Completing Beauty: Books 1-3

by Stella Andrews

  She moves inside and I stare after her in surprise but then feel my nerves stand to attention as I hear, “Darling, you make such a lovely couple.”

  I sense Tobias’s irritation and feel the same because mom is standing there looking like the cat who got the cream. He nods politely and she turns to me and gushes, “My beautiful baby, your father would be so proud.”

  I stare in disbelief as she wipes an imaginary tear from her eye and then I hear, “Move along mother, you’re holding up the line.”

  I almost crumble as I see my sister standing behind her and if there’s anyone I want to see right now, it’s her. She nods to Tobias and then moves along to me and takes me in her arms, whispering, “Are you ok, honey?”

  For a moment, I cling to her and wish for nothing more than to be back in the room we shared as children with nothing but hope before us. I almost can’t speak and she whispers, “Ana, honey, do you want to go somewhere and talk?”

  Pulling myself together, I shake my head and try to smile with a bravery I’m certainly not feeling. “No, it’s fine. Please grab a glass of champagne, we’ll talk soon.”

  She moves away looking worried and then Sebastian stands before me looking at me with concern. I feel Tobias stiffen beside me as he leans in and kisses me on both cheeks, murmuring, “You look beautiful, are you ok?”

  I see the concern in his eyes and bite my bottom lip to keep it from trembling as Tobias snaps, “Of course she’s ok, it’s her wedding day.”

  Sebastian stares at him with undisguised animosity and I hold my breath as Tobias snaps, “Enough, my wife needs to sit, it’s been a long day.”

  Pulling me to his side, he sweeps through the marquee toward the top table and a waiter pulls out my chair, which I’m grateful to sit down on. Leaning in, Tobias whispers, “There are two tablets next to that glass of water, take them for the pain and no more alcohol. They don’t mix well and I need you to stay fit and well. Use the ice pack, it will take the swelling down.”

  He offers me the glass and as I take the tablets for the pain, Angel sits the other side of me and snaps, “What happened?”

  “I sprained my ankle; it hurts a little.”

  She stares at Tobias with anger and I shake my head. “It’s my fault, I never could walk in heels.”

  Tobias takes his seat beside me and mom sits the other side of him which I can tell irritates him and I whisper to Angel. “I’m guessing this meal won’t last long if he’s got to talk to mom.”

  We giggle and I start to feel a little better. Maybe it’s the pills, or maybe it’s the relief the worst is over, but I’m guessing it’s because I have my sister by my side. Yes, we may have fallen out over the man on the other side of her, but that’s in the past now. It’s the future that counts now, and I have a feeling I’m going to need my sister a lot in mine.

  Chapter 7

  Tobias

  I can’t wait for this circus to be over. There is only one thing I want and she is sitting to the right of me, deep in conversation with her sister. I have the misfortune to be seated next to her mother, and she is irritating me more than I can bear. I’m not sure why I thought this was a good idea. Maybe to show the world I have really settled down and am officially off the market. Maybe it was for appearance’s sake, and maybe it was to please the woman who I now call my wife. It certainly wasn’t to please me and after another conversation regarding the infernal woman’s roses, I push back my chair and say, “Excuse me.”

  Anastasia looks up and I lean down and whisper, “Duty calls, I won’t be long.”

  She looks surprised and whispers, “On our wedding day?”

  Her eyes are wide and her bottom lip is tempting me way too much, so I give into my urge and kiss her lips softly, relishing the taste of innocence and the sweetest soul. She looks at me in shock as I stroke her cheek and stare deep into her eyes. “I won’t be long.”

  Then I head off to get some air because I can’t stand another minute of Mrs. Johnson’s company. In fact, I’m of a mind to put a contract on out her today, but I know that will never happen. She’s family now, god help me and like it or not, she’s here to stay.

  Matteo follows me looking concerned and once we’re out of earshot, I snap, “That fucking infernal woman is seriously pissing me off, what do you suggest?”

  Matteo’s lips twitch and as I glare at him, he holds his hands up. “What?”

  “Are you laughing at me?”

  My eyes darken ominously and he stops smirking—fast. “No, Mr. Moretti.”

  Leaning against the wall, I remove a cigarette from my inside pocket and light it, hating myself for my weakness.

  Matteo waits while I calm down and I snap, “Any news on Carlos?”

  Matteo shakes his head. “Unfortunately, no.”

  “What about the Viper room, have they paid up yet?”

  He nods and I exhale sharply. “Is there nothing that requires my urgent attention?”

  “Nothing I can think of but we can always make something require your attention.”

  Tossing the cigarette butt to the ground, I stamp on it angrily. “Just do me a favor and keep that woman away from me.”

  Turning my back on him, I head back to the wedding and curse the fact I ever thought this was a good idea. For once I wanted to do things the way normal people do, and now I’m regretting my generosity.

  As I head back to my bride, my eye is drawn to her immediately I enter the marquee. Even from across the room, she mesmerizes me. Her head is tossed back and she’s laughing at something her sister is saying. She looks so happy it makes me smile inside and then she turns her head and sees me approaching and instantly her expression changes to one of fear and uncertainty.

  As I take my seat again, Mrs Johnson leans in and giggles. “I must say, Tobias, you have outdone yourself. Between us, I was extremely reluctant to pass over the organization of my beloved daughter’s wedding to a man but…” She bats her eyelashes and purrs, “You have not disappointed me.”

  She stares into my eyes with a suggestive look and I look at her in disbelief—seriously, are you kidding me? This woman has no shame. I catch my sister’s eye and she smirks, making me snap, “Maybe you would like to tell Sophia about your garden. She loves flowers and these arrangements were her design.”

  Pointedly, I turn away toward my bride and leaning down, whisper, “Have you had enough?”

  She stares at me in shock. “What do you mean?”

  “This - the guests, the wedding, everything. I can stop it now if you have.”

  “Have you?”

  I see the hurt in her eyes and instantly regret my words. Of course, she hasn’t had enough. It’s the day most girls dream of, isn’t it? It’s why I did this after all-for her, so I nod and look over my shoulder at Matteo who is standing discreetly behind me and as he leans down, I whisper, “Tell the caterers to wrap this up and we can move to the cake.”

  He nods and heads off and I take Anastasia’s hand and relish the huge fucking diamond I put on her finger telling the world she is mine. Raising her hand to my lips, I kiss it gallantly and say in a low voice, “We will cut the cake and then take our first dance. After that, we will leave them to it.”

  I don’t miss the sudden fear in her eyes and hate the fact it’s there at all. Then again, she should fear me because what I have planned goes against every line of our contract.

  She whispers, “Won’t they think we’re rude?”

  “Not at all. Isn’t it customary for the bride and groom to leave the wedding party for their honeymoon?”

  “Honeymoon!”

  Her eyes are wide and she looks like a deer caught in a hunter’s sight. “Yes. Honeymoon. As I said, we do this thing right because how would it look if we didn’t head straight off to a luxurious destination to get to know one another?”

  Settling back in my seat, I suddenly feel in a better mood. Yes, a honeymoon. Why didn’t I think of it before?

  It doesn’t take long to fin
ish our meal and as I scrape back my chair, I take Anastasia’s hand and help her up. I see her wince in pain and hate the fact she’s injured and feel partly responsible. Once again, I anchor her to my side and whisk her off to the table where the largest cake I have ever seen stands proudly, decorated with beautiful edible flowers and crystal figurines representing the bride and groom and I love the way her eyes light up. She turns to me and I see a genuine smile as she says happily, “I love this cake, it’s amazing. I can’t believe how realistic the flowers are.”

  I feel a little puzzled because it’s just a god-damned cake. I would have thought she’d react to the fuck off diamond I’ve put on her finger, or the ones around her neck. Not a fucking cake. But I can see she genuinely loves it and I say, “The cake pleases you more than anything?”

  Her eyes shine and she nods. “I love baking. I practise it often with Martha, our housekeeper. We spend hours making little objects out of icing and marzipan, and it’s such a fulfilling art. I would love to know how this cake was created.”

  Shaking my head, I laugh to myself. Such a simple thing pleases her far more than all the riches I have showered on her so far. She surprises me yet again.

  The photographer I hired for the event calls for us to cut the cake, and I take the knife and offer it to my blushing bride. Then I wrap my hands around hers and stand behind as we smile for the camera and cut the cake in one fluid movement. Then I take a small sample of the cake and feed it to her, loving the pleasure the taste brings to her face. She savors it and I find myself itching to see that look in her eyes as she sucks my cock but then the music interrupts a pleasant daydream and I say softly, “Our first dance. Come.”

  I lead her by the hand to the small dance floor and pull her hard against me. She shivers a little and I feel her tremble under my touch as the soft music begins to play. The lights are dimmed and we could be alone as I twirl her around the dance floor in my arms. I can feel her heat through the thin layer of silk and picture the lingerie I selected myself underneath. I rub her back where the fabric parts, revealing her velvet soft skin, and she shivers a little. She feels so soft and desirable under my touch and I am impatient to move things on.

  Leaning down, I nip her neck and she gasps, “What are you doing?”

  “Playing my part and remember, I expect you to do the same.”

  She stiffens in my arms as I lower my lips to hers and once again taste the sweetness within. At first, she is like a frozen ice sculpture that slowly begins to thaw. As she relaxes in my arms, she dares to kiss me back and I forget that we aren’t alone. I kiss her hard and bite her bottom lip a little and hear a soft groan that almost makes me lose my mind. Yes, this little bird is about to discover just what she signed up for and I’m done waiting.

  Chapter 8

  Anastasia

  I’m not sure what’s happening, but I like it. Tobias Moretti has surprised me. He is nothing like I thought he’d be. I’m not sure what it is, but he appears almost human and so far today, everything he’s done has made me feel like a princess. He came to my room like I asked, even though I knew it was something he would never normally do. This whole wedding that he organized is straight out of the story books and he has played the kind, loving husband perfectly until now. In fact, as I spin around the dance floor in his arms, with his lips on mine, even I could believe this marriage wasn’t a sham and the happy couple were deeply in love.

  The most surprising thing of all is the way my body reacts to his touch. It’s as if it has a will of its own and lights up the second he touches me. I find myself leaning into him, desperate to feel his hard body against mine. The feeling of his lips on mine when he kisses me makes me feel invincible. His touch sears my skin and brings it alive and his kiss—it binds me to the man forever, much more than any ring on my finger. Could I be developing feelings for this man?

  The song changes, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he carries on and once again, I am grateful for the support he gives me because my legs are fading fast. How does he do this, how does he own me so completely after just a few hours in his company? Am I that desperate to crave just a second of his time because I have never been the one who men desired? I was always second best and tried a little too hard to get what I saw other people had. I wanted the fairy tale and when I was Sebastian’s fiancée; I thought it was my time. Finally, I would be the one who got the hottest guy. I would be the envy of everyone and somebody would love me, Anastasia Johnson, unconditionally. But it wasn’t to be and yet here, spinning around this fairy tale wedding with any woman’s wet dream, almost makes me think dreams do come true.

  I can feel his interest against the thin silk fabric of the dress he chose for me, and I’m grateful for the subdued lighting because it causes me to blush. Imagine being with a man like this. Imagine being with a man at all because unbelievably I never have. My virginity is something I always protected, so I could surrender it to the man I love. I always thought that man was Sebastian, but he didn’t want it. He didn’t want me and so, here I am in my early twenties and still a virgin.

  I wonder if my husband knows that. Would he laugh, would it disgust him? I wouldn’t be surprised. Men like women who are sexy and bold. I see them everywhere, secure in the knowledge they know what to do to keep a man’s interest.

  Then it hits me, I may never find that secret out. My new husband made it clear this was a business arrangement and this is all for show. The one condition was I didn’t screw around behind his back.

  Suddenly, the dream fades as I realize all of this is just a show. His attention, the wedding, the dancing and the kiss—all show. He doesn’t want me. The inexperienced daughter of a dead man. He wants the trophy wife and as I deal with the bitter tears that burn behind my eyes, my fairy tale turns into a horror story.

  “What’s wrong, little bird?”

  His voice is slightly husky and but a whisper and I feel my heart breaking. “I’m sorry, I feel a little unwell.”

  Immediately, he stops and pulls back and I see the dark clouds form in his eyes. “Then we must go.”

  In mid-song, he pulls me from the dance floor and the first person we see is my mother who hovers on the side-lines and says in a sickly-sweet voice, “My turn now.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Tobias’s tone is sharp and she giggles like a teenager. “The mother of the bride always dances with the groom, it’s tradition.”

  “Not today, we’re leaving.” He is abrupt and I see the surprise in mom’s eyes as he pulls me past, leaving her open-mouthed, staring in confusion, as we exit the dance floor at speed.

  Angel rushes over and grabs my arm. “What’s going on?”

  Tobias regards her coolly. “My wife is feeling unwell, she needs to rest. Just give her some space and carry on.”

  “Is this true, are you feeling ok, honey?”

  Angel looks anxious and I feel bad and try to smile reassuringly. “It’s fine, I just feel a little light-headed. I’ll go for a lie down and hopefully be back soon.”

  Once again, Tobias pulls me away before she can comment and then his army of guards move behind us, preventing anyone else from getting near. We walk from the marquee in a protective bubble of menace and I feel my heart thumping as I hear the whispers all around me and pass the knowing smirks on the faces of the guests that watch us go. They think we - oh my god, they think we’re going to do that.

  It must have been the way we were dancing, because it felt as if Tobias was making love to me for everyone to see. I actually think I groaned out loud at one point. What if they heard me?

  I’m grateful for the wall of menace that surrounds us because I can’t face these people now. What must they be thinking?

  As we leave the party, the silence descends on us like an eerie promise. Now we are heading toward the house, and I feel strangely nervous as to where he’s taking me. My ankle is throbbing and I wince as I stumble after him and then once again, I am swept into his arms and he doesn’t even break his
stride for a second. I snuggle into his arms, feeling completely overwhelmed by everything that’s happened today and feel grateful for the comfort he’s giving me. I feel safe in these strong arms and as if the world is kept locked outside and nothing can harm me here.

  Then we are inside and the guards melt away, revealing what can only be described as a palace.

  I look around me in astonishment as I see the palatial home of a king. This place is impeccable, beautiful and so decadent, it takes my breath away. Ornate furniture and old paintings decorate a space that has to be seen to be believed. It’s absolutely huge and I blink as the full force of it hits me. We glide effortlessly along a huge polished marble floor toward a grand staircase that forks at the top. Tobias heads left and we travel along a long corridor that has several doors standing like undiscovered secrets as they guard what’s inside. We reach the end and he kicks open one of the doors revealing another staircase and once again carries me effortlessly up another staircase into a large reception room at the top.

  Huge silk drapes cover what must be a window, and regency furniture sits proudly around the room that is decorated in the palest blue. He doesn’t stop there. Still holding me like the most precious piece of porcelain, he kicks open another door and I swallow hard because there is no mistaking this room.

  The biggest bed I’ve seen in my life dominates the room, dressed in white silken sheets with a crystal encrusted coverlet, dressing the simplicity of the silk in riches. The carpet is of the brightest white and the drapes at the window are heavy silk, weighted down so they hang in folds of luxury. Either side of the bed are two tables holding the largest lamps I have ever seen bathing the room in serenity and the smell, it takes me a moment to place it and then it hits me—this room smells like him. I look up at him in surprise as he carefully lowers me onto the bed and stands back, his eyes flashing with a wickedness I would be a fool to ignore. Then he says in that sexy, husky voice that does things to me I never thought possible, “Alone at last.”