The sound of someone banging on the door, followed by an impatient voice, pulls us apart. Even though we haven’t been doing anything naughty and are fully clothed, Bianca breaks the connection between us and turns red with embarrassment at having been caught.
She does look flushed at our close proximity and no, it’s not just because of the crying.
“Oh god! You need to hide,” she whisper-yells while pushing me backward. “Go into one of the stalls.”
She grows frustrated when I don’t budge. It’s funny that she thought she could in the first place. Doesn’t she realize she’s a tiny thing compared to my size?
“I’m not hiding.”
“She’ll see you,” she utters while staring at me like I’ve grown two heads.
“And?”
“She’ll think we… we were…”
“We were what? Fucking? Kissing?” I smirk, stepping closer and tilting my head. “Having a taste of your sweet cunt, or maybe I had you on your knees sucking my cock. Hmm… either one sounds believable, considering the flush on your cheeks.”
The heat and lust shining in her eyes has my dick twitching inside my pants. It would be so easy to undo the string holding her top together. A single tug is all I need and I could suck her hard nipples in my mouth. Slide my hands inside her panties and make her scream my name.
I should’ve fucked her last night when I had the chance. I wonder if my marks are still on her thighs and if she thought of me when she saw them in the mirror. Her mouth parts to retort, but gets interrupted when the woman outside yells.
“Uh, hello? Shall I call someone for help?”
“No!” Bianca yells back before rushing to say, “Just a minute please.”
“Which excuse is it going to be?” I ask.
“Why can’t you be embarrassed like a normal person?” she grumbles with her hands on her hips.
“Why the fuck would I be embarrassed for being alone with my wife?” I counter.
A shiver runs down her naked spine, which she tries to hide by tilting her chin up high. “I’m not your wife yet.”
“That’ll soon change and then you’ll be Mrs. Stern.”
“Who says I’ll be taking your name?”
I harden my gaze and cross the distance. Yanking her onto her toes, I circle my fingers around her throat and growl, “The marriage may be in name only but you will be wearing my ring, taking my last name, and sharing my bed. Your pussy will only know my cock, your lips will only feel mine, and your pleasure will belong to me. Understand?”
“There will be no fucking.”
“Oh, kitten,” I tsk, smiling darkly. “There will be. Lots of it. Every day and night.” Trailing my lips over her jaw to her ear, I whisper, “You will beg, scream, moan, and won’t step outside of my house until I’m satisfied you’ll feel me in your cunt when I’m not with you.”
When she sways, I let her go and step back with a satisfied smirk. Her pupils are dilated as she parts her lips, and my cock swells further when she shifts on her feet.
Looks like the dirty vixen likes the promise.
I leave her stunned with her panties soaked, and walk outside. I run into the woman waiting in the hall, whose eyes bug out upon seeing me before she peers inside in confusion.
Striding to the lobby, I scroll through my messages and emails on my phone while I wait for Bianca. She and I have a lot to discuss about our fake arrangement to make sure it succeeds. Mainly to work on her terrible acting skills.
In hindsight, I should’ve called or texted her first. However, when I found out she was meeting her parents, I didn’t think—I just drove here. The restlessness I felt at the fear of being too late was so foreign yet familiar.
The shocked look on her face as she saw me standing at her table earlier followed by stark relief was worth the traffic rules I broke. It was amusing to watch the play of emotions swirling on her face when I called her wifey. Something I plan to call her as often as I like, just to see the blush darken her cheeks.
And it’s not because I secretly love the ring to it.
The sound of footsteps coming closer yank me to the present and a frown crosses Bianca’s features when she finds me waiting. She peers up once she’s standing in front of me.
“Why are you still here?” she questions, confused and dazed.
I slide my phone inside my suit jacket and answer, “I’m taking you to my place so we can discuss our marriage in detail, wifey.”
Again, that damn blush.
“You and your nicknames.” She huffs with a shake of her head. “Why can’t we go to my place?”
“Scared to be alone with me?”
“Hardly.”
I chuckle low. “You live too far and my hotel is near.”
“How do you know where I live?” Suspicion laces her tone and her expressive gaze narrows.
“I asked someone in your office.”
“What?” She gasps. “They’re not supposed to share that information.”
“I’m persuasive,” I retort with a sigh. “Now, are you done with the twenty questions?”
I think I liked her better when she was crying and not sassy.
No you don’t, asshole.
“Just one more.”
“Ask fast before I throw you over my shoulder and take you.”
“How the hell did you know I was here?” She bites her lip, looking too fucking adorable. “You’re not stalking me, are you?”
“No. I’m not, kitten,” I say with a roll of my eyes before grabbing her hand and guiding us out. “I went to your apartment first to tell you that I’ll help you with this farce, but the doorman told me you weren’t home. He also shared that you come here weekly for lunch with your parents, so I drove straight here.”
“Oh!”
I stop at the valet and when I turn to her, I find her watching our joined hands raptly. A soft faraway look on her features. Instinctively, my thumb rubs back and forth before I realize it feels too intimate. Romantic. Protective.
I’m none of those things.
A pang hits my chest as I jerk my hand free but I ignore it. “You drove here?”
“Yeah,” she whispers, meeting my gaze. “I’ll follow you in my car.”
“Okay.”
***
I get out of my car just as Bianca pulls up behind me and does the same. She walks confidently with her shoulders straight. Thick hips swaying side to side enticingly as she meets me halfway.
“You haven’t bought your own place yet?” she asks curiously.
“I haven’t found the one I liked yet.”
“Will you be moving here after your merger with Kian’s company?”
I place my hand on her back instead of holding hers like I want to as I guide her to the entrance of the Taj Hotel where I’m staying. I always prefer this hotel whenever I’m traveling because of their ambience and quality of service.
“Yes. But only for the first six months until I only need to visit the branch for important events and annual meetings,” I reply. “Kian will mostly be managing it.”
“Oh, okay.” She nods.
My brows pinch together as I wonder if I imagined the note of worry in her tone.
We take the elevator up to my suite on the eighteenth floor and the whole ride she remains silent and deep in thought. At this moment, I wish I could read her mind. I crave to know everything she’s feeling. Her secrets. Her dreams.
I ache to ask if she still loves to watch horror movies despite the fact that they give her nightmares. If she still eats snacks in the middle of the night. Or if burgers and fries are still her favorite.
All the silly habits I remember from when she used to stay over with Niall at our house. I knew her better than my stepbrother did just watching her from the shadows.
The elevator dings and opens to my private hallway. Bianca’s gaze widens in awe as takes in the floor-to-ceiling glass wall on either side with the view of the city below. She steps inside and a gorgeous smile lights up her entire face.
“This is so stunning.”
Not more than you, I want to say but I hold my tongue. “Come inside once you’re done drooling, kitten,” I say over my shoulder as I walk to the kitchen and take two water bottles from the fridge.
Grabbing a glass, I pour one into it just as she rounds the corner observing the space. I’ve noticed an inquisitive look deepens her features whenever she’s in a new environment. Like her inner designer can’t help herself.
When her gaze lands on mine that’s watching her intently, nerves and shyness dance in her dark pupils as she stalls on coming closer. Her foot kicks to the side while her teeth bite the corner of her bottom lip.
My hands ball into fists to keep from tugging it free and replacing it with mine.
I badly need the kiss she owes me.
“I thought you said you weren’t scared of me,” I tease as I rest my hands on the kitchen island, tapping my fingers slowly. Better to keep them busy, so I don’t lose the fight to close the distance and touch her.
Fire flares in her big brown eyes as she puffs, “I am not.”
“Come here.” My deep voice puts her into action and she fills the gap, sitting down on one of the stools. I pass her the glass and command, “Drink.”
“I’m not thirsty.”
“Not even after all that crying?” I raise an eyebrow. “Have some.”
Her fingers inch forward and wrap around the crystal as she takes a sip, and I hide my smile when she finishes more than half of it in one go. Stubborn girl.
I can already tell the coming months are going to be entertaining as hell.
Usually, I hate the thought of anyone being in my space since I’m an extremely private guy. I wait for the same dislike to appear for having Bianca here, knowing we’ll be living together for the foreseeable future. Yet the feeling never comes.
In fact, I’m eager and thrilled at the prospect. The urge to do it soon, growing stronger with each passing second. On one hand, I’m desperate to avoid any morsel of intimacy while on the other, I’m craving it all the same.
What would it be like to wake up next to her every morning? To come home to her every night? Is she yearning for these rituals too? Or will she resist?
I shake my head. Of course it’ll be the latter.
My kitten has claws, which she enjoys bringing out around me. Even in between the moments of shyness and softness like right now.
Her back straightens as she tucks her hair behind her ear. I sense a question swirling in that pretty little head of hers before she even whispers it in a breathy and curious voice.
“Why the sudden change of heart to marry me, Dash?”
