“What the hell?” I mutter when I don’t see my Kindle on the nightstand. I slip off the bed and look under it before I start pulling back the covers.
“Looking for this?” My head jerks up at the sound of Mikael’s deep, sexy voice. He’s in his normal suit, but he has my Kindle in his hand. I mean, I didn’t think my husband could look more handsome, but I was wrong.
I start to grow wet. The man has trained my body or something. I see him and know pleasure is right there within my grasp if I want it. Mikael is always willing to give it.
“Why do you have my Kindle?” I come around the bed.
“Trying to see what it has that I don’t.”
“What?” I laugh, holding my hand out for it.
“You give it more attention than me.”
“Are you jealous of my Kindle?”
“Yes,” he says simply. I’d actually been joking. “I’m jealous of this robe.” He grabs me, pulling me into him, his mouth coming down onto mine. The kiss quickly grows. Mikael suddenly pulls back. I was expecting him to lift me and carry me back to the bed. “I thought you might want to go out today. I set you up for the spa. Tonight I want to take you out.”
“Like out of the house?”
“Yes, as much as I like knowing you’re here, you can’t stay locked up in the house forever.”
“Why not?” I beg to differ.
“I worry.” I stare up at him. “I want you happy, and I don’t think staying locked away will make you happy. In fact, I think it will start to do the opposite.” These are those times I get so confused. I tell myself I’m part of some game, but then he does this.
“Can we talk for a moment?” I ask. “I was thinking about something.”
“We can talk about anything whenever you want.” He takes my hand, guiding me over to the sitting area by the fireplace. I go to take the other chair, but he sits and pulls me down into his lap. I don’t protest, ‘cause then he’ll kiss me, and I’ll turn to putty in his lap.
“I was thinking.” Mikael wraps the tip of my hair around his finger. “Edward Blackstone is a terrible man. Correct.”
“I don’t care for you to be thinking about him at all.” I roll my eyes.
“I don’t know what is going on between you two, but I’m guessing you’re out to destroy him or something.”
“Or something,” he responds.
“I’m down with that. You didn’t need to trick me to be married to you. Plus, I need your protection. We could have just done like an arranged marriage. We didn’t have to do all the emotional stuff.” I feel Mikael tense under me. He stops playing with my hair. “I mean, we can be married with benefits because I think we both enjoy those benefits.” I’m definitely a prude. The man has been inside me more often than not, and I can’t even say the word sex?
“Benefits.” The one word comes out like a growl.
“I was also thinking.”
“I’m thinking I’m not going to like what is about to come out of your mouth next.” He’s starting to look really mad. Mad in a way that has never been directed at me. I keep going ‘cause Mikael doesn’t scare me when he’s mad. That might be dumb of me, but he doesn’t.
“Since this would be more of an arranged marriage—” I lick my lips, still trying to word this right. “We haven’t been using anything. Maybe we should be.” He stares at me. Does he not get what I’m saying? “You know. Birth control.”
The words barely leave my lips and Mikael is out of the chair with me in his arms. In record time, he has my robe yanked from my body and his cock inside of me, pinning me to our bed.
“You’re my wife,” he growls. “You think someone didn’t suggest that to me? An arranged marriage with you?” He spits the words like they taste disgusting. He pulls out and thrusts all the way inside of me. I let out a moan. He was right that night of our wedding. My body was made to take him.
“Listen, please.” He goes still inside of me. “My heart, I’m scared there isn’t much left. People keep breaking it. I just want you to know I’ll do this either way, but I can’t have what’s left of it broken. I don’t think I could bear it because I will fall in love with you if we keep going this way.”
“Aurora.” He leans his face down closer to mine. “I need you to listen to me this time.” I nod my head. “I want you. Something about you called to me. You’ll be my wife in every way. Until I take my last breath.” His eyes never leave mine as he speaks. “If you let me in—all the way in—I’ll put your heart back together again.”