Dark Redemption (6 page)

Lindsey
and Gianna both gasped.

         
“You look beautiful.”

         
“You look breathtaking.”

         
Kate smiled at them both. “Thanks.”

         
“You know the routine,” Lindsey ordered, making a small circle with her finger
in the air.

         
Kate turned slowly for her inspection, taken back to the hundreds of times
she’d done the same movement in their apartment back home. Only this was different.
This was her wedding dress.

         
Lindsey and Gianna both beamed at her.

         
“It’s perfect,” Gianna gushed. “Look and see.”

         
Kate turned to face the full-length mirror on the wall. It was perfect. Kate
couldn’t have picked a better dress had she chosen for herself. The mermaid-cut
gown accentuated each curve of her body in form-fitting fashion,
then
flared at mid-thigh to a full skirt and train.

         
Though the inside was lined in satin, delicate lace comprised the entire body.
The lining ended at the bodice, lending a sheer quality to the fabric at her
shoulders and upper chest. The cap sleeves extended to the edges of her
shoulders, while the scalloped neckline started high on her neck before
plunging low into a narrow vee at her bosom.

         
Kate turned to inspect the reflection of her back over her shoulder. A
scalloped bridge of lace fabric spread across her upper back to meet in the
middle at the base of her neck, giving way to a large cutout that left her back
daringly bare. The window of bare skin ended just above the small of her back,
where the zipper was lined with small fabric buttons down her bottom. Dominic
had excellent taste indeed.

         
“What do you think?” Gianna asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

         
Kate chuckled. “I think Dominic’s been measuring me in my sleep.”

         
Gianna nodded. “I have connections with the finest fashion designers in Italy.
Dominic told me exactly what he wanted for you, provided the measurements, and
my friend Ines and I handled the rest. Do you really like it?”

         
Kate hugged her soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“Absolutely.
Thank you.”

“Alright,
enough preening,” Lindsey squawked. “Let’s give you hair and makeup worthy of
that amazing dress.”

         
Leading Kate to sit in front of the fully equipped vanity, Lindsey and Gianna
fussed over Kate like two mother hens. After draping Kate’s shoulders with a
plastic cape, Lindsey attacked Kate’s hair, while Gianna artfully applied
makeup to her bare face. Kate felt like a celebrity being coiffed and coddled
for a big premiere. But Kate would bet her life that walking down the aisle to
Dominic would be way better than walking the red carpet any day.

         
Her face painted, her hair curled and pinned, Kate was at last deemed ready to
peek at herself in the mirror. Lindsey turned Kate around to face the mirror
and Kate met her own eyes in the mirror.
Wow.
Her best friend and future
sister-in-law made a great team.

         
Lindsey had gathered Kate’s hair into a chunky bun at the base of her neck the
loosely curled strands weaving in and out of the low up-do. Gianna had managed
to highlight the fullness of her lips, accentuate the hollows of her
cheekbones, and the exotic shape of her eyes, while maintaining a neutral,
wholesome palette. Kate smiled at the stunning bride reflected in the mirror.
It was difficult to believe it was her.

         
“You guys are the best,” Kate gushed, turning her head to inspect her hair and
makeup at various angles.

         
“You gave us the raw material,” Gianna said with a soft smile. “We just worked
it to your advantage.”

         
“You’re the prettiest bride I’ve ever seen,” Lindsey cried, hugging Kate from
behind. Kate held her breath at the close contact, clamping her teeth together
as the thirst burned up her throat.

         
Kate gave Lindsey a tight smile. “Thanks.”

         
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Lindsey reached off to the side and held up a vintage
birdcage veil for Kate’s inspection. Kate nodded in approval.

Securing
the cluster of flowers toward the back of Kate’s head, Lindsey flipped the mesh
of the veil down over Kate’s face, its softly scalloped edge ending just above
her upper lip. “There.”

         
“Perfect.” Gianna pressed a kiss to each of Kate’s veiled cheeks. “I’ll see you
in there.”

         
 “Okay. I’ll be the one in white.”

         
Gianna nodded and disappeared through a doorway Kate assumed led into the
chapel. Lindsey handed Kate the stockings, garter, and white satin heels. Kate
rolled the silky stockings up her legs and secured them to the stays of her
bustier. Sliding the garter into place on her right thigh, Kate stepped into
the high heels. Crossing and securing the ribbons at her ankles, she tied each
into a small bow at the back of her leg.

         
“You ready, girl?” Lindsey asked with an approving smile.

         
Kate nodded. “I’ve never been more ready in my life.”

         
“Then let’s go get married,” Lindsey squealed, waving her hands in excitement.

         
Kate rose to her feet, sucked in a deep breath, and dragged Lindsey in for a
hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered. “I thought I’d never see you
again.”

         
Sniffling, Lindsey stepped back and examined her at arm’s length. Her blue eyes
brimmed with unshed tears. “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have missed it for
the world.”          

         
She squeezed Kate’s hands before
releasing them. “I’m glad it all worked out for you and Dominic, even if it means
I don’t get to see you all the time. Now, stop with the mushy stuff before my
mascara runs. Let’s go get your happily ever after.”

         
Kate linked her arm through Lindsey’s and let her best friend lead her through
the door Gianna had used moments before.

***

Giovanni
watched Lindsey and Kate emerge through the chapel doors. He couldn’t take his
eyes off of the tiny blonde American.
From the soft rise and
fall of her breasts with each gentle breath, to the seductive sway of her hips with
each dainty step.

Dominic
had given him one job. Keep Lindsey out of trouble. Get her safely to the
church, and then back on a plane to America. No sweat, right? Yeah, little did
he know, Kate’s best friend was a sex-crazed siren. The memory of their first
meeting a few short hours ago left him amused, confused, and hard with desire…

         
Lindsey stepped down from the stairs onto the tarmac, looked him up and down
as though appraising a pure bred canine at a dog show, and grinned. “You must
be the marginally less hot brother,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling like
sapphires in the sunlight.

         
Giovanni gaped at her in silence. There were no words. Like a sunrise, she was
beautiful, unique and impossible to tear his eyes from.

         
Lindsey patted his bicep. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the strong, silent
type, but okay, I’ll play along.”

         
“I’m not sure whether I should be flattered or offended,” Giovanni said,
arching a brow at the strange, but beautiful woman.

         
“Baby, you take it however you want to,” Lindsey purred, trailing her fingers
suggestively down his chest and stomach. “If I told you that you had a nice
body, would you hold it against me?”

         
Giovanni cleared his throat and prayed God would grant him patience... and
willpower. If the woman was going to touch him like that, Dominic would need to
find someone to protect her from him. “You must be Miss Ryland. Dominic sent me
to… um…
er
… dispatch you to the church.”

         
Flames of laughter danced in her azure eyes. “You look cold. Want to use me as
a blanket?”

         
Gio gaped at her, certain she couldn’t be right in the head. “I beg your
pardon, but what?”

         
Lindsey looked at him as though he was the one spouting nonsense. “You look
stiff and uptight, cold. It was my way of telling you to relax.”

         
“Miss Ryland, I—”

         
“It’s Lindsey.
Enough of this ‘Miss Ryland’ business.”

         
“Very well, Lindsey, Dominic will have Kate to the church shortly after
sundown. We need to be on our way, if we are to have everything ready in time.”

         
“Alright,” Lindsey sighed. “But I’m afraid I’ll need your name and number for
insurance purposes.”

         
Yes, definitely wrong in the head. “What?”

         
A laughing smile spread from ear to ear on the tiny blonde’s face. She had a
nice smile, bright and inviting. Nice for a crazy woman, that is. “The only
thing your eyes haven’t told me is your name.”

Giovanni
shook his head at her, raking his fingers through his hair. Dominic owed him
big time.

         
Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Let’s try this again. What’s your name, handsome?”

         
With a low chuckle, Gio arched a brow at her. “So, I’m handsome, just
marginally less so than my little brother?”

         
Lindsey grinned at him.
“Hard to say.
It’s a very thin
margin.”

         
Giovanni laughed. “I don’t know you, but I think I like you already.” Even if
you are
a little
nuts, he added to himself. He held
out his hand.  “I’m Giovanni Ridolfi, but you can call me Gio. Everyone else
does.”

         
“Lindsey Ryland, but you can call me lover,” she answered in turn, accepting
his outstretched hand in her soft, warm one.

         
The feel of her skin against his sent
Gio’s
heart
racing and his mind reeling. The combination of the innocent touch and the
proposition, albeit made in jest, elicited a string of steamy fantasies, all
starring her as she writhed in pleasure beneath him. Yeah, right. He’d probably
have to duct tape her mouth shut first.

         
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lindsey,” Gio said with a smile.

         
“Not yet, but it will be,” Lindsey purred.

         
Gio knew without a doubt, he’d owe Dominic an apology in the morning. Screwing
Kate’s maid of honor wasn’t even in the same universe as his job description,
but it was definitely on the agenda for the evening. Not that Dominic could
really blame him. She was hot and she was easy. And he had a thing for petite
blondes, no matter how crazy. Hell, he kind of liked hot messes. They kept life
interesting.

         
Settling her into the passenger seat of his Ferrari, Gio rounded the car and
climbed in. The engine roared to life and Gio revved it for good measure, the
sound sweet music to his ears.

Lindsey
raised a perfectly arched brow. She indicated the interior with the sweep of
her hand. “Over-compensate, much?”

         
Gio flashed
her a
cocky grin. “Woman, please. This car
compensates for its insufficiencies by driving me.”

         
“Confidence, I like that,” Lindsey said, trailing her fingers up his thigh.
Gio’s
breath caught in his throat as her hand grazed
dangerously close to his groin. “I guess I’ll just have to take both for a test
drive and see for myself.”

         
Giovanni let his breath out in a low chuckle, feeling dizzy as the blood flow
to his head diverted southward. He tried to focus on the road, hell, to think
about baseball or Matteo in a Speedo, but resistance was futile. “Yes, yes, you
will.”

         
Her lips brushed his throat, her tongue teasing his skin, and he was a goner.
Without a second thought, Gio brought the Ferrari screeching to a halt on the
side of the road, kicking up a cloud of dirt around them. He barely had time to
unclick his seatbelt before Lindsey climbed into his lap, unzipped his pants,
and proceeded to wreak sweet havoc on his senses with her mouth and body. 

Lindsey
straddled his lap as she rode him hard. The sex was wild and frantic, the tiny
blonde as explosive as a bundle of dynamite. She awakened the feral animal
within him, the beast roaring with satisfaction as he drove himself harder and
deeper into her.

         
When their bodies stilled, completion found, Lindsey wiggled her skirt down
over her hips and grinned at him as she maneuvered back into her seat. 

         
She looked adorable, all tousled hair and kiss-swollen lips, like a woman who’d
been good and satisfied. Giovanni returned her grin as he righted his own
clothing. “See? No compensation here.”

         
Lindsey arched her brow at him. “That’s yet to be determined. I still haven’t
test driven the Ferrari. I wonder which one offers the better ride.”