by Penelope Sky
Husband
Betrothed #2
Penelope Sky
Hartwick Publishing
Husband
Copyright © 2019 by Penelope Sky
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For My Husband,
* * *
Through the longest storm
* * *
the harshest winter
* * *
the darkest night
* * *
for better or worse
* * *
in sickness and in health
* * *
you said you were with me
* * *
you were always with me
* * *
you will always be with me
1
Sofia
The week passed with painful slowness.
I worked at the hotel, went home to my mom’s impatient stares, and tried to pretend that my life wasn’t about to change forever.
Hades didn’t come to the hotel and catch me by surprise. He didn’t stop by to leave any paperwork for me either. He just stayed away until I addressed the situation.
I was sitting on the main balcony with a cup of coffee in hand, wondering how different my life would have been if I were born into a normal family. Being rich wasn’t worth all the stress. It wasn’t worth being manipulated like this.
Mother was seated beside me, a cup of tea in her hand. “You’re out of time, Sofia.”
“I’m not doing it.”
She sighed as she looked straight ahead. “We can have the same conversation again, but it’s not going to change anything. This will happen whether you like it or not. If you don’t want Hades, we’ll find someone else. But truth be told, I don’t think you’re going to find anyone better than him.”
“You don’t know him.”
“I know he’s been keeping everything together at the hotel since Gustavo died.”
“Uh, no. That’s been me.”
“Honey…there’s a lot of stuff that happens behind the scenes that you don’t know about. Hades does the dirty work and doesn’t complain.”
My eyes drifted down to my coffee.
“You’re going to talk to him.”
The idea of looking at him made me sick to my stomach. The years had only escalated our mutual hatred. I still remembered the night he picked up that model and made out with her right in front of me. It was low…really low. But it wasn’t as painful as the time he bumped into me in the hallway and threatened me if I ever spoke to him again. “No.”
“Well, he’s here.”
“Jesus.” I set my cup down. “You’ve got to be kidding me—”
“I’ll leave you two alone.” She leaned toward me and patted my hand gently.
I didn’t want to face him—and now I didn’t even have time to prepare.
My mother walked away, her shoes echoing on the pavers until she was inside.
I felt the breeze move through my hair as I watched the summer sun sink below the horizon. I was rigid from his presence, aware he was right behind me, staring at the back of my head. Once I faced him, the conversation would begin…and I didn’t want that.
His slow footsteps were audible as he approached the edge of the balcony. He stopped beside me, a couple feet away so he didn’t invade my space.
I could see him in my peripheral vision, see his dark jeans and his black t-shirt. My pulse was so strong in my neck that I thought the artery would burst open. I wasn’t sure if I was scared or nervous…or both.
He was silent, waiting until I was ready for the conversation before he spoke his mind.
I couldn’t run from this. Just like any other problem, I had to face it. I had to grow a backbone and stand my ground. If I let him intimidate me, then it would prove my mother right…that I did need someone to protect me.
I finally got to my feet, lifted my chin, and looked at his side profile. “I had nothing to do with this—”
“I know.” He turned to me, his muscular arms resting by his sides. He was the same strong man that he had been when we were together, still painfully beautiful, still so masculine that he was made of pure testosterone.
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling awkward because we hadn’t spoken even a few sentences since we’d broken up, since the night he’d asked me to marry him. Now we were both reliving that memory, both thinking the same thing. “Why would you even want this? You could have anyone you want. Why me?”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered what I said. The sky was a mixture of purple and pink behind him, and despite the unpleasant conversation, it was a lovely evening. He took his time replying, either because the answer was so obvious that he didn’t need to explain, or he was trying to find a reason.
“Are you doing this to punish me?” I whispered, afraid this was all about revenge, that he would hurt me as payback for my rejection.
His eyes narrowed farther, clearly stung. “No. I told you that’s not the kind of man I am.”
“Then why?” He couldn’t still love me. Too much time had passed. He’d been with too many women, had plenty of time to move on and forget about me.
“A lot of reasons.”
“Such as?”
“I’ve been working with Tuscan Rose for a long time, since my early twenties. I have a vested interest in its livelihood. Someone needs to oversee it. Someone needs to keep everyone accountable. Your mother said fifty percent of that hotel is now mine. That’s my biggest reason.”
I was hurt that my mother gave away half of our company, but I suppose there was no other way. A man would only want to be locked into marriage if he was getting something out of it.
“My second reason is children. I want a family—and you will give me beautiful children.”
That meant we had to screw…and we hadn’t screwed in so long. Would the sex still be good? Would it be awkward and uncomfortable?
“My third reason…I want to fuck you.”
Despite my indifference to him, my arms were covered with bumps like a cold breeze had just blown through. My pulse quickened further, and my tongue suddenly felt too big for my mouth. I even dropped my gaze because I was so uncomfortable by what he said. What was I supposed to say to that?
He stared me down like he expected me to say something.
I tucked my hair behind my ear then brushed my fingertips across my lips. When my arms were close to my body, I could feel my heart thudding against my arm, feel it trying to break through my rib cage. “I’m only having this conversation because my mother forced my hand. She didn’t tell me you were here…just sprung it on me. And I’m confused because anytime we’ve ever interacted in the past two years, it’s been extremely hostile.”
“I’m a hostile guy…when you get on my bad side. That’s exactly why you need me.”
If he could scare me, he could scare anyone. “Well, is that how it’s going to be every day? Hostile?”
His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine. “No.”
“So…you forgive me?”
“No.”
“I don’t see how we can be partners if you can’t let go of the past.”
“I’ve let it go,” he said simply. “Doesn’t mean I have to forgive you. We don’t have to talk about it ever again. In fact, I’d prefer if we didn’t.”
Could I spend the rest of my life with a man when we had such a dark history? Our feelings were muddy and complicated. There were emotions all over the place. “I don’t want to do this. But I don’t see any other way…”
“Your mother is right. Marrying me is your best option.”
“Or I could run away and start over…”
“And leave your mother behind?” he asked coldly.
No, I couldn’t abandon her.
“You’re overthinking it. Don’t fight it.”
“But that’s what I am—a fighter.”
He stepped away and looked over the balcony at the city below. “We both know I’m the best man you’re going to find. I’m an asshole, but a harmless one. Other bachelors out there are liars, abusive, controlling…the list goes on. At least with me, you know exactly what you’re getting.”
Hades was definitely the best choice by far. Despite our uncomfortable past, he wasn’t like the others. The members of the board were jerks, and the criminals that came into the hotel wouldn’t hesitate to shank me. At least with Hades, he kept the violence away from me and didn’t hurt me himself. “I have conditions.”
He turned back to me. “As do I.”
“I don’t want you to control me, to tell me what to do. In our relationship, you did that a lot. I told you I didn’t want something, but you forced it on me anyway.”
His eyes stayed focused on me.
“When you didn’t get what you wanted, you manipulated me. I want your honesty, your integrity. I won’t tolerate a man who strikes me. If you ever hit me, I swear I’ll kill you in your sleep. I want you to treat me with respect.”
His expression softened. “Sofia, you don’t even need to ask that.”
“I’m not so sure…”
“I will always be honest with you. And I’d rather kill myself than ever hurt you.”
“That doesn’t only apply to physical pain. You hurt me when we were together.”
“Don’t act like the victim, Sofia. You hurt me too. You hurt me a hell of a lot more than I ever hurt you.”
“That was because you made me… That’s the problem. You forced me to do that.”
He looked away. “Let’s not waste time arguing about the past. We obviously have very different views of what happened. I promise you I’ll never hurt you. I will always be honest with you and respect you. Is that enough?”
“Yeah…I guess.”
“Anything else?”
“My father used to have mistresses…”
“A lot of men do,” he said quietly.
“My parents didn’t love each other, and my mother was fine with it. But I still don’t like it. That’s not the kind of marriage I want to have.”
He turned back to me, his brown eyes lighter in the gentle sunlight. “You have my fidelity, if that’s what you’re asking.”
When I saw him with that model in the lobby, I almost threw up all over the counter. “I just think that’s more appropriate, especially if we have kids at some point.” I was already talking like this was absolutely happening, like I’d already decided.
“That’s a two-way street.”
“I know.” Even if our marriage was just a business relationship, I felt odd sleeping with someone besides my husband. It still felt like a crime.
“And if I’m not fucking anyone else, I better be fucking you.” He stepped closer to me, looking at me with those aggressive eyes. He crowded my space with his presence, exerting himself before he even owned me.
I’d been with other men since Hades and I went our separate ways. The sex was never as good as it was with him. It lacked the passion and the fire; it lacked that all-consuming chaos. It was just sex, dull from the condom. I did my best to forget about the best sex of my life because my hatred for him made me stubborn, but now it came back to me, exploding in the form of dirty images in my brain.
He lingered in front of me, as if he was waiting for my agreement. “Do you understand me?”
I gave a slight nod.
He walked past me in preparation to leave. “Plan the wedding. Just tell me when to show up.”
I turned to watch him walk away. “I’m not sleeping with you until I say I do.”
He looked back at me. “And you expect me to keep my dick in my pants until then?”
“No…” He didn’t owe me anything until we tied the knot.
“Good.” He started to walk away again.
“Hades.”
He turned back to me, looking more annoyed.
“My mother needs to live with us.”
His hands slid into his pockets. “She never mentioned that.”
“She’s too proud to ask. I know she doesn’t want to be alone…”
“And that’s my problem?” he asked, being a smartass.
“I’d be really grateful to you if you did this for me…and I’d show it.” I didn’t want my mother to live in this big house all alone. She didn’t have many friends, and all her hobbies took place indoors. She wouldn’t get married again, so I was her only companion. Besides, she could watch the kids while I worked all day.
His eyes softened slightly. “I’m holding you to that.”
2
Hades
Damien and I rented out the strip club for a private show, watching the girls dance around the stage in skimpy thongs and tops that barely covered their nipples. Articles of clothing slowly fell to the floor, revealing more beautiful skin for us to gawk at.
He slipped a big bill into the thong of the woman who’d just given him a lap dance.
I drank from my glass of scotch.
The music boomed overhead, so Damien raised his voice to talk to me. “I’m ready for the whorehouse. How about you? Or should we hit a bar and do this the old-fashioned way? You know, alcohol and romance?” He slapped the woman’s ass as she walked away.
Sofia agreed to marry me. I was a betrothed man, committed to a woman for the rest of my life. When I told her I wouldn’t keep my dick in my pants, it was an empty threat. I just hoped that would change her mind about sleeping with me. “I’m gonna call it a night.”
“What? It’s eleven.”
“Yeah…I’m just not feeling it.”
Damien looked at the dozens of girls dancing in front of us then turned back to me—like I was fucking crazy. “Then you’re gay. You’ve got to be.”
I smacked him upside the head then left my chair.
He came after me and followed me into the parking lot. “What’s the problem? You’ve been weird all week.”
I hadn’t told him the news yet, knowing he would shit a brick. I walked to my car then leaned against the door. “I’ve got something to tell you. It’s not easy for me to say…”
“Alright…you’re scaring me.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stood in front of me.
“Sofia’s mother came to my office last week and asked me to marry her daughter. I said yes.”
It took him some time to absorb that information, to get it inside his brain and understand what it truly meant. His face slowly slackened when the revelation hit him. “Okay…I’m officially freaked out now.”
“I’ve just come to accept it.”
“Why did you say yes?”
I bowed my head, not wanting to answer.
“Hades. You asked her to marry you, and she said no. Why be with a woman who obviously doesn’t give a shit about you? Why subject yourself to this torture? You know how long it took you to get over her last time.”
“I know…”
“Then what the fuck are you doing?”
“If I don’t marry her, someone else will.”
“Which is a good thing.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want anyone else to have her. Even if she doesn’t love me, she’ll still be mine. And maybe someday…that will change.”
“According to the gypsy, it never will.”
It seemed like he believed in it after all. “A guy can dream, right?”
He shook his head. “Don’t do this.”
“I don’t have a choice, Damien. No matter what I do…I lose. And that’s how I know this is a curse. I’m perpetually miserable. At least I can be miserable with th
e woman I want instead of imagining someone else fucking her every night. At least I’ll be the one doing the fucking.”
Damien knew I didn’t change my mind easily. Once I had my mind set on something, I stuck with it. “When are you getting married?”
“No idea.”
“So you plan not to get laid until then?” he asked incredulously.
I was free to do whatever I wanted, but now that she was mine…in a way…it didn’t feel right. I couldn’t screw a woman without thinking about Sofia. It would be a pointless screw, and my climax would be weak. Now that I knew I’d be having the best sex of my life again, without a condom, that was all I wanted. I didn’t want the cheap, watered-down stuff. “Yeah…guess so.”
3
Sofia
I was sitting at my desk in the office when one of the girls stepped in. “There’s someone here to see you.”
If it were Hades, she would have just said so. “Who?”
“His name is Maddox Stine.”
I’d never heard that name before. “Did he say what he wanted?”
“Something about a business opportunity. He’s in a black suit, wears a fancy watch…he looks the part.”
“Alright. I guess I’ll see him.” Gustavo wasn’t there to guide me through his former accomplices. I had to get acquainted with every part of the business, even parts I didn’t like.
He walked in the door minutes later, in a deep black suit that was as dark as midnight. He had short dark hair, nearly bald because his shave was so close. He didn’t greet me with a smile as he entered my office, but his blue eyes visibly approved of my appearance. He didn’t restrain himself from looking me over. “Sofia.” He said my name in his deep voice, the sound reverberating off the four walls of my office. It contained extreme power, but also malice. He had a fair face, but there was a noticeable scar along his jawline, like someone had dragged the tip of a blade directly across it, aiming for bone. He lowered himself into the chair, ignoring my attempt at a handshake.