Page 36 of Untamed Billionaire
A long time later, he pulled out of her, grabbing a tissue to clean up. Carefully, he zipped up, but he wouldn’t let her grab her dress. Instead, he lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the sofa, holding her in his arms on his lap as he held her. He didn’t kiss her. He didn’t say a word. Neither of them did. He just held her, his hands stroking her nakedness as they sat there in the darkened office.
Chapter 11
Marco almost rolled his eyes as he stepped out into the enormous church. This was all such a waste of time and money, he thought.
“Patience,” Kasim whispered. “I don’t know the reason for today, but you have your reasons.”
Marco looked at the man. Of the five of them, Kasim was the calmest under pressure. All of them had learned the hard way to read people. It had been essential to their individual survival. However, when the five of them were together, they had become a force of nature! Their combined talents and strengths had made them undefeatable, and they’d never left each other since. Those days when they’d been teenagers, fighting to stay alive on the streets, knowing that people were trying to kill them, hunting them at certain times, they’d learned to rely on each other as well as themselves.
He needed to remember that now. But damn, it felt good to have them all here now.
“This is just smoke and mirrors,” Dash added.
Angela stepped out and there was an audible gasp from the watching guests. Angela had decided to wear coat and tails, just like the other groomsmen, but she’d left her wild hair free to drape over her shoulders and back. She looked like a wild child, but inside, her brain would rival the machinations of Machiavelli! And Callum? Callum was ready to laugh at all of these wealthy elites sitting in the pews, gossiping about each other and noting who hadn’t been invited. Their pretensions were a bit more of a bother to him simply because several had called him “Laird”. He loved his Scottish ancestry, but here in the United States, the title only brought out the pretentious bastards. Callum used their weaknesses against them, calling out their hypocrisies.
Callum looked around, trying not to cringe at the crowd before letting his eyes move back to his friends. Damn, he loved these people. The five of them…they’d won. They’d survived and thrived! Every one of them had overcome insane odds. Or more accurately, they’d achieved monumental goals because of those odds. They’d learned to rely on each other when the toughest times arrived.
Now it was time for Marco to find his happiness.
Marco looked into Callum’s eyes, nodding his understanding. Callum hid his worry well, but Marco could see it there only because the five of them knew each other so well. Yes, Marco hoped that he would be happy with Chloe. Damn it, he was determined to make her happy! Even if she could never love him, he would damn well make her happy!
The music started and Marco watched with irritation as four ridiculously flirtatious women in sage green dresses moved down the aisle. Several of them eyed him flirtatiously, and he considered that such an insult to Chloe. These were her cousins! They were standing up for her at her wedding! And yet, each of them eyed him with interest, winks, and longing glances as they walked down the long aisle and took their place.
Then it was Chloe’s turn. The music changed and Marco turned, waiting to see Chloe. But the audience hid her from view.
It didn’t matter. They were already married. Still, when she appeared at the end of the aisle, she took his breath away. Not because of the white dress. The dress was…bland. Seriously, it was one of the most boring wedding dresses he’d ever seen. The white dress did nothing for Chloe’s delicate frame and Marco knew that Jocelyn had done that on purpose. But the dress fit her perfectly. Marco was relieved that he’d had the foresight to speak with the salon manager. As soon as he’d started the conversation, it had become clear that Jocelyn had ordered the manager to trade in the current dress for a size smaller. Jocelyn had promised the manager that she could get Chloe to lose enough weight so she would fit into the smaller size.
Marco had tipped the woman enough so that the dress size didn’t change. And now, Chloe could breathe. And she looked radiant. Not because of the wedding gown, but because this was Chloe, and she always sparkled.
As she stepped up to the front, he took her hand, and the minister started the ceremony. Chloe giggled. Marco smothered his amusement. It was all so pointless since they were already married. The marriage certificate had even been filed with the courts!
Several moments later, he slid the gold band back onto her finger, said his vows and tried very hard not to laugh when she rolled her eyes. Then she paid him back by doing the same when he said his vows. Oh, she was definitely going to pay when he had her alone tonight! As the minister intoned something blah blah blah, Marco’s mind considered all of the ways he would punish her for making him laugh.
And yet, when it was all over, she lifted up onto her toes and kissed him. It was such a silly kiss, so different from the profound moment of their real wedding! When she pulled back, she couldn’t stop the giggle and he pulled her in for a hug, unable to stop his own laughter as they turned and waved to the congregation. Everyone was applauding politely, but Chloe and Marco both noticed that the guests were tilting their heads towards each other, obviously trying to figure out why the bride and groom were laughing at such an important moment. Even the minister cleared his throat, not appreciating their irreverence during the ceremony.
Chloe started to take the heavy bouquet of lilies and roses, all white, no color except for the soft green of the leaves. But before she took it, she shook her head. “Nah, I don’t need that,” she told her cousin and turned, her fingers lacing with Marco’s hand, then clasping his upper arm with her other hand as they hurried out of the church.
“I can’t wait to eat something!” she gasped, almost dancing down the aisle. “But nothing can be as good as the burgers and fries from the other night!”
“I’d have to agree with you,” he laughed, leading her out of the church.
They’d just stepped out into the bright sunshine when a small burst of sound broke through the air. Marco knew that sound and dove over Chloe, covering her with his body as he looked around. “Shooter!” he called out. Instantly, Kasim’s bodyguards moved into position and the security guards that Marco had hired for the event spun around, their eyes sharpening as they looked around, trying to spot the shooter.
But the moment was gone. Whoever had shot at Chloe was gone. He could feel it in his bones as he looked down at her. She peered up at him and he demanded, “Are you hurt?”
Chloe shook her head, then gasped. “You’ve been shot!”
Marco looked at his arm, there was a tear in his jacket with blood seeping through the material. He felt a slight burn, but Marco instantly knew that the bullet hadn’t got him. It had only grazed his arm. “I’m fine,” he assured her.
She pushed him back and looked at the wound. “You’re not fine! You need to go to the hospital!”
He laughed, shaking his head. “It’s not bad, Chloe.”
“I agree, but we should get out of here,” Dash urged, using his body to block any additional bullets. “Come on. Into the limousine!” he said, grabbing Marco’s arm. Marco lifted Chloe into his arms and almost threw her into the back of the limousine.
“What on Earth!” Jocelyn yelled! You’re not supposed to leave yet!” she commanded as she stepped out of the doors of the church. “I told you this over and over!”
“No time, Jocelyn,” Marco called out. “We’ll meet you at the reception!”
