Secret Smiles and Three Little Words Pt. 33

He gently released her throat and she could take a full breath. She didn't realize how much he had restricted her from breathing until he let go. She held onto his hair as he suckled on her neck in his emotional discharge. His breathing coming back to him from his excitement.

He slipped from her causing her to hiss, she watched his sinister smile slither across his face as she did. So he did take some pleasure in her pain. She knew he was only slightly sadistic he said. Her ass was now on fire from his cock, but she loved the way his eyes sparkled in satisfaction. It made it all worthwhile.

He returned with a towel and gently cleaned her up with a warm wash rag and the towel. She grimaced as he wiped her clean of lube and cum that had leaked out of her. She held the rag to her backside and excused herself to the restroom.

She had to empty herself, her body was demanding it. Not that she was going to be able to go fully for a day or two but as she sat there she realized all she had been through, and how happy she was. She was now able to please him in every fashion. This had her smiling, and emotionally she was content. Now her body was demanding sleep.

She crawled up next to him and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight to his body.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

"I'm better than ok," she assured him. "I'm so far in the clouds of happiness I have lost myself completely." He kissed her neck, they were both asleep in a matter of minutes. She wrapped within his arms. He wrapped within her love. Both content.

***

Chapter 40

She stared at it on the plane, her head nestled softly on his shoulder. She was still in awe. Not only the ring, but the mere fact he asked! She hadn't even started thinking about marriage. Baby yes, but not marriage. She thought about how twisted that was! She was completely content with what they had. Now she sat in first class, looking at the largest stone she had ever seen.

"What kind of ceremony do you want?" she asked him softly.

"I'll be quite honest with you," he said kissing her head and leaving his lips there. "I kind of figured you had this figured out. I thought all girls dream of their wedding day, plan it out multiple times."

"We daydream about it, sure!" she admitted. "But this has caught me totally off guard!"

"Well," he smiled. "I'm doing my job then, I'm keeping you guessing."

"Mission accomplished!" She said turning her eyes to him. He kissed her nose. "So you don't have any preferences?" He shrugged.

"Look," he frowned. "I really don't have any family to invite or anything like that, I have a couple aunts and uncles, a few cousins but we aren't a close knit family. We mainly exchange cards on holidays and birthdays. In truth all I have is Madelyn and Pavy...and you. So this really isn't about me. This is your special day. This is what you want. As long as I'm waiting there for you, I'll be just fine."

Alex thought about it as she stared at the light reflecting off the stone. This man she was with was a simple man. Simple in the things he desired anyway. He liked things to be simple. He liked things to be quiet. Subtle.

"Why don't we do a little quiet wedding," she suggested. "You know, one of those little vineyard weddings you see?"

"I want you to be happy," he stressed. "Don't be worrying about my comfort level and liking things quiet and simple."

"Damn Jedi," she smiled with a shake of her head.

"If you want something," he told her. "It's yours. We are only going to do this once, so let's do it right."

"I really don't want anything to ostentatious," she admitted. "Family, a few friends...I like small."

"Don't want a church wedding?" he asked her.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "Not really religious, I think I would like a little vineyard wedding."

"Sounds nice," he said pressing his lips to her head.

"When do you want to have it?" she asked.

"Whenever you want to have it," he laughed.

"I want Pavy there, so we will have to work it so that when he is back in the States," she said firmly.

"That could be a monumental task," Gavin pointed out.

"I'm thinking Nora as a flower girl," Alex told him not responding to the difficult task of scheduling a wedding when Pavy could make it. "Have Lena up with me."

"Sounds nice," he smiled letting her plan.

"My father giving me away," Alex smiled. She pictured the look of pride on his face, and the tears he would shed as he walked her down the aisle.

"Are you going to have Pavy up with you, or Madelyn?" she asked.

"Pavy," he said softly.

"So Pavy with you, Lena with me," Alex continued. "A little vineyard with a Justice of the Peace. Simple. Cozy."

"Sounds fantastic," Gavin admitted.

He also knew that this little plan she was coming up with would probably change a couple of hundred times. So letting her plan it out now and not interrupting was the best choice. It would change when she told her family. It would change when she started to look at wedding locations. So what she was planning now would not be the actual wedding. Still he was comforted with listening to her voice as she planned it.

For the first time in a long time, for as long as he could remember, he was content. Content with his life. Content with the girl by his side. Content with who he was. The short stint in Africa had him realizing that he was capable of doing good. Alex had talked of coming back a couple weeks a year. Perhaps that was possible. That way he could keep his practice and do the good he wanted to do when he first started wanting to be a doctor. This woman nestled into his arm was making all that possible. Giving him the strength to live again.

***

"Wow! Look at you!" Lena gasped as Alex walked into the apartment. "So dark!" Lena pointed out Alex's deep dark tan.

"I know!" Alex laughed taking her friend into a welcome home hug.

"So, tell me all about it!" Lena begged, pulling her towards the living room for the 'therapy' position.

"I have one thing to tell you," Alex smiled. Lena looked to her.

"I'm going to need a Maid of Honor!" Alex smiled showing Lena her new piece of jewelry.

"Holy shit!" Lena screamed and took Alex into her arms happily. "I'm so happy for you! And super jealous!"

"I'm super happy too!" Alex smiled as she watched her friend examine the ring. Lena shook her head in a marvel of the large ring. "So, will you be my Maid of Honor?"

"Hell yes!" Lena assured pulling her back into a hug. "So come in here and tell me all about your trip!"

Sitting on the couch Alex laughed when Lena pulled her head into her lap. This was the usual position for their conversations that included relationships. Usually that dealt with relationship failures. This was not about a failure. This was about the summit of success. The culmination of love and happiness. Still they used it. It meant no details are to be left out.

"Well," Alex shrugged. "What do you want to hear first?"

"Start at the beginning," Lena smiled. "And don't stop until I hear it all!"

"Well, when we first got there we almost had a gun fight with the Nairobi military!" Alex laughed. This caused Lena's eyes to bug out at the thought of the danger her friend was in. "But U.N. troops arrived and squashed that. Pavy's dad made sure we were safe." Lena nodded.

"I earned a new name over there," Alex said looking up at her. "The villages started calling me Pipi Malaika, which means 'Candy Angel'."

"Oh my God that sounds absolutely fantastic!" Lena gushed happily.

Alex went through all the things they went through at the camp. The wounded, the children. She detailed the little safari they went on and showed her the pictures they took. She told of all the shots she gave and how she became pretty adept at working with the skeptical mothers.

"So," Lena smiled. "When, where and how did he propose?"

"We were leaving, we came home through Cape Town as we couldn't go back the way we came because of fighting. It was a two day drive, we stopped at Victoria Falls...he proposed at the base there in the park," she said proudly.

"He was so romantic about it! I was talking about wondering how it would feel at the bottom as all the water was falling, he said he knew how it felt...because he felt it every time he looked at me!"

"Go ahead, keep rubbing it in, you little bitch!" Lena growled.

"Oh don't worry...I fully intend to!" Alex smiled.

"So, we talking a big wedding then?" Lena asked. Alex shook her head.

"No, I'm thinking one of those little vineyard weddings," Alex told her. "You with me, Pavy with Gavin. Nora as the flower girl, my dad giving me away."

"When?" Lena asked.

"I have to get in touch with Pavy and find out when he is coming back here," Alex said twisting her lips. "Then I will schedule it when he is back in country."

"That actually sounds really nice!" Lena complimented. "Simple, I know your man will like that!"

"He said I could have anything I wanted," Alex told her. "He said we are only doing this once!"

"No, this sounds like you guys," Lena said with a shrug. "You guys are simple and elegant...this matches you."

"I think so too!" Alex agreed.

"So when do we go dress shopping?" Lena asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Right now, I'm so tired from the trip," Alex frowned. "Let's shoot for the weekend, that way I get back on a normal sleeping schedule and rest a bit. We are both just totally exhausted!"

"I bet!" Lena agreed. "When are you going to tell the family?"

"I'm going back next week," Alex frowned. "Livy has her divorce hearing, I want to be there for her during that."

"Gavin going with you?" Lena asked.

"No," Alex shook her head. "He should stay here and work, he already feels guilty for all the time he is spending away. With my birthday, and Christmas and then Africa! He has spent more time away with me this year than his entire career before!"

"Hey," Lena smiled getting Alex to look at her. "I'm so happy for you, and I love you!"

"Thanks sweetie!" Alex smiled. "I love you too!"

***

Alex finally was home, after telling Lena, then the Mike at the front desk, she was looking forward to spending the next couple of days just enjoying the condo. When there was a knock at the door she frowned because that meant getting up from the couch and she didn't even want to do that!

She opened the door and found Madelyn standing there. She smiled broadly at Alex letting her know she already knew the good news.

"Hello baby!" Madelyn said taking Alex into her arms. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" Alex said with a broad smile. She showed Madelyn the ring and the woman gushed over it.

"He did good!" Madelyn complimented.

"He did," Alex said proudly looking at the ring.

"I'm not talking about the ring!" Madelyn laughed. Alex tilted her head at the compliment when Madelyn winked at her, letting her know she was the 'good'. "So have you started planning?"

Alex guided the woman into the condo had had her sit on the couch with her. Madelyn held her hand the entire way until they were sitting side by side on the couch.

"Yeah, it's already done," Alex admitted with a coy smile. "We are going to do something simple. Vineyard wedding, just a few family and friends.

"Really?" Madelyn said losing part of her smile.

"Gavin likes simple, you know that," Alex pointed out noting the loss of her smile.

"This is your special day," Madelyn pointed out.

"This is our special day," Alex told her. "I'm just happy he is going to be there, so I don't want to make him too uncomfortable."

"Screw him!" Madelyn barked. "You deserve to have a big wedding!"

"I don't really have that many people to invite," Alex explained. "Just family, a few friends."

"Sweetheart," Madelyn frowned. "This is going to be a big deal in our world, there will be a lot of important people that will want to be there!"

"I don't know any important people besides you!" Alex corrected.

"Gavin works with a lot of important people," Madelyn said firmly.

"Well," Alex shrugged softly. "Gavin didn't say anything about his patients."

Madelyn looked to the floor and shook her head. Alex could feel her disappointment. She could also see the wheels turning in the woman's head.

"Baby," Madelyn said slowly. "I'm calling in your marker." Madelyn said lifting her head.

"What?" Alex gasped.

"You owe me," Madelyn reminded.

"I know," Alex swallowed hard. "What do you want from me?"

"I want the wedding at my house," Madelyn said without hesitation.

"Ok," Alex frowned.

"I want elaborate," Madelyn continued.

"Mistress," Alex began to protest.

"You owe me," Madelyn said again. "I didn't expect to have to call it in so quickly, but Gavin surprised even me on this one!"

"Mistress," Alex began again. "Gavin won't like this!"

"I'm sorry honey," Madelyn said softly. "But that is not my problem...it is yours!"

Alex sat back into the couch with a flop. Gavin was not going to like this at all! He was such a simplistic person that something elaborate was going to anger him. She thought of all the elaborate parties that Madelyn threw. That brought up another problem, Madelyn's parties involved the lifestyle, would this wedding be similar?

"My parents don't know about my lifestyle choice," Alex pointed out thinking her wedding was the last place she wanted to announce to the family she was a submissive.

"This has nothing to do with the lifestyle," Madelyn said standing up. "This is about the man I consider my son getting married to the most fantastic girl I have ever encountered. I'm an old woman and this is something I have dreamt about for years."

"There is no way I can convince you to reconsider?" Alex asked.

"None," Madelyn said firmly. Alex knew that was going to be the answer but she was hoping against hope. Alex closed her eyes and nodded. How was she going to explain this to Gavin?

Gavin came in a couple hours after Madelyn left. Alex was still sitting on the couch staring at the ceiling. He looked to her as he turned the corner.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Madelyn was here," Alex whispered.

"Ok,"

"She called in her marker," Alex told him with closed eyes.

"What does she want?" he asked as he came to her and stood next to the couch.

"She has shanghaied the wedding," Alex told him.

"What?" he asked angrily.

"She wants the wedding at her mansion," Alex said turning her head to him without lifting it. "She wants elaborate!"

"Tell her she can't have that," Gavin said firmly. "This is your day."

"This is our day," Alex corrected. "And this is her favor, her marker."

"Jesus Christ!" Gavin growled.

"I'm sorry," Alex told him. "I won't renege on my promise."

"This is what happens when you make deals with Satan!" Gavin grumped. He shook his head and walked into his office without another word.

"Fuck," she hissed when he slammed the door.

***

She listened at the door of Gavin's office after she heard him arguing. He was arguing with Madelyn. She closed her eyes and shook her head. He was barking that she couldn't take over the wedding. Alex closed her eyes and walked in without knocking.

She took the phone gently from his fingers and smiled at him lovingly. She tilted her head in apology to him and he knew what that meant.

"Mistress," Alex interrupted the vehement conversation from that end. Madelyn stopped talking when she heard Alex's voice.

"I'll be over when I get back from Pennsylvania," Alex said looking at Gavin. "We can start going over ideas for what we want."

"I'm sorry to put you in this position," Madelyn said back softly.

"No," she smiled. "You are family, I owe you so much."

"Honey," Madelyn said sadly. "Maybe I should just butt out? I don't want to blackmail you for the favor I did for you and Pavy."

"No, Mistress," Alex said firmly. "I owe you from way before that. It was you who solidified my position with Gavin that night at your party. It was you who kept counsel with him that I was a good thing."

"Are you sure?" Madelyn asked her, the happiness in her voice coming through which made Alex happy.

"I'm positive," she said firmly. "When I get back, I'll bring Lena out and we will exchange ideas, go through some bridal magazines."

"I love you, Dearie," Madelyn said gleefully. The excitement in her voice had Alex smiling. "See you soon!"

"I love you too," Alex said hanging up the phone after Madelyn did. She looked to Gavin who waited for an explanation.

"You said I could have whatever I wanted," she said firmly. He nodded.

"You said you wanted simple," he pointed out.

"I've changed my mind," Alex told him. "We are going to have a big wedding. It makes Madelyn happy to have it there. If it wasn't for Madelyn...I don't think I would have you. So I owe her my life. If this makes her happy, then it makes me happy to please her. Which I know, in the end, will please you."

Gavin let out a slow deep exhale as he looked to the desk.

"I'm sorry my Love," Alex said to him. "But don't worry, you will only have to do this once, and then, I will spend the rest of my life showing you not only can I be a great sub, but a fantastic wife and mother."

***

Chapter 41

It was a bright Monday morning. Alex still didn't have her legs under her from her trip to Africa. She wanted to stay at the condo and have Gavin spoil her like he had done all weekend, with foot massages and loving comments to de-stress her.

The first excursion into the bridal dress world was absolutely draining. Store after store, dress after dress. Nothing seemed perfect. That's what she wanted, perfect. Was that so hard? Madelyn and Lena were patient, but when she told them she wanted elegant yet sexy they rolled their eyes.

It seemed she could have one or the other, but not both! She wanted a dress that people would awe over, but a dress that would make Gavin drool and think about all he was getting. An elegant and beautiful but sexy and desirable wife.

Madelyn, even though she had basically blackmailed her way into the wedding, wasn't as problematic as Alex had feared. She didn't want to keep Alex from her special day, she just wanted to have it on a grander scale. She was patient with Alex and the only argument that was had was between Madelyn and Gavin, on who was going to pay for the wedding. Madelyn won, as usual.

Now she was standing in front of her sister's new apartment in Averin. Coffee in hand, energy level on low and her body begging for her to go to bed.

"Holy cow," Livy smiled looking her younger sister over. "You look terrible!" She teased.

"Thank you," Alex smiled half-heartedly. "It matches the way I feel!"

"You didn't have to come!" Livy told her standing to the side and letting her in.

"And let you fend off the wolves by yourself?" Alex scoffed. "No, I'm here to give Mother something else to bitch about besides you!"

"You have done that too much already," Livy told her leading her to the kitchen and pointing to a chair for her to sit in. Alex collapsed into it and Livy shook her head.

"Sorry," Alex frowned. "I'm still not right from my trip."

"Which is why you should have stayed in Chicago...What is that?" Livy beamed looking at Alex's hand. Fuck, Alex kicked herself, she meant to take it off before she got here.

"That," Alex smiled, "is an engagement ring!"

"Oh my God that is soooo great!" Livy jumped up and threw her into a hug and Alex could do nothing but hug her sister back.

"Sorry," Alex said releasing her. "I meant to take it off...I mean here you are about to go through the hardest thing ever, the last thing you need is this reminder."