The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)(76)

Fuck. I think I’m done for. I think I’m falling in love with my wife. Hell, I think I may have been in love with her for far longer than I’d ever admit to myself.

The movie starts, but all I can focus on is my wife. She stares ahead, her spine straight, and I’m fucking mesmerized. She looks beautiful in this dress and I love every second of seeing her in it, yet I can’t wait to get her home so I can fuck every single insecurity out of her.

Hannah leans into me and smiles. “Do you remember this scene?” she whispers, just loud enough for Raven to hear her too. “You flew out to meet me on set, and you watched me film this. Afterward, we went to that vineyard that gave us the idea to get married in one ourselves.”

Raven tenses, and I tighten my grip on her hand.

“I still remember the way you laid my down in that meadow we found as we toured the surrounding areas.”

Raven bites down on her lip and pulls her hand out of mine, and I grit my teeth as I glance at Hannah. “Enough,” I snap, my voice quiet.

Hannah grins at me provocatively. “Don’t pretend you can’t remember. I still recall how impatient you were. We should visit that vineyard again and reenact some of those memories.”

I stare at her in disbelief. My wife, who has every fucking right to me, is sitting next to me quietly because she doesn’t want to hurt her sister. Meanwhile, Hannah is purposely making stabs at Raven’s heart.

“Have some fucking respect,” I warn her. “Need I remind you that I’m married? To your sister, no less.”

She shrugs. “It’s just a title and a piece of paper. I don’t give a shit, Ares. We both know that the second you and I are alone in a room, you’ll forget all about the fact that you’re married. You always do.”

Raven inhales sharply, and I glance at her to find her swiping away a tear. She stares ahead, her expression completely blank, but her tears betray her. Fuck.

I rise to my feet and the handful of people on our balcony look up, surprised. “Leave,” I say simply. “My secretary will find you seats to watch the movie from.”

Everyone stands up, questioning looks on their faces, yet they know better than to utter a word of complaint. They leave quietly, led out by Dom, but Hannah remains in her seat.

“Get out,” I tell her.

“Me?”

“Are you going to leave on your own two feet, or will you require the help of my bodyguards?”

She rises to her feet, her eyes wide. “Are you serious? You can’t throw me out.”

“Watch me.”

I nod at one of my bodyguards, and Hannah freezes for a moment. “Are you insane?” she asks. “I’m the lead star of this movie.”

I shrug. “Then I strongly recommend you watch your movie from elsewhere, because you won’t be watching it here, with my wife and me.”

Raven rises to her feet and places her hand on my arm. “Ares,” she says, her voice soft. “Leave it be.”

I glance at her and wrap my arm around her waist. “No,” I tell her simply, before turning back to Hannah. “Out.”

Hannah grits her teeth, her eyes flashing with anger. “You’ll regret treating me this way, Ares. We’ve always had our ups and downs, and this is no different. Don’t go too far, because I promise you, you’ll regret it.”

Then she walks out, my bodyguards on her heels.

“She’s right, you know,” Raven says, her tone lackluster. “You will regret that. You’ve never had the heart to hurt her. You don’t need to start now on my behalf.”

I turn to my wife and gently cup her cheek, my heart racing. “You’re fucking insane if you think I’m going to sit there and watch you choke back tears. You’re my wife, Raven. She’s nothing but your sister to me. I don’t give a fuck about my past with her, and I don’t want to hear about it either. I certainly won’t fucking sit here and let her hurt you, because we both know that’s exactly what she was doing. Don’t even dream of making excuses for her, Raven.”

I pinch her chin and raise her face to mine. “You’re mine, Raven. You will always be mine. How long is it going to take for you to realize that? You’re my wife. You’re not someone anyone can offend or hurt. Certainly not on my fucking watch.”

I bury my hand in her hair and tighten my grip as I roughly pull her closer. “When are you going to realize that you fucking own my heart? You could throw the biggest fucking tantrum anyone has ever seen and act like a psychotic jealous wife, and I’d let you. What is it going to take for you to realize that I’m yours?”

“Are you?” she asks, her eyes filled with desperation. “Are you mine? Or will you eventually go back to her, like you always do?”

I let my fingers trail over her scalp before grabbing a handful of her hair and fisting it in my hand. I bring her face closer to mine before I lean in to kiss her, my touch rough and punishing. Raven moans against my lips and slides her hands up my chest until she’s got her arms wrapped around my neck.

I pull her dress up before lifting her into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist as I deepen our kiss. “The fact that you feel the need to ask that question at all means I’ve failed you.” I push her against the wall, the sounds of Hannah’s movie playing all around us. All anyone would have to do is look up, and they’d see us, but I don’t give a fuck. “I’m yours, Raven. I will never leave you. No matter what. What will it take for you to believe me?”