by Penelope Sky
He stilled at the request, about to take a bite of his dinner but having a sudden change of heart. “That’s funny.” He took a drink of his wine, washing away his bitterness. “No.”
“No?” I asked. “Taking a man’s name is so archaic—”
“The answer is no. Take my name, or don’t marry me at all.”
Damn. “Then a hyphen.”
“No.”
“You won’t even compromise?”
“My last name will protect you more than a bulletproof vest. Wear it like armor. And my sons won’t be using a fucking hyphen.”
I shouldn’t have expected anything else. “I feel like I’m the one making all the compromises…”
“Because I’m the one doing you a favor.”
“Oh, really?” I spat.
“Most men would treat you like a dog. Trust me on that. You know I never would.”
After meeting Maddox, I believed him, but I still wasn’t happy.
“And I have compromised.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“You asked me to be faithful. That’s a big sacrifice to make. I won’t sneak around behind your back and do my best to keep it a secret. I’m a man of my word, and if you want to be my only, I’ll give it to you. That’s a lot to ask of a man like me.”
I poked my pasta with my fork. “Well…have fun fucking as many women as possible before that day arrives.”
He stopped eating his food altogether. “I haven’t been with anyone since your mother asked me to marry you.”
“Why?”
“It feels wrong.”
He didn’t owe me anything, so it was a sweet gesture. “I haven’t been with anyone either…” I had been in too foul a mood to take a man home, and since I would be sleeping with someone else very soon, it seemed strange.
“Then are you still going to make me wait?”
I could feel his heated stare across the table, feel the copious amounts of desire leak through his skin. I was the target he wanted to claim, the woman he wanted to dominate. “Is this revenge? Do you want to marry me because I said no? Do you want me so you could lose that battle but win the war? Is this some toxic masculinity bullshit?”
He continued to stare at me. “Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
He leaned forward, lowering his voice so no one could eavesdrop on the conversation. “I want to fuck you. I want to own you. And I want the world to know I fuck you and own you. That’s all.” He leaned back and grabbed his glass of wine again.
It was a power play. If I’d said yes to him in the first place, my marriage would be much better. He would be kind, affectionate, and respectful. But I took the wrong path, and even though I ended up in the same place, this time…I got the monster.
4
Hades
I walked with her up the stairs to her front door. She was in a black dress with matching pumps, sterile in her work attire but still sexy in anything she wore. Her ass shook from side to side as she walked, her long legs carrying her like a queen without a crown. She occasionally brushed her hair behind her shoulder with her fingertips, showing her fair cheeks and painted lips.
I didn’t want to wait.
She stopped at the large mahogany doors and faced me. “Goodnight.”
“Thought I’d say hello to your mother.”
“You can say hello when we move in together.” She grabbed the handle to open the door.
I wanted to grab her and keep her close, but I refrained from touching her. “You never answered my question.”
She halted and turned back to me, still significantly shorter than me despite her formidable heels. Her long brown hair was in wavy curls, and her thick eyelashes were curled with dark mascara. Even after a full day at the office, she looked just as fresh as she did in the morning. “What question?”
“Are you going to make me wait until our wedding night?” It’d only been a week since she’d become my fiancée and my celibacy had begun, but it was already destroying me. I was a man who needed sex on a regular basis, and while I could get laid whenever I wanted, I preferred to wait for the best pussy I’d ever had. If I was going to screw someone, there was only one woman I had in mind.
She looked away when she couldn’t handle the desire in my eyes. “Yes.” She opened the door.
I swallowed the disappointment, fought the demon living inside me. Sitting across from her over dinner was torture because I wanted her so much, wanted to fist that hair and take her roughly. I wanted those hot, passionate nights, when she grabbed me by the front of the shirt and kissed me deeply. I didn’t want any more cheap one-night stands. I didn’t want a stranger in my bed.
I wanted the woman I loved.
If only I could tell her that. If I did, it would just chase her off again.
I was committing myself to the torture the gypsy promised me, but I’d rather be tortured every day with her than be miserable without her.
She stepped inside and shut the door.
Just when I turned away, it opened again.
“Hades, please come inside.” Maria grabbed my arm and ushered me into the entryway. “Please excuse my daughter. I raised her to have better manners, but she never listens to anything I say.”
Sofia stood with her arms over her chest, visibly annoyed by her mother’s intervention.
“She does,” I said. “She’s just stubborn.” I kissed Maria on the cheek. “How are you holding up, Maria?”
“I’ve been better,” she said with a sigh. “But I’m thrilled by this gorgeous ring you gave Sofia.” She grabbed her daughter’s left hand and examined the diamonds. “Perfect clarity…and the perfect size for her slender hand.”
Sofia kept up her attitude.
Maria turned back to me. “I spoke with the manager of the hotel, and the ballroom is free in two weeks. How do you feel about getting married on such short notice?”
“Two weeks?” Sofia asked incredulously. “That’s way too soon—”
“I’d marry her tomorrow if there was availability.” I looked at Sofia as I said those words. She would be mine soon, whether it was in a few weeks or a couple months. I already owned her in so many ways.
“That’s so sweet,” Maria said. “So, we’ll do two weeks.”
“How am I going to get a dress by then?” Sofia asked. “Or drop a few pounds?”
I couldn’t control the chuckle that escaped my lips. She really had no idea just how perfect every damn curve was.
“I can get any designer you want to create your dress,” Maria said. “I’ve already talked to the florist and the caterer. We can pull this together with no hiccups at all. It’ll still be the wedding of the year.”
The sooner I married her, the sooner I could peel off her dress and fuck her.
Jesus Christ, I couldn’t wait. A thrill ran down my spine just thinking about it.
Sofia looked horrified. “This is happening too fast. I literally just got my ring today.”
“Because you wanted one,” I reminded her. “The sooner you’re my wife, the sooner you’ll get to run that hotel exactly how you want. The sooner we’ll get everything we want. This is a good thing.”
Maria turned to Sofia. “He’s right. We’ll get to work on your dress tomorrow.”
Sofia stopped arguing, but she ran her hand down her cheek as she struggled in silence.
I turned to her mother. “Sofia and I agreed to live together at my place in the city. I would love it if you accompanied us. The entire second floor is unused, and my staff are the best.”
“Wow…that’s such a generous offer.” Maria rested her hand against her chest, genuinely surprised I would extend that invitation. She glanced at her daughter then turned back to me. “I’d love to, but you two should have some privacy, especially as newlyweds.”
We would be doing a lot of fucking. “I insist.” Of course I didn’t want my mother-in-law in the house. I was marrying Sofia—and that was the only part of the packa
ge I wanted. Now I had another person to be responsible for. But since it was important to Sofia, who was important to me, I caved.
And she said I didn’t compromise…
“Well, then I would love to,” Maria said. “It’ll be nice to see my daughter often and be there for my grandchildren. That’s very kind of you, Hades. I’m so glad my daughter chose a good husband.”
I looked at Sofia, an arrogant grin on my face.
She refused to look at me.
She could look away all she wanted, but when she was my wife, she’d look me in the eye every night I fucked her.
“I should get going. It was nice to see you.” I kissed Maria on the cheek then turned to the door.
“Sofia, aren’t you going to walk your fiancé out?” Maria asked, audibly embarrassed by her daughter’s coldness.
Sofia was so stubborn, she still refused to look at me. “He’s a strong man, Mama. He doesn’t need me.”
Maria brushed off the tension and walked me outside. “I’m sorry about her. She’s just—”
“Don’t apologize. I like her exactly how she is.” I gave her a gentle pat on the arm.
“I’m lucky you’re smitten with my daughter’s looks. It’d be impossible to get anyone to marry her without her beauty.”
I wanted her for more than just her appearance. “That’s not the only reason I want her. Your daughter is smart, strong, and loyal. She’s just a little rough around the edges. I am too…and I think that’s why we go together so well.”
A week had passed, and Helena prepared the house for my new guests. Maria would get a guest bedroom on the second floor, private quarters that were luxurious and spacious. Sofia would be sharing my bedroom, so I made space in my closet and my bathroom. Knowing her, she would probably try to get her own bedroom.
Not gonna happen.
Damien walked inside and glanced at the pile of my clothes I was donating. “You’re just going to throw these out?”
“I have too many suits.”
“Yeah, but these are, like, thousands of dollars each.”
I shrugged. “It’ll do someone else some good.” I took a seat at the table. “I know Sofia has a lot of clothes, so I need to make room for her.”
He sank into the chair across from me. “Haven’t changed your mind, then?”
I shook my head.
“And I can’t talk you out of it?”
I shook my head again. “Even if I agreed with everything you said, if she marries someone else, they’ll treat her like shit. And I can’t allow that to happen. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing some asshole is talking to her like a dog.”
Damien still looked disappointed. “Alright…then I’ll let it go.”
“Good. Because I want you to be my best man.”
He smiled. “I figured. You didn’t need to ask.”
I didn’t have family. I didn’t have any friends either. Damien was all I had.
“When’s the show?”
“Saturday.”
“As in, a week from today? Is she pregnant or something?”
I wish. “No. Her mother is impatient.”
“And how does Sofia feel about it?”
“She’s pissed. But she’s always pissed, so I don’t notice anything new.”
He chuckled. “We’ve been through some crazy shit together. Survived against the odds. But the most detrimental thing that ever happened to you was falling in love with the wrong woman. I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to me…”
“She’s not the wrong woman. She’s exactly the person I was supposed to fall in love with…that’s why the universe sent her to me. She’s the one woman I can’t resist, so she’s the best person to torture me. God knows how to punish sinners.”
“You really think God is doing this to you?”
“After all the shit I’ve done? Yes.”
Damien stared at me for a while. “You’re not the evilest man in the world.”
If only he knew. “I’ve done a lot of shit you don’t know about. And if you knew…you would know I deserved this.”
When I stepped into the hallway, she was in front of me. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and she wore snug black jeans that showed the perfect heart shape of her ass.
In just a few days, that ass would be mine.
She wore a skintight black blouse with pumps, and she looked through papers as she walked back to her office.
I took my time walking down the hallway—enjoying the view.
I stepped into her office and saw her sit behind her desk, her chin tilted down as she read. She hadn’t noticed me yet, so her face was tight in a focused expression. No matter what mood she was in, she was beautiful, but she looked particularly erotic right now. With red lipstick on her mouth and gold earrings in her lobes, she looked like a model rather than a manager.
And her engagement ring was the sexiest thing of all.
It was a leash made out of diamonds.
I cleared my throat as I entered the room.
She looked up, and instantly, her guard was up. She was uneasy around me, still the recipient of my resentment. Her timid nature was synonymous with guilt. She knew her rejection of me had been wrong, that she was responsible for our untimely demise. She said she’d never wanted it, but I believed that was a lie. She just couldn’t bring herself to trust anyone.
I was the one person in the world she could actually trust.
I sat in the chair facing her desk. “I’ll notify the board of our nuptials this afternoon.”
“Why? They don’t give a damn.”
“Yes, they do. You won’t have any problems with them from here on out.”
“You’re just going to snap your fingers and make them respect me?” she asked incredulously.
“No. I don’t need to snap my fingers.”
She was probably impressed, but she chose not to show it. She sighed like my statement was ridiculous rather than a spot-on prediction of the future. “You came all the way here to tell me that?”
“We’re getting married in five days. We still have things to talk about.”
“Like?”
“Money.”
“I have my own money, and you have yours,” she said. “I don’t want your assets.”
No surprise there. “My lawyer has drafted a legal agreement. What’s yours is yours. What’s mine is mine.”
“Good.”
“But you will have access to all my accounts, and you’re welcome to spend any of it.”
She folded her arms on the desk. “I don’t need your money.”
“Never said you did. But what’s mine is yours.”
“Why are you giving it to me?” she blurted. “Now that the hotel is mine—”
“Ours.”
She couldn’t bring herself to repeat the word. “I have all the money I need.”
“You’re my wife. I want you to have everything that I have. I’m completely transparent with you.”
Her venom started to fade away. “I don’t understand…”
“We have our differences, but we’re a team. We need to act like it.” I would always resent her for what she did to me, but it was time to leave the past behind us. If I wanted any chance to have something real with her, I needed to put all my cards on the table. “This isn’t just a marriage. It’s a partnership. Your success is my success, and that’s a two-way street. You will be the mother of my children. I want you to have all my power in your hands to do with whatever you want.”
For the first time, she was speechless. She stared at me like she had no idea what to say. “I still don’t want your money, but I appreciate the gesture. And for that, I’ll do the same with you.”
“That wasn’t my angle. Keep your money. I’m your husband. I’ll provide for you and protect you.” Her assets were marginal compared to mine. I wouldn’t even notice they were there. She probably had no understanding of just how rich I really was. If she knew, she’d probably lose her marbles. “
I want to start moving your stuff over. My men will come back and collect whatever you want to bring.”
Her eyes dropped to the surface of her desk. Her expression was easy to read; she was dreading this, like she’d made a deal with the devil. “Alright.”
“Do you want to go on a honeymoon?”
“No. I have too much work to do.”
We could have our honeymoon in the bedroom.
She lifted her gaze again. “I’ve known you for years, but I feel like I don’t know you at all.”
“What do you want to know?” I’d never discouraged her from asking questions. I’d been an open book from day one. But she’d wanted our relationship to be nothing but sex, so all the deep conversations lovers usually had were missing. She tried to keep our relationship sterile so I would never mean anything to her…but she ended up with me anyway. It was ironic.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Have dinner with me tonight. We’ll talk then.” I couldn’t wait until she was mine, until I could rip off her clothes and take her as my wife. Fantasies played in my mind on a nightly basis, dreams so vivid I could actually feel her pussy around my dick. Other women felt like trolls compared to the woman I actually wanted. I was committed to a woman I wasn’t even fucking, and it caused me to lose my mind.
Maybe dinner and some wine would loosen her up, would get her to drop her walls and let me in. Maybe she wouldn’t make me wait until our wedding night. Maybe she’d let me have her sooner.
It was the longest I’d gone without having sex…so I was hard anytime I was around her.
She took her time before she answered. “Alright.”
I always had shit to do, so I walked into the meeting late.
Members of the board were talking to each other quietly even though Sofia stood at the front, going over different ideas she had for the hotel. The energy in the room was chaotic, with people’s thoughts in different places. It had a casual feel—like no one was taking it seriously.
Sofia continued to do her best, even though only two men were paying attention. “Most of our restaurants are outdated and designed to attract an older clientele. I think we need to breathe new life into this place, possibly turning the main bar into a hipper space. There’re a lot of locals who would love a new hangout spot.”