Page 36 of The One Night Match (Mafia Matchmaker #1)
THIRTY-SIX
RILEY
“ G et fucked.”
Lexi’s voice comes from behind, startling me from my thoughts.
I’ve taken most of the day to get ready, trying my best to distract myself from the anxious thoughts running through my mind, but it’s hard.
All week I’ve been assuring Cruz that I’ll be perfectly safe, that nothing will happen to me tonight, that no one would dare to betray him in front of the entire family, but now I’m not sure if I was trying to convince him of that, or myself.
“Lexi,” her mother snaps. “Language.”
“Sorry, Mom.” She closes the distance between us and meets my eye in the mirror.
She’s dressed in a sleek black cocktail dress that dips low in the front and the back, as well as having a slit up the thigh that climbs so high I’m confident she’ll accidentally flash someone tonight.
Her dark hair falls around her shoulders in big curls, and her makeup is done to perfection.
When she suggested we have professionals come to the house and do our hair and makeup, I thought she was insane, but then I remembered that I can’t do eyeliner under pressure, and every time I try to stick false lashes on, I usually end up with them glued anywhere but my lashes. So I relented, and I’m glad I did.
I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror. My blue eyes are lined with smoky black, making them look bigger than they really are, and my lips are painted deep red to match my sky-high heels.
They weren’t my first choice, but Lexi assured me the brand was comfortable, and she snuck us both a pair of backup shoes to Ben earlier, which gave me no cause for argument.
My dress is also black, but where hers is sleek, mine is flared, giving the illusion of a tiny waist I don’t have. The satin skirt falls to the ground, but not without a slightly less risqué slit up my thigh.
It’s a beautiful dress, and I feel beautiful in it, but I’m still feeling uncertain about the thin spaghetti straps and plunging neckline.
“My brother is going to die when he sees you,” Lexi gushes. “I’m not even sure he’s going to let you walk out the front door with all that skin on show.”
My eyes widen as a wave of anxiety slams into me. It’s been fairly controlled recently, even with the accident, but tonight it feels just as out of control as it did before I learned to channel it. “Oh my god, Lexi! You said it was okay! I don’t have a backup!”
“No, Riles, it’s beautiful! Perfect! I promise! I’m sorry, I was just teasing you about how smitten Cruz is.”
Mary shakes her head at her daughter’s antics, but her smile is so bright it makes my heart clench with sadness.
I don’t think my own mother ever looked at me with such pride, and while it seems I’ve lucked out in the mother-in-law department, it doesn’t make my own parents’ disinterest in my life hurt any less.
Cruz called them to let them know I’d been hurt in an accident but that I was okay, and they didn’t even bother returning his call or checking in on me. It seems as if the second they married me off, they wiped their hands of me and couldn’t care less about anything that’s happening in my life.
I shake off the thought, trying desperately to remain in the positive headspace I’ve been working on all week.
“You look beautiful, Riley. My son is very lucky to have you as his wife.” She grasps both my hands and squeezes them.
“Thank you, Mary,” I murmur, not trusting my voice not to break beneath the pressure of the emotions slamming into me.
Lexi slips her arm around mine and guides me toward the bedroom door. “Let’s go give your husband a heart attack.”
I giggle despite trying to swallow it. I’m envious of how easily Lexi fits into every situation, how positive she is despite what we went through last week. But I’m also grateful as hell that I can lean on her perkiness when I’m feeling anything but.
We take the stairs carefully, seeing as we’re both in heels and they’re slippery at the best of times, and find Cruz and Colten standing at the bottom.
My husband’s eyes just about pop out of his head like a cartoon character, giving me time to appreciate how good he looks in a tux. The black and white is a stark contrast against his tattooed skin.
“Fuck, Kitten,” he says softly, tugging me off the bottom step and into his arms. “How the fuck did I get so lucky to have the most beautiful wife in the world?”
I laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck to steady myself. “The dress, hair, and makeup are really doing the heavy lifting around here.”
His palm comes down on my ass through the layers of dress, suppressing the pain, but the promise is still there.
“Say one more disparaging thing about yourself, Kitten, and you’ll find yourself bent over my lap with a red ass and your orgasms denied for hours,” he whispers against the shell of my ear.
My cheeks heat, and I open my mouth to reprimand him, but quickly snap it shut again because I’m way too turned on by the idea.
In the month that I’ve known him, Cruz has made me a deviant, and that’s only truer now that he’s woken me up multiple times this week with an orgasm.
If he keeps it up, I’m going to start refusing to get up unless there are multiple releases in it for me.
“Stop thinking filthy thoughts, Kitten. I’m already hard as fuck seeing you in this dress. Might have to sneak you into a closet somewhere and fuck you just to make it through the night.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Oh, I can, and I will, Riley.” He chuckles, carefully lowering me to the ground, but his hands on my hips hold me in place. “Stay here while my cock settles down. I have a feeling he’s going to spend most of the night desperate to get inside you.”
I drop my forehead to his chest and sigh. It’s going to be a very long night if he keeps this up.
W e get through the limo ride to the venue without any further incident, although if Cruz’s hand climbs any higher, I’m going to spontaneously combust with need.
Lexi spent the drive explaining how these events are normally held at the family estate, but due to safety concerns, they’d decided somewhere in the city would be a better option.
I don’t bother questioning whether that’s the case or not, because if I’m honest, I just want this night to be over with as quickly as possible.
Ben parks us at the curb of a hotel I vaguely recall from the limited amount of input I had on our wedding, and from what I remember, it was one of my favorites.
“The ballroom wasn’t available for your wedding, so we thought we’d keep it in mind for the ball,” Lexi explains, obviously seeing the confusion on my face.
I swallow heavily as Cruz helps me out of the car and guides me through the double doors without hesitation.
Like our wedding, he seems to know exactly where we’re going, and I follow him without question. I wouldn’t have the foggiest which way the ballroom is, and I’m not going to pretend I do.
Mary rushes past us with Lexi’s hand caught in hers. “You two sit tight for a minute while we make sure everything is ready for you both.”
I nod, watching as they disappear down the hallway with Colten hot on their heels.
The moment they’re out of sight, Cruz spins us, pressing my back into the cool concrete wall and trapping me with his hands on either side of my head.
He dips his face until his lips are just a breath from mine. “You look so fucking pretty tonight, Riley. How am I supposed to keep my hands off you?”
I press my thighs together, my core aching with need despite the multiple orgasms he gave me this morning when he noticed how anxious I was.
His dark eyes flash with amusement. “Oh, my kitten is aching, aren’t you?”
I nod, trapping my bottom lip between my teeth. I never knew my libido could be so out of control.
“Do you need my cock to calm your nerves, Riley?”
“Yes,” I whisper, and before I get a chance to explain all the reasons it can’t happen, he has my hand caught in his, and he’s dragging me down the hallway.
He finds an unlocked door and shoves me inside, following me in with his hands on his belt. “Pull your dress up, Kitten. This is going to be hard and fast.”