The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)(58)

I bite down on my lip harshly, my cheeks heating. Ares gently puts my legs down on either side of him and places his hands on the waistband of his gray sweats. “I’m not done with you, Wifey.”

“You’d better not be. You promised me you’d fuck me.”

He chuckles as he pushes his sweatpants and boxer shorts down, exposing his thick cock. I bite down on my lip, nervous all of a sudden.

Ares leans over me, holding himself up on his forearm as he uses his free hand to position his cock. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve dreamed of this, Raven?”

He pushes the tip into me, and I groan, my arms wrapping around his neck. “Go slow,” I plead. “It just… it’s been so long.”

He smiles at me and pushes in just a little further. “You can take it,” he promises me. “You can, baby. Your pussy was made me for me, I just know it.”

I shake my head, and he bites down on his lip as he holds still to give me a chance to adjust. I doubt he realizes how surreal this moment is for me. I’ve wanted him for so long, and here we are.

“Ares! Boss, where are you?” My eyes widen when I hear a voice from the distance that I vaguely recognize.

“Fuck!” Ares shouts. He pushes off me and takes off his t-shirt at lightning speed. Before I even realize what’s going on, he’s pulling my arms through his t-shirt and covering me up as best as he can. He pats my thighs to ensure my ripped pants are fully covered before he even bothers to pull his sweats up.

Dom walks in a split second later. “Ares! There’s been a change to today’s schedule, and I couldn’t reach you.”

He walks further into the room and sees me hidden behind Ares’s broad back. “Mrs. Windsor,” he says, grinning at me.

“Dom.” I nod at him.

“Get out, Dom,” Ares snaps, his eyes flashing with anger.

Dom smirks as he follows Ares’s order, pure amusement written all over his face.

Ares runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “I… I need to go, Cupcake.”

I smile at him and nod. “Go.” My voice is soft, reluctant.

“Remember, Raven. I never break a promise.”

I blush as he rises to his feet. “I’ll hold you to it.”

He grins at me as he walks away, pausing by the door. “Don’t forget to meet me at the jeweler’s later. Our appointment is today. I’ll text you the address.”

I nod, butterflies erupting in my stomach. I forgot about our rings. I glance down at my empty ring finger and smile, my heart filled with cautious hope.





Chapter Thirty-Six





Raven





My heart is pounding as I walk into the highly exclusive jewelry store that Ares asked me to meet him at. In all the years that he and I have bought jewelry for Hannah together, he never once bought anything for her here, not even when she pleaded with him, which I know she did. This isn’t the kind of store that just anyone can buy from, no matter how much money you have. Their designs are iconic, and they’re all handcrafted.

“Mrs. Windsor,” the owner of the store greets me, his head bowed. “It’s an honor to have you here today.”

“Mr. Laurier, the honor is all mine,” I reply.

He shakes his head bashfully, as though he’s genuinely happy to have me here, and it leaves me feeling flustered. Throughout my career I’ve become accustomed to having nearly anything I could possibly want, yet this is one of the few things that has always been out of reach for me.

“Rave.” I look up at the sound of Ares’s voice and smile when he holds his hand out for me. He entwines our fingers and pulls me into him, his eyes on mine. The way he looks at me reminds me of this morning. Just as Hannah managed to shake my confidence, he stepped in and restored it, showing me how much he wants me. Even if what we’ve got is nothing more than passion, it’s still a start. It’s more than I had just a few weeks ago.

“Let’s pick you a ring.”

“Please follow me, Mr. and Mrs. Windsor.” Mr. Laurier leads us to a desk, where he’s got several designs laid out for us. “Do you have anything in mind?”

I glance at Ares nervously as we sit down, but he merely smiles and reaches for my hand, entwining our fingers before he brings our joined hands to his lips. “Anything you want, Raven. There is no budget. I just want you to have a ring you’ll wear with pride.” He looks at Mr. Laurier then. “My only request is that you engrave my name on the inside of my wife’s ring.”

My heart skips a beat as heat rushes to my cheeks. He has no idea how many of my dreams he’s fulfilling today. I hesitate for a moment before I take out my tablet. “I drew something,” I admit. “But I’m not sure if it’d be possible to create this.”

Mr. Laurier smiles as he takes my tablet from me. “We can definitely make this, Mrs. Windsor. It’ll be a shared-prong eternity band with a trellis design. What kind of carat weight were you thinking of?”

Ares tenses and straightens his back, his grip on my hand tightening. “I need it to be visible from across the room,” he says, his expression unyielding. “Would ten carats be okay? Perhaps fifteen.”

My eyes widen, and I turn toward him. “Are you insane? That’s far too much.”