CHAPTER 41: MINE, HIS, OURS

HAVEN'S POV

It was a good thing that the room we're in has been triple-glazed, or the highly scandalous noises coming from here would have bothered even the creatures lurking in the deepest part of the ocean.

"Fuck," Allessio cursed, his head buried between my breasts. He threw the now empty canister of whip cream he was holding moments ago over his shoulder. "I can't get enough of you."

"You don't need to. We're going to be in the middle of the ocean for the weeks to come. What else is there to do but this?"

We're in the room of his luxury yacht. I don't know where we're going, but he said we're taking a vacation. I also have no idea where we're headed or whether the yacht has stopped, though it feels like it did. I was too preoccupied by the things that happened in the yacht's main bedroom to care about the rest of the world.

I tightened my hold on his shoulders, and I playfully tightened my walls around his cock that hadn't really softened and instead are still semi-hard. He grunted and retaliated by biting the side of my breast, making me yelped loudly.

"I created a monster." He licked the part that he bit, eliciting a moan from me. "One that loves me inside her tight pussy as much as she loves sucking my cock."

A teasing smile curves my lips, and I arch my back, rubbing my front on his chest. "What can I say, Daddy? It's my birthday, and I deserve to blow my big, thick, and delicious candle."

Shaking his head, he held my waist and lifted me. Pulling his still half-hard cock out of me, he deposited me next to him on the bed.

I squealed when he suddenly flipped me, followed by a burst of laughter when his palm connected to the cheek of my behind. "Go take a bath and wear that sinful dress that is making me want to lock you into this bedroom."

I gave him a chaste kiss that lasted longer when he put a hand behind my head and deepened the kiss before I stood up and walked to the sofa to get the black garment bag on it. Bouncing lightly on my feet, I went to the bathroom.

The dress he was talking about is the very sexy white dress that the personal shopper he seems to have already hired full time for me, selected together with several other dresses.

It has a thin, one-strap shoulder and a generous cut-out on both sides of the waist. It's a form-fitting dress that cups me in the right places—a right amount of cleavage, a fit that accentuates my behind, and the thigh-high slit that makes it undeniably daring. Though it clung to my body, the skirt allows it to look flowy and free. It has an effortless elegance to it and a whole lot of sultriness.

Rosa convinced me to take it with me since, according to her, it's perfect for the yacht party that is intended today for my birthday. Even though it was just me, Allessio, Rosa herself, and a few members of Idalion are here with us.

I quickly took a shower and got ready. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I found Allessio lying on the bed. He looked so comfortable that he was even using both his arms as a pillow behind his head.

His relaxed demeanor disappeared in an instant, and it became heated when he saw me. He stood up, looking like a lion that was about to pounce.

I stilled myself, ready for him. If he's going to ravage me, I wouldn't complain. I will accept it with open arms knowing how skillful his tongue, his fingers, and his cock, it will be stupid of me not just to deny him but to deny myself of the pleasure he could bring.

Instead of doing what I expected, he clenched his jaw and pressed a firm kiss to my temple before letting me go.

"Wait for me here. I need a shower." He glanced at me, and the corners of his lips lifted up. "A very cold one."

My lips jutted out in a pout, which only made his smile widen. With a sigh, I plopped onto the bed to wait for him.

When I heard the shower start, I stood up and went to the seating area. I sat on the soft cushion and opened the blinds to admire the impressive wall panel. The breathtaking view of the ocean was in full display.

Staring at the ocean, I couldn't help but be reminded of those times that it feels like my life is surrounded by nothing but a giant stretch of water where I keep trying to keep my head on the surface even though I'm being dragged down again and again. The sadder part of it, the ocean felt too familiar. It was only then that I lost everything that I realized that I'd been drowning for a long time.

But now it's like I could breathe freer. I look at the ocean, and I see nothing but glistening blue water. My heart is calm and full, knowing that it doesn't need to fear sinking again.

"Gattina?" I turned to the sound of Allessio's boys and I caught him frowning in my direction. "Are you okay?"

Smiling, I stood up and approach him. He's wearing a white dress shirt underneath his black suit. Him being himself, it wasn't surprising that he's not wearing any necktie, and that two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned.

His eyebrow raised a little as he watched me unbutton two more, revealing a hint of hard chest. Yum.

"Better?" he asked.

"Ahuh. So I have something to look forward to." I took his hand and guided it along my side. I heard him draw a quick breath when his hand reached my bare waist. "Just like you'll have one too."

Proving to me that I might be learning different ways to tease him, I still fall short when he's the one doing it. He traced my neck with his nose, and when he reached my ear, he lightly bit my earlobe. "One? I have more than that to look forward to." I gasped loudly when his hand went to my behind, squeezing the cheek hard. "Especially this one that I plan on taking tonight."

Holy shit.

While a small part of me is anxious, it couldn't be denied that the majority is looking forward to the possibilities.

Before we could completely drown in the growing flame between us, Allessio guided me out of his room.

I could hear people talking—his men probably—but I was distracted by the delicious smell in the air. It smells like the familiar scent of Mexican and Asian food. Are we having one of those two tonight? Or it's Mexican-Asian fusion? But there was also a hint of a flowery scent, and I'm sure that it's lavender since I love that smell.

Before I could ask Allessio, we had already reached the spacious deck of the yacht. My heart throbbed loudly in my chest, and my jaw went slack at the sight of what greeted me.

White tables and chairs were arranged on both sides of the expansive deck. The tables were decorated with lavender flowers and so was the path with a white carpet leading to the arch at the very front and center of the deck.

Aside from that, what surprised me even more was that not only Allessio's people were here, but also his parents. Even more surprisingly, Alexei was here, as well as Azelea, who gave me a small smile.

Before I could get over my surprise at seeing the younger woman, Allessio turned me toward him to get my attention. His eyes were shining as he watched the bewildered expression on my face.

"Happy twentieth birthday, gattina," he murmured softly. "How about we add more reason to celebrate this day?"

"I-I... I don't understand."

He took my hand and a loud gasped escape my parted lips when he unceremoniously slid a ring on my finger with a round brilliant-cut diamond.

"I want you to remember this day as the day that I proposed to you." His eyes shine brighter. "And because of an another thing."

My lips parted, but before I could speak, a familiar tune filled the air. The sound of a wedding march. Oh my god!

Allessio kissed my hand with the ring on it, and then to surprise me more, he slid a thinner platinum band on the finger I already have a ring on. This one was simpler and matched the one he put on the palm of my hand.

"I'm... I'm getting whiplashed. What's happening, Daddy?"

He grinned. "I'm proposing to you, and I'm marrying you."

"I don't... I don't think that's how things should go. You need to ask me first to propose, and the wedding band should be given after the priest declares us to be married."

His smile widened, and he gave the ring I'm holding a pointed look. With a sigh, I slid it onto his finger despite my trembling hands. Once done, he took my hand and began walking on the aisle with me as a priest step forward at the front of the deck.

"I'm not going to ask because I won't take no for an answer." He raised our joined hands and kissed my knuckles when I wrinkled my nose at him. "And I don't need a priest to declare you're mine, gattina. Even both heaven and hell combined couldn't stop me. I don't ask permission. Not to anyone. Especially not when it comes to you, who has already been mine before I even slid a ring on your finger."

All I could do was stare at him open mouthedl until we reached the end of the white carpet. Allessio grabbed the lavender flower bouquet that for some reason the priest who I have no doubt was the same priest from the botched wedding I had not long ago, was holding, and then gave it to me. We're doing everything backwards. I should be the one holding the bouquet, not the priest, and the priest should be the one to say when we exchange rings, but Allessio beat him to it.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the priest looking at us back and forth. It seemed like he was about to speak, but it was interrupted when a laugh escaped my lips.

Allessio's grin grew as I giggled and giggled at our situation. His eyes are dancing with light as he watches me lose it in front of him.

Even how insane this situation might be for some people, it's so easy for me to go along with it. It's because the way I accept his claim on me, I know without a doubt that he wanted nothing more from me but to do the same. He claims me the way he wants to be claimed.

"You're such a domineering, incorrigible, asshole." There were a couple of startled gasps and coughing, as well as laughter coming from our wedding guests. "But I love you anyway."

"You're going to get punished for that, my beautiful gattina," he said with a promise in his voice. "And I love you just the same."

Allessio showed me his heart in different ways. He had given me words that are greatly more powerful than the cliche three-letter words. Yet because it came from him, the weight of his words feels as strongly as those he had already given me.

"Marry me," he murmured.

"Is that a question?"

"Definitely not."

I giggled. "As expected." I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "But I'll give you my yes, anyway. Even if you're not asking for it."

The myriad of emotions in his eyes are those that I don't need words for. My heart, which he owns completely recognizes all of them.

Allessio tipped his head to the priest, but before the poor priest could utter one word, I beat him to it. "Before we get married, since we're doing everything backwards anyway, I want to tell you something."

He tucked a lock of my hair that is being tousled by the wind behind my ear. "What is it?"

My eyes searched for Rosa, who smiled at me. I took a deep breath before looking back at Allessio. "Ti amo con tutto il cuore. Voglio passare il mio eternità con te."

Surprised colored Allessio's eyes, and his hold on me tightened. He gazes and gazes at me as if he has the whole world in his arms.

"I love you with all my heart. I want to spend my eternity with you," I repeated in English. "I didn't know anything about this—that it will happen this fast. But just in case the day came that I'm standing in front of you just like this... I wanted to surprise you."

Proving that we're doing things in reverse, I found myself being caged by all of him as he claimed my lips into a kiss so deep that the ocean surrounding us must have felt jealous.

"La mia vita è tua, gattina," he murmured against my lips. "My life is yours."

In there, surrounded by his people that have slowly become my people... there, surrounded by the vast ocean, Allessio and I drown. With the feelings we share, with words that only we could hear, with hearts that found their home after wandering in this dark, crazy world for a long time.

In this imperfect perfect world of ours, no matter how fleeting or lasting, our lives became each other's.

Mine. His. Ours.