Forever After All(20)

Husband: I just gave you half my net worth by marrying you. Matter of fact, there’s a duplicate of my credit card in the bag too. Remember, Elena: I’ll always be the highest bidder. Shall I put up the privacy shield or do you think you can be a good girl and ‘refrain’?

I see him reach for the button that puts a privacy screen up between the front seats and us, and I jump up to stop him, pretty much tumbling in his arms. “No need,” I say, panicked, but I’m too late. The screen rises, and Alexander chuckles.

He pulls me onto his lap and puts his lips against my ear. “Things between us might have started unconventional, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are my wife, Elena. You are Mrs. Kennedy now. You’re mine.”

His words against my ear tickle, and my eyes shutter closed. I squirm in his arms, clenching my legs tightly. Just the memory of how he touched me has me wet again, and I’m embarrassed. I hate how he makes me feel, yet I can’t fight it.

“I thought we agreed on this, Alexander. It’s just my body you purchased, nothing more.”

Alexander wraps his hands around my waist. His fingers almost touch each other around my waist, and it makes me feel small. He pulls me closer and smiles as he threads his hand through my hair.

“Just your body, huh? Very well. That’s all I want from you, Elena. You’d better remember that your body is mine now.” His index finger brushes over my lips and he smirks, his gaze heated. “These lips are mine now, you hear me?”

I nod, and satisfaction flashes through his eyes.

“Good girl,” he whispers, leaning in closer, his lips brushing against mine. “There’s a crucial part of the wedding ceremony we missed out on,” he murmurs.

“What’s that?” I whisper back, my heart racing, my lips brushing against his with every word.

“The part where I kiss the bride,” he answers, before lowering his lips to mine fully.

A soft moan escapes my lips when he kisses me, and Alexander groans, deepening our kiss. I lose myself in him, in us. Not in a million years did I think I’d find myself kissing Alexander Kennedy.

He pulls away and drops his forehead to mine. “You’re my wife now, Elena. I’ll take care of you. I’ll provide you with anything you could possibly need,” he says, pulling away further. “But you won’t ever get love from me. You know that, right?”

I nod, the situation suddenly seeming so much more real. I’ve felt like everything was a blur in the last few hours, a dream. Only to wake up to find that all my biggest problems have been solved. I wonder what my mother would think of me if she knew I had to rely on a man to get out of a sticky situation. Would she be disappointed with my lack of independence, or would she be proud of me for doing the only thing I could?

Alexander smiles at me and seems to hesitate before he continues. “I like you, Elena. You’re a nice girl, and you’re a good fit for my family. I’m glad you know not to expect much from me. If you want sex, I can give you that. But flirting, love, and romance? You won’t get it from me. I won’t woo you.”

I nod at him in understanding. “I don’t need love from you, Alexander,” I say, my voice soft. “I just need you to help me save my mother’s life.”

I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry him. Despite that, part of me was hoping I’d see more of the Alexander I met at Inferno, but he’s back to being the Alexander I knew growing up. I wonder if this is all I’ll ever have of him. I dreamt of marrying Alexander when I was younger, and now that it has actually happened, it’s a bit… disappointing. I guess my marriage is an accurate reflection of my life so far, but I’m not dumb enough to take what I have for granted.

“All of your mother’s current medical bills are already paid. Before we left, I authorized her move to a secure private facility that my family uses exclusively. Aiden, my security officer, should be making that happen as we speak. He’s also looking into the experts that might be able to help her, and they’ll create a new treatment plan for her. You’ll be able to visit her again tomorrow.”

I can barely breathe as I listen to his words. These are all the things I wished I’d been able to do for my mother, but the maximum amount I was allowed to take out of my trust fund per month wasn’t enough to cover it. In hindsight, that’s a good thing. I’d have run out of money far sooner, and I don’t even want to think about what that might have meant for my mother.

“You’ll also get your own security team and driver. They’ll answer to you, not to me. For the time being, you can use Alice as your personal assistant for any matters you require, and my mother’s personal stylist has been assigned to you as well. You can hire your own staff if that arrangement doesn’t suit you. All I ask in return is that you accept the boundaries I’ve set.”

“I understand, Alexander. I won’t bother you needlessly. I’m grateful for what you’re offering me. I’ll play the role of doting wife and daughter-in-law in public, and I’ll respect your boundaries. I promise you.”

He nods and looks at me, his gaze searching, as though he’s trying to make sure I mean what I say, that I won’t bother him with useless expectations. What he sees in my eyes seems to please him, because he nods in satisfaction.

He pauses and stares at me for a few seconds. “It’s quite likely that my mother is already aware that we decided to proceed with our marriage, and she’ll have taken your image in her own hands. You’re a Kennedy now, and you’ll need to look like one. We won’t announce our marriage for the time being. Instead, we’re going to stage an entire relationship. We’ll go on high profile dates, I’ll publicly propose to you, and we’ll have a grand wedding ceremony on the 20th of June.”