Broken Together (49 page)

“I
love you,” Rafael whispered.

I
gazed at him adoringly. “I love you too.”

*
* * * *

Rafael
eyed my bouncing knee. “Are you okay?”

I
pawed at my seatbelt. “This is taking forever. Why haven’t we leveled off?”

His
brow furrowed. “Do you need to use the restroom?”

I
was still trying to figure out how a baby the size of a green pepper could
squeeze the life out of my bladder. “No,” I grumbled irritably. “I don’t have
to pee.”

He
continued studying me. “Are you worried about the wedding?”

“What?
No, of course not.” I forced my knee to stop.

He
looked stumped. “Then why are you so anxious to get out of your seat?”

The
intercom dinged. “We’ve reached thirty-six thousand feet, which is our cruising
altitude...”

“Finally!”
I ripped the seatbelt off.

Rafael
stood.

I
grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bedroom. “I
need
sex.”

“Last
night wasn’t enough?” He choked back a laugh.

I
tugged my shirt off. “I don’t know why, but I need sex really,
really
bad.” My shoes, socks, jeans, and undergarments fell to the floor.

His
eyes heated while amusement danced on his lips. “Well, I’m happy to help you
with that.”

I
watched him undress. “This is your son’s doing. You do know that?” I pushed him
onto the bed.

Rafael
grinned when I climbed on top of him. “That’s one thoughtful kid.”

I
groaned when he latched onto my breast. “I need you inside of me. Now.”

He
suckled my breasts while I positioned him. Suddenly, he grabbed my hips and
thrust.

Pleasure
licked my core. “Don’t move,” I pleaded.

He
stopped breathing.

“I
just… I’m on the verge of… Oh, God!” Spasms wracked my body.

Rafael
laughed while he gently caressed my back. “That was easy.”

“I’m
not done,” I whimpered.

He
stared at me in disbelief.

My
eyes narrowed. “Well you shouldn’t have laughed. I felt that, and… Ugh!” I
grunted when Rafael rolled me beneath him.

He
forced my hands over my head and thrust. “How’s this?”

My
eyes glazed over. “Better.”

“How
about this?” He thrust even harder.

I
moaned more than spoke my response.

He
buried himself to the hilt.

“More,”
I pleaded. There was something terribly wrong with me. My skin literally
crawled with need.

His
hands squeezed my breasts. He pinched both nipples while he thrust. I braced my
hands against the headboard. My ankles slipped. My hips rose.

Rafael
pinned my knees to my shoulders and thrust… hard and fast… then deep and slow. Every
time I neared release, he switched it up. I grew mindless with lust.

Finally,
Rafael lost it. He pounded
relentlessly
.

My
hands fisted in his hair as I dragged his lips toward mine.

He
drove inside of me with unconscionable force. Once… twice… three times.

The
room sheeted white. My back arched as the most intense orgasm I’d ever known
tore through me. Rafael groaned as he pulsed inside of me. I writhed beneath
him, savoring the heat.

“More?”
he inquired warily.

My
nipples hardened against his chest. I pulled his hips close until he was buried
deeper than he’d ever been before. “Lots, lots more.”

*
* * * *

I
tucked the towel around my chest and rose from the thickly padded bed. The
heated stone massage was heavenly. I loved that the Penha Longa Spa offered
massages outside next to their botanical garden, a contrast pool, and a private
waterfall. I dipped my toes into the Jacuzzi before perching on the tile. I’d
read somewhere that pregnant women weren’t supposed to submerge their bellies
in Jacuzzis, so my legs would have to suffice for now.

I
took a deep breath, savoring the soft, soapy scent of the botanical gardens and
the salty tang of the ocean. Birds chirped happily while I basked in the sun.
This place was so peaceful, I could linger here for days.

I
couldn’t believe how calm I felt. We were getting married in less than
twenty-four hours. My friends and family were settled into the hotel. Every
wedding guest was here… well, everyone except Maxim. He was busy running a
country, so I wasn’t expecting him to show.

I
felt a flutter in my tummy. I leaned back and caressed my stomach. Babies did
weird things to your body, and they demanded everything in the extreme. I
wasn’t just nauseous, I was
insanely
nauseous. I wasn’t just hungry, I
was
ravenously
hungry. I didn’t just have to pee… I had to pee
now
.

And
the sex,
holy cow,
the sex. Now wasn’t that the best kept secret among
the pregnant crowd? Every nerve ending in my body felt so much more sensitive.
Blood was pounding in places I never even new existed. I didn’t just need sex,
I was pretty certain I’d die without it. Now I knew why men liked their women
barefoot and pregnant, and why women truly loved being pregnant. All those
extra hormones turned them into sex addicts.

We
had spent nearly the entire flight in bed having sex. I slept while Rafael
worked the next day. When he arrived home, I greeted him at the door naked. We
enjoyed another night of marathon sex. Tuesday and Wednesday played out the
exact same way. Our friends and family arrived Thursday, and now here we were
at the Penha Longa Resort, just hours away from our rehearsal dinner. Since we
were planning to sleep separately tonight, I was left questioning whether I
could survive two and a half days without sex.

“A
penny for your thoughts.” Shae dipped her toe in the Jacuzzi and sat down
beside me.

I
chuckled, too embarrassed to respond.

“Are
you worried about the wedding?” she inquired curiously.

I
shook my head. “Not at all. I feel calm and oddly content.”

She
wiggled her toes in the water. “I thought weddings were supposed to be
stressful.”

I
shrugged. “Maybe it’s because we’re already married.”

She
gazed out over the garden.

“So,
no Konstantin?”

She
shook her head.

I
tried not to smile. “Is Kadyn your plus one then?”

She
humored me with a sidelong glance. “I think maybe he is.”

I
studied my friend. “How do you feel about him?”

She
peered down at the water. “Conflicted. I don’t really have the best instincts
when it comes to men.”

“Are
you physically attracted to him?” I couldn’t imagine anyone answering “no” to
the question.

She
sighed softly. “Yes, but I don’t want to do anything that could compromise our
friendship.”

I
turned that thought in my head. “Kadyn isn’t an all or nothing kind of guy.
Things didn’t work out between us, and we’re still really good friends.”

She
quietly considered me. “Why didn’t it work out between you?”

I
took a deep breath and blew it out. “Honestly? After everything that happened
with Michael, I didn’t feel I deserved him. When I returned from Paris, he made
it very clear we could only be friends. I worked hard to perceive him as such.
I tried to view him differently when he admitted he still had feelings for me,
but that switch proved permanently disabled for me. Rafael came along and swept
me off my feet, and… well, you know the rest. I’m deeply in love with Rafael.
For me, there is no one else.”

She
eyed me worriedly. “Do you have any regrets? Any regrets at all?”

My
eyebrows rose. “About Kadyn?”

She
nodded.

I
shook my head. “Not at all. Kadyn taught me what true love really is. I was
such a mess when I met him. He built my confidence and my trust, and he showed
me how to love selflessly. I am so grateful for Kadyn. He will forever remain
one my most cherished friends.”

She
gazed out over the garden again.

I
nudged her shoulder with mine. “You can trust him with your heart. I promise.
He will never hurt you, and he won’t abandon you if it doesn’t work out.”

A
single tear slid down her cheek.

I
pulled her against me. “You deserve to be happy, Shae. I don’t know what kind
of crap these other men have been feeding you, but you’re beautiful, you’re
intelligent, and kind. You should be with someone who appreciates that, someone
who’s willing to make you a priority, someone who treats you like gold.”

She
sniffled softly.

I
leaned forward so I could peer into her eyes. “There’s no sense worrying about
it. This will be out of your hands once Kadyn sees you in that bridesmaid
dress.”

Shae
laughed.

I
stood and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s track down the rest of the girls so we
can get our nails done.”

*
* * * *

Rafael
turned heads as we crossed the lobby. He was wearing a black dress suit and a
crisp white shirt without a tie. The tailored suit accentuated his lethal frame,
while his tousled hair lent a decidedly playful air. Throw in the five o’clock
shadow and the look was utterly beguiling. I was wearing an elegant jumpsuit
with a white twist-style halter top, a thin gold belt, and black flowy pants. Glittering
gold and black Jimmy Choo heels and a gold cuff bracelet completed the
ensemble.

Rafael
opened the door leading out onto the deck. “How do you feel?”

“Like
a wet noodle. The heated stone massage was wonderful.” I paused to admire the
view. Lush mountains, pink clouds, and a lavender sky framed the teal green
pool.

He
led me around the softly lit pool. The salty air felt balmy, maybe even a
little cool. “Did you sleep?”

We
weren’t expecting much sleep between the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, so
everyone slept this afternoon. I bunked with Shae since my sex crazed hormones
couldn’t be trusted to sleep in the same room with Rafael. “For three hours. Did
you get any sleep?”

“A
little.” He stopped at the outdoor bar, where he ordered a glass of
Vinho
Verde
and a cranberry Sprite. “Are you hungry?”

“Ravenous,”
I assured him. Our friends were socializing along the outskirts of the linen clad
tables, just a few feet away. I waved at my parents, but they too were ensnared
by the view.

“Let’s
get started then.” Rafael nabbed a fork off one of the tables. He tapped it
against his glass as we neared our friends.

Everyone
quieted.

He
quietly considered our guests. “Thank you for joining us. Your willingness to
climb out of bed at four-thirty in the morning so we can be married at sunrise
speaks volumes about your love for us. On the off chance there’s still
confusion about that, we are being married at five-thirty in the morning not
five-thirty at night.”

There
was a smattering of laughter.

 Rafael
smiled as he raised his glass. “This is just one of many ways you’ve shown your
love for us, and
that
is why you’re here. Each of you has had a hand in
how Kristine and I view friendship, family, and love. You helped shape this
relationship. Thank you for guiding us down this path, for building our
relationship, for standing beside us in good times and bad. Tomorrow we
consecrate our love. But tonight? We celebrate
your
love. Tonight, we
rejoice in you.”

We
tapped glasses and drank to Rafael’s toast.

Through
misty eyes I gazed at my family and friends. I whispered a silent prayer
thanking God for each and every one of them.

*
* * * *

Lexie
extracted me from Rafael at eleven o’clock. She insisted it was bad luck for
him to see me the day of the wedding. We dreamed and reminisced while sprawled
on her bed. Jase settled into a chair on the other side of the room, unwilling
to leave my side.

I
must have fallen asleep because Jase was suddenly shaking me. “You’re going to
be late for your appointment.” He shuddered when he caught sight of my hair.
“The sooner we get down there the better.”

“Quit
picking on my cousin.” Lexie flung a pillow at him.

Jase
dodged the pillow before holding up his fingers in the sign of a cross. “She’s
not the only one who needs help.” He laughed when she ran to the mirror.

We
took the fastest showers on record, brushed our teeth, and slathered deodorant
on before following him onto the elevator, across the lobby, and into the spa.

My
feet stalled when we entered the spa. “Dan, what are you doing here?”

A
slow, lazy smile slid across his rugged face. “I’m here to guard you and your
ladies in waiting.”

Kimme
giggled.