Cards of Love: Death, page 11
“I wanted to give you space.” He looks down. “Meeting the void is stressful enough as it is. Add in everything else... You deserved better. More time. A more...” He sighs. “A more thoughtful companion.”
Ari steps down off the porch and pauses in front of me. I struggle between looking him in the eye or glaring at his shiny shoes but the decision is made by my warm, racing heart.
I look up, feeling a tepid fire in my cheeks.
“Tannis, I’m sorry,” he says. “You’d think a man like me would have learned patience a long time ago.”
My lips twitch. “Well, I’ve heard that I tend to bring patience out in people, so...”
He smiles.
I breathe through a quake in my chest. “I have to go with you,” I say. “I know that.”
His face gently falls. “Do you want to?” he asks.
“I don’t not want to. If that makes sense.” I hesitate, torn between worlds. “I want to live and breathe and… love.” I look at him again and my heart skips. “But I don’t want you to be alone anymore.”
I step forward and pull my hand from my pocket. Ari watches with deep fascination as I rest my palm on his chest.
“And this…” I pause, feeling the charge pulse throughout my own heart. “I can feel everything. Your hope, your pain. This feeling between us is there for a reason… and I shouldn’t be scared of it anymore.”
Ari places his hand over mine and holds it against him. “Tannis…”
“In my sleep.” My lip quivers. “That’s the preferred way to go, isn’t it? Nice and quiet and…” My throat tightens. “Will it hurt?” I ask.
He cups my face and draws me in. He kisses my forehead, my cheeks, and my nose. “No need to think about that yet,” he whispers. “I still have one more promise to keep.”
I squint in question as he leaves a soft kiss on my lips.
“Close your eyes,” he says.
My eyes flutter closed as his mouth envelopes mine again. He pulls me against him, wrapping a strong arm around my back and holding me still as the ground disappears beneath my feet. I keep my eyes closed, easily comforted by his firm kiss.
Within moments, I feel the ground beneath me again but it’s not hard like the concrete sidewalk. It’s soft like dirt. My nose perks to the scent of the outdoors. A warm wind teases my skin — skin that was covered just moments before.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Ari says, placing his hands on my shoulders. “And stand... right...” He shifts me a side step to the left. “Here.”
I laugh beneath the sound of a bird singing in the trees. “Where did you take me?” I ask.
“Just a second.”
His touch disappears but I wait.
“Can I open them yet?” I ask.
“No.” His voice sounds far away.
I sigh. “How about now?”
“Okay,” he says, suddenly in front of me again. “Open your eyes.”
I open them to find myself standing in front of another porch. It takes a moment but I recognize the woods from before and the cabin we created to weather the storm together.
“What are we doing back here?” I ask, taking in the strangely warm weather.
I look at Ari and my heart pulses twice. He stands beside me in a jet black tuxedo and presents a small velvet box to me.
“I promised a wedding,” he says.
My breath catches as I notice what I’m wearing.
A sleeveless dress. Long, silk, and white.
“Ari…” I say, out of words.
Ari turns to face me and opens the box, revealing the old diamond ring sitting inside. “Your mother gave me this,” he says. “Said it belonged to your great-grandmother.”
I nod, recognizing it. “It was the only thing she had in her pocket when she came here from Greece,” I say. “Mom always said she’d give it to the man who loved me someday.”
He pulls the ring free and reaches for my left hand. “She told me…” I straighten my fingers for him, “that I should always listen and never shout. To always be respectful and never neglect. To always be strong but to never make you feel weak. I said those sounded like vows. She said you’re damn right, those are vows.”
I laugh. Leave it to my mother to school a god.
Ari slides the ring onto my finger. “I love you, Tannis,” he says. “I will spend forever making you love me back. As long as it takes.”
The ring shimmers beneath the sunlight and I bite down to smother the tears building behind my eyelashes.
“I don’t think it’ll take that long,” I say.
Ari smiles, that old amusement curling up his cheek.
The cabin door opens and my parents poke their heads out. Mom’s jaw drops as she gazes at the dress and my father hangs back, his eyes full of emotion but staying strong.
“Honey, you look beautiful,” Mom says, quickly walking toward me.
Ari steps off to the side as Mom throws her arms around me.
“Thank you,” I say. I smother myself in her, inhaling her scent while I still can.
“So damn beautiful,” she says, her voice strained. She leans back and sighs as she admires me, which only makes the lump in my throat nearly choke me.
Dad reaches for my hand. “Well, let us see it already — been waiting decades here.”
I laugh as I hold out my hand for them. They both take hold of it, one gripping each side.
“You guys planned a wedding?” I ask.
My mother sniffs quietly. “Oh, nothing fancy. Or even official. Just… this.” She looks me up and down again. “We really wanted to see you like this. Just once.”
I swallow hard.
“And…” Dad clears his throat, “we wanted you to know how proud of you we are. This hasn’t been easy for anyone — most of all you. And we are sorry for that, honey. We really are.”
“It’s okay, Dad,” I say, looking at Ari. “I don’t blame you. I don’t.”
“And we love you.” He flexes his jaw. “More than you could ever—”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Owen,” Mom says over him. “Please don’t make us all bawl before I can get a picture.”
He backs off, discreetly wiping his own cheek. “Sorry— I know—”
I chuckle as I step toward him and bury my face in his chest.
“And you.” Mom points a finger at Ari. “You remember what I told you.”
Ari nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And I don’t care if you are a god. If you hurt one hair on her head, I will hunt you down and murder you.”
He smiles. “I’m sure you could.”
She shifts on her feet. “And bring her home every so often,” she adds. “A girl always needs her parents.”
“I will.”
“And don’t…” Her lip trembles. “Aw, hell. Now I’m doing it.”
I hug her again and she squeezes me hard. “I’ll be okay, Mom,” I say. “I promise.”
Dad slams into my back, tightly sandwiching me between them and I hold my breath through the long group hug.
When they finally pull away, I glance at Ari again. He stands by without a hint of impatience, silently watching with a short smile.
“I trust him,” I say, meaning it. “You don’t have to worry about us.”
Mom composes herself and nods. “I know.”
“We still will, though,” Dad says.
“Oh, of course.”
He smiles. “But we know.”
They take another long look at me before stepping off to the side. Dad takes Mom’s hand and the two of them straighten up in respect as they turn to Ari.
“Ari,” my father says, “we release her.”
Ari steps forward to stand beside me. My heart races deep in my chest, driven by an adrenaline mix of excitement and nerves, but as I look up into his kind, gentle eyes, I breathe easier.
I have always been his queen.
Ari extends his hand to me.
And I take it.
Chapter 17
I never gave much thought to my wedding day.
I suppose I pictured it like most girls do. A gorgeous chapel full of family and friends, surrounded by bridesmaids and groomsmen and all of that. Flowers and live music, dancing on into the night with my one and only until a stretch limo pulls up and whisks us away to our happily ever after.
But that fantasy ultimately pales in comparison to today.
Just me, my parents, and my one and only at a lonely cabin out in the woods. Pictures were taken and drinks were had. Stories were told and tears were shed. Lives were changed.
Forever.
Ultimately, I think all breaks in grand tradition were worth it just to see the look on my father’s face as he and my mother ride off in a car with no driver.
I wave at them from the cabin’s porch with one hand, the other lovingly clasped in my husband’s palm. I mutter one final goodbye to them, somehow finding the strength not to cry anymore, as the tail lights disappear into the night.
I exhale slowly. “Now what?” I ask.
Ari smirks with one shoulder casually leaning against the banister. “It’s still your day, Tannis,” he says. “What do you want to do?”
Blanks. I can do anything I want, go anywhere I please. But still, I draw blanks.
“What do you want to do?” I ask him instead.
Ari pushes off the banister. He stands beside me, his hand still softly nestled in mine, as he gazes at me. “I want to give my wife a wedding night,” he says.
He scoops me up into his arms before I can say a word. I chuckle, barely able to even think, as he walks us through the open door of the cabin. He moves with ease, kicking off his shoes and kissing my cheeks at the same time. A feeling washes over me, the same one I felt ten-thousand feet above the earth.
Safe.
We reach the bed and Ari gently sets me down. I settle onto it but I still cling to his arms, not wanting to let go of him for even a moment.
Ari sits down beside me and brings my hand to his lips. “Unless,” he smirks, “you have a better idea.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No.”
He kisses my palm before holding it to his chest. “You looked so beautiful tonight.”
I sit up, biting my lip as I admire his suit. “Didn’t look too bad yourself,” I say as I lovingly tug on his tie.
He grunts softly. “Never been a big fan of ties.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Well, it’s a fan of you, my friend.”
He laughs as I loosen it with both hands. I slide it free and drape it over his shoulders, letting his collar hang open.
“Better?” I ask.
“Better,” he repeats.
I pull on both ends, forcing him to lean toward me, and we meet in the middle for a kiss. Ari slides closer and brings his warm hands to my cheeks, taking me with an even deeper kiss that I feel all the way down to my toes.
“My queen,” he whispers, our mouths blending together. His hands slide up my back and he pinches the zipper at the nape of my neck. “I need you.”
My lips curl against his. “You said that last time.”
He rests a firm hand on the back of my head as he slowly pulls the zipper down with the other. “Nothing,” he says, looking me in the eye, “in this world or the next will stop me tonight.”
My dress hangs loosely around my torso as his kiss drops to my neck. “Except me,” I say, jokingly.
His teeth etch a gentle line along my shoulder. “Yes, I will stop if you tell me to.” His desperate breath tingles my skin. “But I really hope you don’t.”
I kiss his cheek and he raises his head to crush our lips together, fueled by an aching fire between us. I clumsily open the buttons on his shirt, my fingers shaking with nerves from the top to the bottom. He straightens up as I push the shirt down his shoulders, exposing his perfect body to me once again. I admire him in the firelight, biting my lip and swallowing hard as urges strike me down.
His touch trails along my back, fingers hovering over the clasp on my bra. “Tannis,” he whispers my name, asking permission.
“Keep going,” I say, offering him a soft kiss. “I want you to…”
He easily unhinges it and the strapless bra tumbles from my breasts to my lap. Ari bites his lip as he keeps his eyes on mine and I nearly laugh at his restraint.
I shimmy my dress and panties down my hips. I cast them aside, letting them fall off the bed to the floor, and lie down on the pillow with my body completely exposed. For a moment, I feel silly as if I’m a platter of food on a table, but at the same time, not so silly at all. It’s honorable, in a way, to offer myself to my king.
Ari looks me up and down, his chest rising and falling fast. I study his face as a shadow falls over his eyes, blocking the extreme desire for a brief moment.
I reach out to caress his cheek. “What are you thinking about?” I ask.
He blinks twice. “It’s not obvious by now?”
I run my hand down his neck to his body, letting my fingers ride the waves his abs. “You went somewhere else for a second,” I say. “Where’d you go?”
He pauses, his throat bobbing as he swallows. “A hiker in Spain,” he mutters. “He fell.”
I sit up, sliding forward to be as close to him as possible.
He rests his head on my shoulder and exhales. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I run my hands through his hair. “For doing your job?”
“For interrupting…” His voice fades away.
I kiss his head. “You don’t have to apologize,” I say. “You wanted a companion, didn’t you? Here I am.”
Ari lifts his head and gives a short smile. “You’re an amazing woman, my love,” he says.
I shrug a shoulder. “I’m all right.”
He chuckles as he cradles me in a warm embrace again. “When I touch you, it stops.” His lips graze mine. “I hear nothing, see nothing… but you… and I remember how it feels to not feel so numb.”
I kiss him and he clings to me the way I clung to him. “I’m here,” I whisper. “I’m yours.”
Ari takes hold of me and quickly shifts us both onto the mattress. I lie back, my pulse quickening as he towers over me. He kisses me with lust on his breath as I reach down to slide his belt free. His muscles flex as he watches my hands between us. I push his pants down over his rear and he sits back to kick them the rest of the way off.
I spread my legs and he positions himself between them as he balances over me on his arms. His hardness presses into my hip and I involuntarily clench as my body remembers the sharp pain from before.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, I’m…” I nod a few too many times. “Just nervous.”
He kisses me softly and shifts onto one arm. “So am I,” he says, smiling. “But I’ve got you.”
My skin tingles as he moves a hand down my body. My nipples bead beneath his wandering palm and I quiver as it touches my belly and lands on my inner thigh. He distracts me with a kiss before teasing his hand closer.
I gasp as his fingertip traces circles. “Ari…”
He silences me with a hard kiss, tasting my moans as he plays with me. Every touch rattles my core with new pleasures, igniting an instinct for something more. He slides a finger inside of me and I tremble from the wild thrill of it as I hold onto him. The heel of his hand presses into me and I buck from the throbbing sensations begging to be released.
A second finger pushes inside and I feel a dull stretch. I clench again but the desire building in me makes me forget the discomfort before it even begins.
“Oh, my god,” I gasp.
Ari smirks. “Yes?”
I laugh as I grab him and pull him closer. Ari takes his hand away and settles between my legs. Our bodies align like perfect puzzle pieces and my nerves subside.
I want him. I want him to take me and make me his queen.
Ari shifts his hips forward, teasing me a little bit more. We lock in, completely entranced with one another. Every touch and sound sparks a scolding fire between us until we can’t take the tease any longer.
He thrusts slowly and his tip eases inside of me. I grow tense, expecting the same pain as before, but I feel a slow-building pleasure deep within me instead. Ari watches me closely, ready to stop when I say so, but my body relaxes on its own. I lean up to kiss him, silently urging him to continue, and his body answers with another shallow thrust.
Ari moves slowly, making me feel everything. I lose myself quickly to quivering breaths and throbbing muscles. Blood travels to places I’ve never felt before, bringing with it a pleasure I can’t begin to describe.
“Ari,” I moan his name.
He smiles in response and guides my hands upward, firmly pinning them to the bed. I turn my head, stealing a kiss from his nearby lips. He kisses me back, softly grunting as he grinds me a little faster. I tremble, gripping his hands as I fall to pieces beneath him.
“Fuck,” Ari whispers. He rests his head on my shoulder, his manhood still throbbing inside of me, as his breath heaves in and out. “You feel amazing,” he says.
I entwine our fingers and he pins me even tighter. “Don’t stop,” I tell him, burning for him.
Ari kisses me, enveloping my mouth as he takes me harder and faster. I angle my hips to meet his thrusts, relying on some wild instinct to make us both crumble.
“Tannis—” He releases a deep grunt as he lets go of my hands. “Hold onto me.”
I wrap my free arms around him, happy to obey him. He grabs me by the waist and lifts me up, making me feel dizzy as he shifts himself into a seated position and sits me onto his lap. I curl my legs around him as he guides himself back inside. I instantly freeze, unsure what to do.
“Don’t think about it,” he says, smiling at the panic in my eyes. He eases me closer, pushing himself deeper inside, and I gasp at the new pleasures radiating up my spine.
I place my hands on his legs beneath me to find balance. He keeps his hold on my hips and kisses my chest, drawing a tender line up my cleavage to my collarbone.
Heat spreads throughout my core. Blood pulses beneath my skin. I close my eyes, bewitched by the feeling of him. His hands on me. His body in mine. Tears build in my eyes but I don’t want to stop. I never want this night to end.
