The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)(47)
The lady at the reception desk rises to her feet when I walk in, her eyes widening. “Mr. Windsor,” she says, sounding surprised.
“Hello. I apologize for barging in unexpectedly. Could you tell me where I can find my wife?”
She smiles then and points at one of the doors. “Raven is in her office.”
I nod in thanks and push Raven’s office door open, my smile melting off my face at the scene in front of me. My darling wife is standing by the window, her face inches from Diego Massimo’s, a famous fashion designer who is far too fucking handsome for his own good.
What in the fuck am I walking in on here? Why the fuck is he standing so close to her? A rush of pure violence courses through me as he looks up at me. Raven’s hands are on his shirt, and she steps back when she sees me, putting some distance between them.
“Ares?” She sounds shocked, as if I’m interrupting something, and jealousy uncurls in my stomach.
I grit my teeth and walk up to her, my arm wrapping around her waist as I pull her into me roughly. Her eyes widen and I smile at her despite my anger, my free hand wrapping into her hair. “Cupcake,” I say through gritted teeth.
She looks up at me, her eyes filled with questions. “What are you doing here?” Her voice is soft and carries a hint of confusion. I thought she might be happy to see me, but it’s clear that she’s not. Perhaps I’m not the only one with lingering connections from the past.
I smile humorlessly as I tighten my grip on her hair and lean in, my nose brushing against her. “Why? Can’t I surprise my wife at work?” I ask, my voice loud enough for Massimo to hear me calling her my wife. Then I lean in further, my lips brushing over hers. Raven inhales sharply, and I capture her bottom lip between my teeth for a moment, sucking down on it before I tilt my head to kiss her fully. She melts against me as my tongue brushes over her lips, opening up for me. Fucking hell. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of kissing her, of claiming her as mine. Raven’s arms wrap around my neck as she rises to her tiptoes, and I smile against her lips, pulling away a little to look at her.
Laying my claim in this way in front of Diego is a petty move, but I don’t give a fuck. Especially not when she smiles at me like that.
“This is definitely a pleasant surprise,” she murmurs. Relief washes over me at her words and the lack of worry or guilt in her eyes. She wouldn’t touch me this way if there was anything between them.
Raven glances at Diego and steps away a little, but I keep my arm wrapped tightly around her waist, refusing to let her go. “This is my husband, Ares Windsor,” she tells Diego.
I recognize the displeasure in the man’s eyes as he stares at us. He’s got a thing for my wife, no doubt. “I suppose the rumors are true, after all,” he says, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment.
Raven smiles and looks up at me. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen her smile this way. “Diego and I are collaborating on a new fashion line. We’re co-designing some pieces that I’m really excited about.”
I nod and brush her hair out of her face, overcome with an intense need to mark her as mine somehow. I need to get her a new wedding ring as soon as possible. I don’t want there to be any ambiguity when she’s around other men. I want it to be clear that she’s mine, and I can’t make sense of it, because I’ve never been a particularly possessive man. “I can’t wait to see your designs, Cupcake. I have no doubt they’ll be phenomenal,” I murmur.
She grins up at me, and I smile back at her, my irrational fears put at ease. It seems like she doesn’t even realize how Diego feels about her, and I’m glad she doesn’t.
“I want a bit of your time today, Rave. I brought my laptop so I can wait for you while you work.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh! Well, I’m actually just about done. I can do the rest of my work from home.” She turns to Diego and smiles at him as she steps away from me. “I’ll wrap up the revisions we discussed today and send them over to you.”
He glances from me to her and nods reluctantly. I have no doubt he’d been planning to ask her out for dinner after this meeting of theirs, but that isn’t happening on my watch.
“Then I will see you again soon, beautiful,” he says, nodding at me politely as he walks out. I turn toward Raven when the door falls closed, barely able to contain my annoyance.
“Why was he standing so close to you?” I snap.
There’s a knowing look in her eyes, and she smiles at me so fucking sweetly. “I was fixing his tie for him.”
“Don’t do that again,” I tell her, clenching my jaw. “The only man you’re touching is me.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and for a moment, I expect her to tell me off. Instead, she grins. “Is that so, Ares?” Her hands move to my tie, and she plays with it, straightening it for me. “What if I have needs you can’t fulfill?”
A need for pure violence rushes through me at the thought of her with some other man, and my hands wrap around her waist as I lift her up. A soft gasp escapes her lips as I carry her to her desk, placing her at the edge of it before I spread her legs to stand between them. The skirt she’s wearing rides up her thighs, and I catch a glimpse of her bright red underwear.
“Cupcake, there’s no need I can’t fulfill,” I promise her. My hands wrap around her thighs and I pull her flush against me, letting her feel my rapidly hardening cock. “You will not turn toward anyone but me, you hear me? If you want sex, I’ll give it to you. I’ll fuck you right here on this fucking desk if you want me to. Don’t even fucking dream of being with anyone else. Am I making myself clear?”