“Why are you being so cruel?” I whisper, hating how weak I sound. I should be stronger. While some of this is my fault—yes, I was involved with Seamus—but I never asked him to come to the wedding. I have no control over that man. After everything that happened in Paris, I assumed I’d never see his face again.
Perry blows out a harsh breath and without thought I reach for the diamond necklace I’m wearing, my fingers tracing over the stones. He notices, his gaze darkening and he lifts it to mine. “That asshole showing up to our reception looked really fucking bad, Charlotte.”
His words are like a knife. Multiple stab wounds to my stupidly tender heart. “Trust me. I know—”
He interrupts me, his voice flat. “No, I don’t think you do. I’m starting to think you wanted him there.”
“I already told you—”
“I don’t care what you say. Actions speak louder than words.” Perry’s eyes blaze with anger. “If you wanted to be with him, why didn’t you tell me? We would’ve never had to go through that stupid ceremony if you’d just been truthful with me in the first place.”
“I don’t want to be with him!” The words blast out of me, so loudly, Perry flinches.
He watches me, that wary expression on his handsome face. But he doesn’t say a word.
I look away from him, staring at that stupid rose-petal heart on the bed, swallowing down the sudden swamp of emotion that threatens to take over me. “I suppose I can’t change your mind.”
“Tonight, you sure as hell can’t.” I return my attention to him to find he’s undoing a few buttons on his shirt. “That’s not how I expected the evening to go.”
“Me either,” I admit with a whisper.
“Think it’ll hit the gossip rags?” When I frown, he continues. “Me knocking out your former lover. I’m sure someone caught a photo of it.”
I wince at his choice of words, trying to fight the worry that threatens. My father won’t be pleased if that comes out. I’m sure he’ll blame me for it happening too. “I don’t know. I hope not.”
“Same. My family willnotbe pleased.” He strides toward me, making me suck in a surprised breath when he reaches over, his body brushing against mine when he plucks something off the bed.
An envelope with the wordsMr. and Mrs. Perry Constantinewritten across it.
Without asking he tears into it, frowning as he reads what’s written on the thick, cream-colored card. “Oh fuck me.”
“What is it?” I take the offered card from him to see that it’s describing our gift from his brother, Winston.
An all-expenses-paid trip to Mexico for five days. We don’t have to worry about packing our bags and preparing anything. It’s all been taken care of for us by Winston. Our honeymoon that we never thought to plan. There’s even a little itinerary where it states we leave tomorrow morning.
It sounds like a dream. A chance to get away from everyone and everything. To get to know my husband and spend more time with him. All alone.
“I’m not going,” Perry announces, crushing my already shattered heart.
“Perry.” I turn toward him, attempting to reach for him but he dodges away from me, shedding his jacket and dropping it onto a nearby chair. “I don’t understand why you’re so angry with me.”
“I already told you why. This isn’t how I imagined my wedding day to be.” He undoes the cufflinks at his wrists and my entire body goes warm.
My husband is slowly undressing in front of me while also totally furious with me, and like the sick, love-starved girl I am, that hot ribbon of arousal unfurls deep within my body. Making me yearn.
For him.
“Hebrokemy heart. I haven’t seen him since I left Paris and that was over a year ago. Why would I want him here on our wedding day? I was so shocked, seeing him this morning. When he approached me in the coffee shop, he—he threatened me, Perry.”
He frowns, the displeasure on his face obvious. “Threatenedyou? How?”
I think of what Seamus told me. How my fiancé isn’t what he seems. How he comes from a family that will destroy whatever and whoever they need to in order to get what they want.
I said so to Seamus and I still feel it now—there is comfort in that. Knowing that Perry’s family is so very similar to mine. And while it might not be right, it’s all I know and those sorts of things don’t scare me.
Even though they probably should.
“Charlotte.” Perry’s stern voice pulls me from my thoughts. “How exactly did he threaten you?”