Don Vidal

24 - Taking over

Marnie

I’m so nervous about this dinner with my sister and Hawk. I don’t want Brooke to question me about anything; I just want her to see that I’m happy. After last night, that’s just how I’ve felt all day, happy, and I haven’t stopped smiling.

I didn’t intend to have se.x with Draven, but lying beside him, I just couldn’t stop myself. Not once in the time I have been here has Draven expected anything from me. Not once had he come on to me with the intention of getting me into bed. He allowed me time to come to the conclusion that I wanted to be with him in that way on my own. He even asked me if I was sure I wanted that, and it made my heart sing. No one has ever asked what I wanted before. And I know if I had changed my mind, Draven wouldn’t have made me feel bad about it. No, he would have smiled and told me that was okay.

I woke up this morning to breakfast in bed, which shocked me.

Who knew the Don was such a sweetheart?

After breakfast, Draven and I showered together. His hands on my body felt so good as he washed me with such tender care that it made my nose burn with emotion. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before he spun me around and fucke.d me from behind.

Who knew that shower se.x could be so passionate?

I’ve hummed to myself all day because I feel so happy. I’ve even danced around the house, getting things ready for later. I’ve set the table in the large dining room with all the fine China I found in Draven’s storeroom. He has some beautiful belongings, a lot of them antiques. I’ve set the table fit for Royalty, and I hope my sister appreciates the effort I’ve gone to to make tonight special.

Draven said he would call the housekeeper back cook for us, and even though I protested, he wouldn’t have any of it. He told me that he didn’t want me to exhaust myself. He even told me he would have someone come in and fix the dining table, but I put my foot down. I had to do something myself. He relented with a smile and a kiss on my lips.

I finish applying my nude lipstick and then take a step back from the mirror and look at myself. Not bad if I do say so myself. The emerald green evening dress I picked from the fifty-odd dresses Draven bought me is not half bad. The man has some taste when it comes to the clothes he buys for me.

Don’t get me wrong, Draven doesn’t force me to dress how he wants me to, and I can buy my own clothes. It’s just that when I first moved in with him, I didn’t have much with me, and as I need to look my best at all times in front of his men, Draven bought me a few things. Okay, he went over the top, and I did feel a little awkward taking things from him, but I loved him for it at the same time.

I am going to have to go shopping again soon, though; my belly is getting bigger every day. I have no idea how much longer this stuff will fit me. The dress I’m wearing now is the only one loose enough around the stomach and doesn’t make me look like a squashed lemon. I’ve tied my hair up in a fashionable ponytail that I’ve curled at the ends and made sure my makeup is light but not pale. I’m blonde, and I don’t want to look sick. I feel like a princess with my jewelry and perfume.

God, I feel so happy right now! I don’t know how long the feeling will last, but I’m going to enjoy it while it does.

“Wow,” I turn to face Draven with a smile on my face. I’ve missed him while he’s been at work. “You look amazing.”

“Oh, this old thing? I found it in the back of the closet.” I laugh when he raises his eyebrow.

“Come here,” I walk over to Draven, and he wraps his arms around my waist; I wrap mine around his neck, and I let him kiss me. “Have you been okay while I’ve been gone?”

“I’ve been just fine. I felt a little weird with Carmen and Faith in the kitchen half the day, though.”

Draven narrows his eyes. “Did they say something to you?”

“Nothing bad. They’re really nice, actually.”

Carmen is Draven’s housekeeper, and Faith is her daughter; she’s a chef. Funnily, she doesn’t work for Draven at the restaurant, though. I’ve met Carman before, but today was the first time I’d seen Faith. I like both women, so Draven has nothing to worry about. I guess I just wanted to cook dinner myself; I’m not sure I like being waited on all the time.

“Good, I’d hate to have to have words.”

I slap his chest. “Draven Vidal, you can’t think the worst just because I felt a little awkward. It had nothing to do with anything those women did. To be honest, Carmen thinks a lot of you.”

More than a lot. I sat in the kitchen earlier, watching the two of them cooking, and she told me all about Draven and how she’s taken care of him for years. Carmen even knew Draven’s mother, and she was there when Maria was a little girl. Carmen helped Draven take care of Maria.

So why on this earth would he feel the need to get cross about her talking to me?

“Carmen is a good person. She was my mother’s friend, and they had Faith and Maria within a month of each other. They’re part of the family, but if you don’t get along, then I’d have to let her go.”

I want to protest because he cannot choose me over the woman who has been there for him since he was a child. That is just plain wrong, especially when she’s done nothing wrong. But he cuts me off with a passionate kiss.

I slide my fingers into his hair and pull him closer to my body. I ache for him right now, but he pulls away with a smile on his face.

“We need to stop.” He tells me, and I groan. “I would ravage you right now... God, you smell good,” I laugh because he’s sniffing my neck like a vampire about to drink from his prey. “Unfortunately, we’ll have guests very soon, and I need to shower.”

I kiss him softly, just because I can. I know we haven’t officially stated what we are, but I think it’s obvious. Plus, we’re getting married, so it’s pretty conclusive that we’re more than just housemates and bed buddies.

“I’ll meet you in the dining room, which I decorated for dinner myself.”

“I’ve seen. It looks amazing, beautiful.” With one more kiss to my lips, Draven walks away from me.

Brooke will be here soon, and even though I know everything is perfect, I can’t help thinking that I’ve forgotten something. I have pregnancy brain, and it’s driving me crazy!

I push the thought out of my head and practically skip toward the front door when the bell rings. It will be my sister and Hawk. No one would have got to the door without the guards seeing, so I have nothing to worry about.

I squeal happily as Draven catches me around the waist before I make it there. He pulls me to him and kisses me.

I laugh against his mouth. “I need to get the door.”

“Ignore it,” He mumbles around kisses to my lips. “They’ll go away.”

“No, they won’t.” I laugh. “It’s just for a few hours; then we can spend all night ravaging each other. This was your idea, remember?”

“Fine. Answer the door before your sister breaks it down.”

I right my clothes, take a deep breath, and answer the door with a massive smile on my face. Brooke looks amazing. She’s wearing a white dress, and her hair is loose around her shoulder. Hawk is even scrubbed up nicely. He’s wearing black jeans and a button-down shirt, but I didn’t expect him to be in a suit. My sister forced him, I can tell, and he did it for her. The thought makes me smile.

“Hi!” Brooke rushes me before I can say anything else, arms around my neck tightly.

I rub her back and smile at Hawk over her shoulder.

“It’s so good to see you.” Brooke pulls away from me. “You look so good.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“You’ve been making excuses not to meet up with me, Marnie. What else was I supposed to think?”

“Come in,” I wave them both in. I don’t want to talk on the doorstep. I close the door behind them. “I’m sorry, Brooke. I thought talking to each other would be enough until I felt better. I’ve been sleeping a lot the past week or so. Being ill drained all of my energy.”

“I get that. I didn’t until Draven explained that you were unwell. You could have told me; I would have been here to help take care of you.”

I smile at her; she’s so sweet. “That’s what I didn’t want. I’m so grateful for you, Brooke, but Draven had it covered.”

Draven wraps his arm around my waist and kisses my head. “Shall we go through to the dining room?”

Dinner goes smoothly, with lots of laughter and lots of stories. All the while, my sister watches as, now and again, Draven takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. I see the smile on her face each time he does that. I can see that my sister trusts my judgment when it comes to Draven. She knows he’s not doing this for her benefit. He isn’t because he doesn’t even know she’s watching half the time.

Hawk and Draven talk like old friends, even though I doubt they’ll ever really be friends. It’s nice that they’re trying, though; it means a lot to both Brooke and me.

Once dinner is over, we make our way to the den, where it’s more comfortable. Draven hands Hawk a scotch while taking one for himself. Brooke and I both opt for sparkling water, and the atmosphere is pleasant.

Draven sits beside me on the sofa while Brooke sits beside Hawk on the loveseat, her hand in his.

“So, I had an idea about your dress.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Brooke has been on at me all evening about my wedding dress. Not in a bad way; she’s just excited, but I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t know when the wedding will be because we don’t have a definite date yet. I haven’t found the dress for me, and I have been looking; it’s all I’ve done each time I’ve gone past a bridal shop. I can’t help myself.

“Well, why don’t you let Avery design your dress? She did an amazing job on mine.” I can’t deny that. Brooke’s wedding dress was stunning, but I don’t know if I want that.

“That is a wonderful idea, Brooke.”

I look at Draven, I want to tell him that I’m not sure, but he’s smiling so wide. Having his cousin design my dress would obviously mean a lot to him.

“Yay!” Brooke claps her hands excitedly and sits forward in her seat. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow. She and I are meeting up to talk about Maria’s birthday surprise. Why don't you come too, Marnie? Afterward, we can talk to Maria about designing some wedding jewelry for you! Oh, man, this is perfect!”

It doesn’t look like I have a choice in the matter. Brooke didn’t allow me to answer her question about meeting them tomorrow, and she’s not letting me get a word in about what I want. I’ve never known my sister to take over like this. Not that she’s being malicious or anything; all she’s doing is being nice... I guess I’m being selfish.

My eyes catch Hawk’s; he smiles at me, and I smile slightly. Brooke and Draven are busy discussing our wedding, what they can add to it, what shouldn’t be included, and who we should invite.

I just feel like I have no say all of a sudden. It’s not like Draven, and I have spoken in depth about the wedding, but I thought he would involve me in this conversation.

Oh well, it’s just another wedding I’ll have no say in, one I’ll have to go along with. I’ll pretend none of the details matter when, in truth, they really do. To me, anyway. I got to do nothing concerning my wedding to Paul, not that I wanted anything to do with it. However, I’ve gotten used to the idea of marrying Draven, and I wanted us to do everything together, even the tiny little things.

It probably sounds stupid, but I’d gotten used to the idea of picking out a wedding cake, flowers, and even gifts for the bridesmaids with him. I wanted us to pick out a venue we’d both like and what food we’d eat; I even wanted to write the guest list and seating plans with Draven. I’m not going to get to do that; I know that now.

I shouldn’t have let myself believe Draven would even want that. I mean, he didn’t even want me to cook dinner, so why the hell would I think he’d want to plan a wedding? He’s a Mafia Don, not Prince Charming!

“Baby,” Hawk put his arm around Brooke’s shoulders. She looks up at him with a smile on her face. “Maybe we should be making tracks. We need to collect Gabe from my parents.”

“Oh God, you’re right.” She giggles. “I lost track of time there. Draven, if you send me the details for the venue, Maria and I will get on to that. Marnie,” I get out of my seat and let Brooke hug me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I guess I’m meeting up with Brooke and Avery.

God, this whole wedding will get out of hand, and I will have no say in it. I don’t want a big wedding. I don’t want a repeat of my last wedding either. I need to say something to Draven. If I leave it too long, it will be too late, then I’ll have no one to blame but myself. I don’t want to upset anyone, but this is my wedding day we’re talking about.

Time to grow a set, Marnie.