Faye barely even looked me in the eye throughout our entire ceremony. Even as she walked down the aisle, she kept her gaze downcast, as though the only way she could get through our vows was by dissociating. I thought things between us had been as good as they can be considering the circumstances, but perhaps I was the only one who’d felt that way.
Even kissing her once we were pronounced husband and wife felt wrong — if that brief, brush of my lips against hers can even be counted as a kiss. I wish she’d leaned into me the way she did two weeks ago, in our home. I wish she’d kissed me back, so at least one part of our wedding ceremony had felt real.
“You okay?” I murmur as we move through the room, networking as is expected of us. The venue is filled with politicians eager for our donations, business partners that work with Windsor Enterprises’ subsidiaries, and countless acquaintances that want a chance to cozy up to us or others that are in attendance today. It’s sickening.
“I’m fine,” Faye says, finally looking up at me. She’s wearing that same closed-off expression I’ve always hated, a polite smile on her face. My wife is looking at me like I’m a stranger, like I could be anyone. I should applaud her for her poise and sophistication, but instead, I find myself wanting to provoke her. I want her to burn for me.
My hand wraps around her waist, and I pull her into me, my movements rougher than I’d intended. Faye gasps as I bend toward her as best as I can — even with the high heels she’s wearing, her ear is still quite a bit out of reach for me. “I meant it. The note.” My voice is soft, calm, reassuring.
She looks into my eyes, and her expression finally cracks, one single ray of hope shining through. It isn’t enough for me.
“Zero days,” I murmur, and she stares at me, captivated. I watch as her pretty little lips part, and my cock instantly stirs. “You look fucking stunning today, Faye. You have me fucking spellbound, do you know that?”
Her cheeks flush so fucking beautifully, and it thrills me like nothing else ever has. She has no idea what she does to me.
“Faye.”
Her entire body tenses, and just like that, that porcelain mask I hate so fervently is back in place, all of my efforts undone. Faye steps out of my embrace and straightens her spine, a polite smile on her face when she turns to our unwelcome intruder.
“Eric,” she says, her voice soft. I study her carefully, my heart racing as I try to determine how she feels. If I’m not mistaken, today is the first time she’s seen him since they broke up, and though there’s a glimmer of pain in her eyes, she keeps her expression perfectly relaxed.
“Why are you here?” I ask. “Your father was invited. You were not.”
Eric looks up at me, his gaze filled with the same pain I just glimpsed in Faye’s. It fucking guts me — makes me feel like an outsider on my own wedding day.
“I’m here on my father’s behalf. He couldn’t make it.” He looks down then, inhaling deeply, before he lifts his head and nods at Faye. “Besides, I had to see this for myself.”
“Eric,” my wife whispers, her voice filled with longing. It tears at me, taunts me. “I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head and smiles at her with such love that I find myself tensing, my entire body reacting violently. “Don’t be, my little fairy.”
Fairy? I fucking hate that he’s got his own nickname for her, but even more so, I hate how much I’d have loved to call her that if he hadn’t tainted it. Fairy — it’s what her name means, it’s what she embodies. I hate how well it suits her.
“She’s my wife,” I snap, my arm snaking around her waist. “You’ll call her Mrs. Windsor.”
“For now,” he tells me, his helplessness making way for defiance. “She’s your wife for now.”
I pull Faye closer, my grip tight. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Eric? You know better than to covet what’s mine. I’ve been as courteous as I can be given the circumstances, but that ends now. Do not mistake my kindness for weakness — you can’t bear the consequences.”
His confidence wavers, and his eyes flick toward Faye before settling back on me. “My father’s firm has represented the Windsor family for years,” he reminds me, his voice soft. “I’ve seen the marriage contract.” He looks at Faye then, his gaze pleading. “Three years,” he murmurs. “I can wait, Faye. For you, I’ll wait.”
Dread washes over me as I take in the shock and realization in her eyes, the hope. Had it even occurred to her that she only needs to be tied to me for three years? That she could leave me after that, and there’s nothing I could do to stop her?
The worst part? I can see Eric doing it. I can see him waiting for the day she’s no longer legally obligated to remain married to me. Just like I’d been counting down the days until our wedding, she’ll be counting down the days until it ends.
Pure unadulterated fury seizes me, and I tighten my grip on my wife. “Do you really think she’ll want you after she’s had me?” I ask, my tone sharp. “By the end of the night, she won’t even remember her own name, let alone yours.” I turn to Faye then, a rush of possessiveness washing over me. The feeling is so strong that everything fades but her. “Isn’t that right, wife?”
She looks into my eyes, her gaze pleading for me to stop. “Dion,” she whispers. No. I can’t stand the thought of her asking for mercy on his behalf. “Plea—” I lean in and capture her lips with mine, cutting her off. My tongue brushing over her lips, forcing her to open up for me. She complies, a soft whimper escaping from the back of her throat as I pull her against me until her body is flush with mine. I devour her, lost in my need to claim her. I’ve always been known for my infallible control, yet here I stand, shaken to the core by my wife.
She’s panting by the time I pull away, and I drop my forehead to hers. My perfect, perfect wife doesn’t look away, and she has no fucking idea how much that pleases me. She can be so good when she wants to be.
“Dion,” she whispers, her voice soft, defeated. An emotion I can’t quite identify washes over me, and I bend down to lift her into my arms, catching her by surprise.
“I meant it,” I murmur as I carry her out of the venue, hours before I was meant to. “I’ll make you forget all about him, Faye. I’ll be damned if I let my wife pine after another.”
