Making Me Believe Read online

  “I can’t believe you’re marrying a guy you met last week! It’s so unlike you,” she told Rose.

  Rose grinned. “You haven’t seen the guy! Besides, this is the new improved me.”

  Alicia laughed, holding up a pink night gown. It was a simple cut gown with spaghetti straps that stopped at mid-thigh. It wasn’t sexy in a blatant way, but once it was on, it would be fabulous. “This would look so good on you. You’ve got to get it!”

  They had a quick dinner out, and Rose hugged her friend. “Thanks for your help. I’m not much of a shopper, and I’ve never bought anything that was actually meant to be sexy before.”

  “No problem. You just have fun Friday night. I want details on Monday,” she told her with a grin.

  “I promise to have fun. I make no promises about details.” She knew she wouldn’t be sharing the kind of details that Alicia wanted. Some things were meant to be between husband and wife and no one else.

  *****

  By the time she got home from work on Friday afternoon, Rose was a bundle of nerves. Alex had said that everything was set for the ceremony. They would take a taxi from the airport to the courthouse and then to the hotel. A limo would pick them up from their hotel to take them to the chapel. After the short ceremony, the limo would take them back to their hotel on the Las Vegas strip.

  She had her carryon packed and her dress in a garment bag. They planned to return Sunday afternoon. They’d both taken Monday off work, so they’d have a day to get everything set up like they wanted it. Rose had another month left on her lease, and Alex’s lease was up. They decided to combine apartments and would start looking for a home.

  When Alex arrived, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, grabbed her bags and carried them out to a minivan. He’d arranged for his brother-in-law to drive them to the airport and pick them up on Sunday.

  As she slid into the van, she noticed the toddler sitting in a car seat in the very back seat. She took the middle seat with Alex. Alex made quick introductions. “This is my kid sister, Sarah the brat, and my brother in law, Clark, and my nephew, Justin.” He paused for a moment. “And this is Rose.”

  Sarah turned around in her seat to get a better look at Rose. “I’m so excited to meet you! I can’t believe that you and Alex are getting married. How long have you been seeing each other?” Rose started to respond, but Sarah kept talking without pausing for breath. “Mom is going to hate it that she didn’t get to meet you before the wedding, but I’m glad I get to. I’m supposed to call her as soon as I get home and tell her all about you. Where are you guys staying? On the strip? Or in downtown? Do you plan on finding a house in Arlington, or are you looking to move away from here? I’m so glad that I’ll finally have a sister. Alex is a big pain, but he’s a good brother, so I guess I can put up with him. You need to have a baby right away because Justin needs cousins. It’s so fun to have a lot of cousins, don’t you think?”

  By this time Rose’s head was starting to spin. She waited for a moment to see if Sarah was expecting a response. When she didn’t say anything else, she said, “A week, the strip, I’m not sure, and yes.”

  Alex and Clark burst out laughing at the same time. Sarah grinned at Rose. “You kept up with me! I can see we’re going to be great friends as well as sisters!”

  Sarah was a petite brunette, who looked to be in the advanced stages of pregnancy. “Alex didn’t mention you were having a baby!” She glared over at Alex. Why wouldn’t he tell her that?

  Sarah shook her head and sighed. “Alex is a man. It’s not his fault, and we just have to forgive him for his inadequacies.”

  Rose looked over at Alex and grinned. “So far he seems pretty great to me. Of course, my mother told me at least a hundred times on the phone this week that you never know a man until you’ve lived with him. She said he’s going to leave globs of toothpaste in the bathroom sink, and it will drive me insane. Or he’ll be incapable of remembering to take the trash out without being told fifty times.”

  Sarah laughed. “They’re both true in Alex’s case! But he’s pretty cool anyway. For a brother.” She gave Alex a teasing smile.

  The van slowed as Clark leaned out the window to get his parking ticket to pay as they left the airport.

  “Ignore Sarah. She’s just jealous because I got all the brains in the family and she was stuck with the big mouth,” Alex said under his breath.

  “I heard that! Just for that, I’m not getting you a wedding present,” Sarah said.

  Clark sighed. “Yes, she is. Don’t be difficult, Sarah. We want Rose to think the family is normal. She still has time to back out. Wait to be crazy until after they get back.”

  Rose laughed at all of them. “I think I’m going to fit in just fine.”

  Clark pulled up in front of the passenger drop-off, and Alex and Rose got out. Alex went to get their bags. Sarah jumped out of the car as well and hugged Rose. “Best wishes! I’m so glad I have a sister now.”

  “I’ve always wanted a sister, too!” Rose hugged her back before walking with Alex into the airport.

  After they checked in, and went through security, they only had a few minutes to wait before their flight. “We were cutting it pretty close,” Rose commented.

  “I know, but the chapel that we’re using closes at ten, so we have to hurry,” he told her.

  “I’m not upset about it. I was just commenting,” Rose was extremely nervous around him today. She hadn’t been before, but she knew it was the fact that she’d be sleeping with a man she’d only known for a week in a few hours.

  Alex could see her nervousness on her face. “I’m glad we’re getting married tonight,” he told her.

  She nodded solemnly. “I am too. I’m just really nervous.”

  “Are you nervous about the ceremony or about making love for the first time?” he asked her.

  “Making love,” she responded. “I love being in front of people. I don’t know if I’m going to love sex.”

  “I understand. Don’t worry about the sex part, though. It’s my job to make sure you love it.”

  Chapter 5

  The two hour flight seemed to fly by. She’d put a book in her purse, just in case, but found that she didn’t need it. She and Alex spoke softly as they talked about what they were each looking for in the house that they would soon start looking for.

  Rose brought up the possibility of Alex designing their home, and he hesitated. “I’d love to do it, but it would mean a much longer process. We would need to keep renting for another year or two,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t mind that. We could move to a bigger apartment, since we’re planning on moving anyway, and then move again when our house was ready. Is that something that you’d really like to do?” she asked.

  “I’ve always wanted to custom design my own home. I really thought that you’d want to be in a home faster than I could put us there by designing it myself, though. And it always felt weird trying to put something together when I knew that someday I’d end up married, and my wife may not have the same taste as I do.”

  She nodded considering. “I really think that I’d rather live in something that you created just for us, if you don’t mind waiting. I’d love to raise our children in a house that I knew you had designed just for our family.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Children? How many are you planning on having? We haven’t discussed that.”

  She shrugged. “I hated being an only child. I don’t want any kid to have to feel alone like that. So I’m thinking twenty or thirty would do it,” she said.

  He coughed. “That may be a few too many for me. How about one?”

  She recognized his need for negotiation and got down to it. “How about 20?”

  He grinned. “Two.”

  “Fifteen?”

  “Three.”

  “Ten?”

  “Four. And I’m not going any higher than four,” he said.

  She glared. “Six! That’s my final offer!”

&nb
sp; “Five, then.” He sighed. “What am I going to do with five kids?” Secretly he loved the idea of a big family. A houseful would thrill him.

  “Love them,” she responded quickly. “And I’ll pray the last one is sextuplets and then I get my ten!”

  He laughed. “Don’t be devious.”

  She smiled at him. “We haven’t discussed birth control. Do you want to start a family right away, or wait a while?”

  “Well, if we’re having five, we’d better start right away. We need to be young enough to enjoy them,” he said with a grin.

  “That’s what I was thinking!” she snuggled closer to him. They had lifted the arm rest between them for more room, and she found it convenient for being close on the plane as well.

  As soon as they landed, they got a taxi and went straight to the courthouse.

  The taxi driver took it in stride that a couple would get off the plane and immediately get married. “Happens all the time here,” he told them. “Did you bring friends and family, or are you going it alone?”

  “It’s just us,” she said. “We don’t want to waste our weekend entertaining when all we really want to do is be alone.”

  The driver laughed. “I think everyone should get married that way. I wish my wife would have agreed to something like that instead of us starting our marriage thousands in debt for a party.”

  They got their marriage license, and then headed back to the hotel to change. It felt odd to be changing in the room they were going to be spending the night in, but it wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t believe that it was bad luck to be seen by the groom before the ceremony anyway.

  The ceremony itself was short and to the point. The photographer handed them their CD of wedding photos, and they headed back to the hotel in the limo provided.

  In the back of the limo, Alex reached out and pulled Rose toward him, kissing her softly. “So, do you feel married yet?”

  She laughed up at him. “Not at all! I think that’s going to take a while. Maybe we should take in a show, and go to a casino for a while before we go back to our room. Maybe then I’ll feel married.” She looked down to hide her grin.

  His eyes widened. “Are you serious?” Sighing he said, “I guess we can. I can wait,” he said running his hand over her hair. The disappointment in his voice almost had Rose laughing out loud.

  “That would make me feel better,” she whispered, trying not to shake with laughter. “Let’s go back to the room and change, and we’ll go out and have some fun. I’ve never been to Vegas before!”

  He dropped his head against the back of the seat. He hadn’t thought she was that nervous about making love with him, but if she was then he wasn’t going to push it. “What kind of show do you want to see? Magic? Music? Comedy?”

  She sucked in her breath to steady her voice, “Oh, definitely comedy. I love to laugh.”

  Alex noticed that her voice sounded funny, but dismissed it as nerves. The limo pulled up in front of the hotel, and he took her hand, helping her out of the car. After he’d opened the door to their room door, he stepped aside for her to enter. “Why don’t you use the bathroom to change, and I’ll use the bedroom?” he asked, walking over to his bag to pull out some jeans and a nice shirt.

  Rose kept her head down as she took her carryon into the bathroom. She couldn’t believe that he actually thought she was going to make him sit through a show or spend time at a casino before she would go to bed with him. She was nervous, yes, but she was more than ready to make love with her new husband. She wouldn’t have married him if she hadn’t been.

  She wasn’t one to prolong the feeling of nervousness either. She’d rather bite the bullet and get it over with.

  She quickly got ready for bed and changed into the sexy white nightgown she’d bought for her wedding night. It was silky, had spaghetti straps, hugged her curves, and ended at mid-thigh. She couldn’t wait to see Alex’s face when she walked into the room wearing it. She brushed out her hair so that it fell just right against her shoulders.

  Alex changed quickly and sat down on the bed. He was determined to give Rose all the time she needed. He’d rushed her into this marriage, but he wasn’t going to rush her into bed with him. Well, he wasn’t going to rush her into bed with him right this second. He planned on consummating the marriage that night, but waiting an hour or three wouldn’t kill him.

  He heard the door open and looked over at Rose with a smile on his face. He didn’t want her to think that he was upset with her for asking him to wait for a little while. His eyes widened when he saw what she was wearing.

  He immediately stood up and walked toward her, trying not to show his eagerness.

  “Please tell me you don’t think that’s suitable attire for a Las Vegas show,” he said quietly as his hands stroked down her arms to grasp her hands in his, pulling her toward the bed.

  She laughed out loud. “Only if I’m in the show,” she said. The relief in the air was palpable.

  He backed toward the bed, holding both of her hands tightly in his. When his legs hit the foot of the bed, she pushed his shoulders and knocked him over onto the bed. She quickly followed him down, pressing her lips to his.

  “So you weren’t really nervous?” he asked with one eyebrow raised. “Sure, I’m nervous. I’m a lot more excited, though. You, my husband, are hot.”

  He laughed, and kissed her shoulder. “That sentiment is mutual.”

  She sat up abruptly. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she told him. “I’m sitting here mostly naked, and you’re wearing jeans and a shirt. I think you need some help with that.” Her hands went to the buttons on the front of his shirt, and she started unbuttoning them quickly.

  He laid there watching her with a bemused grin on his face. “Are you in a hurry?”

  “I’m in a hurry to get you naked. After that, I think slow would be good!” He sat up so that she could slip his shirt off. “Kick your shoes off.” He pulled his socks and shoes off and started to unbutton his pants. She pushed his hands away, and did it for him. “That’s my job!”

  He laid back and watched as she unzipped his jeans, pushing them down his hips, catching his boxers on the way down. He watched her face carefully as his penis sprang free from his underwear. She pushed the clothes off his feet and knelt beside him, staring intently at his member. She reached out a hand and touched it, stroking it gently.

  He caught her hands and flipped her over onto her back. “If you want this to go slowly, then you’re not going to be able to do that right now,” he told her fiercely, covering her lips with his own. His fingers drifted down to her nipples, and he pinched them lightly through her gown. “I like this thing you’re wearing,” he whispered. “How offended would you be if I took it off right away?”

  She laughed, “I really don’t think it’s meant to be worn for very long.”

  He pushed it up over her hips and pulled her to a sitting position, pulling it over her head. “Much better.” He pushed her back onto the bed, and immediately brought his mouth to her breast, pulling the nipple between his lips, and laving it with his tongue. The softness of her breast against his face had him groaning, hoping he could hold out long enough to make it good for her.

  She arched off the bed, moaning softly. “That feels good.” Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding his mouth tightly against her.

  His hand roamed across her body to her free nipple, softly plucking the nipple between his fingers and thumb. He kissed his way up her neck and over to her ear, nibbling gently on the lobe. When she shuddered, he smiled. “You’re an ear person!”

  “Is that good?” she asked.

  “Neither good nor bad. I’ve just never dated one before, but I like ears, so I had to try,” he said softly.

  “When do I get to kiss you and figure out what you like?” she asked as she laid back and let him nibble at her ear, his hands roaming across her breasts and flat stomach.

  He laughed. “Not right now! I’m having a hard enou
gh time waiting as it is. You have to be ready, so just lay back and let me get you there.”

  “I am ready!” she said.

  He shook his head. “Nope. You can speak too coherently to be ready.” He moved one hand down to her mound, moving his fingers through the soft hair there. He kissed his way down to her stomach, licking the soft skin around her navel.

  He moved his hand down further between her legs. She started to hold her knees tightly together, but then let her legs fall apart. His fingers trailed up her thighs between her legs.

  She lay thrashing her head back and forth on the bed. His fingers felt so good.

  He moved his hand up slowly to the apex of her thighs, and parted her. His finger found her sensitive nub, and rubbed it insistently. His other hand joined the first and he inserted one finger into her to test her readiness.

  She was damp, but not overly so. He slowly began to slide the finger in and out. She moaned softly.

  He quickly added another finger, trying to get her used to his touch. Both of his fingers moved in and out steadily faster.

  She began to arch against his hand, and that’s when he knew she was ready for him. He rolled on top of her, and moved his hips into the junction of her thighs.

  He brought his lips back to hers, slowly moving his tongue in and out in imitation of what was about to happen between their bodies. He moved his member to her entrance and pushed softly.

  She felt him nudging against her, and was astounded by how good it felt. It was a weird sensation, part pain, and part fullness. He pushed a little harder, and embedded himself fully within her. She let out a sharp moan at the pain, and he laid still, waiting for it to pass for her.

  Slowly, the tension left her body, and he began to thrust within her. The thrusts came faster and faster. She started to move with the thrusts, enjoying the sensation now that the initial pain had passed. Slowly she felt her body tightening and grasping for something.

  He was getting close. He bit his lip trying to hold out until she finished. He could see in her eyes that she was almost there. A few more thrusts and she closed her eyes and let out a half scream. Thank God. Now he could finish. He moved faster and let out a growl, his body tightening as he poured his seed into her.