Be a Doll(19)

“Don’t thank me, it’s true. No matter what, you can count on me to help if you need it. I know your life is complicated right now, but remember that you have people now.’’

I nodded and sat back while I let my husband thank his sister with a quick embrace that seemed to take Megan by surprise, but the brilliant smile and the unshed tears in her eyes as she looked at her brother told me that this family was struggling even if the love between Sylvie, Megan and Mathis was obvious. Oscar Grimes, the patriarch seemed a bit more difficult to place considering how Mathis seemed distant with him and how the older gentleman greeted me exceedingly formally and didn’t ask me to call him by his first name.

We sat down again and Megan quickly went back to chatting with the person sitting next to her, leaving me alone to people watch while I ignored my plate, unable to eat another bite as the nerves still tied my stomach into knots.

“My sister is truly a great speaker.’’

I turned to look at him, my husband, someone I felt more compelled labeling my husband in my head instead of using his first name. Somehow, calling him Mathis seemed intimate in a twisted sort of way and it made me wary. It was due, without the shadow of a doubt, to the impending wedding night that made me shudder whenever I let myself think about it.

“She certainly is.’’

We eyed each other and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as if he was facing a chessboard and planning his next few moves to put me checkmate. I forced the smile on my lips permanently glued there today to stay put even when all I wanted was to scowl at him and probably say something that would play right into his mind game.

His dark eyes had a light in them I couldn’t place as if he didn’t find today as grueling as he thought he would and greatly enjoyed playing with me. His lips were slightly turned higher up on one side in a smirk that I was starting to get very acquainted with. Once again, it ruffled my feathers and made me want to find a way to make it disappear, stat.

His strong hands set down the cutlery on his empty plate before they grabbed the napkin on his knees so he could bring it to his mouth. He did all of this without breaking eye contact.

The way he kept on silently challenging me, egging me without uttering a word had me more mad than I thought possible, pushing away my worries regarding the wedding night to leave only the burning need to snap at him and storm out.

“What?’’ I asked in a cold voice that was in complete contradiction to the way I kept my smile up for the guests benefit and so I wouldn’t have Mrs. Stein adding more to the fire.

“Can’t I stare at my wife?’’

The way he put an emphasis on ‘wife’ had me shuddering visibly and it only made him chuckle as he finally broke eye contact and grabbed his flute of champagne to take a couple of sips. Without my consent, my eyes landed on his throat and his Adam’s apple that moved up and down when he swallowed.

I cleared my throat and polished off my own champagne. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to watch me during our marriage.’’ I set down my empty glass and stared at the guests about the room. They were all chatting away blissfully unaware and probably uncaring of what this wedding was truly like. “And tonight.’’

I felt him leaning closer to me and I sat straighter in my chair if that was possible. My shoulders tensed. Right when I almost convinced myself to look at him, I felt his breath brushing along my jaw and down my neck. It sent pinpricks all over my face and my skin and the smell of his aftershave, something spicy and difficult to place just like the man wearing it, invaded my nose and narrowed my world to his presence alone.

“Tell you what, Lila. In all my life I never had to convince a woman to fuck me and it’s not going to start today.’’ He ran a hand along my arm. Even with the lace in his warmth, the possessiveness implied in that move, had me shivering in a very confusing way. “We have the honeymoon suite for us tonight and I will not fuck you unless you beg me for it and believe me, at one time you will. Maybe not tonight, but soon.’’ The words whispered in my ear dried my mouth as my whole body seemed at war as to how to react. My chest heaved, but my stomach dropped. My nipples tightened, but my blood ran cold. “Actually, Lila, I do hope you resist tonight. It’ll make the moment I get to be inside you all the sweeter.’’

“Then you better be ready to never have sex with me during our marriage,’’ I bit back as I turned my head to the side when I felt him pulling away slightly. My smile was gone and I was sure my eyes screamed murder as I stared him down. “If you expect me to ask for sex with you, you can wait a long time. I thought I wouldn’t have a choice, but you gave me a fabulous out, Mathis,’’ I said sternly. His name leaving my mouth for the first time outside of the moment I said my vows rolled on my tongue in a decadent way I couldn’t explain.

His smirked turned more wicked as a glint in his dark eyes made me think that maybe things wouldn’t be as easy. After all, I was still his wife for the foreseeable future, unless he decided to break the marriage before the mandatory five years were up. If he so much decided to change the rules, he could and I would then end up with my legs open for him to take me and I would have to do exactly what I was taught; pleasure my husband.

“You’ll learn not to underestimate me, Lila.’’ Then his eyes trailed down my face to stop at my breasts. He brought a finger to his lips and traced the lower one slowly. “I look forward to your resistance.’’