Marriage of Convenience (18 page)

She hailed a cab and settled in to the backseat. Once at the house she double checked the clothes laid out on the bed: favorite jeans, check. Favorite gray t-shirt, check. Favorite flip flops, check. Tiara and veil, check, check. Panties, bras, and toiletries, check, check, and check. She swept the lot into a Louis Vuitton duffel and swung the bag over her arm. Laying the bag at the door to the bedroom, she stepped back into the walk-in to consider the car ride. Definitely a skirt. Something stretchy. She chose a black ruffled cotton mini from the rack and animal print suede flats off the lower shelf. Pushing tops back and forth along the rack she finally settled on a sleeveless top with a draped front in charcoal. And the coup de gráce … crotchless panties. Caroline had purchased them in Italy the previous year when she’d visited her cousin. They’d stopped at La Perla near the Spanish Steps and the Piazza di Spagna. She’d never imagined there were so many ways to wear underpants. Or so many fabrics. Or designs. She’d giggled when she’d seen the hole in the fabric of the panties she now held in her hands. They were boy cut so far as they stretched across her hips and rode low on her thighs. A wide lace swatch covered her hips on the sides. The fabric continued straight around to cover the upper portion of her bottom. The lower curve of her cheeks peeked tantalizingly beneath the fabric.

Dressing slowly, playing out the events in her mind, she had no doubt they’d be satisfied and relaxed by the time they reached the airport.

Malcolm stepped out through the lobby doors at 6:00. He’d left the hospital late and had time only to grab a quick shower and an overnight bag. He didn’t worry too much about it—if he needed something else, he was sure they could pick it up along the way. Along the way to where, he wondered for the hundredth time. He’d been speculating all day, and everywhere seemed as possible as anywhere else.

Almost immediately a limousine pulled up. He stepped to the side to allow the driver to handle his fare. Instead, the driver opened the rear door and gestured to him.

“Dr. Fowlkes? Right this way, please.”

Malcolm leaned his hand on the door and peered inside. Caroline was ensconced in the far seat. She held out her hand to him, welcoming him inside. Malcolm threw his bag to the far side and slid in beside her. He leaned over and brushed her mouth with his. She tasted like tangerines.

“This is not a yellow cab.” Malcolm stated the obvious as he pulled her into his lap.

“I’m sorry.” She pretended to pout. “Are you greatly disappointed?”

She tugged gently on his lower lip with her teeth.

“Not if every disappointment comes with you on my lap.” Malcolm said it with a smile, pulling her knees apart so that she straddled his hips. He enjoyed the heat and pressure of her bottom against him.

“Well, I thought I owed you more than a cab ride.”

“Owe me? For what?”

Caroline bit her lip.

“I agreed to something this evening that affects you as well. It wasn’t completely unavoidable, but agreeing definitely smoothed ruffled feathers. I hope I didn’t ruffle more by just going along.”

Malcolm had no idea what she was talking about.

“Okay, let’s start over. What’s happening tonight?” She leaned into him as the car pulled away from the curb and picked up speed. The early evening traffic wasn’t yet bumper-to-bumper, and they easily merged into the traffic headed out of town.

“Uh, well. I thought we’d go to Vegas. Me. You. Our best friends. Whatever your terms,” she said softly, “I agree.” She watched him as she spoke. She didn’t say anything else. She didn’t need to.

“Sounds like a fantastic plan. Is that what you agreed to? I’m okay with that.” His hand pushed gently under her skirt, and he slowly dragged his fingers up her thigh.

“Well.” She swallowed with difficulty as his hand circled her thigh and lifted her cheek to more firmly pull her over his cock. “Sarah thinks that we should honor tradition and not sleep together this evening.”

That stopped his hand. He looked at her incredulously, a wrinkle settling on his brow.

“I thought couples just couldn’t see each other before the wedding.”

“True. And if we wake up together, we’ll have seen each other before the wedding.”

Letting the obvious sink in, Malcolm laid his head against the head rest and tried to conjure up an argument that would save him from sleeping alone. He couldn’t think of one.

“I suppose it’s a small price to pay to have you beside me for the rest of my life.”

****

Caroline smiled. He was too sweet.

His other hand pushed gently under the other side of her skirt. Together, his hands pushed her skirt up and over her hips so that it sat on her waist. There was no way she was going to be able to finish this conversation. And really, was that such a bad thing? How often did you find the one person on the planet who could melt your insides and scramble your brain with a mere touch? She didn’t want this to end. She needed this always.

Caroline smiled and let out her breath; she hadn’t realized she was holding it. Round one to her. Time for round two.

She pressed her mouth to his. He tilted his head slightly, opening his mouth as he did so. Her tongue slid smoothly between his lips. He welcomed it with his own. Their tongues slid together, mating to their own leisurely tune. Caroline wanted him to feel the warmth and the texture of her tongue as she teased him through his pants. Rubbing his growing cock, she massaged his balls, squeezing them just a little. Malcolm leaned into her mouth as her hands increased their speed. He groaned in displeasure when both her mouth and her hands left his body. Caroline rocked her hips over his.

“Open your eyes.” When he did, she raised her shirt up and over her head. She leaned forward and rubbed her silk-clad breasts across his face. He ran his hands up her back and squeezed her, pressing her breasts more firmly against his mouth, his cheeks.

Caroline left her bra on. The see-through lace was a beautiful mallard blue, and it matched the color of her panties. It made her skin more golden than usual. Her eyes sparkled as she watched Malcolm watch her. His eyes followed her movements as she slowly slid the fabric off her arms and let it fall onto the seat beside them. When her arms came to rest at her side, his eyes stayed on her breasts.

“You’re perfect,” he whispered. “Let it always be this intoxicating.” Caroline felt her breasts swell in the lace, pressing the soft skin tightly against the fabric. When he rubbed his thumb over her nipple she shivered. His other hand reached behind her and released the clasp holding in his prize. As the lace fell free, he lowered his mouth to taste one nipple then the other. Her head fell back, and she quickly had to remind herself to stay in control. At least for the time being.

She forced her upper body erect and pushed him back into his seat. He seemed surprised but fell back easily. She resettled herself over him and kissed his lips. Letting her tongue play over his lips, she ran it over his jaw line and toward his ear. She outlined his ear with the tip of her tongue, enjoying the increased rise and fall of his chest as he turned his head to allow her better access. She flattened her tongue against his neck and traced a pattern to the collar of his shirt.

“You’re wearing way too many clothes again, dear.”

“This is your show. Help me,” he said softly.

Caroline slipped the buttons from his cuffs and then loosened his tie. She pulled his shirt over his head and admired his broad chest. Kissing down his chest she tugged lightly on his nipple and enjoyed the sound of him sucking in air at the surprise and pleasure that rippled through him.

Caroline slid from his lap onto her knees. She unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She pulled them down off his hips and feasted her eyes on her prize. She gently stroked his shaft, using her thumb to tease the head of his cock. The shaft was hot and hard, its tip glistening with a bead of moisture. Wetting her lips, she watched his face as she leaned forward and took him into her mouth. The look on his face was priceless. Heat rushed through her as her taste buds registered the saltiness of him. With her thumbs rubbing his sac she began teasing him, alternating between licking his sac and just the head of his cock. She loved the silky feel and heat of his skin as much as she appreciated how his cock responded, growing and hardening with each lick.

Caroline wrapped her lips around him, swirling her tongue around the tip as she increased the pressure of her lips slightly. As she sucked only on the tip, Malcolm gasped as the pressure and speed increased, obviously wanting more, wanting her to take all of him into her mouth.

As her hands continued rubbing and massaging, Caroline finally plunged her head down all the way on him.

She felt Malcolm’s hands delve into her hair. His fingertips pulled gently, encouraging her, demanding more. Caroline held his hooded gaze as her head bobbed up and down over his cock. The low, animalistic sounds he made urged her on.

“Caroline, fuck. Wait a minute.” She heard his raspy words and ignored them, rubbing her tongue up, down, and under his cockhead.

“I’m close, baby. You need to stop. Now, before I—” Caroline felt him shudder. She took him to the edge of sanity, sucking harder and harder, faster and faster, tongue swirling. Malcolm threw his head back against the headrest, his hips straining closer to her mouth as his body stiffened with tension. Caroline savored the knowledge that she could arouse him to such a fever pitch of excitement. He cried her name as his body shuddered in anticipation. As his cock grew and hardened further, she backed off, not wanting to rush to the finish.

“Oh, please don’t stop.” The words rushed out as Malcolm’s brain must have registered the rush of cool air on his cock. Caroline had raised her head and was kissing his stomach. His chest. His nipple. His neck. Her bottom replaced her head, and he could feel the warm pressure of her crotch above his.

Bracing her hands against her shoulders, Caroline rotated her hips into place, feeling the tip of his cock rub against her clit and finally sliding it into her heat. Malcolm rocked his hips up as she rocked hers down. His thumb played over her sensitive nub as they rocketed to a quick release.

Malcolm let out a shout of satisfaction and collapsed into the seat. A few heartbeats later he grasped her shoulder and pulled her tighter into him. Caroline felt the harsh rise and fall of his breathing and the quaking of his body. Or perhaps that was hers. She didn’t care. She felt hot, sweaty, and wonderful. Caroline pressed her cheek against his neck and kissed him softly.

With her breasts pressed against his chest, she turned her head to rest lightly in the crook of his shoulder and neck. He wrapped his arms around her back and held her to him tightly. Resting his cheek against her hair he closed his eyes and said, “You make me feel so alive.”

She kissed his shoulder. “I can’t get enough of you.” God, she meant it. She hadn’t meant to. Hadn’t meant to feel most of what had been swirling through her the past couple of days. But she was beyond caring. She deserved to be happy, and Malcolm made her happy.

They sat holding each other until the driver announced their arrival at the airport. Pulling to the curb, the driver handed their bags to the skycap. The bags took off swiftly down a conveyer belt. Holding hands they emerged from the car in the tranquil peace their lovemaking had cocooned them in. Printed tickets in hand, a rush of air pushed them through the sliding doors. They bypassed the checkin counter and took the first class queue through security.

Refusing cocktails from the flight attendant, they dozed arm in arm until the wheels touched down at McCarran Airport.

The long, curved stone walls of the Bellagio came into view as the limousine cruised down Las Vegas Boulevard. The limo pulled under the portico, and a young man dressed in a modified tuxedo ran out to open the rear door. Caroline stepped out first and turned to admire the fountains. Dusk was just falling, and the lights of the fountain lit up the water. The water shot up out of the pool straight and tall, as though showing off its prowess to an audience. Smaller curved spouts danced around, only highlighting the impressive strength of the center display. The choreographed water and light show was a warm welcome to what promised to be a wonderful weekend visit.

Caroline stepped aside as Malcolm joined her. He pulled her to him and enjoyed the show as he waited for the driver to round the car. Taking her hand, he led her toward the lobby.

“Good evening, Dr. Fowlkes. Ms. Mathers. Please go inside—I’ll take care of the luggage.” They hadn’t brought much luggage to speak of, but it didn’t seem worth having a discussion over. The kid would find out for himself soon enough. And it didn’t matter anyway. He would be tipped well regardless of the number of bags. Courtesy might prescribe a certain dollar amount per bag, but doubtless he’d chosen the high end hotel for a reason. Even when they were losing at the tables, the high rollers and not so high rollers were anxious to impress the staff with their generosity.

Checkin was efficient. They stopped briefly in VIP Services to confirm dinner and the ceremony arrangements. They were ushered onto a private elevator in minutes.

“Your dinner reservations are confirmed for 7:00 p.m. Can I get you anything else before I leave you?” The manager stood with his hands folded in front of him as he asked the question. He’d already walked them through their respective suites and had instructed housekeeping to unpack their belongings. They had two separate rooms in honor of Sarah’s wishes. The manager hadn’t batted an eye lash at that, nor did he mention the lack of wedding dress despite the fact that he was personally responsible for making sure the wedding went off without a hitch. It made Caroline wonder what kind of interesting ceremony themes he’d seen over the years.

Caroline looked to Malcolm, who was enjoying the view from the wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the fountain below, and back to the manager.

“I think we’re fine. Thank you.”

“If you should find that you do need something before you check out, please dial *49. That’s my direct extension, and I will be with you immediately.” Smiling, he backed out the door and closed it softly behind him.