“Your price is that low, little bird?” he rasped, and maybe I was crazy, but I could hear the lilt of Ireland in the words. “I did that for pleasure.”
“You did that for me,” I countered. I knew I was his property, but he could easily have let it slide. Hell, most men wouldn’t have even noticed beneath the heavy makeup I was wearing.
But Eoghan did.
Eoghan was different.
I liked different.
I licked my lips at the thought and wasn’t unaware that his gaze drifted to my mouth.
A shaky breath escaped me, and I felt the sweet surge of desire trickle through me.
I hadn’t expected that.
Hadn’t anticipated that I might want him.
That my body could come to crave his.
But here I was, my pussy getting slick, and all because this man had his hand about my throat and his gaze was focused on my mouth…
Would wonders never cease?
For a second, it was like time stood still. The heat from the church, before he’d dislocated my father’s shoulder, seemed to appear once more, swirling about our feet like a volcano had just erupted between us.
I wasn’t sure where it came from, didn’t even think about questioning why the feelings were there. Though I was a virgin, I knew enough to recognize what I was experiencing. I’d touched myself, had used vibrators, so desire wasn’t new to me.
Whatwasnew?
That the desire in me was inspired by this man.
A man who’d been like a specter in my life for so long that I’d been pretty sure some days that he didn’t even exist, that it was all a joke.
But as the wedding neared, as the details were finalized, I’d come to realize that was wishful thinking.
Still, the way he made me feel, both physically and sexually, had to bode well, didn’t it?
I hadn’t come here today thinking my groom would turn me on. I’d half-expected to be repulsed by his dark nature, his reputation having already preceded him. I’d anticipated wanting to run away even more.
But that was the last thing on my mind.
Maybe I was the slut my father had accused me of being.
The thought nearly poured water on the flames flickering between us, but before it had a chance to outright wreck it, the music came to a gentle halt as the sound of a spoon flicking against crystal pinged around the massive space.
Evidently, it was coordinated, because the sheer mass of humanity that was in attendance didn’t demur and instantly fell silent.
Obedience, ha. We were all on a leash. Even Eoghan.
His fingers squeezed my throat, letting me feel the pad of each digit, and rather than be threatened by the move, it felt good.
Oddly…right.
And yeah, I knew that was weird, but nothing about today had turned out like I’d expected. I’d thought I was leaving the house of one brute and entering the house of another, but Eoghan, though his eyes hid a multitude of sins, didn’t give off the same vibe.
I only prayed my instincts on that score weren’t totally wrong.
He relinquished his hold on my throat, and I felt as though all the stuffing had disappeared from my bones as I almost slouched in my seat. He smirked at the sight, a quick twist of his lips that made my heart flutter, before he reached for my hand and bridged our fingers together.
Together, like royalty, we faced the room as the speeches began.
His hold on me was firm.
Hot.
Possessive.
And oddly enough, I didn’t mind.
Not one bit.