Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba

Chapter 12

The Rolls pulled up at a private door at the rear of Caesar’s Palace.

“What’s this?” Patty asked.

“Private entrance,” Ana explained. “We have a private elevator to our suite, which will probably take you to your room also.”

“Sweet,” Patty said with a grin. She looked at her husband. “This is how the other half lives.”

Ana laughed. “No, nothing like that. I’ve played here a couple of times and the hotel management knows me. That’s all.”

She wasn’t exactly lying. She had performed a concerto here, and the hotel staff did know her, but with her family money, this was how the other half, or rather, the upper one-percent lived. But no one needed to know that.

The luggage was unloaded, and Charles met them at the elevator. “Good evening, Ms. Cristiano, Mr. Beckett. Everything is ready for your arrival. I have your guests in the Octavius Suite. I hope that’s acceptable.”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“If you’ll follow me.”

Patty and Paul were led away to a different elevator. Ana and Sawyer rode with Charles to the top for their penthouse suite. When they entered, Sawyer’s eyes popped wide.

“Holy shit, Ana.”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I love this room.”

Charles directed the porters with the luggage to the main bedroom. Dining services followed with a cart.

“I took the liberty of ordering a light dinner,” Charles said. “After we spoke today, I feared you might miss dinner.”

“Thank you,” Ana said. “I have to keep my groom happy.”

“Your groom is too stunned to speak,” Sawyer said.

Charles checked his watch. “The jeweler will be here momentarily with your ring selections.”

Sawyer looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

She shrugged. “I didn’t have time to ask what kind of ring you wanted, so the jeweler is bringing a selection. I told him to focus on titanium since it’s the most durable. I wasn’t sure if you would wear it…” she paused, “at work.” She wasn’t sure if SEALs wore wedding rings, but she wanted him to have a memento of their marriage.

“And your ring?” he asked. “Do I get to pick that out?”

She grinned. “Yep. There will be a selection of those.” She leaned closer so Charles wouldn’t overhear. “But I’ll be paying for it, and don’t argue. I think I know what I want, and I don’t expect you to have to pay for all of this. You’re doing me the favor.”

“Oh, honey, this isn’t a favor. Trust me. I want to be here, doing this.”

“I know,” she said, “but without Randall and my mother’s antics, we’d be going our separate ways this weekend.” She saddened at that realization. It was true, and she’d have been extremely forlorn driving back to San Diego. Now, she got to take him with her, if only in her heart.

Over a light dinner of crab cakes, waffle fries, and drinks—bourbon for him and Diet Coke for her—they met with the jeweler.

Sawyer looked over the variety of groom’s rings. She immediately saw her favorite for him. There were some beautiful rings in black, or silver, or gold, but there was something about the black titanium that seemed like Sawyer.

He pointed to the black titanium. “That one.”

A bright smile stretched her mouth. “That’s exactly the one I had in mind, too.”

“Great minds,” he said and kissed her. “Now, what do you have for my bride?”

“Some excellent rings for her to pick from.” The jeweler set the groom’s rings back into his case and pulled out two trays of diamond rings.

Sawyer’s face paled as he studied the rings. Ana placed her hand over his as reassurance. These were all a little too gaudy for her tastes. Plus, Sawyer looked like he was going to pass out.

“These are all lovely,” she said, “but I’m afraid, with my job, they’re all a little too top heavy with those large stones. I wouldn’t be able to wear them when I play. Do you have anything not so large?”

“I do, but are you sure none of these are to your liking?”

For years, Ana had watched her mother deal with pushy salespeople who wanted to sell the most expensive item to her, even if that wasn’t what she’d asked for. Ana couldn’t blame the salesperson. Their job was to sell and make a commission.

“I’m sure. What else do you have?”

With a long-suffering sigh that almost made Ana laugh, the salesman replaced the two trays and brought out a third. Although more compact and smaller stones, these rings were still stunningly gorgeous. Ana studied the rings, removing one and then another.

“Do you see one you like?” she asked Sawyer.

“There are a couple I like more than others, but this is your ring. You’re the one who’ll be wearing it. Pick out whichever makes you happy.”

She smiled up at him. “You make me happy. No ring will ever bring me as much joy as you do.”

The jeweler seemed to love her reply because he beamed at her.

Ana picked up a ring to study it. “Tell me about this one, please.”

“An excellent choice. The center stone is a five-point-nine caret grade F, colorless stone with no imperfections. The shape is called radiant. It’s flanked on both sides by baguette-cut diamonds, also colorless. The two bands surrounding the main one contain thirty-six, round-cut diamonds in grade G, for a total caret weight of four. The caret weight for the set is nine-point-nine.”

“This is the one,” she said and looked at Sawyer, who smiled. “This one?”

“Exactly the one I had my eye on.”

“Perfect. I’d like to try this one, but I’d rather my groom not see it on my finger until he puts it there.”

Sawyer stood. “Say no more. I’ll, um, step outside on the terrace.”

As soon as he was out of the room, Ana slipped the ring on. It fit but was a little loose. “I’ll need this adjusted tomorrow. Have Sawyer try his ring on and you’ll adjust it tomorrow, if necessary.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You’ve spoken with Caesar’s about payment?”

“I have. Are you sure you don’t want to look at either of those first two trays? A woman with your discriminating taste might enjoy a more, let’s say, eye-catching ring.”

What he didn’t say was a woman with your disposable funds.

“No. This is exactly what I want. Thank you for coming out so late and bringing such an outstanding selection.” She smiled. “You made it tough to decide.”

“My pleasure. I’ll check with Charles tomorrow about resizing. I’ll step outside with your groom and check the ring.”

The doorbell rang, and Charles opened the suite’s door to admit Paul and Patty. Their shorts and T-shirts had been replaced with a black suit for Paul and a floor-length black gown for Patty.

“Wow,” Ana said. “You two clean up pretty good.”

Patty laughed and whirled in a circle. “Isn’t it lovely? I’ve only gotten to wear it once, and this seemed like a great excuse to pull it out of my closet.” Her brow pulled into a frown. “Have you looked at the time? You need to get dressed.”

“I know. Paul, Sawyer is on the terrace if you’d like to join him. Help yourself to a drink. There are some munchies on the table if you’re hungry.”

Paul saluted and walked outside to where Sawyer stood with the jeweler.

The doorbell rang again, and Charles admitted two women carrying black cases.

“Hair and make-up,” Ana said to Patty. “This way.” She led Patty and the two women to a second bedroom where her dress awaited.

“Piano concertos must pay better than I thought,” Patty muttered.

Ana chuckled. “You have no idea.”

Sawyer was dressedand ready to get this show on the road. Paul had brought Sawyer’s dress blues from his closet in his motorhome, which is really why it had taken him until almost eight to get to Lake Kincade. Sawyer figured he would only marry once in his life. When this was over with Ana, and he was sure Ana would leave him within the year when she didn’t need his protection any longer, he wouldn’t need these blues for a wedding, unless he was a groomsman for someone else. He never intended to marry again. He was a one-woman man, and Ana was that woman for him. She’d never believe him if he told her that. Hell, he’d fallen the minute he’d seen her with Ranger Saturday morning. It was as if his heart had said, “This one. This is who you’ve been waiting for.” Of course, he’d never tell anyone that. They would think he was nuts, but he wasn’t crazy, except crazy about the woman he was about to marry.

He stood on the terrace alongside the private infinity pool. Pots of blooming flowers sat around the edge and on the tables. The flames from tiki torches flickered in the light breeze. A full moon shone overhead, lighting the area, so the torches provided more ambiance than necessary light.

The woman who was performing the ceremony arrived ten minutes before midnight. She told him her name was Amanda Larson, and she’d performed hundreds of these ceremonies. Caesar’s general manager was a personal friend of hers and had asked her to do this wedding as a favor.

“I appreciate your doing this then,” Sawyer said. “I know it was last minute.”

Amanda waved him off. “Happy to do it. The timing is perfect. I just finished a wedding in the chapel, so I was going to be onsite anyway. Now, do you have any special requests in the vows?”

“I’d like to say something to Ana when you’ve gone through the traditional vows.”

“No problem. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to speak with your bride.”

Amanda disappeared into the bedroom Ana had commandeered.

Paul handed Sawyer a glass of bourbon neat and then tapped it with his glass. “I’m happy for you, man. Good luck.”

“Listen, I’m deploying soon. Can you and Patty stay in touch with Ana and make sure she’s okay?”

“Of course. Deployment. That sucks. No wonder you wanted to do this before you left. What about the military paperwork of adding a wife?”

“I’ve notified my team leader and commanding officer. Both assured me they’d take care of it.”

“Nervous?”

“Nope.”

Paul laughed. “I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane the day I married Patty.”

“Okay, I lied. I’m scared to death she’ll realize before the wedding that she can do so much better.”

Paul slapped him on the back. “I know the feeling, but your lady looks at you like you hold all the secrets to life. I don’t think she’s going to back out.”

Sawyer took a gulp of bourbon, enjoying the burn as it rolled down his throat. “I hope you’re right.”

Somewhere, a clock struck midnight. Amanda exited the bedroom and walked to where the men stood.

“It’s a beautiful night for a wedding. It’s time to get started.”

Charles started a recording of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” Sawyer wouldn’t have known the composer if he hadn’t looked it up. He’d wondered whether Ana would choose it, and was happy that she had. It felt like a wedding.

The bedroom door opened, and Patty walked out carrying a single long-stemmed red rose. She walked across the living room and outside. She stopped and kissed Sawyer’s cheek before moving to stand at the side.

Then his bride walked out. His knees almost gave way. She wore a white off-the shoulder gown that clung to her figure. The material at the shoulders appeared to cross over her breasts and disappear into the dress, which nipped in at her waist, and then flared at her hips. As she walked toward him, a long slit on the right side flashed her thigh.

Her hair was flowing down her back, exactly as he loved it. Her face glowed with the smile on her mouth.

She carried six, long-stemmed, red roses tied with a white ribbon that trailed in curls down the front of her dress.

She neared him, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. His only regret was not having his parents here, but somewhere, he’d seen a video photographer capturing the wedding. They would enjoy that.

“Hey,” she said with a whisper as she stepped beside him. “You look incredible. You shaved and cut your hair.”

“Honey, I don’t hold a candle to you.”

Amanda cleared her throat and began. After both Ana and Sawyer went through their vows, Amanda said, “Sawyer would like to say something, I believe…?”

Sawyer nodded. He looked into Ana’s glistening eyes. “I know how lucky I am to have you in my life. I promise I will hold you in my heart until my dying days.”

A tear ran down Ana’s face. “Darn you,” she whispered. “You messed up my makeup.”

He used his gloved thumb to dab away her tear. “I meant every word. I want you to know that.”

“I do. I am lucky to have you. I trust you. I adore you. I love you. You will be in my heart forever.”

“Oh, babe, I love you, too.”

They stared into each other’s eyes until Amanda said, “By the power invested in me by the state of Nevada, I pronounce you husband and wife. You can kiss your bride, Mr. Beckett.”

Patty and Paul cheered as Sawyer dipped Ana into a kiss.

There was cake, of course. Ana, or maybe it was Charles, hadn’t forgotten a thing. Cake and champagne were consumed on the terrace with Ana sitting on his lap.

“Play for me,” Sawyer said.

“Okay. Anything?”

“Anything.”

The four adults walked to the grand piano in the living room, the photographer changing from the still camera around his neck to the video camera he’d left on the floor when he’d thought he was done.

Ana sat. Sawyer stood on her right side, while Paul and Patty took the left. She sat there for a minute and began to play. The piece started slow, with dramatic strikes on the keys. The music was at first heavy, almost sad, but then her fingers began to fly over the keys. He could barely keep up with her hands. The music became fast and happy. He could feel her emotions in the notes. The piece ended, but it hadn’t been nearly long enough for him.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I know,” Patty shouted.

“You do not,” her husband said. “And that’s our cue for leaving. By the way, Ana, I don’t know who you talked to about getting us a room, but it’s a fucking suite.”

“Don’t say fucking,” Patty slurred out. “We don’t want them to know what we’re going to be doing next.”

Ana laughed as did Sawyer.

“It’ll be our secret,” Ana assured her.

Patty shushed with a finger to her mouth. “And your fucking secret is safe with us.”

Ana frowned and looked at Sawyer. “She’s drunk,” he whispered. “I think she means our fucking tonight, not anything else. They don’t know anything else.”

She nodded, but he saw the flash in her eyes.

They left, the photographer following them out the door.

“Finally,” Sawyer said. “I thought they’d never leave.”

Ana chuckled.

“I love the way you play. So dramatic and your fingers…wow. They flew.”

“Thank you,” she rising and taking a bow. “That was the third concerto by Rachmaninoff.

“That was incredible. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Sawyer.”

He gave her a leer. “Anything?”

Ana stoodin front of the mirrored wardrobe doors with Sawyer standing behind her. After swooping her up into his arms to walk with her to the bedroom, he’d set her on her feet in front of the mirrors and told her not to move.

Methodically, he undressed himself, taking time to hang up his dress trousers and jacket, placing his shoes in the closet on the floor, folding his white button-down shirt, even his T-shirt and boxers, before he turned to her.

By then, she was trembling, nearly salivating. This Sawyer, so contained, his expression almost remote, had her nipples hardening, her thighs clenching.

The smoky look in his eyes as strode toward her had her biting her lip to suppress a moan. Although she was still doubtful he’d be able to wring an orgasm from her, there was pleasure in just looking at him.

When he stood beside her, he raised her left hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. The diamonds in her rings glittered, shocking her a bit. She’d really done this. She’d really said her vows and let him slide the bands onto her finger. She was a married woman, and this well-built warrior was her husband.

He knelt and patted his thigh.

She lifted one foot and then the other and let him slide her shoes from her feet. Each time, he did so, he kissed the top of her foot before placing it on the floor. When he stood again, he moved behind her and went about opening her dress and sliding it upwards. Without being told what to do, she raised her arms.

Standing now in only her underwear and hose, she waited as he rolled down her thigh high stockings, his rough palms smoothing up her legs once they were bared. She couldn’t contain a quiver when he neared the apex of her thighs, and she noted how much darker his eyes appeared as he bent toward her and pressed a kiss through the scrap of satin covering her sex.

Again, he straightened and moved behind her, his gaze locking with hers in the mirror as he unclipped her bra and drew it off her arms.

Then his hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs scraping the tips. She leaned back against his chest and watched as he caressed her soft flesh and bent to kiss the top of one shoulder.

“You are so beautiful, Ana.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, not really knowing how to answer.

When he scooped her up again, she gave a little cry. He walked the few steps to the large bed covered in a satin duvet, the corners folded down by the staff. When he bent over the bed, she reached out and grabbed the corner and tossed it back so he could set her in the center of the bed, one knee on the mattress as he deposited her and slowly slid his hands from underneath her.

When he reached into the drawer of the night stand, she encircled his wrist and shook her head.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

She was sure she hoped for consequences, and she didn’t want anything between them, not even a thin cloak of latex. In answer, she simply held out her arms.

Sawyer climbed fully onto the bed and over her body, resting on his elbows while his cock fell against her mound, so heavy and warm, her inner channel clenched again. She was wet. Ready for him to take her. Eager to see whether it was possible she might come with the right man.

He cupped the sides of her face and feathered a thumb across her bottom lip. “I meant what I said…”

She smiled. “I did, too. I love you.”

Sawyer’s nostrils flared and he bent to take her mouth. The kiss began sweetly, a soft rubbing of mouths, but as always seemed to happen with them, it very quickly grew heated.

She bit his lip and pulled, letting it go then giving him a challenging look.

His eyes narrowed and abruptly scooted downward, his mouth diving toward a breast. With one hand fondling the other breast, he sucked her nipple into his mouth and drew hard. Her toes curled, and then her knees rose to cup his sides. The pull of his mouth seemed to tug at something deep inside her belly, and she was instantly eager for him to take his attentions lower down her body.

However, Sawyer wasn’t in any hurry. He plied both breasts with nips of his teeth and sexy glides of his tongue. When he sucked at the tips, she couldn’t help turning her head side to side and tightening around him. The pleasure was so intense, she realized she’d never felt anything approaching it, even full-on sex with her previous partners.

When he finally moved lower, she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed, but she cupped her breasts to keep them warm and give herself comfort as he lightly bit and sucked at the skin of her belly, moving lower and lower until he rested between her legs, his head hovering above her sex.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. It was disconcerting to say the least. Yes, she was aware that people had oral sex, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to leave herself so vulnerable to his gaze and touch. His gaze rose from her pussy to meet hers. Then he dipped downward, still looking at her, and trailed his tongue through her folds.

Her mouth opened on a gasp. The stroke was delightful, ending with a little pressure against the knot at the top of her folds. “Again,” she gasped, her eyelids drifting downward.

Thankfully, Sawyer was amenable. As he used his fingers and tongue to stroke and penetrate her, her legs grew restless, her belly undulated, uncontrollably.

“Sawyer…” she whispered, gripping his hair to tug at him, needing him to come upward because she was about to explode.

“Let it happen, sweetheart,” he said. Then he pressed two fingers inside her, thrusting them inward then pulling out, and latched his mouth around her hardening clitoris.

When his tongue flicked it, her back arched and she cried out, giving a strangled cry.

Moments later, he was cradling her face, kissing her mouth and cheeks. “God, you were so beautiful,” he said, then pressed a hard kiss against her mouth.

When he pulled back, she blinked at him. “That was it, right? That…”

His mouth curved. “You had an orgasm. What do you think?”

She sighed, and her mouth slid into a happy smile. “I’ve never felt anything more wonderful. Can I do it again?”

Sawyer’s bodyached to join with hers, but he’d never felt more satisfaction than he did at this moment. The look on her face when she’d crested made him feel like a conquering warrior. He’d have beat his chest in triumph if she hadn’t needed him to hold her as she came back down.

Everything about the moment would be etched in his memory forever. Her pale dewy skin, her swollen lips rounding in surprise.

Her hands slid over his ass, and she dug her fingernails into his skin. “I mean it. I want to do that again.”

Ready to oblige, he began to move downward again, but she gripped his ass harder. “You, inside me.”

“Ah.” And he grinned before coming up on his forearms, which exposed her body and his to both their gazes.

Her glance swept down his body. “Oh my. You look bigger from this angle.”

“I’m the same amount of big, darling.”

Sawyer and Anadidn’t see Paul and Patty again until dinner on Friday. And as soon as dinner was over, they left. Sawyer had to chuckle to himself. He and Ana could barely stop touching each other…a hand to a forearm, an arm around a waist, a kiss in her hair, or on her cheek. He was glad to see his friends, but even happier when they left.

Saturday morning, the four friends took the Rolls Royce to the airport for the flight back to Lake Kincade. When they touched down back in California, Sawyer lacked the words to thank his friends for their help.

The four of them stood on the tarmac.

“Listen,” Sawyer sighed. “Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Man, say nothing,” Paul said. “Patty and I haven’t had this kind of time to ourselves since the twins were born. The suite was incredible, so thank you to both of you for that.”

“I’ll be lucky if baby number four doesn’t arrive in nine months.” Patty giggled. “I couldn’t keep Paul out of my bath.”

Paul rolled his eyes. “Best of luck, guys. Patty has your number, Ana?”

“Yes. I made sure of that.”

“Then, I guess we’d better get home before our kids forget us.”

Sawyer and Ana walked to their individual rides.

“See you at the cabin?” Sawyer said.

“I’ll race you there, but wait—which cabin are we using?”

He laughed. “Yours is bigger than mine, so yours. And we aren’t racing. Barbie would be crushed by Harley.”

She shook her head. “Oh, we’ll see about that.”

She slammed her car into reverse, spun around, and took off.

That woman would drive him crazy…and he looked forward to it for as long as he had her.