Reciprocity Read online

  Everyone in the office knew I was Nathan’s and he was mine, and today we sealed it. Out on a sandy beach in the Caribbean with the friends and family that could make the journey with us, we would say “I do.” The belief still eluded me that at the end of the day I would no longer be Delilah Palmer. Instead, I would be Delilah Thorne—wife to the office god.

  I made my way down the sand with butterflies in my stomach, the light fabric of my dress fluttering in the breeze. Every squashed Cinderella dream or princess fantasy I’d imagined as a child, about marrying a prince that would take me away from the evil, was steps away. He was waiting for me at the end of the aisle. He was damaged, but so was I, and together we were one soul, one heart.

  My step faltered, and I was afraid I would fall, but I regained my balance. I turned the corner and moved my gaze up to where I knew he stood. My heart skipped a beat, and the warmth only he could give spread through me. Our eyes locked, and I could feel everything he felt in that moment. It was love. It was home.

  With Nathan, I was finally home.

  It felt like my chest was going to explode from everything I felt. I wanted to break down crying in joy, overwhelmed with a happiness I’d never experienced.

  “Hi,” he said, smiling at me when I reached him.

  “Hi.” I handed my bouquet to Caroline and took his hand.

  The officiant began, but I hardly heard a word because my eyes were concentrating on Nathan’s. Nothing could tear me away from his gaze—we were caught in our own little bubble.

  I was lost in him as I recited the standard vows—in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do us part. He already knew all of that, as I’d long ago pledged all of that to him. When it was his turn, I caught the panic that flashed across his face when he spoke about death.

  If I could help it, I would do everything in my power to make sure he died before me. The thought of him in despair as he watched another woman he loved die was gut-wrenching. I didn’t want him to feel that pain again.

  “I do,” he said in closing, a waver of emotion in his voice.

  I didn’t wait for the officiant to pronounce us before launching myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him as hard as I could. Laughter was heard from the crowd behind us.

  “Well, I guess I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!” the officiant said, snickering with everyone else.

  I pulled back, heat flooding my face as I looked at her. “Sorry.”

  Nathan chuckled and pulled me closer. “Can I kiss my bride?”

  “Please.”

  His lips met mine, soft but with an intensity that zinged through me.

  My husband.

  Following the ceremony was a whirlwind of photographs and congratulations that left my head spinning. I was happy when we all sat down to dinner in a secluded area of the resort. It was beachfront, but with bushes and trees on the sides for privacy.

  Since our party was so small, we were all able to fit at one long banquet table. There were small tables set up around us for mingling.

  As dinner was served, Teresa tapped her fork against her champagne glass to gain everyone’s attention.

  “I just wanted to say a few words about mi niña Lila. From the moment she stepped into our home, I knew it would take a strong, unrelenting man to gain her heart. I’m so happy to see her finally get the love she deserves.” Teresa blew a kiss at Nathan. “And I’m incredibly happy that I could be here to see it.”

  I blew her a kiss and reached across the table to take her hand. “Thank you for showing me kindness and love.”

  A tear fell from her eye as she patted my hand. “You are so welcome. And thank you, Nathan, for making her happy.”

  Nathan smiled at her and looked at me. “She makes me happy. I’m the lucky one here.”

  Jack stood up and raised his glass. “And you owe everything to me. If it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t be on this beautiful island.”

  Everyone laughed and took a sip.

  Dinner was excellent, and afterward we sat around talking and drinking. I was happy I’d gone for the lighter dress, because the heat and humidity was stifling. Our only saving grace was the ocean breeze, which made it manageable.

  Nathan had forgone the traditional tux, which I was more than okay with. He didn’t even have on a suit jacket. All things considered, I understood. None of that mattered, though, because it was exactly what we wanted. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and he’d lost the tie. The top buttons were undone and inviting me to touch the skin that showed.

  I licked my lips and leaned forward, placing an open-mouthed kiss on his neck, my tongue peeking out to taste his skin. A low rumble sounded in his chest, and he squirmed in his chair. It seemed he was still worked up from my teasing the day before.

  Nathan took my hand and pulled me from my seat. “Come on, Mrs. Thorne, we need to have our first dance.”

  I blinked up at him. “I don’t know how to dance.”

  “That’s okay. All you have to do is move with me. You’re good at that.” He winked at me.

  As we stepped onto the small dance area, he drew me to him as the music started up. We moved in slow steps.

  “With me.” He reminded me.

  I took a deep breath and let him take over my senses.

  It didn’t matter what was playing. All I cared about was the man standing in front of me, holding me close as we moved around the dance floor. I’d never seen him so lit up. His smile was blinding—happiness pouring out of him and infecting me.

  He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against mine. “Be mine forever,” he whispered.

  “Yes.” There was no other answer.

  “Love me forever.” His voice cracked as he spoke.

  Tears swelled in my eyes. “Always.”

  A few hours later, we headed up to our suite where I expected him to tear me out of my dress. Instead, his fingers lightly caressed over my collarbone, drifting over the lace.

  “I forgot to tell you how absolutely beautiful you looked today. You take my breath away. This dress…it’s perfect.”

  My cheeks heated as I looked into his eyes that held nothing but love and warmth with a splash of growing desire.

  “Thank you.”

  He looked back down at my body and sighed. “I almost don’t want to take it off you.” His fingers continued to roam around my body.

  “There are photos.”

  His eyes flickered back to mine as he latched onto the zipper and began pulling it down. “I said almost.”

  I tingled with excitement as the teeth of the zipper slid down inch by inch. His lips met mine, soft and lingering as he slowly explored my mouth with his. I gasped when his hand slipped into the opening he’d made and our skin made contact. His lips ghosted mine as he moved up and swept over my nipple.

  “I’m going to spend all night devouring you, inch by delicious inch.”

  I flicked my tongue out against his lips. “How about moving a little faster then?”

  He shook his head and nipped at my lip. “Oh, no, Mrs. Thorne. I’m going to savor you.”

  I pouted at him, my thighs clenching. “You mean torture me.”

  He smirked at me. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  His fingers worked the buttons on my shoulder and the fabric flipped away, exposing skin that he immediately began kissing and licking. A small tug on my other shoulder and the dress slipped down, catching on my elbow. My nipples tightened as they rubbed against his shirt. He moaned as he kissed his way down, taking one into his mouth, sucking on it while he palmed and pinched the other.

  I couldn’t stop moving. My body was begging, searching for the friction it desired. Taking was his usual style, and I craved it. Loving was pure torture, but the reward was worth the frustration.

  “Now, now. Patience.” He licked his lips, groaning as he pushed the dress over the swell of my hips.

  “You know I don’t have that.” I re
ached for the buttons on his shirt and flipped the top two before he swatted my hand away.

  “Maybe I need to teach you a lesson.”

  His touch sent shivers through me as his hands moved around my body. Light caresses and loving tenderness—very different than normal. It was still very stimulating, especially considering they were coming from the man who was now my husband.

  I whimpered when he stopped touching me, but was happy when it was only to pull his own clothing off. My fingers flitted across his chest, exploring his hard lines and soft flesh while he worked his pants down and off, taking my panties with him.

  He was beautiful. His cock stood high and proud, almost waving at me with each breath he took in.

  Hands on my hips guided me back to the bed, and he lowered me down, his body hovering over mine. His lips pressed against mine in a soft, slow kiss. Burning need simmered inside me, growing in intensity.

  I drew in a shuddering breath when his fingers moved across my clit, pressing in. Before I could even reach between us, he grabbed my wrists, distracting me with a kiss, and pinned them over my head.

  “I want to touch you.” I whimpered, rocking against him.

  He groaned, hips rocking, then crashed his lips to mine. No longer soft, we were full of want.

  “You’ve had me worked up since yesterday. I want to ram my cock in you and fuck you until we’re both unconscious.”

  “Then do it. We have the rest of our lives for lovemaking.”

  A growl ripped from him and he flipped us over. I was still in shock of the change when he lined up and pushed me down on his cock.

  “Oh, fuck.” My eyes rolled back, fingers flexing into his chest.

  I cried out when his hips thrust up, hitting the spot that made my body sing for him.

  “People are going to hear you.”

  I looked down at him. “So? Don’t you want them to hear what you do to me?”

  He gritted his teeth and flexed his hips up, his fingers digging into my hips. “Fuck. I want everyone to hear what I do to you. I want the whole damn island to know you’re mine. Now get your ass moving and ride me like a good whore.”

  I couldn’t help the moan that escaped my lips. He knew what his dirty mouth did to me.

  I moved up and down his length, bouncing with each upward thrust and downward roll. He pushed on me, directing me where to go, cursing under his breath. My eyes fell closed, reveling in the feeling as my body took over, driving us both to the edge.

  “Shit. That’s it, baby.”

  My mouth dropped open and my muscles seized, coiled tight. He took over, holding me above him while he thrust up, drilling into me.

  It was too much, and I screamed out as I came around him. Everything left me, and I fell forward onto his chest. He guided me up and down a few more times before grunting as he exploded.

  “What happened to savoring?” I was breathing too hard to even lift my head.

  “Overrated.” He chuckled. “But it’s a nice idea.”

  “Agreed.” I turned my head to look at him and smiled. “I like our version better.”

  He caressed up and down my arm. “Me too.” His thumb moved across my cheek as we stared into each other’s eyes. “I just can’t help myself with you. All my good ideas go out the window the second you touch me.”

  “Don’t ever stop touching me.”

  “Never.”

  After I regained my breath, I peeled my body from his and moved to the bathroom. There was a chuckle from the bed as I walked.

  “Best fucking sight ever—my come sliding down your thighs.”

  I rolled my eyes at him.

  Once I was done cleaning up, I threw a wet washcloth at him.

  I crawled back into bed, snuggling into his side. We lay there, tangled together, his hand gently stroking my hair. There was peace and happiness all around that I never wanted to end.

  “I want to put something out there, and I want you to keep an open mind, please,” he said, interrupting the waves crashing against the shore.

  I looked up at him skeptically. “You already fuck my ass.”

  He blinked down at me before his lip curled up, and he let out a chuckle. His lips pressed against my forehead. “Not that, my minx. Something a bit more life altering than anal sex.”

  I grinned at him. “I don’t know, anal was pretty life altering.”

  He groaned. “You better start working that ass open, because when I’m done I’m going to shove my cock in.”

  “But you just…” I trailed off, the twitch of his cock against his stomach drawing my eyes down.

  “Just the thought of fucking your sweet ass gets me hard at any time.”

  I looked up from the entrancing sight of his hardening cock. “All right, baby.”

  “And bringing me back to the subject.”

  “Life altering?”

  “Yes.” He paused, seeming unsure of how to proceed. “We haven’t talked about it, but what do you think about kids?”

  I was frozen in shock. “What?”

  His eyes were locked on mine as he spoke. “I want us to have a baby.”

  I sat up and backed away slightly, swallowing hard. “Nate, I… I don’t know anything about babies or being a mom.”

  He sat up as well, his hand brushing my hair behind my ear. “No, but we can learn. You are so loving, Honeybear. I know you’ll love our children with all that you have. And, you already know how not to treat them.”

  My eyes were wild, looking around the room for anything to get away from the conversation. Once again, it was a subject I’d never broached. I didn’t have a yearning for children, even with my biological clock ticking down. Maybe it was because a loving family was never in my reality scope before I met Nathan.

  He changed everything, and now he was still changing me, making me face what I’d thought was an utter impossibility.

  “You want a baby? Really?” Another fear popped up, almost like I was willing him to say I was right, but at the same time starting to dream about that future. “What about the Marconi?”

  “They’ll always be there, and Darren’s right—I don’t want them to stop me from living my life. I want you to have my baby more than anything. I want a family with you, Lila. So why wait?”

  I was shaking slightly at the thought. Nathan, my husband, was asking me, begging me, to have a family. How could I deny him when I could feel how much he wanted it?

  My mind drifted back to a long ago dream at one of the worst times in my life. In it, we had three children, and our lives seemed to be filled with nothing but happiness. A warmth spread through me at the romantic ideals my subconscious had come up with.

  Yes, I did want the dream. I was afraid, very much so, but that warmth, the love, overpowered the doubt.

  “Okay,” I said in a low voice, then tried again. “Okay, let’s make a family.”

  His face broke out into one of the most brilliant smiles I had ever seen. He took my face in his hands and brought my lips to his in a heated kiss.

  “Thank you.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Nathan

  Waking up in paradise was bittersweet. It was the last day of our honeymoon, and we were heading back to Indianapolis in a few short hours. Lila was snuggled into my side, naked, as the sounds of the ocean filled my ears and the warmth of the sun coming through the windows heated my skin.

  A part of me wanted to stay. If we were two thousand miles away, Marconi would never know what transpired a week ago. Going home meant the possibility, a very good one, of him finding out about Lila. No matter how much I tried to beat back the fear, it still sat in the back of my mind—the beast prowling in his iron cage. He knew and tore at my insides to remind me. My chest tightened at just the thought of it all.

  I stroked my fingers up and down her arm, staring at the white gold band on my hand, still in awe that I’d done it.

  “Fuck. Me,” I whispered as I watched the ring on my finger while my hand drifted up her side. />
  She twitched, but otherwise she kept still and was completely relaxed as she continued to dream.

  I smiled—even while she was out of it, she was still so damn beautiful.

  I ran a fingertip down her arm and watched the flesh turn from pale to a light pink.

  It took me back to the moment when I decided to ask Lila to marry me. The second morning she woke in my arms after officially moving in with me was when it hit—I wanted to be with her every day for the rest of my life.

  Just like today, we had woken up together, but there was something surreal about that moment. It wasn’t her place and my place. It was our place—our home. Lila’s clothes took up residence in the master closet hanging opposite of mine. Her furniture and décor filled the rooms. The spare bedrooms were no longer empty.

  I was no longer empty.

  I sighed and looked at her face. She was still sleeping—my mild attempts to wake her didn’t work, but I wasn’t trying that hard.

  She was mine, and I was hers.

  And I wanted everyone to know it.

  I blew across her skin, smiling as the goose bumps rose. Her face scrunched up in annoyance and she snuggled deeper against me.

  I loved Lila, and I never wanted to be without her.

  With her, I was reborn.

  I lightly ran the tip of my nose across her temple and inhaled the scent of her hair.

  “No more hiding for us. We were never very good at that anyway, but that doesn’t matter now. None of it does. What matters is I’ll always be here for you. Through the upcoming trial…” My gut twisted. Would it break her to live through all those fucked up memories of Adam she’d buried so deep? In some ways it was good that he came after her. It made me realize exactly how much I loved her and needed her in every way. “No one will ever hurt you again, and we won’t ever be separated. I promise.” I kissed her shoulder and released a soft breath across her skin. “I’ll protect you with my dying breath. You’ll always be safe from now on.”

  I stared out the open window, watching the palm fronds sway in the breeze and listening to the waves crash against the shore. Every day should have this kind of peace, but my memories wouldn’t shut off, and neither would my fears that she might be a target now.