Her brown eyes widened in shock and her words trailed off when she spotted the jewelry box I’d just taken out of my pocket. After flipping the box open with my thumb, I pulled the bridal set out so I was ready to slide it onto Addilyn’s finger.
“Whoa! Where did you get those?” Addilyn gasped, peering down at the three-carat oval diamond engagement ring and matching diamond-studded wedding band in awe.
“I made a call to the jeweler while you were shopping for a dress and had them dropped off when you were getting ready,” I explained.
“Double whoa! I had no idea it was possible to just call up for something like these.” She traced her fingertip over the platinum band of the engagement ring.
Amanda looked at the bouquet before saying, “With the power Knox has around here, he can snap his fingers and get pretty much anything he wants.”
“Like me,” Addilyn giggled, swaying on her feet toward me.
Knowing my bride was still drunk as hell, I gave the officiant a look to let him know to get on with the ceremony. I slid my rings on her finger at the appropriate time. Then I reached into my other pocket when he mentioned my ring. It was also platinum with a satin finish and beveled edges. I’d asked for the biggest width and thickness available because I was damn proud to wear a symbol of our commitment to each other for everyone to see.
“You really pulled out all the stops,” Addilyn murmured as she slid my ring onto my finger.
“Damn straight, I did.” As soon as she suggested we get married tonight, I’d run with it. Each time my conscience reared its head, telling me that I shouldn’t take advantage of Addilyn’s drunken idea, I forced it down and reminded myself that the truth came out when people were drunk. She wouldn’t have thought of marrying me unless she actually wanted to. Plus, I would’ve talked her into it soon enough if she hadn’t suggested it tonight. She was meant to be my wife. Period.
When the officiant finally got to the part where I could kiss the bride, I lowered my head and claimed Addilyn’s mouth in a passionate kiss. I tangled one of my hands in her hair at the back of her head and pressed the other against the smooth skin exposed by her dress at her lower back. I didn’t lift my head until Amanda mumbled, “Uh, maybe you guys should get a room.”
“Great idea!” Addilyn cried, pulling on my arm to lead me down the aisle and out of the chapel. “Where’s the registration desk?”
“No need for that.” I guided her to the elevators and slid in my identification card to access the penthouse floor where I had a suite. Drew had insisted on making it available to me because of the hours I kept, and I’d eventually gotten rid of my apartment since I was rarely there. I’d never been happier to live at the hotel than now, only minutes away from getting my new wife into the privacy of the space I called home.
Pressing her against the wall inside the elevator, a deep growl crept up my throat as I kissed her. I knew damn well that the footage on the cameras in here wasn’t watched as closely as the ones on the casino floor, but I hated even the slightest possibility of one of my men seeing Addilyn in a state of arousal. Luckily, the ride up was quick since my card allowed us to bypass the other floors, and the doors quickly slid open again.
Sweeping Addilyn into my arms, I carried her down the hall to my door and waved my card in front of the knob to unlock it. I strode through the living room and straight into my bedroom with her still in my arms. When I set her on the edge of my bed, my need for her grew fiercer. Reluctantly pulling away from her, I strode toward my walk-in closet. “I’ll get you one of my shirts and a pair of boxers to sleep in.”
“But—”
I didn’t give her the chance to argue before I ducked into my closet, but it turned out to be a tactical error because she used the moment I was gone to strip out of her dress. The soft material was pooled at her feet on the floor, leaving her in nothing but a white lace panty and bra set. “Fuck,” I groaned, shoving my shirt and boxers into her hands. “Put these on, baby. I only have so much willpower when it comes to you.”
“Why do you need any?” A lock of dark hair nestled between her breasts when she tilted her head to the side. “Isn’t it customary for the groom to ravish his virgin wife on their wedding night?” Her lips formed a sexy pout and my cock throbbed painfully.
“Not when she’s had too much to drink and won’t remember it in the morning,” I grumbled as I pulled the shirt down over her head and helped her stick her arms through the holes before pulling the boxers up her legs. Keeping my eyes averted from the spot where I could smell her sweet arousal was one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life.
“Fine,” she huffed with a sniffle before crawling under the covers and grumbling something about how easy it was for me to say no to sex.
If she only knew that I wanted to fuck my bride more than I wanted to take my next breath. There were only two reasons I was able to hold back—it would be all kinds of wrong to have sex with Addilyn while she was drunk—especially if it wasn’t just the alcohol talking when she called herself a virgin bride—and I wasn’t going to let her out of this bed until I finally had her. But if her little sniffle had turned into outright tears and she
