Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

ZAYN

H er cries of pleasure echoed around the room, adding to the rush of my arousal. It was a glorious sound, one that spurred me on. I watched as her body shuttered beneath me, her fingers clutching onto the sheets with desperation. My hands gripped her hips tightly, anchoring her to me as I continued my steady rhythm.

This girl? She was sin personified. Each touch, each moan, every movement she made had me spiraling deeper into an abyss of wanting I hadn't known existed. What had started as a game, a simple show of dominance over the beautiful girl who had tried to play it cool at the wedding, was now transforming into something much more intense. I wanted her, not just physically but emotionally too. It was a craving I hadn't even realized had been brewing within me until now, a need that only seemed to grow stronger with each passing second.

I pulled out momentarily, eliciting a whimper of protest from her. But the sight that awaited me was worth it. Her body glistened with perspiration, her back arched as if in supplication. My name was a near constant whisper on her lips.

And then I slapped her ass.

The smack echoed through the room, a shock of contact that sent her trembling. "Zayn!" She yelped, her voice a strangled half-gasp of surprise and pain. Yet when I slid my hand down her hip, her skin was hot to the touch. She writhed against me, an unspoken plea for more.

I wasted no time in answering her call. With one swift move, I surged back inside her, feeling her body contract around me. She cried out again, louder this time. The sight of her - arched back, flushed skin, lost in the throes of another orgasm.

I lost control.

I could feel my climax rapidly approaching, my body responding to her pleasure, feeding off the sounds she was making beneath me. Every gasp, every moan, every arch of her back brought me closer to the edge. I gripped her hips tighter, my fingers leaving an imprint on her heated skin. My rhythm became frenetic as I matched her pleasure with my own.

A loud growl tore from my throat as I reached my peak, the intensity of the moment sending raw waves of pleasure coursing through my body. As the last shudders of pleasure faded away, I pulled out slowly and collapsed next to her on the bed.

The best sex of my life, hands down.

As Marigold and I lay in the tangled sheets of my bed, I let out a long breath, feeling the last waves of pleasure ebb away. She was sprawled out next to me, her hair a wild, wet mess. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling like she was seeing the stars for the first time. I was tempted to ask her what she was thinking, but the thought dissipated as she turned her head to meet my gaze. Her lips curled into a small, satisfied smile that I couldn't help but return.

The silence between us was heavy, not with discomfort, but with the intensity of what just happened. I was still trying to wrap my mind around it—around her. How the hell did we get here? Just hours ago, we were play-acting, pretending to be the perfect engaged couple for the sake of some wedding guests. Now, here we were, lying in my bed, and nothing about it felt fake.

The sound of distant music floated through the open window, drawing me back to the present. Marigold shifted beside me, her body brushing against mine in a way that sent a fresh jolt of desire through me. But instead of pulling her closer, I took a deep breath and pushed myself up, glancing at the open balcony doors.

"Come on," I said, nodding toward the balcony. "Let's get some air."

She nodded, and I could see the hint of curiosity in her eyes. Neither of us bothered to grab clothes. The cool night air greeted us as we stepped outside. The view from way up high was stunning—palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, the blue pool below shimmered, and the wedding reception was still going strong by the poolside.

"Wow," Marigold breathed out, leaning on the railing beside me. "From up here, it looks pretty incredible."

I watched as she took it all in. The night was clear, and the lights strung up around the reception area gave the scene an almost magical quality.

Marigold pointed down to the edge of the pool, where Courtney sat alone in a chair, methodically picking petals off Elaine's bouquet. I followed her gaze, a small frown tugging at my lips. It was strange, seeing someone who was so bubbly and full of energy earlier in the evening now looking so lost.

"Is she okay?" I asked, wondering if there was more to the story.

Marigold shrugged. "She'll be fine. Courtney never lets anything get in her way."

We stood in silence for a moment. My mind raced with thoughts I couldn't quite pin down, but one thing stood out more than anything else—I didn't want this night to end. I didn't want her to leave.

"Stay with me tonight," I blurted out, surprising even myself with how much I wanted her to say yes. "We can go to brunch together in the morning with the rest of the wedding guests. The ones who can walk straight, anyway."

She glanced at me. I could see the conflict in her eyes. A part of her wanted to say yes. I could feel it. But there was something holding her back, something I didn't quite understand yet.

"Fiancés would spend the night together, after all," I added, trying to keep the tone light, but there was an edge of sincerity in my voice I couldn't hide.

Marigold smiled softly, and for a moment, I thought she would agree. But then she sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"I should probably get back to the party," she said, though she didn't sound entirely convinced.

I tried not to let my disappointment show, but I couldn't help the small pang of regret that hit me. "Alright. But we should go back down together."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Back in the dress, but I'm not about to put on that rubber band they claim is shapewear."

"You don't need it," I told her.

There was something strangely intimate about pulling our clothes back on after everything that just happened.

Once we were decent, we made our way back down to the reception. We slipped into the crowd, and soon enough, we were dancing together again. The night passed in a blur of laughter, movement, and shared glances that spoke volumes. I'd never felt this connected to someone, not in this way. And yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was all going to come crashing down when the night ended.

While I was getting us drinks, Elaine approached.

"Thank you so much for letting me wear the earrings," Elaine told her. "It means so much to me that you were willing to loan them to me." Her voice was filled with emotion. I could tell the earrings meant something big to both of them.

Marigold smiled. "Of course. I'm glad they could be part of your special day."

Elaine leaned in closer. Her voice dropped to a whisper but not low enough for me not to hear. "What is this I hear about you and Zayn being engaged?"

Marigold's eyes widened slightly. She quickly glanced around to see if anyone else was listening. "Just… it's a long story. I'll explain later, okay?"

Elaine raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright, if you say so."

I handed Marigold her drink.

"Thank you," she said. "I've apparently worked up quite a thirst."

"And I've worked up quite an appetite," I said with enough innuendo that she didn't have to guess what I was implying.

After another two hours, I was so ready to be done with the party. "Let's go to bed," I said. " My bed."

She didn't argue. I led her back to my suite.

I watched as she slipped off her heels and then looked at me, asking how much she should take off.

"All of it," I said as I pulled off my clothes.

She nodded, stripping nude before crawling into bed. I pulled her close, feeling her warmth against me as I drifted off to sleep.

That was the wildest part. I was satiated and didn't need sex. Just holding her at my side was enough.

For now.

The next morning, I woke up to the soft light of dawn streaming through the curtains. Marigold was still curled up beside me. Her bare legs were tangled in the sheets, and her hair was a wild mess. She was beautiful. Her bare ass against my crotch had me thinking of the many different ways I wanted to fuck her.

But she was sleeping. I didn't want to wake her.

I watched her for a moment. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to be real. And yet, here she was, looking more perfect than ever.

As if sensing my gaze, Marigold stirred. Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled sleepily when she saw me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Morning, gorgeous," I said softly.

"Morning," she replied, her voice still thick with sleep.

Neither of us were in any hurry to get up. Eventually, though, she slipped out of bed. She picked up her panties and pulled them on before putting on my shirt, letting it hang open in the front. It hung over her round ass, but I could still see the curves peeking out as she crossed the room to the small coffeemaker on the counter.

"Coffee?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"Sure," I replied, though I wasn't holding out much hope for the quality.

A few minutes later, she handed me a cup. I took a sip and grimaced. It was as bad as I expected.

"We should probably get ready for brunch," she said.

"I hope there is better coffee served there," I said. "This tastes like boiled socks."

I wished we could stay in the room a little longer, just the two of us, but reality called. She put on her dress, left me with a kiss, and returned to her room to get dressed. She returned to my room thirty minutes later wearing a pair of white shorts, strappy sparkly sandals, and a floral blouse. Her hair was a wild mess of curls. As we walked, she pulled it up into a loose bun. I thought she looked even better this way without the heavy makeup she'd been wearing for the wedding. She looked wild and untamed, something I was drawn to.

When we finally made it down to the brunch, about forty percent of the wedding guests had already shown up. The rest, I assumed, were still passed out in their rooms, recovering from the festivities of the night before. It was a casual invite, so no one seemed particularly concerned about who showed up and who didn't.

Elaine waved at us as we entered, immediately giving Marigold back her earrings. I watched as she admired them, tucked them carefully into their box for safekeeping, and slid it into her pocket.

"They're beautiful," I said, unable to keep the curiosity out of my voice. "I heard you talking to Elaine about them last night. They seem pretty special."

Marigold looked up at me, her expression softening. "They are. My father bought them for my mother the first Christmas they were together. She wore them on their wedding day and for every holiday that followed. All my best memories of my mother? She was wearing these."

Emotions flickered across her face. The way she talked about her parents, about the earrings, it was clear how much they meant to her.

"Is she gone?" I asked gently, though I already suspected the answer.

She nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Yeah. A few years ago."

I reached out, placing a hand on her thigh. "I'm sorry."

Marigold offered me a small, sad smile. "Thank you."

I could tell she didn't want to dwell on it, so I didn't push. Instead, we let the conversation shift to lighter topics, talking about the wedding the night before as we sipped on mimosas and nibbled on brunch food. It was a good time. I found myself relaxing more with each passing minute.

At one point, a few people started asking about our engagement. I kept the details vague and spent most of the time gushing about how in love with Marigold I was. I laid it on thick, and the compliments came surprisingly naturally. It was mostly my real feelings, just embellished with sparkly hearts and rose petals and dreamy sighs.

Marigold blushed under all the attention. I could tell she was trying hard not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. But I played it up, relishing the moment and enjoying the way she looked at me with that mix of amusement and exasperation.

It almost felt real.