Chapter Twenty-Three

I was excited about my bridal shower. Many had expected a small affair, just like the wedding, as if I had reason to hide my love for Maddox and everything associated with it. For a while I had been worried about people’s reactions, caught in old habits, still hungry for validation. That was over. I didn’t need someone’s validation who didn’t care about me or know more about me than general gossip.

Maddox showed up on the morning of my bridal shower, looking sexy as sin in his leather jacket and rugged beard. I was still in my nightgown and a bathrobe. Maddox’s expression told me he appreciated the sight greatly even if he couldn’t show it with my mother and Lora around.

“Thank you for picking up the cake samples,” Mom said with a genuine smile. She and Maddox got along really well. He could be a real gentleman if he wanted. “I need to head to the appointment with the florist. Or do you need my help with the cake?”

“We’re going to be fine. Maddox and I are going to eat the cake and choose the best flavor.”

“The guy loves string cheese and tootsie rolls,” Amo muttered as he came down the staircase to accompany Mom to her appointment. “If he gets to choose the flavor, we’ll get popcorn and bacon grease.”

“Sounds amazing if you ask me,” Maddox said with a grin.

Valerio, who’d followed close behind Amo to accompany Mom and get a haircut afterward—his hair almost touched his shoulders by now—said, “I’d vote for popcorn and bacon grease too.”

“No bacon anything. Remember we have a few vegetarians on the guest list.”

“Let them eat the napkins. They are fully compostable. I’m sure that makes them edible,” Maddox said. Amo chuckled and actually high-fived him.

I sent them both a glare then turned to Mom. “Have you heard back from the vegan bakery regarding the cupcake tower?”

“Yes, they’ll send a sample tomorrow.”

“Good,” I said then narrowed my eyes at the three guys. “Don’t get started. I want to make every guest feel welcome and offer them food that reflects their allergic needs or ethical choices.”

“I’m a bacon fetishist, who caters to my whims?” Maddox asked.

“If you ask me, vegans have lost their fucking mind,” Amo muttered. “Most of them are stuck-up know-it-alls who try to play the guilt card on any meateater they meet. It’s fucking annoying.”

“Language,” Mom admonished, having let slip the first time.

“Any vegan ever tried to make you feel guilty for eating pig?” Maddox asked.

“Yeah, one chick I dated briefly wanted to make me feel guilty and told me I would stop eating if I had to kill them myself.”

Maddox and Valerio both laughed.

“You even kill people. Of course, you’d kill a pig if you were hungry,” Valerio spluttered.

“That’s what I told her.”

I shook my head. “How about you all stay far away from the vegan and vegetarian guests?”

“We should head out now,” Mom said. I gave her a grateful smile. My perfectionism was rearing its annoying head and I wanted to get the wedding planning down. We were already late considering the wedding was in two weeks. My past self would have completely lost it.

After I’d grabbed forks, Maddox carried the cakebox into the living room and we settled on the sofa in front of the roaring fireplace. The weather outside was forbidding, no sign of spring. Maddox put the cakebox down on the coffee table and sank back against the sofa backrest. He looked irresistible and his eyes told me he felt the same way.

I hadn’t come in two weeks—I had been busy with wedding planning and Maddox had gone on a mission—and was desperate for touch. I grabbed the sheep’s wool blanket and settled on the sofa beside Maddox. Resting my back against the armrest, I put my feet on Maddox’s lap and covered myself with the blanket.

Maddox put the cake box on my shins and opened it. Inside were petit fours with different cake flavors, but I was distracted by Maddox’ warmth and the feel of his cock under my heel.

Maddox grabbed a fork, stabbed a piece of chocolate cake with it and held it before my lips. I tasted it and smiled. “Mhhh,” I purred.

Maddox shook his head and slid one of his hands below the blanket. He stroked his palm along my calf. Soon I was so distracted by the caress I hardly noticed the cake flavors anymore.

“Have you done what I told you?” Maddox rumbled.

I smiled secretively. “Yes.”

“If that’s the case, then this must really turn you on,” he rasped as his hand slid higher, his fingers sliding between my thighs. He stroked the sensitive skin there, smiling hungrily. He had asked me not to touch myself in the six days we hadn’t seen each other.

I rubbed his cock with the heel of my foot. “What about you?”

“Chaste like a monk.” As if to prove his point, his cock slowly became erect under my ministrations. His fingers trailed higher, brushing over my panties on occasion. I was growing increasingly aroused and knew Maddox could feel it through the flimsy material. His pointer finger pushed my panties aside and teased the ridge between my pussy lips lightly but never touched my clit.

His eyes were on me as he fed me another bite of cake. The moment the mango-passionfruit flavor exploded on my tongue, the pad of his finger brushed my clit and I moaned.

Steps sounded and Amo appeared in the doorway. I jerked upright and swallowed the cake.

Amo glanced between Maddox and me with a look of pure suspicion. Maddox’s finger still drew tiny circles on my clit and I couldn’t tell him to stop with Amo present. Luckily, the tented blanket covered up everything, but the knowledge of what was currently happening beneath it, still made my cheeks heat.

“You okay?” Amo asked.

“I choked on a piece of cake,” I lied quickly.

Amo rolled his eyes. “Mom asked me if you want us to drive by the vegan cupcake shop and pick up samples today.”

“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth.

When he was out of sight, Maddox resumed his very distracting circling of my clit with even more fervor, making me pant.

“How am I supposed to focus on cake if you keep doing that?” I muttered. Maddox seemed completely unperturbed except for his very hard cock under my foot.

He tasted a piece of a yellow cake.

“I like this one, it reminds me of your pussy.”

I glanced around but we were alone.

Maddox chuckled and I sent him a glare.

“Don’t be ridiculous, how can cake taste like me?”

“There’s a subtle tartness that surprises you but is quickly followed by a sweet finish that makes you want to keep eating and lick your fingers afterward.”

I flushed, remembering Maddox’s talented tongue. He stroked lower and dipped a finger into me, followed by a second. “I see you’re thinking about the same thing I am.”

“And what would that be?” I asked matter-of-factly as I delicately put a bite of the black forest cake into my mouth, trying not to moan again as Maddox fucked me with two fingers, twisting them in a way that made my toes curl.

He moved quick as lightning as he dropped to the floor and moved under the blanket. Pushing one of my legs to the side, and then my panties, he licked my pussy. “Oh shit,” I gasped. I looked around in panic as Maddox buried his tongue even deeper between my pussy lips, really tasting me.

“Better than any cake,” he growled against my throbbing flesh. I wanted him to continue but at the same time, I was terrified of someone walking in on us. I’d never be able to face my family again if one of them caught us in the act. With sheer force of will, I pushed his head away, but he managed another lick that almost made me weep. When he reappeared from under the blanket his hair was disheveled and face flushed. Worst was the shininess of his lips.

I was so horny by then, I almost shoved him back under the blanket to finish what he started. I could live with the consequences.

Maddox leaned up, bringing our faces very close. “Let a starving man eat his favorite treat, Snow White.”

I got up and quickly smoothed my bathrobe, glad it covered my satin nightgown which was probably soaked by now as well.

“Come on,” I muttered.

Maddox pushed to his feet, raising his eyebrows. I grabbed his hand and he grabbed the vanilla cupcake before I dragged him out of the living room, and into the guest bathroom. I locked it behind us. Maddox’s smile became wolfish. He tugged open my bathrobe and hoisted me on the massive marble washing table before he dipped his finger in the vanilla frosting and spread it over my pussy lips.

“You’re making a mess,” I protested but then I closed my eyes and just enjoyed Maddox’s capable tongue as it licked the vanilla cream off my pussy.

“This is my favorite,” he groaned against my flesh. I tightened my hold on his hair, and he took the clue and buried his tongue back inside of me. Maddox really took his time, bringing me to the brink only to pull back and kiss the inside of my thighs. He probably wanted us to get caught, but I was beyond a point where I could care. I tugged harder at his hair. “Maddox,” I hissed.

Maddox chuckled. “What do you want?”

“I want to come.”

Maddox kissed me lightly. “You want to cream in my dirty biker mouth.”

I nodded.

“Say it, Snow White.”

I glared. “I want to cream in your dirty biker mouth.”

He closed his lips around my clit and sucked. I exploded within seconds, rocking my hips desperately.

When Maddox straightened, he looked smug. I hopped off the counter. Fixing him with a hard look, I tugged down his zipper and freed his erection. Then I grabbed the remaining vanilla cream and brushed it across his tip. Not wasting time thinking about it, I got down on my knees and licked the cream off his cock. “Holy shit,” he groaned, his fingers tangling in my hair. I circled my tongue around his tip until it was clean then straightened.

“We need to decide on flavors, no time for this.”

“Snow White, don’t be cruel.”

I smiled. “It runs in my blood.” I unlocked the door. “No sex before the wedding night.”

“Fuck,” he groaned as I sauntered outside.

Aunt Gianna had organized the bridal shower, guaranteeing that it wouldn’t be a bore like these kinds of things tended to be in our circle. After all, women weren’t supposed to have fun before their wedding or without their husband.

In addition to many women from my extended family, my two friends from college whom I had seen only a few times since the kidnapping were invited. Since their fathers were businessmen who ran in the same circle as we did, they weren’t a safety risk.

After getting manicures and pedicures, we got drunk in a party limousine on Times Square before we parked in the alley behind one of Dad’s clubs. It was one of the strip clubs that had a level with female dancers and one with male dancers. Two of said male dancers strolled toward our car and did an amazing striptease on the roof and hood of the car. I guessed Gianna wasn’t done pissing Dad off yet, and I had a talent for it as well.

Some of my guests even closed their eyes when the dancers ripped away their pants to the tiny thong beneath, probably worried about their husband’s reactions.

When I told Maddox on the phone about this the next morning, he only laughed. The right man for me.

“You could invite your brother. It is your day after all,” Marcella said when we went over the guest list one last time.

I shook my head. I existed in two worlds. One was rooted in the past, by memories. The other was my present and future. If Marcella had made me choose, I would have chosen her, my future, but she didn’t.

Still, allowing those two worlds to cross was bound to end in tragedy, and I had enough tragedy to last me a lifetime. “And your mom, she won’t come either?”

I had told Mom she was invited but she had said no, which wasn’t really a surprise. Mom was already dating another biker from Tartarus again and had moved back to Texas where the club’s following was still the strongest. I had a feeling Gray had gone with her to rebuild Tartarus to old strength and hopefully stay out of any Italian mob family’s business.

“Maybe we could visit her. I never met her.”

I linked our fingers. “Listen, Marcella, my mom lives for the biker lifestyle. She won’t ever want anything to do with this world. And I sure as hell won’t take you into enemy territory.”

“The Camorra isn’t our enemy. The peace is still holding up.”

I shook my head. “That’s going to burst eventually but what I mean is Tartarus. They might not be strong right now and they officially don’t have any interest in you or your family, but most members, unlike me, haven’t made peace with your father. I won’t tempt them to give revenge another try. You know I’d kill them to protect you, but I fear Gray is in the new main chapter in Texas.”

She searched my eyes. “Won’t it be hard if you don’t have anyone from your family at the wedding?”

Mom had missed many important points in my life. And Gray? It would be selfish of me to have him attend considering the danger that could bring him in. Him in a room with hundreds of Famiglia and Camorra soldiers would only end in a catastrophe. I sure as fuck didn’t want a bloody wedding. “The only person I need at my wedding is you. Trust me,” I said firmly.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “But what about a stag night. Matteo suggested he could organize one. Are you sure you won’t regret it if you don’t have a huge stag night?”

I grinned. “Snow White, I’ve spent most of my teenage years and even the start of my twenties either drunk or recovering from a hangover. I’ve partied more than most people do their entire life. I don’t need one last hurrah to feel better about marriage. Marrying you is the fucking best thing that’s happened to me so far.”

Not to mention that the idea of Matteo organizing a stag night set my alarm bells off. I’d probably end up with my balls waxed, my dick tattooed with a cartoon figure, and half of my bones broken.

“But you’re going on that trip with Matteo and Amo?” she asked. I could tell she wanted this. She wanted me to get along with the men in her family, become part of the Vitiello clan, and I had to admit, Matteo asking me to ride our bikes together had made me feel one step closer to fitting in. I was still wary of his plans for the trip because of how eager he had been to have a stag night for me, but I had made it clear that wouldn’t happen, and Marcella had him swear it too.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked, chuckling. “Won’t your family be mortally offended if I say no?”

“You’re impossible. You’ll have fun, believe me. Matteo is one of the funniest people I know, and Amo has his moments too.”

“I guess I’m lucky your old man didn’t decide to join in on the fun as well.”

“He doesn’t ride bikes, but you should consider doing something with him.”

“What? I don’t think we have anything in common.”

“You both like to beat people up.”

“Usually each other,” I said. “And your old man and I having a fight against each other probably wouldn’t be clever before the wedding.”

Marcella rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you go to a big cage fight together? There’s one happening in Vegas next week, three days before our wedding. That would be a great opportunity to bond.”

“Bonding with your dad in Vegas, alone, sounds like a splendid idea,” I said sarcastically.

“Do it for me,” Marcella said quietly.

“Killing my uncle, working with the Famiglia, being civil to your dad and brother isn’t enough?”

She simply smiled.

I shook my head. “You’ll be the death of me.”