KING: Las Vegas Bad Boys (24 page)

I shake my head. I came here lying, looking for my parent’s approval—and somehow, when I became most honest, most true, I found it.

“Now pick out a bloody ring and propose to Claire properly,” Dad says.

“There’s a double wedding to be had, after all,” Mum says, smiling.

I look down at the rows and rows of rings tucked in the velvet box. I know that, while I don’t know Claire’s favorite movie or favorite type of pie, I do know her, and I want a ring that represents that.

A ring that represents my love for her. Just as Dad has told me, for so long, an engagement ring should.

* * *

My friends and family being here feels like a gift I don’t deserve. A
life
I don’t deserve. But as I look around the room—see the smiling faces, listen to the jokes, the laughter—I can’t help but feel this twinge of acceptance well up inside of me.

Maybe I do deserve a life so full, so boundless.

“Do you like Landon?” I ask Mom, while Jack spins Sophia around the room. Apparently they’ve all gotten to know one another quite well over the past twenty-four hours.

“He loves you, and you love him. That’s enough for me.” Mom looks down, collecting her thoughts, and when she looks back up she’s crying. “But to think you found someone as wonderful as him, someone committed to helping you out of the past you were stuck in, someone so welcoming of Sophia and me … I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“Don’t cry, Mom,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her.

“Oh, Claire, for so long you’ve been holed up in hiding—maybe not literally, but emotionally. You’ve kept everyone at a distance. But Landon seems to have cracked your heart wide open.”

I squeeze her tight, so grateful to have her support.

“So what happens next?” Mom asks, sitting back into her seat on the sofa next to Tess

“A double wedding, of course,” Tess says, grinning.

“Don’t, Tess. We aren’t even engaged. And after all the drama with Robert Mackle ... I bet Landon’s going to need to really think through what a relationship with me looks like.”

“You’re so dense,” Tess says. “Did you see the way he looked at you when he walked in here?”

I did. His eyes met mine, above Sophia’s head, and I never wanted to look way.

In my heart, I really don’t think he wanted to either.

A bit later, Landon returns to the room with his parents, and everyone seems to look around not knowing what to do. It’s awkward, because what I really want is to pull Landon in my arms, kiss him, never let him go.

But everyone is watching us.

“Claire, would you help me with my bags?” he asks me, from across the room.

Brandon steps in and speaks before I can answer. “No need, Miss. I already had them brought upstairs.”

“Right.” Landon smiles tightly. “Well, then, perhaps we could get some drinks for everyone from the kitchen?”

The maid, Clarice, appears in the room, holding two bottles of wine. “Pinot, anyone?” she asks, unaware.

“Well.” Landon frowns. “Claire, would you come with me to see the ... err ... stables?”

“What is this, a story circa 1800?” Fiona asks, rolling her eyes. “Just take her. We all know what you’re planning on doing. And be back in an hour for lunch.”

“What
are
you doing, Landon?” Sophia asks.

I see the heat rise to his cheeks. I need to save him from himself.

“Sweet pea, stay here with Gram and your new friends,” I tell her. “I’m going to talk to my best friend, okay?”

Sophia gives me a kiss, and then I stand, smiling at the situation, and follow Landon out of the room.

* * *

W
hen he pulls
me out of the house I’m surprised. I honestly thought we were just headed upstairs, so we could finish what we started there before he was summoned to his parents’ room.

What I really want to do is thank him for being my knight in shining armor this week. For saving me from that awful marriage. For relieving me of my worst fears. For never judging, always accepting. For staying, when it would have been so easy to walk away.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask, my hand in his, as he drags me down the front steps.

“To the stables. That’s what I said, right?”

“You were serious?”

“Completely.” He must see my flummoxed face, because he adds, “What? You don’t like horses?”

“I don’t have an opinion either way, actually.”

“Well, me neither. I just couldn’t bear the thought of taking you upstairs and everyone listening as I fucked you silly.”

“Oh, it’s so good to hear you say that. For a moment I thought you were going to teach me how to ride one of these beasts,” I say, as we enter the massive building, which holds a dozen well-groomed horse in their stalls.

“That would be a complete waste of an hour. Besides, why would I teach you to ride a horse when you can ride me perfectly well?” he asks, deadpan.

But I see the twinkle in his eye. He pulls me to him, his hand on my face, another on my waist, and he kisses me.

The kind of kiss girls dream about. The kind of kiss I’ve always wanted. The kind of kiss that says everything.

That says
you are mine
.

“I missed you,” I say, breathless, once we pull apart.

“Oh, love, you have no fucking clue.”

“Show me,” I tell him. My whole body is alive with desire, with lust, with passion. My core is alive with his hands on my skin, my body wanting to sink against his flesh, run my hands across his back. Take him inside of me.

Landon picks me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist, my hands running through his hair. I kiss his ear, his neck, my breath pressed against his body, his hardness too far away for me to feel.

I want to feel him. All of him.

He leads me to a back room, a changing room where tall leather boots make a tidy row, where stirrup pants hang on hooks beside heavy coats. He locks the door to the windowless room.

“I can’t be apart from you like that again, Claire.”

“I know. Not ever.” My fingers undo the row of buttons on his tailored shirt. Once it’s open, I splay my hands across his strong, firm chest. He is so solid; he makes me feel so safe. I run my fingers over his nipples until they’re hard, and then I reach for his pants. “Thank you for getting the divorce process started.”

“It just better be the last one you ever get.”

“It will be,” I sigh, unzipping his pants, my thumbs hooking against the waistband of both his jeans and boxers.

“It won’t be final for a few days. But Denzel is taking care of it from here on out.”

I nod, grateful that I didn’t have to see that bastard whose name I took, whose life changed mine.

Landon uses the tip of his finger to lift my chin, so our eyes meet.

“I’m sorry, Claire, that you went through all that.”

“It gave me Sophia. And she is my life.” I catch my breath, unexpectedly needing to stifle a sob.

“It’s okay, baby, you can cry with me. You don’t need to hide your tears.”

I believe him, and when he turns me around, unzipping my dress, letting it slip to the floor, then kneels down to take off my heels, to help shimmy down my stockings, I stop trying to hold back.

With Landon, I don’t need to.

I turn back around, facing him. He holds my cheeks in his hands, and his thumbs graze over my cheeks, wiping away my tears.

“You remember how I said you were a bird, back at the airport?” he asks. “That you needed to learn to fly?”

I nod, remembering.

“I’m sorry. I should never have said that to you.” He licks his lips, blinks, and his long eyelashes brush his face. “You’ve known how to fly; you just had a broken wing.”

I can’t speak. Landon has just said all the words. The words that evaporate the fears I’ve held onto so tightly. I thought, before, that he saw me ... now I have no doubt. Now I know.

“Make love to me,” I whisper. And he silently nods.

He steps out of his pants and boxers, his cock so hard I have to blink. But I don’t want to close my eyes; I don’t want to miss a thing.

His rod is massive, and ready for me. I’m nearly salivating at the sight of it, remembering how I pleasured myself yesterday morning when I was in the bed alone, waiting for him, wanting him so badly.

The memory makes my pussy throb, forces me to slip off my panties and unhook my bra. My breasts spill out and his hands are on them in seconds, massaging them. He kisses my flesh, sucks at my nipples.

His face is buried between them and he squeezes them together as if they are the best things he has ever tasted.

I hook a leg around him and, the moment my legs part, his hand reaches down to feel my opening. I know he likes the wetness, because he moans, running his hand down my stretched legs.

Then he looks around and grabs a pile of blankets from the corner. He quickly spreads a few on the ground, and then returns to me.

“Is it okay out here? Not too cold?” he asks.

“You’ll keep me warm.”

We lower ourselves to the ground. Landon’s above me, on his knees, slowly spreading my legs. He presses his face between them. I sink into the blankets as he brings his mouth to my entrance.

“Oh, God,” I moan, as his tongue runs along my slit, easing himself into my folds. I feel my pussy tighten in anticipation. His tongue darts across me, and my head falls back, my shoulders relax, my eyes close. My entire being just gives into him.

My bent knees drop and he reaches a hand to my chest, rolling one of my tits in his hand, as his other hand reaches under my ass, pushing me closer to his face.

“That feels so good, baby,” I tell him, as his fingers slide into me. He sits up, his cock at attention between us, and I reach down to touch it, to hold him, but he is too far away.

“I want to touch you,” I purr.

But he shakes his head, smirking. “You need to come nice and hard first, Claire. You know you like it when you do.”

“I’ll make a mess.”

“Good, I want you to soak these blankets through with your juice. I want your come all over me.”

My chest rises and falls as he pushes another finger into me, causing me to groan in pleasure. “I just want to touch you so bad,” I tell him, as his thumb rolls against my clit, as his fingers rub my g-spot.

The orgasm mounts, and I feel the walls of my pussy shudder as the release washes over me, sending a shock wave to my core, to his fingers as they keep working me, knowing I have more to release if he’s patient.

And he is. With his right hand pressed in me, he uses the tips of his other fingers to rub against my hood nice and fast. So fast I can feel myself getting closer to a screaming, ohmigod-what-have-you-done-to-me orgasm. An orgasm like I’ve never had.

The orgasm vibrates through me, as my release gushes him with my pleasure.

That is what he gives me, on the stable floor. His body, his heart, his everything.

I
’ve gotten
Claire off plenty of times, but never like this. This release is the kind I’ve seen in porn–good porn, mind you–but this is real life.

My life.

My hands slap her slick thighs; my cock is just throbbing with desire. I’ve just watched my woman come all over me, and now I want to come inside her. Fill her up with my cock, and let her remember who has promised to take care of her forever.

I press myself into her, and her pussy is so nice and warm it seems to beg me to go in her deeper. Claire’s body relaxes under me, as if instinctively making more space for my cock.

My body hovers over hers, I run my hand through her soft hair, looking into her deep green eyes. Her eyelids flutter; a satisfied smile crosses her red lips.

“You like that?” I ask, my cock moving in and out as I push her back to the edge.

I know she likes it by the way she moans, the way she grabs my ass and holds tight. Her body responds to mine, and I sit up higher and take hold of both her ankles, swinging them over my shoulders. Her legs are raised in the air, her ass bouncing tight against my groin.

It feels so good, I think I’m going to explode, but I want Claire’s skin pressed against me when I do. So I lift her to me so she sits in my lap. Her legs wrap tight around me. Fuck the Kama Sutra; I have my own sex-goddess right here.

Her tits are pressed against my chest, and I pull her hair from her neck, kissing her bare shoulders, her ears. Her arms tighten around my neck as she breathes me in, swiveling her hips in pleasure.

“Oh, yeah, baby,” I tell her, unable to hold back any longer, not wanting to wait. I want my cock to fill her with my seed.

We come together, my world rocked with her in it—but I’ve never felt so grounded in my fucking life.

* * *

A
fter
, with Claire cradled in my arms, I kiss her forehead, wanting to savor this moment. I know once we go back to the house people will be vying for our attention, and right now I just want her.

Just want us.

“Thank you, again, for filing the divorce papers,” she whispers in my chest. “I don’t think I could have faced Bobbie, after all these years.”

“Stop saying that,” I tell her. I don’t want her thanks; I don’t need it. “You know, Denzel says Bobbie offered money, a settlement for Sophia.”

“I don’t want Sophia to ever feel tied to him. When she’s older, if she wants to meet him, she can ... but we aren’t taking anything from him. He’s already taken enough from me.”

“I know, baby, I know.” I kiss her again, pulling her closer to me. “Sophia is just lovely, Claire. You’ve done such a good job with her.”

“Thank you,” she says. “That is a compliment I never have to ask twice for.”

“Yeah, she seems to like me, too,” I say, smiling.

“How could she not?”

“Right?” I use my finger and bring Claire’s chin up so she’s looking at me. “But truly, we got along really well.”

“Good, I want you two to get along. It’s so important if this is going to work.”

“Agreed.” I want to reach over and pull the ring from the pocket of my pants, the ones strewn on the floor. I want to get down on one knee.

But suddenly I’m nervous. Maybe Claire would rather I wait to propose, until things are more established between us. Until I’ve taken her on at least one proper date.

I hope that isn’t the case, because she needs to be mine.

“We should probably go back to the house,” she says, breaking my line of thought. “It’s been an hour.”

“Okay,” I say, reluctantly moving to get up, knowing the moment has passed. Wanting to catch her off guard, but also at peace.

She doesn’t need any more unhappy surprises in her life.

* * *

I
n the house
, everyone is gathering in the dining room for a meal. The moment we walk in all eyes turn expectantly to Claire’s ring finger, but it remains bare.

Ace looks at me, shaking his head, mouthing the word
pussy
—and I know he’s right.

I should have had the balls to do it back in the stables.

Trays of food are brought out—sandwiches and salads—and everyone begins to eat. I worked up a fucking appetite and, besides that, I’m grateful for a distraction.

I want the proposal to be perfect. Totally Claire. I’m just not sure how to top the engagement at the airport. It was pretty spectacular, even if it was completely fake.

“We’ve been discussing the plans for the new club,” McQueen tells me. “The ladies think it sounds pretty cool.”

I lower my gaze at him, and then cock my head toward Sophia.

“Sorry, man.”

“What is the club?” asks Claire, the only one out of the loop.

“I finally figured out the perfect idea for the property we invested in. I thought we could use it to help the cash flow for The King’s Diamond, but my parents have solved that problem all on their own.”

“We just need a new General Manager for the club. Now that Landon owns The King’s Diamond, he can’t do both,” Jack says.

“Truly?” Claire asks my parents—surprised, and rightly so. A few days ago we were faced with bankruptcy.

“Yes, we were just looking in the wrong place,” Dad says. “We had the money we needed all along. And Landon and Geoffrey are going to team up and run the business. Looks like I needed two successors, after all. My boys are taking over the business.”

“Wow ... that’s great news,” Claire says, not at all convincing me with her words. She seems upset, in all actuality “Will you be moving here, Landon?” Worry is written on her face.

“Honestly, we hadn’t gotten that far. It’s to be determined, I suppose,” Geoffrey says for me.

I see the fear bubbling up in Claire’s chest, and she blinks rapidly. “Oh. Okay. Well, that’s exciting.”

And then she’s crying. Full-on tears down her face.

“What’s wrong, Mama?” Sophia asks, jumping up from her chair in worry.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Eva says, gently nudging Sophia back in her chair.

“Claire,” I tell her. “I’m not going to be working anywhere apart from you. I promise.”

“Don’t,” she says, shaking her head, whispering. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“‘I’m not doing anything of the sort,” I tell her emphatically, standing from the table, and then pushing her chair out.

“Then what are you saying? I just ... Landon, I can’t handle the disappointment.”

“I love you, Claire.”

“I love you, too, Landon, but.—”

“But nothing. I love you and I always will.”

She shakes her head, looks around the now-silent room. Everyone is watching us.

This isn’t the airport at Heathrow, hundreds of people watching me drop to one knee.

But I don’t need hundreds. The people with us now are all the people we love in the world, our closest friends and family. The people who have been there for us through thick and thin.

I kneel before her, pulling the ring from my pocket. Her chin quivers and my hand trembles as I stare into her perfect green eyes.

“I thought if I got a job and a house, then I might be good enough for you. The truth is, there’s an empty penthouse above the Vegas branch of The King’s Diamond, with my name on the title. I’ve got a job, and I can have my home base in Vegas. The thing is, even if I had none of those things, I’d be a fool not to try to convince you to marry me.

“Because the fact is, Claire, I will always be hoping I’m enough for you—fighting, striving to be a better man for you and Sophia. I don’t deserve you. I know that. But damn it, I love you. And I need you to be my wife. Marry me, and make me the happiest man in the world.”

I raise the diamond ring to her. Three equal size stones, each five carats, glistening as I offer her my whole heart.

She takes it.

“Yes, a million times yes.”

I don’t hesitate; I slide the engagement ring on her finger.

Then she flings her arms around me. I kiss her, and I could keep kissing her forever, but then Jack coughs and breaks us up. Because there’s an entire room watching us.

I’ll save the rest of the kiss until I can take her back to the stables. Or the bedroom. Or the potting shed. Or the bathroom. Okay, clearly I can have sex with this woman anywhere—and now, I’ll have her for the rest of my life.

I don’t deserve her but, fuck, I will do everything I can to love her for the rest of our lives.

“Mama?” Sophia asks, walking over to us. “Mama, you’re marrying your BFF?”

“I am, sweet pea.” Claire wipes tears from her face.

“I have something for you too, Sophia,” I say, pulling out a small gold ring shaped like an infinity symbol; tiny diamonds fleck the band. Mum said it was the perfect first diamond ring, and that her granddaughter deserved a promise from me, too.

“It’s too much,” Claire says, shaking her head, looking over at my mum and dad.

“No, Claire, it isn’t,” Dad says, adamant.

“This is for you, princess,” I tell Claire, slipping the ring on her right hand ring finger. “We can be a family now, your mum says so.”

“And you’ll be my daddy? I’ve never had one of those before.” She wraps her arms around me, and at that I start crying too. But I don’t feel like a pussy. I feel like a goddamned man.

And as I hold them close, tucked in my arms, I know one thing: When you live in the shallow water you have to keep kicking to stay afloat, but the deep end is where you can dive.

And who wants to simply float through life when you have the chance to swim, hand in hand, in uncharted waters with the people you love?

* * *

This is insane. Like, literally insane.

A week ago, the love of my life got down on one knee in the dining room of his family’s freaking estate and gave me a fifteen-carat diamond ring.

And I said yes.

And now I am wearing a wedding gown—white organza to the floor, a strapless sweetheart neckline. With a diamond encrusted waistband, and flowers in my hair.

How is this my life?

It’s like the moment I said yes to the possibility of a happily ever after, I was given one.

“Mama,” Sophia asks, tugging on my hand. “When does the party start?”

“Soon, Sophia. Can you wait a few more minutes? Then we get to walk down the aisle.”

“I get to throw flowers down the aisle, right?”

“Sure do, sweet pea.”

Emmy and Tess walk over to where I’m standing. The hairstylist is fixing my hair under the diamond tiara Sophia and Helen picked out for me.

“Is it too much?”

“Never too much,” Tess says, laughing. “Honestly, though, it looks perfect.”

“You really are a beautiful bride, Claire,” Emmy says. “Fiona, you too.” Emmy looks over at my future sister-in-law, who stands a few feet away.

Fiona’s gown is mermaid-style with long lace sleeves, and the cut hugs her curves. I never would have guessed Fiona had such a smoking body under her pantsuits.

“This is really happening, isn’t it?” Fiona asks, her face seemingly lined with worry. Looking at her more closely, I notice she’s biting her nails.

“It sure is,” I tell her, walking over and patting her arm. “You doing okay?”