Page 57 of Midnight Danger

My fingers gripped the bedding, eyes closed, mouth open. Nothing compared to the sensation of Xavier so deep in me that our bodies became one. He pushed us both over the edge until we were lying on the bed panting.

“Definitely no annulment now,” he muttered into the crook of my neck.

I bumped my ass back against him. “There goes my escape plan.”

His deep chuckle coaxed a smile to my lips, our hands joined together on my stomach.

The private chefs had prepared a beautiful meal that reminded me of the Christmases from so long ago when we all sat around a table as a family. Xavier had taken today and created something special and intimate. His Uncle Lucas smiled like a benevolent father and told stories of Xavier when he was young and wild on his estate in Tuscany. It put a different twist on his childhood. He may look like his father, but his personality echoed his uncle who seemed to have a parenting role in his life.

Our cake was three layers and decorated in flocks of ivory butterflies. Every layer was different and equally as delicious, the red velvet being my favourite. Xavier’s eyebrow quirked when I took another slice and I knew we were both thinking of him telling me to eat plenty of calories earlier.

I had no idea how Xavier had managed every small detail in such a short time, even the wedding organiser had said he’d been the mastermind behind everything. It was as if he looked into my soul and found everything I needed for today.

There was no band, but we’d spent enough time together to know each other’s taste in music. Xavier swirled me around the huge living room, humming the tune as music played in the background. I imagined the ghosts of my family watching from wherever they resided, sharing in this special day.

Some little girls planned their wedding day, but I’d never known what I wanted until Xavier gave it to me. There were no huge displays of flowers or excess pomp, merely a gathering of family to celebrate the love two people had for each other.

My wedding day was perfect.

Jordan danced with Megan, and I knew watching her that she was still in love with him. He was the first man she seemed comfortable with. Megan proclaimed she’d loved Mark when she put that white dress on and arrived at the church, but she never looked at him the way she did Jordan. It was a blessing in disguise that her ex-fiancé was a cheating asshole.

Ash and Lucrezia were chatting beside the picture window, their heads close together, before he held his hand out to her and tugged her into a dance. Their body language was stiff for the first song before they started to melt together.

Lucas sat beside the open fire with a glass of scotch in his hand watching everything with predator precision. Hugh Bartholomew was the head of his household, but there was no doubt in my mind after meeting him that Lucas was the beating heart of this family. He possessed the same fierce determination to protect everyone that Xavier did.

“How are you feeling, Mrs. Bartholomew?” Xavier’s deep voice growled against my ear, sending delicious shivers down my spine.

My arms tightened around him, dragging him impossibly closer to me. “Right now?” I queried. “I’m in love with my husband. He’s the tall guy with black hair and the bluest eyes. If you see him, you’ll have to run because he can be scary when provoked.”

His laugh vibrated along my throat. “I’ll keep a lookout for him. Surely he couldn’t blame me for wanting to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room?”

“Hmmm.” I snuggled closer, never wanting today to end. Being here with family made the horrors of the past few weeks fade away.

There were times I wanted to be angry at Xavier, but then I remembered the look in his eyes when he found and saved me. The raw emotion, the terror and pain made everything else fade away. I’d already been missing him, needing to hear his voice that night had saved my life. The small bruise and needle mark on my ankle a few days later told me he’d put the tracker in me that he threatened.

The old Cassandra would have been horrified at the possessiveness of his actions. I was beginning to realise there was strength in vulnerability, and safety in his love. Xavier gave me something I never knew was missing from my life, an element that made me complete.

I lost track of time, dancing in the living room in my bare feet, my beautiful shoes sitting on a chair.

“I guess this is when we say goodnight,” Xavier said, stopping to draw me beside him. “Cas is trying to fall asleep on me, so I’m going to put her to bed.”

Jordan rolled his eyes and grinned. “You’re only worried you won’t be able to consummate the wedding and she’ll be able to escape your evil clutches.”

Xavier’s lips skimmed my forehead. “This woman is going nowhere without me beside her.” His tone screamed ownership, his hand at my waist biting into it with possession. There was nowhere in this world I would ever be able to run and hide from Xavier. I should be terrified, but all I felt inside was gratitude that the intensity of his emotions matched mine.

“Sod off, Jay,” I snapped. “Zee made sure he took care of the consummation hours ago.”

A salacious smile curved Jordan’s mouth as he laughed. “I should have known he would never be able to wait. You dirty bas—”

“Stop!” Xavier cut him off and covered my tummy with his hands. “No cursing in front of the baby.”

Lucas laughed and lifted his glass. “I knew I would be a grandpapa very soon.”

“That’s my role,” Hugh snarked.

“You will be a grandfather, but I will be the grandpapa,” Lucas retaliated, standing to hold his arms out. “I knew she was the one when you spoke of her in Tuscany.”

Xavier rolled his eyes at me but allowed his uncle to hug him. That image was the moment I decided that I wanted our children to be showered in love and affection. It was the difference between being a genetic parent or Mum and Dad. I wanted our children to have the childhood I experienced. Even now I felt the warmth of my mother’s love.

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