“So. When are you going to tell our siblings that you had an impromptu wedding that you didn’t invite any of them to?” Kane asked as I approached him on the beach.
“You mean you haven’t sent out a group text yet?”
He snorted and took a swig of his beer. “I’m not Darby.”
I grinned and tapped my bottle against his. “Cheers to that.”
“Cheers to you,” he countered. “A married man. And here I thought I came to Fiji to shoot some shit.”
“I wouldn’t say that too loudly, or my security detail may label you as a threat,” Julian said, joining us.
Kane flashed him a look. “They already know I’m a threat.”
Julian smirked. “Maybe.”
“I’d still like to know how you knew he was here,” I said conversationally.
“There are many secrets I’ll never share, Sinner. That’s one of them,” Julian replied, a glass of blood-red wine in his hand. Because of course that was his alcohol of choice.
I glanced over to see my bride smiling at something Bria had just said, the two women huddled together in a way that suggested they were sharing secrets.
“I’m not sure I like them being friends,” I murmured, my eyes narrowing. I meant it as a joke. But I also didn’t. Bria and Adalyn were going to cause trouble together. Two bratty subs.
Well.
At least I would have fun later.
Julian followed my gaze. “That’s too bad, mentee. Because I plan to visit often. And Bria has already said that she’ll be joining me when we return. While I enjoy declining some of her requests, that’s not one I’ll be saying no to.”
Mentee was his new nickname for me since he was supposedly my Sin Cave mentor. Whatever the fuck that meant.
I’d handled all the negotiations with Albert regarding our family merger. All I had to do was pay him a percentage of profit from our new brand of Sinner-Rose Isles, and he would leave all the management to me.
Adalyn had already said she would like to help.
So we would be co-leading that enterprise and paying her father a measly five percent to fuck right off.
When I’d shared the deal with Julian, he’d nodded in approval.
And that was the extent of his mentoring.
Yet now he claimed he would be returning.
As Adalyn grinned again, I decided that wouldn’t be the end of the world. I rather liked her smile.
Her happiness had grown exponentially over the last week, only faltering slightly this morning when her father had walked her down the aisle.
But the moment he’d handed her to me, she’d beamed.
And she’d been smiling ever since.
I watched as the setting sun played over her dark waves. She’d tucked a Fijian hibiscus behind her ear, reminding me of our first stroll to breakfast. God, that felt like a year ago. But it’d really only been a few weeks.
Amazing how time moved in situations such as this.
Bryant approached Adalyn, saying something that had her tilting her head back on a laugh. Then her daring dark eyes slid over to mine, suggesting that whatever he’d said was about me.
And she liked it.
Hmm. I set my beer down. “You two have fun. I have a wife to woo.”
“I’m going to tell Tru that you said that,” Kane called after me.
I waved him off, not caring at all.
He could tell all my siblings about this wedding. They’d probably demand another reception, and that was fine. This had been for me and Adalyn, to secure our futures together. Everything else failed to matter.
I prowled toward her and grabbed her by the hips to pull her away from Bria and Bryant. She giggled, clearly a bit tipsy from her champagne. I took her flute and placed it on a nearby table, then twirled her onto the sandy floor.
We’d decided on an outdoor reception.
Her parents hadn’t bothered to attend, satisfied with the vows and signed paperwork from earlier. There’d been a photographer as well so that photos could be shared with the media when we were ready to announce our elopement. It seemed I’d stolen Taylor’s plans of having a whirlwind affair that ended in matrimonial bliss.
The only difference was that Adalyn and I had actually found happiness together.
Something she proved as she smiled up at me now as though I were the brightest star in her universe. “You look beautiful in this dress, Mrs. Sinner,” I told her. “I look forward to removing it later.”
She smiled. “I have another gown to wear for you tonight,” she informed me. “You’ll be removing that instead.”
I arched a brow. “Oh?”
She nodded. “Trust me.”
“I do,” I told her.
She giggled again. “We already said that today.”
“Yes, because we’re married now.”
Her eyes widened, and then she laughed again.
“How much champagne have you had?”
“Too much,” she admitted, hiccuping. “But I don’t think that’s why I feel so light right now.”
“Oh? And what’s making you feel light right now, Mrs. Sinner?”
She glanced around as though ensuring no one else could hear her. Then she very softly said, “My husband.”
My lips curled. “Are you trying to seduce me, wife?”
She considered it for a moment and started to nod. “Yes. I think I will always be trying to seduce you.”
“Was that part of the vows?”
She shrugged. “They were part of my mental vows.”
“And what else do your versions of the vows say?” I asked, amused.
“I, Adalyn Rose, promise to always seduce Asher Sinner. Because I really like sucking his cock. And I’m hoping he’ll let me do that on our wedding night and for all nights going forward.”
I laughed outright even while growing hard for my devious little sub. “You want to hear my vow?”
She nodded eagerly, clearly in a playful mood. It lightened my heart to see her like this. I hoped this part of her would remain. I knew there would be dark days, but they would be worth it to experience the light.
I cleared my throat as I considered her. “I, Asher Sinner, promise to always care for Adalyn Rose. To erase all her nightmares. To always cherish her. And to ensure that one day, she realizes that dreams do exist. Because we’re living one. Right now. Forever and always.”
Her eyes rounded, all signs of her laughter fleeing behind a mask of emotion. “Oh, Asher…”
I pressed my lips to hers. “I meant every word, Adalyn.”
She swallowed, her hands going to my face as my palms secured her waist. She studied me for a long moment before saying, “I’m going to need a new safeword.”
I arched a brow. “Are you?”
She nodded. “Because you’re right. This is a dream. And it’s one I want to keep living.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Now take me home and make me your wife.”
“You’re already my wife,” I said against her mouth.
“Then fuck me, husband.”
I grinned. “You’ll have to tell me your new safeword first.”
“Nightmare,” she said. “Because those don’t exist anymore. Not when I’m with you.”
I threaded my fingers through her hair and tugged her away just enough to stare down into her beautiful eyes. “Nightmare,” I repeated.
“Nightmare,” she echoed.
I nodded. “I will endeavor to ensure you never say that word again.”
“Unless you ask for my safeword.”
“Only then,” I said.
She smiled. “Only then. And I changed my mind.”
I arched a brow. “On what?”
“Where I want you to fuck me.”
“I’m listening.”
She pulled away from me, her expression one that suggested we were about to play a game. “I want to fuck in the ocean.”
“It’s almost night, Adalyn.”
“Then you’d better catch me quickly,” she said with a giggle and took off down the beach with her white dress floating in the wind around her.
Running barefoot in the sand.
Like an enchantment in the moonlight.
Just like a goddess.
My goddess.
My forever.
My wife.
