I wasn’t joking about making his life hard. There’s no way in hell I’m going to do this arranged marriage thing again. Once bitten, twice shy and I will not be made a fool of for a second time.
“And by the way.” I say, staring forward onto the open road. “Would it hurt you to feed me at some point.”
My stomach grumbles and between the two spouts of unconsciousness, my busy day yesterday of planning a kick ass party that caused me to skip lunch and dinner and flying halfway around Australia. This damn girl would love a burger about now.
6
Ren
Herfaceisangelicwhen she sleeps, and in only two days I have committed every detail to memory. This time it’s not my doing, but exhaustion that has Lilliana unconscious in my arms. It’s well past midnight when we finally made it back home after a quick pit stop for dinner.
Fuck.
I’m carrying my future wife over the threshold to the home we will share together. My father would be happier than a pig in shit if he could see me right now. Never in my life did I think this day would come but, what other choice did I have. I knew the moment the Russian bastard laid eyes on her, I’d never let her go back to him, and her father couldn’t have been more of a cretin, selling his daughter off to the highest bidder.
There was no other option but to make her mine.
Her head rests on my shoulder and I can feel her breath across the skin of my neck. The only thing left to do is lay her down on my bed, but my hand freezes on the handle to my room when she speaks.
“This better not be your bedroom,” she says through a yawn as her eyes struggle to open.
My lips curve into a smile when I look down at her. “Of course not.”
Obviously, it is, so I turn on my heels and walk directly across the hall to what once was a nursery, but was converted into another guest bedroom. It’s not as big as the others in the house but it’s close to me so is the next best option for my new bride.
Before I can grasp the handle, she glances up at me with an adorable, albeit mischievous, smile. “Does this room have a bathroom?”
“No, princess. They are on the other side of the house.”
“Perfect.”
Not so much for me, I’d rather her close. I can lie to myself and say it’s because I just want to keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn’t do a runner, but no, it’s far more than that. I can’t help but have much more selfish reasons for wanting her close, for wanting her in my bed, for not letting her out of my sight.
“Wait.” She nods back to my door. “Go back to your room.”
I freeze and look down, liking this plan so much better. “Now we’re talking.”
“You wish, Romeo. I just need a shirt to change into after a shower.”
It’s not lost on me that she hasn’t asked me to let her down. Of course, I wouldn’t even if she did. And it’s not lost on me that she has nothing to her name, not even a change of clothes. That won’t do. I’ll have to rectify that tomorrow.
But again, I do as she asks and return to my room. Back to the place where we started, this time I open the door. Once we are inside, it’s only then I let her body slide down mine, and keep my arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to my chest. I don’t let her go until her heels land on the floor and her eyes meet mine.
I look down at her, then further down to her lips. The hunger inside me grows like a wildfire. Knowing that she’s mine and it’s just a matter of time before I taste them for the first time is consuming. Her breath quickens, and her lips part as her gaze falls to my mouth.
“Shirt?” Her voice comes out as a raspy whisper.
It takes effort for me to step away, but I manage. Then walk past her into my walk-in closet. Luckily, I still have a clear view of her, even if she did try to run, my men are guarding the exits, so she won’t get far.
She blows out a heavy sigh, then whistles as she twirls around the room, taking in the décor. “Very fancy.”
She’s not wrong. The house and everything inside was designed way before my time. The master bedroom, which is where the kings of the family lay their heads is all creams and golds. The ceiling has hand carved moldings decorated with painted murals of scenes from various romantic fairy tales and classical stories. It took two months to create by an Italian artist flown in from Florence. The entire room is excessive and over the top, much like the rest of the house, and nothing like the bachelor pad I had been living in before. But my father handed me the keys to this kingdom the day I took over, there was no discussion, only an expectation this was where I belonged. Of course, I changed the bed, but that’s all, as there’s been no time to get rid of all this shit.
“Hmmm,” she quietly moans, and I lean back from the drawer to watch her sniff one of my colognes on a dresser. “This is the culprit.”
It’s the same cologne I’m wearing now. The thought of that makes me smile, it makes my dick stir and my chest puff knowing she’s just as affected by me as I am by her. The attraction is undeniable, I just need to keep her from running long enough for her to succumb to it. This whole situation might not be as much of a fuck up as I first thought. I grab a plain white t-shirt from my drawer and return to my bedroom.
“This should do,” I say, tossing it to her.