One Night Bride Page 12

  I also grabbed some sexy bras and underwear, which were tempting, but not obviously so, because I didn’t want her thinking sex was all I wanted from her. Admittedly, the lingerie were all things I wanted to see her in, but I bought a few cotton classics in case she wanted to feel comfortable without any pressure. Since I didn’t know her style, this would be my excuse for buying anything titillating, but selfishly, I wanted to see the outfits and underwear fitted to her perfect body.

  When I got back to the hotel she was already out of the shower clad in a fluffy towel, her hair neatly conditioned and combed.

  “Feel better?” I asked, hoping my voice didn’t sound desperate. After buying the lingerie, I could hardly control my thoughts of having her over and over again until the two of us were spent and tired.

  A graceful smile lit up her face. “I feel much more human, that’s for sure.” I didn’t think she could smile any wider. “I can’t believe you came to Mexico to find me.” Her voice lilted in disbelief.

  I shrugged. “You didn’t come back. I had to find you; it’s not every day I marry someone I don’t know and then lose them completely. It was too good a mystery to pass up. I might seem like a hoity-toity fashion designer, but I’m quite the adventurer really.” I puffed up my shoulders and chest playfully.

  Her face immediately fell. “Was it as adventurous as you’d hoped it would be?” She seemed to sulk again.

  “It’s proving to be quite adventurous. I bought you these,” I mentioned as I gave her the bag unceremoniously. “You might want to try them on to make sure they fit. I’d be happy to return anything you don’t like.”

  She peeked in the bag grateful for the gifts and the distraction from whatever was causing her so much pain. “I’m sure everything is going to be perfect. Thank you so much for doing this. I didn’t want to have to resort to my reserve wear.” She flashed a beautiful smile.

  “Heaven forbid.” I offered goofy look, another first.

  She started taking things out of the bag and holding them up in front of her. “Xavier, you didn’t have to buy all of these.” She was almost giddy.

  “I don’t ever do anything because I have to. I wanted to,” I said softly.

  She pulled the tiny red lace dress from the bag. It was satin and lace with a low-cut bodice and a tapering hem. My cock swirled with sensation seeing her bring it out of the bag. I was dying to see her wear it and then peel it off her with my teeth … Grrr, she brought out the beast in me.

  “That one’s my favorite.” I made sure to give her a seductive glance.

  She held it up to the light and blushed. “I love it.” She bit her lip and cowered a bit, “But um, I don’t think it’s appropriate for breakfast,” she said almost apologetically.

  “It certainly is not appropriate for breakfast, perhaps not even decent for public, but I could think of a few places you could wear it.” My voice deepened and rasped. I couldn’t help myself; I wanted to rip that towel off her and throw her on the bed.

  I missed our morning sex. I went to bed thinking of how I’d make her scream my name in the morning and then when I woke up she was gone. Now all I could think of was fucking her. Seriously all I could think of, but the look on her face was enough to kill my desire at least for the moment. Her eyes were watery, and she shivered. The air was humid and warm, so whatever she was up against was big. I walked over and took the dress from her hands.

  “Or, I could return it,” I said gently.

  I looked in the bag and brought out a beautiful floral dress, breezy and bright of a heavy enough material to be suitable for daylight and cut to accentuate her beauty but not reveal it.

  “This is the one I bought for you because you would like it.” I handed her the dress. “The other is for me, when and if you’re ready.” I kissed her cheek softly, and her breath hitched.

  At least she was still in there somewhere, the goddess I fell in love with on a whim. She kissed my lips and breathed, “Thank you,” into my ear. The whisper swept across my cock, awakening it again. I swiped my hand across it and angled it away from the tightness of my zipper. I hoped giving it some breathing room would deflate it some. Her hand joined mine as she lightly traced the outline of my erect cock.

  “That’s not helping…” I breathed sharply as her thumb lazily traced the tip which pressed against the soft cotton fabric of my jeans.

  “I never thought I’d see you again.” Her lips trembled as I pressed myself into her naughty hand to halt its dangerous exploration.

  “Let’s get you dressed and eating something, before …” I rubbed my cock into her palm, “we do anything else.”

  I unwrapped her from the towel and pulled out a pair of sensible pink cotton underwear with an embroidered trim. We were already so hot for one another, she could have worn a chastity belt and we were sure to break through it. I needed no visual stimulus, might as well have her be comfortable.

  “Leg up,” I instructed, and I slipped the soft cotton underwear over her extended leg.

  She stepped into the other leg, and I slid the panties up her naked body, sweetly wrapping her glorious pussy in cloth. My hands caressed her ass. I then moved both of my thumbs over her pert, perfect tits. I kissed one then the other. “Bra or no bra?” I asked swirling my tongue around the bud nearest my mouth.

  “No bra,” she whispered as her hand slipped into my hair.

  I gave the neglected nipple a little nip. “So naughty,” I growled and reached down for the floral dress. “Arms up.” She obeyed nicely.

  I draped the dress down on her lean frame and slapped her ass playfully. “Let’s eat.”

  Chapter 16

  Arcadia

  I was shocked to see Xavier. It was like I was walking on a cloud. Whatever I’d known as reality was gone. I couldn’t fathom he’d traveled such a distance for me. He was so sweet and gentle; even though I was so hungry I could think of little else, I wanted to make love to him again. I needed to feel him fill me, then maybe my emptiness would start to fall away.

  The restaurant was on a terrace overlooking the vibrant city; it felt like a dream. Everything made my mouth water with anticipation of something that wasn’t a bean and cheese burrito. We looked over the menu and ordered eggs, bread, fruit, and coffee, keeping things light and only discussing the weather and the view until our waitress brought our order and I tried not to wolf down my food as reality slowly seeped back into my consciousness.

  “Thank you for rescuing me. You’re a hero.” I smiled knowing how quirky I sounded.

  I could tell the minute we walked into the hotel some of the front desk staff knew who Xavier was. Luckily, he wasn’t shirtless on a billboard outside of the hotel as he was in Vegas, but he was a well-known fashion designer, and his menswear was a household name brand. No doubt the front desk agents saw his name at check in and figured it out, which meant being with him was dangerous for me. This broke my heart.

  I’m sure my dad was beyond anger by this point. He wouldn’t go to the police because selling your daughter as someone’s slave is highly illegal, but he had connections with people who could find anything. As long as I stayed off social media and away from anything that could identify me, I was safe, but if he was tracking Xavier too, he could easily find me.

  He smiled, probably already tired of being thanked. “As I’ve said, you left me quite a mystery.” He took a bite of his eggs with expectant eyes staring at me, waiting for answers.

  I took a deep breath. “While I truly appreciate the heroism; I don’t think I should stay at this hotel with you, it might not be safe.”

  His eyebrows raised. “Are you in some kind of trouble?” His voice iced over some, perhaps thinking I’d done something criminal.

  “Yes, but … I didn’t, it’s not …” I was faltering, starting to feel fear and stress creep back in.

  “Breathe,” he commanded, putting his hand on mine. “I’m listening.”

  “People recognize you, and I need to be invisible,” I s
tarted, choking out my words softly.

  “Why?” he pressed; the authority in his voice both comforted and frightened me.

  I could see more of the billionaire fashion designer seeping through the cracks, showing a man who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. “You haven’t asked how I found you; aren’t you a little curious?”

  He was right; I hadn’t asked. I didn’t want to know. I wasn’t ready to face any more of the truth. As soon as I knew how he found me I would understand with greater clarity the threat I was under. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  “How did you find me, Xavier?” I asked, dreading the answer.

  “I called your father with the number you provided on the application for our marriage license which I had to go to the crappy little chapel to find because you stole our copy.” His eyes narrowed into a disdainful scowl.

  I bit my lip. “I’m sorry. I thought I might need it in case I had to … be someone else. What did he say?” I stared at Xavier bracing myself for the horror show to come.

  “He was very eager to find you, maybe even a little too eager … to the point of threatening. So threatening, in fact, I decided to track you down. In this case, you are really lucky I’m famous because it makes people more curious about you. The front desk agent who referred you to the hotel’s car service remembered which car you took, and I asked the driver where he took you. Finding out which bus you were on took a little doing, but it’s evident now I was right to follow my instincts on this. Is your father threatening to hurt you? Might this be a matter for the police?” His voice was kind and yet, still in full command of the conversation.

  I took a deep shuddering breath, the tears welling up in my eyes. He sensed I was about to crack.

  “You don’t have to tell me right now; I can wait a little longer as long as you aren’t in immediate danger, are you?” He backed down some, which I appreciated.

  I began to tremble. My insides were quaking as I braced myself to let Xavier in and tell him what was happening. “He’s very influential and knows people who are in the darker crevices of the world. He can get what he wants for a price; it just depends how much I’m worth.” I took a sip of water and tried to steady my breathing. “He invited me to Vegas for a dad and daughter weekend. I’m not sure I told you, I was pretty drunk when we met …” I smiled trying to regain some of the me I left behind in Vegas.

  “I vaguely recall.” He flashed a warm and genuine smile.

  “We were going to see Cirque Du Soleil’s “O” and have a nice dinner. He had work in town and a few meetings. He promised they wouldn’t take the whole weekend. My mom left me when I was young, so while my dad and I don’t have the best relationship, we didn’t have a bad one. He was always busy with work, and so over time I got busy too. Studying for my master’s has been every waking thought, so while I was on a break, hanging out with my dad was a fun idea since usually we just pass like ships in the night.”

  I took another sip of my water, my throat feeling as dry and rough as sandpaper.

  “I wanted to buy our tickets to the show, but he told me to wait and apologized that his meeting was taking longer than he expected it would. I felt really disappointed when the show sold out. I decided to take his credit card and gamble with the money we would have used for the show out of spite. This isn’t the reason he’s after me. He would have laughed if that was all that had happened, and he would’ve known he deserved it. He texted me when he was done while we were out together. I didn’t get the text until really late when we were at the bar. He was super sweet and apologetic at first and offered to stay another day to see the show together. I sent him a text back telling him not to worry, I was fine. I’d met a friend and was out with them, not to worry, don’t wait up. I had classes to teach on Monday, but maybe we could try Vegas again another time. He probably could tell by my text that I didn’t want anything to do with him because I was mad, but that wasn’t it. I was having too much fun with you.”

  I stopped to look into Xavier’s eyes. He was listening, waiting for the hook that would hopefully have him feeling the same kind of betrayal and horror I did.

  “He sent a message back saying I had to meet him in the lobby of our hotel. He wanted to introduce me to his friend and made sure I understood it was important. I sent a few more polite texts declining to meet them, and then his texts got more and more threatening. That’s when I decided to just ignore them, hoping he was drunk. I really hadn’t planned on spending the night with you …” I looked to Xavier to see a tiny tremor of shock cross his features.

  “But I am glad I did.” I smiled, genuinely happy for the time we shared with one another. “It’s just, I don’t ever have sex on the first date.” I bowed my head a little.

  “I understand.” Xavier’s voice was stern yet sweet, “But it was our wedding night.” He leered playfully. “But, I get it. I don’t usually marry girls I don’t know. Continue.”

  “Well, I loved being with you and being in your room kept me safe from my father. He had no idea where I was. We had rooms at Mandalay Bay, so I could’ve been anywhere. When I woke up, I got a text telling me he’d used me as collateral for his new business. An investor had seen pictures of me and saw me briefly from a distance when I checked into the hotel. I was to be the assurance that this investor would get a return on his money,” I said softly.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Xavier’s face was heating up as his cheeks and temple had flared red.

  “Um … I was, um, the collateral,” I stuttered.

  “In what sense?” Xavier was trying to hold his anger at bay.

  “I guess in every sense. It was all kind of a blur; I haven’t read the text again. “It just said I was to go with his friend, do what he wanted … and … I was his until my dad could pay him back.” By this point, I was staring at the tablecloth letting terrible thoughts of what life with this man would be like wash over me; leaving me feeling helpless and numb.

  And by this point, Xavier was fuming but trying to hold his anger at bay. “Alright sweetheart,” he said, smoothing his hand over mine. “Why didn’t you go to the police?”

  “Because he’s dangerous. I was afraid I’d disappear forever.” I couldn’t take anymore, the tears started streaming down my face, my life shattering before me.

  “So, you’re telling me your own father has sold you into slavery? Doesn’t he love you at all? You’re his daughter.” Xavier seemed absolutely shocked as he moved his chair next to mine so he could sweep me into his arms.

  “I thought he did,” I answered, my sobs punctuating the air. “That’s why I can’t stay here,” I cried, “He’ll find me and then …”

  “We’ll go to the police. There has to be a way to protect you.” Xavier was in full command now as he pulled out his cell phone, perhaps ready to dial the police.

  “You can’t get involved, Xavier; he’ll hurt you too. The mob is a big dangerous organization, you can’t mess with them,” I cautioned.

  “They can’t just abduct people into slavery either. Besides, you’re my wife. That has to account for something.” He set his phone down, looking for the first time like he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. “Do you have a plan?”

  “I have a friend in Costa Rica. She was a friend of my mom’s, kind of a second mother to me. When my mom left, she stayed around until I was out of high school, then she disappeared, but always let me know where she was. She helped my dad raise me, but when I was eighteen, they got in a big fight, and he kicked her out of our lives. I think he did more than just kick her out, but she never told me what he threatened. I know she doesn’t want him to find her, and she’s probably the safest person to be with at the moment. I will go to the police and try to get my father arrested for this, but I have to just be safe first.” Tears were still streaming down my face; I couldn’t stop them. “I have to stay off the grid for a while, that’s why I took the bus. I figured he’d never think I’d get on one.”

  Xavier held me in
his arms for a minute, probably trying to unscramble what I just dumped in his lap. His hand coursed softly up and down my shoulder, and when the waiter came by, he stopped him. “Check please,” he asked. “Are you still hungry?” He looked at me with kindness and love in his eyes.

  “I’ve had enough, thank you,” I answered politely.

  “So, I think the first order of business is go back to the hotel. I just have to make a few phone calls.” My eyes widened. “Not to the police, I promise. And then you and I can figure out how we’re getting to Costa Rica.”

  “You don’t have to go,” I protested.

  “The hell I don’t,” he said emphatically.

  Chapter 17

  Xavier

  Poor Arcadia, her world was so fucked up. My first order of business was to help her feel safe and secure and then get us to Costa Rica without being detected. I knew enough about organized crime to understand the threats they laid out for her were real. We got into our hotel room, and she seemed a lot less burdened. The Arcadia I’d met and become infatuated with was starting to appear again.

  “This room is really amazing; I wish I could stay here.” She flashed me a flirty smile as she bounced on the bed, her skirts lifting up on her thighs, making me pant. “The bed is enormous.”

  “We can play here for a little while. I’m sure your dad hasn’t thought to look for you with me just yet. We have enough time to enjoy the room if you want to. But only if you want; I know we were drunk when we met. You’re under no obligation to fulfill any wifely duties, especially in light of what has happened.” I wanted to make sure she understood I wanted her, but not at the expense of her sanity or sense of self.

  “I’d love to play with you.” Her smile was glorious. “I’ve missed you. Making love to you was the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.” Her head bowed some as if there was some embarrassment in saying it.