by Brynne Asher
“Of course. Oh, I have a lot to do.” She moves in for more hugs. “I love you both and I’m so happy for you.”
We say our goodbyes to everyone and Tony leans into kiss me again. “Time to take you home.”
I sigh as I take one last look at our beautiful little chapel and put my bouquet to my nose and inhale. Tony holds his hand out for me. I thread my fingers through his and follow my husband so he can take me home.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Carpino Disaster
Leigh
“No Tone, I want you.” My breath is shallow, doing everything I can to hold off my orgasm.
“You’ll get me. Let me take care of you first. I want to hear my wife moan.” Tony is behind me with his arms around me, one hand between my legs and the other at my breast rolling my nipple.
“Please,” I beg, needing him like I’ve never needed him before. Craving him, his possession, his power, nourishing me, making me whole only the way Tony can.
Before I know it, he puts just enough pressure on my clit to push me over the edge I was trying to hang onto.
“Oh,” I heave as my body shakes.
Tony doesn’t let me go, he keeps at me, wringing my orgasm out of me as I quake in his arms.
“Love you, gem.”
“Please,” I wheeze and he finally lets me go, turning me in his arms and pushes me down to the bed.
Once we got back home, it was all hands, mouths, and fingers. Tony couldn’t get my dress off me fast enough. I wasn’t paying much attention because I could only concentrate on him, but I’m pretty sure we left a trail of wedding clothes from the garage.
He comes down over me and I spread my legs for him to fall between. He rests one forearm over my head and his other hand comes up to frame the side of my face.
“Gem,” he calls to me.
Still coming down from my first intense orgasm as Mrs. Carpino, I look up at him.
“I don’t want to use a condom.” He sweeping my face with his gaze.
“What?” I’m still trying to catch my breath.
“I don’t want anything in between us. I’m ready for whatever happens, when it happens.” His voice is low, his gaze settling on me as he brushes my jaw with his thumb.
I feel him between my legs now, long and hard covered in soft, silky skin, sliding up and down against my clit where I’m still sensitive. I’m more than wet and ready for him. He feels better than he’s ever felt with nothing between us. I’m scared to death at the same time I want him now more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
He glides upward, making me shiver. “Give me the word, Leigh.”
“I don’t know,” I mutter. “How can you be ready? So soon?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything as I am today. Marrying you. Starting a life with you. Giving you what you want, what you deserve. Let me give you everything.”
I lower my lids, exhaling. My hands on his shoulders move up to his neck and into his hair that I love. I look up at him. “Yes, Tony.”
He doesn’t wait another second, he angles his hips and surges inside me taking my breath away. Filling me to the root, so big and full, I’ve never felt anything this beautiful.
He pulls out a bit, surges back in only to stop again and groans. “You feel good.”
Then he starts to move. And I mean move, just the way I love it. He slams into me in his perfect demanding way. It’s good, all good, better than ever before with nothing between us, and when he finally buries himself inside me, he moans how much he loves me.
Like I always do, I envelope him with my limbs and hang on tight. He turns his head to bury his face in my hair.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
I feel his whole body move on a silent laugh. I even feel him inside me and sense him smile against the side of my head. He’s sarcastic when he presses into me one more time. “Sweetheart, you never need to thank me for that. But you’re welcome.”
I squeeze him. “Tony. I’m talking about the day in your conference room when you took over my divorce. I didn’t understand it then, but you made me a promise and today you delivered. You’ve given me a beautiful life. A life I never thought I’d have, a life I wouldn’t even let myself dream about because it hurt too much to know I might never get anything as beautiful as this. You saved me and I got you in the process.”
Sliding an arm under my back, he rolls us so I’m on top. I pull my knees up to straddle him.
“It starts today, gem. A new start and a life together.”
I smile and lean in to kiss my husband.
Tony
I hang up the phone and move out of my office to find Leigh. For the second time today, on our wedding day no less, I’m going to have to tell her something that’s not going to make her happy.
We just finished dinner. Gabby texted a couple hours ago and informed me she arranged to have dinner delivered. It was a full spread of appetizers, prime rib, all the sides, and dessert with a bottle of champagne and two bottles of wine. I tried to think of everything but didn’t think past the actual wedding. I’ve gotta hand it to Gabby who thinks of every detail. My cousin is the shit.
As I turn the corner, I don’t see her in the kitchen, but I do see her bouquet placed in the center of the island. She must have dug through the cabinets, because it’s in a glass pitcher filled with water since I don’t have a vase. Smiling, I turn and see Leigh curled up in the corner of the sofa with Fin laid out beside her with his head in her lap again. She has a glass of wine in one hand and the other is busy giving her dog another head massage.
She looks up as I stop and shake my head. “He’s on the sofa now?”
She screws up her nose while shrugging and puts her wine to her lips as if she’s apologizing for not caring that Fin is on the furniture.
She takes another sip. “He loves me. He just can’t help it.”
I go to them and give Fin a scratch. “Get down, buddy.”
He half-heartedly moves and I take his spot by Leigh. “You’re not gonna like what I have to say.”
“Why, what happened?”
“I talked to security. They sent me up to management in administration. They don’t want you to come to work tomorrow. Maybe even all week. They want to see what happens and how this plays out. They assured me your job is safe but they can’t have you there if it means potentially putting other staff and patients in danger.”
She looks away. “I understand, I just feel bad.” She looks back to me. “Maybe I should have talked to them. I’m sure you didn’t try and persuade them otherwise.”
I smiling. “I didn’t. But I talked to them as your attorney, not your husband. If I talked to them as your husband, I wouldn’t have let them make the decision. I would’ve just told them you wouldn’t be back at work until we got this figured out.”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t get it. It’s not like Preston really cared about me. I think he was happy to finally be rid of me. Why would he do this now when he did everything he could to avoid jail time?”
“I have no idea.” I twirl a lock of her hair in my fingers. “I’m sorry, though. I know how much you care about your job. Hopefully it will only be a few days.”
“I’ll just hang out here tomorrow.”
“Maybe you should come to the office with me,” I more than strongly suggest.
She frowns. “I’ll be good here. You have an alarm.”
“We have an alarm,” I correct her. “It’ll make me feel better. We can talk about it again tomorrow. You can hang out with Paige and I want you to be around the practice. It’ll be part ours someday. Please.”
I see her give in. “Okay.”
“Good.” I smile and move to her. “Now I want desert.”
She smirks back at me. “We’ve had dessert. You had cheesecake and half of my crème brûlée.”
“You know that’s not the dessert I’m talking about,” I say against her lips as I scoot us down in the sofa and grin. “Please?”
“You’r
e not going to get everything you want just by saying ‘please,’ Tony. Don’t get used to that.” She runs her hands up my back.
“I don’t know,” I start. “I’m two for two. I’m hoping to bat a thousand on my wedding day.”
This makes her giggle as I strip her clothes off to make love to my wife on the sofa. With nothing between us.
Leigh
“You go first,” Tony bites to Paige.
“Don’t be a grumpopotamus. You’re obviously irritable, you go first,” she throws back at him.
I stand at Tony’s side with our rings burning a hole in my pocket. And they’re burning a hole because we’re standing amidst his entire family and our secret marriage is about to be revealed. My heart is beating a mile a minute because I’m afraid of how they’ll react, especially Lizzy Carpino, who loves her son and I’m pretty sure would have appreciated seeing him get married.
What in the hell was I thinking saying yes to his shotgun wedding proposal?
Today has been a long day. Tony was behind at work because he took two days off he wasn’t prepared for. He had a shitload to handle on his embezzlement case and some other acquisitions, as well. He had to get to his office early-early, which meant I was dragged with him.
My day wasn’t boring like I thought it would be because Paige is fun and I don’t think anything could be boring with Paige around. We filed case files, we gabbed, we answered the phones, and we drank lots of coffee. She showed me the ropes of her job, which she tells me she hates, and then we filed our nails before applying a cuticle treatment. She also informed me it’s good I already have a career otherwise I might get roped into working there, too. Tony took me to lunch, made out with me in the elevator, and then promised me a real honeymoon as soon as he can swing it with his case load and I can get the time off from the hospital.
After work, Tony and I went straight home for him to change and let Finny out. Then we zoomed over to pick up Rosa for the family dinner and big reveal.
Now I’m standing in Gabby and Jude’s great room, again in the middle of a Paige versus Tony squabble. Only this time, we’re also surrounded by the rest of his family, too. Gabby really doesn’t mess around when she says she’s going to have a family dinner. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is here which only makes the rings in my pocket smolder hotter, reminding me of what’s to come. I won’t be surprised if they combust into a burst of flames necessitating me to stop, drop, and roll so I don’t go down in a blaze of glory with our new beautiful rings symbolizing our soon-to-be not-so-secret wedding.
Again, what in the hell was I thinking?
“Paige. For the love of all things holy, just say what you’re gonna say so we can all get on with it,” Tony says, frustratingly so.
“What is your problem—” Paige starts back but Gabby interrupts everyone.
“I know,” Gabby sort of yells. “Ladies first. Paige, tell us your news then Tony’s up next.”
“Would somebody just say something,” Gino pleads. “I’m hungry.”
“Fine,” Paige huffs before bringing herself up to full stature. She smiles big and proud announcing, “I’m starting a business.”
“What?” Tony’s dad belts.
“What kind of business?” Lizzie asks, frowning.
“Catering.”
“What do you know about running a business?” Charlotte asks.
Sophia elbows her sister. “Stop it!” Then looks back to Paige. “That’s great. We’re proud of you.”
“Do you have any customers?” her dad keeps on.
“I’m so excited for you. You’ll do great,” Gabby adds.
Paige looks to Gabby and Sophia giving them a more than meaningful, “Thank you,” before throwing Charlotte a dirty look. Turning back to her parents, she explains, “Yes, I have customers. I’ve been doing this on the side for a while and I think it’s going to work out well. Although,” she screws up her face and looking straight at her mom, “I’m going to need to use your kitchen for a while. Until I get my own space.”
Lizzie, while sighing, tips her head and smiles minutely at her youngest daughter like any mother would who wants all their kids’ dreams to come true, no matter how big and unreachable they think they are. “Of course. Anything you need.”
Her dad sighs, shaking his head. “I guess we’ll see how it goes. We need to get you set up as an LLC right away for tax purposes. Your brother can do that for you.”
“I want to do this, Dad. I have a plan, I’m not some little kid. It’s going to be great. I’ve already made my own logo and website. I’m naming my company Birds of a Feather.”
“What does that mean?” Charlotte chimes in again.
“Are you specializing in poultry?” Rosa asks.
“It doesn’t matter what it means.” Sophia elbows Charlotte again. “She gets name recognition, builds her brand, it will be better than coming up with some lame catering title making it obvious she’s a caterer.” Looking back to Paige she adds, “I love it.”
“Thank you, again,” Paige says to Sophia.
“I’ll start your paperwork tomorrow,” Tony says from beside me. I almost forget about the smoldering rings in my pocket long enough to smile up at him. He and Paige can go at it like crazy siblings but they still love each other.
She gives him a small smile. “Thanks, Tone.”
“Now can we eat?” Nic asks this time. “All this talk of catering is doing me in.”
“No, no,” Gabby interrupts. She’s biting her lip trying to cover her huge smile. “Um … Tony has something to say, remember?”
I feel Tony’s arm constrict around my waist and my heart races at the speed of light. I have to breathe deep to concentrate on not hyperventilating.
“Something important happened yesterday,” Tony starts and I feel him give me a little shake. “Something important to Leigh and I.”
“You’re engaged?” Paige guesses.
We both look to Paige and I let out quiet groan but I know Tony heard because he gives me another squeeze. “No, we aren’t engaged.”
I look at Tony, but he looks to his parents when he proclaims in his big strong voice, “Leigh and I were married yesterday.”
A stagnant moment of silence blankets the room, which is honestly the quietest I’ve ever experienced the Carpinos. I look straight across to Tony and Lizzy, my new in-laws, as they soak up this news. They’re both statue still staring at Tony and I as the room finally erupts with both shouts and surprised shrieks. The eruption breaks Tony’s dad out of his shock and he looks over to Lizzy, taking her hand and squeezing it.
But Lizzy doesn’t move.
She finds my eyes and we hold each other’s gaze. Even through the chaos going on around me, excited and shocked Carpinos congratulating us and pulling us in for hugs, Lizzie and I don’t lose eye contact. She remains stalk still. Tony’s dad finally releases her hand and goes to his son. I feel my new father in-law put his lips to my cheek welcoming me to the family.
Through all this, Tony’s mother doesn’t move and I feel like I’m in this weird zone, held in Lizzie Carpino’s trance with the commotion close but it feeling removed and far away. Those around us finally realize Lizzy hasn’t uttered a word, which isn’t like her since she’s honestly one of the loudest of all the Carpinos. The room starts to quiet and I feel Tony’s arm come around my waist as the room again falls lifeless.
Tony’s dad grabs her hand. “Liz.”
She doesn’t look at her husband but pulls her hand from his and finally moves.
And she moves straight to me.
My heart—banging in my chest like the biggest of all the drums in a marching band—won’t slow down.
Taking my hands in hers, she states in the quietest voice I’ve ever heard spill over Lizzie Carpino’s lips, “He loves you.”
I exhale and pull up the courage to respond. “And I love him.”
I see the tears that were pooling finally spill over as she gives me a small nod. She releases
my hands and brings hers up to cup my face saying full of promise, “He’ll love you fiercely. I know he will. He’s just like his father. You’ll never know anything but love, Leigh. Not for the rest of your life.”
This makes my tears spill over and I nod my head in her hands. She finally pulls me into a motherly embrace. How I know it’s motherly, I have no idea because I’ve never felt anything like it in my life and it makes my breath hitch with a sob.
“Welcome, Leigh,” she whispers for only me to hear as she gives me a final squeeze.
She releases me and gives me a small smile as she brings one hand up to cup my face. She steps back and all of the sudden her face changes as she looks to her son.
Oh, shit.
She loses the small smile and soft look, narrowing her eyes on Tony. She pulls her brows together and her jaw becomes hard as she glares at my new husband. Her one and only son. Her Golden Boy. It’s no secret in this family her son can do no wrong…
Until he gets married behind his mother’s back.
She continues to glare, working her lip in her mouth before she turns on a heel and marches toward Gabby’s kitchen.
“Oh, no,” Gabby whispers from somewhere close.
I quickly bring my hands up to my face to wipe my tears and turn to Tony in complete freak-out mode. “I told you!”
Tony looks across the room to his mother who has her back to us while starting to unearth the mountain of food Gabby prepared for tonight. “I’ll talk to her. She’ll come around, gem.”
I barely get a chance to glance back at Lizzie because I’m attacked from the side by Paige. “Sistah! Yippee!”
I hesitantly smile down at Paige as she pulls me into a big hug with other Carpinos following suit. Tony digs into my pocket and I feel him pulling out our rings. He slides mine on my finger before putting his own on.
Leaning in to kiss me before he grins a knowing grin. “Welcome to my family, sweetheart. It’s too late to run now.”
