The Merger Page 5

  At the theater, Lukas introduces me to several people, and when we take our seats in the darkened room, he places his hand on my thigh over the silk of my dress. The entire show, he rubs his hand in small circles around my leg, and my mind turns to mush from his light touches. I miss the whole performance, and by the time the musical is over, I’m ready to combust.

  When we arrive at the restaurant, the hostess seats us in a booth in the back, and I ask for a glass of wine, hoping the alcohol will calm my overactive lust. After we order, Lukas places his arm across the back of the booth and starts toying with my ear and the side of my neck, which causes me to fidget in my seat as moisture floods my panties. I wonder if he is torturing me on purpose. There seems to be an unspoken agreement to wait for our wedding before we make love, but we’re both struggling with that arrangement.

  The planning for our engagement party and wedding should keep me busy in the upcoming weeks, hopefully too busy to combust from an inconvenient case of unbridled lust.

  Lukas

  My fucking wedding cannot come soon enough. It had been hard enough to keep my hands off of her, then I walked in, and she’s wearing only a goddamn lacy bra and thong. After taking the coldest shower imaginable and jacking myself off repeatedly, I barely made it through dinner that night. I battled my fucking hard-on all goddamn night long. Every time she smiled or laughed or fucking breathed, the fucking vision of the lacy bra and thong she wore under her dress would flash through my mind. My throbbing dick begged me to throw her tiny ass on the table and fuck the shit out of her in the restaurant. Now, my dick is rug-burned, and my wrist is sore from the amount of jacking off I’m doing every day. Cold showers aren't cutting it anymore, and my patience is gone.

  The problems at Sterling-Ryan and Steele Co. do serve one purpose; they keep my mind off of my fiancé's gorgeous body until the fucking wedding. I deserve hazard pay for preventing Drew and Bradley from killing each other. Gramps George and I were forced to take action and demand that the two of them find a way to exist together. We will see how long the fragile truce lasts.

  I took Madison on a date to give her a small taste of the torture she is putting me through, and that shit backfired on me. Touching her and smelling her arousal for hours nearly drove me past my breaking point. Every day, my need for her grows. Waiting until after we are married to fuck her may just kill me.

  Gramps George has decided to throw us an engagement party, tonight, at the same hotel where we held the Autumn Ball. Drew is working hard to ensure there isn’t a repeat of the Marta situation, and security is extra tight tonight. Each of my brothers had to have his date verified by security to make sure none of them pose a security risk. We were also very selective in who we invited, and Drew's company checked all of our guests. I want everything to be perfect for Madison; therefore, I'm not taking any chances.

  Earlier today, I picked out jewelry to give her tonight and asked her to come to my room after she's finished getting ready. When I hear her knocking, I call for her to come in, and her beauty stuns me. Her hair is pulled up with a few loose curls framing her gorgeous face. She is wearing a pale pink, strapless, floor-length gown that hugs her tiny figure perfectly with a slit up the side. When she walks, I get a peek of her smooth leg and the high heels on her dainty feet.

  I smile and signal for her to step over to me then open the case to show her the diamond earrings and necklace. She looks shocked when she sees them, and I can tell she's about to refuse. "Madison, as my fiancé and soon my wife, you will need jewelry for events. This is a small start on the jewelry I will be giving you in the future. One, it is expected for me to give you jewelry. Two, I love seeing you wearing things that I’ve bought for you. It will make me very happy to see you wearing these."

  After taking the two-carat diamond and platinum stud earrings and placing them in her ears and placing the matching diamond and platinum stud pendant around her neck, where it hangs right between the V in her breasts, I watch as she peeks in the mirror at the beautiful set. She has tears in her eyes as she turns to me.

  "Thank you so much. I have never owned anything so beautiful. I will treasure it always." She leans up and kisses me softly on my lips, and I smile after our brief kiss.

  “You’re welcome. We need to leave, or we are going to be late to our own party." I take her hand and lead her down to the waiting car.

  We get to the hotel, and Drew has done a great job with the security. Gramps George greets us at the door and discreetly signals to let me know everything is going well. I survey the room and see Drew and Annie are seated at a table on one side of the room, and Bradley is seated with Brayden, Max, and their dates on the other side of the room. Both Nikolas and Aiden and their partners are already on the dance floor. Lucy and Blake are walking toward Bradley's table, and I'm shocked at how huge she has gotten in the last month. She looks like she's having triplets. Thank God, I dodged that bullet. We go to mingle throughout the room, and I'm so proud to have my Angel on my arm.

  When I stop to introduce Madison to my Junior Vice President of Accounting, Kevin Howard, I’m caught off guard by his date. Her name is Amanda Lennox, and for several months, she was Aiden’s girlfriend. She’s the only girl he ever brought home. He met her his second year at Harvard, and they became inseparable. She came home with him every holiday and break for the entire first semester and half the second semester. Then, out of nowhere, we never heard about her or saw her again. Aiden made it clear to us, their relationship ended badly and he wouldn’t ever talk about the break-up. Has he seen her tonight? It had better not be a problem.

  When Kevin introduces Amanda to us, she tries to act like she is meeting me for the first time. But I call her on her shit. "Surely, Amanda, you remember me from all the times you came to our house when you were dating Aiden."

  Kevin looks absolutely shocked when I call Amanda out. She blinks a couple of times, pales, then bites her lip before replying, "It was such a long time ago… actually, a lifetime ago, and I have completely blocked it from my mind. Congratulations on your engagement. I wish you and Madison the best."

  She smiles up at Kevin, and he has no choice but to accept her explanation. I only hope Aiden is occupied with his date and does not see her.

  As we move through the room greeting our guests, the night flies by, and before long it’s time for dinner. After the meal is over and the night is beginning to wind down, I let my guard down. Suddenly, I hear a loud commotion in the middle of the room and see Nikolas holding Aiden back. I tell Madison to stay with Gramps George, and I rush over to see what's going on.

  "You have no right showing up at my family's celebration with a date. After all these years, you need to stay out of my life. You kicked me out of your life all those years ago. You wouldn't listen to any explanation after you found me guilty and gave me no chance to prove myself innocent. Well, I'm over you, and you need to stay the fuck away from me. So, get out and never show up where I am again."

  After coldly speaking to Amanda, Aiden turns to Kevin. “Don’t bring her to Sterling–Ryan functions. Get the fuck out before I have security throw your date out of here."

  Kevin grabs Amanda's hand, and one of Drew's security guards quickly escorts them from the room.

  Aiden turns to me, and I signal for him to follow me where we can speak in private. Enough of our business has been spread throughout the entire room. One of the security guards points to an empty room for us to use. Before we get to the office, Annie reaches us and pushes her way into the room with us. I know she worries about her twin, so I let her come into the room.

  Once the doors close, Aiden turns around and falls apart. "I really thought we would get married. She was my soul mate. There was a girl at school who succeeded in coming between us by lying and saying I was fucking her. Amanda was so sure our relationship was temporary; she could not believe I would be faithful to her. I finally got fed up and told her I was tired of trying to prove my innocence. She took my refusal to defend myself
as an admission of guilt. I begged and pleaded, and she wouldn't listen. She completely turned away from me. She quit school midterm and disappeared. From then on, I swore I would never give another woman any kind of power over me. I stopped looking for her, and I haven’t seen her again until tonight. I have no clue why she suddenly has decided to start torturing me again."

  Annie leads her twin to the sofa and sits next to him while I talk to him. "Aiden, you have all the power here. We will keep her away. I’ll make it clear to Kevin, on Monday, he isn’t to bring Amanda anywhere near Sterling–Ryan property or to any functions Sterling–Ryan holds. If he wants to continue working for our company, he’ll fucking listen to me. You know I have your back."

  Aiden gets up to hug me, and I realize I haven’t embraced my brother in a long time. Annie walks up, puts her arms around Aiden, and leans up to whisper in his ear. He gives her a small smile, and I know she will help him deal with his pain.

  8

  Madison

  Today is finally my wedding day. Wow, the last month and a half has flown by, and so much has happened. It’s unbelievable. Lukas has gone out of his way to make me feel special. Every Monday, a bouquet of exotic flowers is delivered to me. After the first delivery, he told me he wanted to do something special to help alleviate a little bit of the stress caused by planning the wedding. Gramps George and Brayden have stepped in and helped with most of the planning for the wedding since Lukas is so busy at Sterling–Ryan.

  We had a beautiful engagement party last month at the same hotel where the Autumn Ball was held. Before the party, Lukas gave me the most gorgeous jewelry I have ever owned. I felt like a princess walking into the party on his arm. He stayed with me all night, and it was a fantastic evening except for the drama between Aiden and his ex-girlfriend. Earlier in the night, while we were walking around meeting people, Lukas had introduced me to one of his employees, and she was his date. At the time, Lukas talked about remembering her coming to the house with Aiden in the past. I didn't think much of it because I knew of Aiden's history with women. So, it was quite shocking to see Aiden nearly get in a fight over the girl. Since then, there has been a change in Aiden. He's quieter and more withdrawn. All the Ryan brothers are vastly different from the façade they portray in public. Finding out about their real personalities has been a relief now that I’m becoming a part of the family.

  Hopefully, Uncle Drew and Bradley don’t kill each other at our wedding ceremony. Lukas has threatened to beat both of them if they cause a scene. The whole situation between them is beyond explanation; Uncle Drew is horrible for betraying Bradley with Annie. He swears the entire situation is complicated, but no explanation will change my feelings on the matter. Their drama isn’t going to ruin my wedding.

  As I stand at the wall of windows in my sitting room and look out across the back of the estate, I'm amazed at how beautiful everything has been arranged. Lukas went out of his way to ensure I have the wedding of my dreams. Now, I hope everything goes as planned.

  After getting ready, I meet Gramps George downstairs where he is waiting to walk me down the aisle. My dress is off-white with a lace bodice and a sweetheart neckline encrusted with sparkling crystals throughout, and a full skirt with layers of tulle. My hair is styled in a chignon with matching crystals sprinkled throughout.

  I have another new jewelry set from Lukas. It was his mother's wedding set and includes a gorgeous platinum and diamond waterfall necklace and matching earrings. The way Lukas is spoiling me makes me feel like a princess. Annie let me borrow her diamond and sapphire bracelet so I could have both borrowed and blue in one piece.

  The entire wedding ceremony is a blur. Lucy is my matron of honor, and Annie is my bridesmaid, while Lukas has Max as his best man and Brayden as his groomsman. Throughout the ceremony, I’m shaking from nerves and nearly pass out a couple of times. Lukas' hold on my hand is soothing and helps to keep me from completely falling apart. Since my focus is on staying conscious, I miss all of the questions the minister is asking, but somehow, I manage to give the appropriate replies.

  Once the ceremony is over, we have a great time at the reception. There are no catastrophes or dramatic family outbursts. Lukas and his security seem to keep everyone under control, and the night flies by.

  My concerns about the wedding night weigh on my mind. As sweet as Lukas has been since the Autumn Ball and engagement party, he acts like he has strong feelings for me. He says the most thoughtful and complimentary things, and he treats me well, but my sexual inexperience is scaring me to death. What if I can’t satisfy my very experienced husband? On our dates, Lukas expresses his attraction to me frequently, so I’m praying we have an exciting sex life.

  Tonight is my wedding night, and I’m certain that after having sex with my very experienced husband for the first time, I’ll be able to enjoy the rest of my honeymoon without stressing.

  After spending the night at a hotel in the city, we’ll leave for our honeymoon in the morning. I wanted to go to Barbados for our honeymoon because it looked like a beautiful place to visit, and Lukas indulged me. As I’m changing into my going away outfit all alone in my private suite, my nerves are getting the best of me.

  Lukas

  I paid through the nose and threatened everyone within an inch of their life to make sure Madison has the wedding of her dreams. The back gardens of the estate are decorated in cream and pale pink, which seem to be her favorite colors. It actually looks like my backyard puked cream and pale pink. We decided on a small, private ceremony, with only about forty or so people invited. There are more security officers than guests, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure everything runs as planned.

  Drew and Lukas are seated far enough apart from each other; they aren’t even breathing the same air. Annie is in the wedding party, and she’ll be sitting at the front table with us so there will be no fights. She has been instructed to stay away from both Drew and Bradley. What a fucked-up situation.

  As I'm standing at the altar with Max and Brayden, I think about the night ahead. When the music begins, we turn and wait. First comes Annie, and I'm still so mad at her, it takes everything in me to keep smiling. Next is Lucy, and I feel relief at the fact that she is someone else's problem. Then the music changes, and I see a real vision. The Angel I've been waiting to possess for the last month and a half is slowly walking toward me. There is no way to describe how gorgeous she is; she looks like a fairytale princess come to life.

  When Gramps George hands her over to me, her hand trembles in mine, and I try to reassure her by holding her hand firmly and squeezing it gently every now and then. She is barely making it through the vows. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice she is extremely pale, and her whole body is shaking. After all the money I spent to make our wedding special, it would be a shame if Madison were to pass out and miss the ceremony. The entire time we say our vows, I’m prepared to catch her if she passes out. After the ceremony is over, most of her color returns, and she is smiling.

  “For a while there, I wasn’t too sure you were going to make it through the ceremony,” I tease as we spin around the dance floor.

  “You’re not the only one. My nerves almost took me out.” She shyly smiles at me. After our dance, we return to our seats, and the rest of the night passes by with no catastrophes and no fights. We cut the cake and enjoy a great night with our family. Thank God.

  As she's up in her suite changing before we leave for the hotel, I also get ready. My dick is so fucking hard, I have to jack off to get my boxers and pants on. I’m dying to get my hands on Madison.

  When we arrive at the hotel, the Presidential Suite is set up exactly as I had requested. There are champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and, of course, rose petals. Cliché, I know, but she enjoys romantic gestures. She’s shaking and nervous on the outside, and I'm about ready to combust on the inside from the wait. I tell myself to be patient with her, but my patience ran out several weeks ago.

  "Why don't you us
e main the bathroom and get ready? Your bag has already been set up in the bedroom. I'll use the extra bathroom to get myself ready. Take all the time you need. We are in no rush tonight." Yeah, right. Tell that to my hungry dick.

  Madison

  After Lukas tells me to get ready in the main bathroom, I take a quick shower to freshen up. Then, after stalling as long as I can to get my nerves under control, I put on my sheer white negligée, take a deep breath, and walk out the door. I walk into the bedroom and find Lukas lying on the bed waiting for me naked, with the sheet pulled up to his waist.

  This is the first time I've ever seen him without a shirt on, and I'm impressed. His broad shoulders taper down to a narrow waist, and I'm disappointed because the rest of him is hidden by the covers. The intricate tattoo across his six-pack abs shocks me. It appears to be some kind of suit of arms with a fancy R in the middle.

  He smirks when he sees me staring at his tattoo. "All my brothers have a similar one. You can come closer and inspect as much as you want."

  I laugh a little and do as he says. I run my finger over the design, and he groans in the back of his throat. I whisper to him, "It shocks me. You're such a strait-laced businessman, I never imagined you would have a tattoo."

  He throws his head back and laughs really hard. "Sweetheart, you're such a delight. I'm going to have so much fun educating you. Speaking of which, I have gotten the impression you are so innocent. So, I have to ask you… Are you a virgin?"

  I can feel the blush start on my chest and move all the way up my cheeks, and I shake my head. "I had one boyfriend in college, but it was a long time ago. I wasn't very good at it. We only did it a couple of times, and then we broke up. I never wanted to try again."