The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)(49)

The door to my home office opens, and I lock my phone before putting it away, leaving Hannah’s messages unanswered. Raven walks in wearing a red nightgown that puts my wildest fantasies to shame, and I try my hardest to keep my eyes off her body, but it’s a losing battle. The fabric might as well be sheer for all that it’s covering. I can see a hint of her dark nipples, and I’m not sure she’s wearing anything underneath at all. I bite down on my lip as I remember the way she looked at me when she told me that she doesn’t like wearing panties, her bare pussy in my lap and eyes on mine. What would have happened if I’d just given into my desire that night?

I try to tear my gaze off her and fail. Raven has always been sinfully beautiful, but seeing her dressed in this way is a turn-on of a different kind. This is for my eyes only, and I fucking love it.

“Look at this,” she tells me as she lifts herself on top of my desk, putting her breasts at eye level for me. She’s so fucking close… what would she do if I spread her legs right on top of my desk?

I clear my throat and glance at the sofa she’s showing me. “I like this darker one better,” I tell her as I swipe through the options.

Raven grins at me. “I was hoping you’d say that because it’s my favorite too.”

I look up at her in surprise. “You don’t need to ask me for my opinion, you know? You can do whatever you want.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t want to do that. I already feel like I’m intruding in your space.”

I grab her hand and hold it gently. “Don’t, Rave. There’s no need to feel that way. This is your home now.”

“It’s ours,” she corrects me. “I’m asking for your opinion because I want you to love our home too.”

I nod at her and entwine our fingers. Designing our home together has been much more fun than I expected it to be. It truly feels like we’re making it ours, but it’s bittersweet, because it also means I’m washing away everything related to Hannah. Raven and I haven’t spoken about her at all recently, and I’m hoping to keep it that way. It’s odd, the way she and I attempt to exist in this bubble where we pretend I wasn’t engaged to her sister for years, yet it seems to work for us, for now.

“Are you done with work?” she asks, glancing at my laptop.

I nod and close it. “Yeah. I’m exhausted.”

Raven glances at my pajamas and nods. “Let’s go to bed then.”

She tightens her grip on my hand and pulls me along, both of us quiet as we make our way to our bedroom. Day by day, each memory with Hannah gets overwritten, until one day, I’ll look around and find nothing but Raven written onto my walls.

Raven lets go of my hand and walks over to her side of the bed, her cheeks rosy. We’ve gone to bed together every night since the first night she fell asleep in my arms, but she still gets shy about it. It’s odd, because we’ve always been so comfortable with each other.

We’re both silent as we get into bed, and I turn toward her with a smile on my face. “Why are you so nervous, Cupcake?”

She chuckles and turns onto her side too, the two of us facing each other. “I’m not sure. I guess this is just new to us?”

I look into her eyes, trying my hardest not to let my eyes dip down to her breasts. “Is it, though? You fell asleep in my arms on the sofa not that long ago.”

Her eyes widen just a fraction and she looks away, her cheeks reddening rapidly. “Did you have to remind me of that? I’m so embarrassed about my behavior that night, Ares. I can’t apologize enough.”

I reach for her and cup her cheek gently, turning her face back toward mine. “Don’t apologize,” I whisper. “I didn’t mind it one bit, despite what I might have told you then.”

She nods and lets her eyes fall closed, hiding from me once again. This time, I let her get away with it.

“This is not so bad, right?” she whispers eventually. “That night you told me that you’d never want me, and I know that. I know I’ll never be Hannah, but…”

“Don’t,” I cut her off. “Don’t mention her in our bed, Rave.”

She shakes her head, sorrow flashing through her eyes. “It isn’t ours. It’s yours. Yours and hers.”

Raven turns away from me, but I lean over her and force her to face me. “Then we’ll throw the whole damn bed out, Raven.” Her eyes widen, and I cup her cheek gently. “Haven’t you ordered a new one yet with Serena?”

She nods and hesitantly reaches for the collar of my pajamas. “Can we throw these out too, then?”

I glance down in confusion. They’re plain checkered blue pajamas.

“I know Hannah and you have matching pajamas, and maybe it’s petty and immature, but I…”

I sit up in bed and pull her up with me until we’re both sitting on our knees. “So take it off, wife.”

The sheets bunch around her waist as she lifts a trembling hand to my chest. Her eyes meet mine, and she hesitates for a moment before she undoes my top button. I watch her beautiful face as more and more of my chest comes into view, taking note of the way she blushes, the way her breathing accelerates. She undoes the last button, letting it fall open as she grabs the collars.

Raven looks at me, her gaze heated as she pushes my shirt off my shoulders, her fingers moving slowly as she takes her time, letting them trail over my skin, until my chest is left bare.