Arranged(5)

Except for my husband. He’d get to touch me however he liked.

“What a joke, huh?” Calder said suddenly.

“Pardon?” I asked, looking around for what he might be talking about.

“All of this.” He waved his drink around at the room. I realized that he, like myself, was feeling the alcohol. “My father thinks that if I spend even a little bit of time with you I’ll grow to like you and then he’ll feel justified for this whole mess. He thinks I’ll get attached.” His words were crisp with a bite, his eyes square on me and contemptuous. “To someone like you. He’s delusional. As if I could ever care about a gold digger. Let me be crystal clear with you. I’ll never be reconciled with this marriage. I’m never going to care about you. I’ll perform when I have to, but never forget that while you chose this, I did not.”

I felt my temper flaring but didn’t respond. It was a hard thing to do, but if there was anything I needed to get used to in this arrangement it was holding my tongue.

Shut your mouth and cash the check, I told myself.

My husband seemed done with his tirade. We engaged in a minor stare down that was only halted when a heavy hand settled on both of our shoulders.

“You need some air,” my father-in-law’s voice spoke from behind and above. “A stroll through the garden will help. Son, take your bride for a walk.”

We both rose like puppets on strings.

“Of course, Father,” Calder said tersely.

He took my arm and led me out of the room. “Meanwhile a photographer will follow behind to capture candids of us,” he muttered, but only after we’d left his father’s earshot.

I glanced at him. His father’s words had been an order, of course, not a suggestion, and I wondered what was going through his head. I’d done nothing but learn his habits and preferences for the last six months, but I wondered what leverage his father had over him, and how it could have led to him saying yes to a marriage that so clearly disagreed with him. It struck me just then that I really was married to an absolute stranger.

It was beautiful out, the night lit with stars. I made myself look past my nerve-wracking day and take in the sight.

He stopped suddenly, his hand at my elbow halting me with him. He pulled me around until we were facing each other, his tall form bowed over me.

Standing that close to him was a strange assault on my senses. It was disconcerting. A shock to my system. His proximity had a keen, visceral effect on my body. It wasn’t necessarily pleasant, but it wasn’t unpleasant either. It was stimulating. His powerful frame radiated a heat and intensity that I felt down to my bones. I’d never experienced anything like it. His hands held my hips firmly and the contact branded itself through me. I wondered how long I’d feel his hands there after he let go.

“Let’s get this over with,” he drawled, his head angling and lowering.

I raised my face and he sealed his mouth over mine.

I was shocked at how soft his lips were.

It took a belated second for my reaction to hit me, but when it did, it was surprising. I liked the taste of him, the feel of his mouth. I wanted more.

I didn’t even realize I was moving as my hands buried themselves in his silky black hair, gripping him to me as his tongue stroked lushly against mine.

One of his hands stayed at my hip, gripping me closer, and the other rubbed up and down my back, petting me like a cat.

I heard a soft moan, and realized in some distant part of my brain that it was my own.

His mouth didn’t stop, eating at mine as he tugged my body inexorably closer to his, until we were plastered together. I felt his hardness digging into me, and instinctively it made me tense up and shrink away.

A low rumble vibrated in his chest a beat before he tore his mouth away.

I couldn’t quite catch my breath.

He cursed under his breath, his head falling back, eyes aimed up at the sky.

I didn’t know what to do or say, so I just stood there, catching my breath.

Eventually he spoke. “Let’s go back inside. I could use another drink.”

So could I.

“You may head to your quarters,” he said from his spot beside me at our table. It was sometime later, but my mind was still back on that kiss. It had been brief, but I felt it still. My lips were tingling. “I’ll join you soon.”

My heart tried to pound its way out of my chest, but I hid it well.

I looked at the woman mentioned, my expression deceptively bland. I’d taught my face to lie first and best.

I hadn’t seen Asha since she’d overseen my preparations before the wedding. It had been nice to spend a few hours without having to set eyes on her face. Without being directly under her thumb. I’d tried my best to forget that she even existed. She was my handler, and she relished the duty as much as I despised it.

“Of course,” I said pleasantly, rising.

I followed Asha on unsteady legs to my quarters.

Bits of lingerie were laid out on the large bed. It was all a filmy white lace that didn’t look like it would cover anything essential.

The perfect wedding night ensemble for a bought and paid for virgin.

“Put it on,” Asha ordered brusquely. “You know what to do. Do not make him wait.”

I faced her. She was a petite, spare woman, with curly black hair that she perpetually tamed back into a severe chignon. Her features were harsh but even, her skin pale. Her eyes were big, dark, and mean.