fast that I can’t breathe and I don’t even care. My soul is settling, and my pleasure is rising. My husband loves me, and I love him. I love him. That’s the end of it. Nothing else matters.

  I’m going to come. I can feel it rising from deep within, vast and overwhelming. It rises so fast that I can’t move or breathe, sudden pleasure overtaking my body and ripping through it. I scream into Daniel’s mouth, releasing everything. Pain and grief and relief and pleasure. I gush over his cock, my orgasm soaking him.

  He keeps fucking me, every bit of friction sending aftershocks through me and not letting me rest or breathe. It’s like little bolts of lightning sparking all over me. The drop through the pleasure is sharp and sheer and I land on the other side with a moan. I’ve never had an orgasm like that, and I’m not sure I ever will again.

  But that’s not good enough for my husband. He pulls me away from the wall and suddenly, I’m back on my feet, Daniel bending me over the poker table. He strokes his hands down my ass, spreading me open before he plunges in again. I feel him against my back, leaning over me. He grabs my wrists and pins them to the table, and now we’re lined up, body to body. His legs are against mine, arms on mine, back pinning me down, and cock, balls deep in my pussy.

  “I love you, Monica,” he says, thrusting deep. “I’m going to keep fucking you until you know.”

  “I know,” I say, gasping. “I know. But please don’t stop.”

  He chuckles, low and dark. “Never.”

  Daniel fucks me. And he doesn’t hold back. Every ounce of strength and frustration and love and lust is powered into his movement. All I can do is take it. Another orgasm explodes through me, and I scream again. This one isn’t muffled, and I don’t give a shit. I’m seeing stars and rainbows and the whole damn universe behind my eyes as the pleasure burns me alive. And it doesn’t stop.

  Every thrust of his cock goes all the way to my core, and he grunts with every thrust. He’s close, and I’m still there, coming over and over again until I think I’m drowning in it.

  I feel it when he comes, burying himself to the hilt and pouring heat straight into me. I fall into one last orgasm, groaning as Daniel does too. We’re falling together, and that’s the point. We’re together, and we always will be. I know it. I feel it.

  We’re both shaking and sweating now, and I’m not sure if my legs will support me. “Tell me you know,” Daniel says, voice fierce in my ear. “Tell me you’re sure.”

  He lets me up and pulls me with him, though he has to keep me upright. “I know,” I say. “I believe you, and I love you too.”

  And an idea is brewing in my mind that I think he’s going to love, and that might help smooth over things with his parents. “Good.”

  He tucks himself back into his pants, and helps me arrange my clothes. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?”

  He kisses me hard. “Upstairs. I don’t plan on us sleeping for a long time, and we haven’t eaten dinner. Maybe I’ll eat it off you instead.”

  I laugh, because it feels so easy and so natural for Daniel to be tugging me toward the door and up to our suite. It feels perfect when he pins me against the elevator and continues to ruin my already ruined lipstick. And it feels like forever when we tumble into bed and get lost in each other again.

  15

  Daniel

  "Yeah," I say. "That's perfect, thank you."

  I hang up, and feel some measure of relief. That was the vineyard in Southern California where Monica and I
have decided to host our wedding. Things were up in the air, but now it's finalized. Monica loves the venue, and I was willing to put a lot on the line to make it happen for her.

  I’m sitting back at my desk, when I hear a knock at the door. I look over, and speak of the devil, it's my wife. I can't keep the smile off my face any more than I can keep myself in my chair. I spring up and I’m across the room before she can close the door behind her. I catch her in a kiss, and I love the way she melts into my arms. She kisses me back, and suddenly I wish that we weren't in my office.

  It’s only been a couple of days since the confrontation with my parents, and nothing has changed. I can't keep my hands off this woman, and I love her more than life itself. I reach down and hold her hands in mine, feeling for her wedding ring. "Hi, wife."

  She's grinning when I pull away. “Hello husband."

  “How are you?" I notice now that she has a package in her hands. It's wrapped up like a gift, in bright blue paper. "What's that?"

  "I'm good," she says. "I just saw the first sketches of the dress from Alex, and it's beautiful. And this," she says, holding out the present, "is for you."

  "How's the dress?"

  Monica rolls her eyes. "As if I'm going to tell you that. No bad luck."

  I laugh. "I am hoping that you and I have had all but bad luck that we’re going to have, Princess."

  "Me too." She blushes. "Don't you want to open your gift?"

  I pull Monica over to the couch in my office, and we sit together. "Why did you get me a gift?" I ask.

  "I think that will be answered after you open it,” she says.

  And so I do. I tear off the paper and reveal a simple white box. Lifting the lid, absolutely everything goes still. It's like the world goes quiet for a second. Lying inside the box is a Game Boy.

  But it’s not just any Game Boy. It's the exact same kind. The same model I had that day when she tossed into the street.