Buying the Bride

by Penny Wylder

  Sylph doesn’t hit her, though. Instead she gets right up in her face and says, “Hand me a pre-nup. I’ll sign it right now.”

  “Bull shit,” Arora says. Theo looks disbelieving as well.

  “I have a pen right here.” She digs into her purse and pulls one out. “Just point to the arrows and I’ll sign.”

  “You’re lying,” Arora says.

  “I’m not. I love Heath. He’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met and I’m not going to let you poison his mind against me.”

  I watch Sylph’s face. Does she mean that? Does she actually love me, or is this part of the lie?

  Arora tries to keep up with her high-and-mighty act, but Sylph’s close proximity and aggressive nature has taken her off-kilter. Even Theo seems to know to stay back.

  “You’ll poison him yourself. I just have to sit back and watch it all fall apart.”

  I’ve had enough. I need to talk to Sylph and figure out what the hell is going on.

  “I want both of you to leave,” I say.

  Arora looks like I just slapped her. “You’re kicking us out after she’s the one who lied?”

  “It looks that way, doesn’t it?”

  Arora’s lips pinch together before she huffs out an irritated harrumph and stomps away.

  12

  Sylph

  “We need to talk,” Heath says and drags me back to the closet where we’d just fooled around.

  I’m too nervous to say anything. I wonder what they found out about me and how bad it is for his situation. I wait for him to speak. At first it seems like he’s too mad to get the words out. I start to tremble.

  Finally, he asks, “Were you married before?”

  Oh no.

  I don’t want to tell him my horrible secret, but I won’t lie to him either. It’s taken me years to get over how awful my marriage was. It’s still hard for me to trust or open myself up to someone. Before I met Heath I was sure I would never find anyone I would want to be with. But he’s changed me for the better. He’s changed my life completely. I owe him the truth.

  “Yes, when I was eighteen. It only lasted a year,” I say.

  “Why? And why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t think it was important information with this job. And I left him because he used to hit me. It’s a part of my past I’d rather forget.”

  A muscle in his jaw flexes. “He hit you?”

  I nod and a tear slips down my cheek. Half the reason I don’t like to bring it up is because whenever I even come close to talking about it, I always cry. I felt so stupid for the longest time because I let something like that happen to me. I blamed myself for his violence. When I was still with him, I used to justify his anger and convince myself if I would have talked sweeter to him he wouldn’t have hit me. I thought it was my fault. And when my friends would ask questions about the bruises on my body, I would lie to them as much as I would lie to myself. They must’ve thought I was the clumsiest person they ever met.

  Heath’s expression is terrifying, his face as red as a boiled lobster. “What’s his name? I’ll kill him.”

  “It was a long time ago,” I say.

  He takes my face in his hands, cradling it. He wipes the tears off my cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

  “I’m fine, Heath, really. He moved away, we don’t speak anymore. Right now, I’m more worried about you. What if the twins tell your parents about Mandi’s wedding service and my other marriage?”

  “I’ll take care of it. You don’t have to worry about a thing. This isn’t your problem. It’s mine.”

  He starts to leave, but I take him by the arm and stop him. “I meant what I said,” I tell him.

  He studies me, searching for answers. “Which part?”

  The part where I said I loved you.

  But I don’t say that.

  “The part about you being the best man I’ve ever known.”

  He kisses me. It’s short, but fierce. Then he leaves.

  13

  Sylph

  The next morning I go over to Mandi’s apartment. She’s finally there. She probably wasn’t expecting me to show up in the middle of the day since I’d been trying to get ahold of her mostly in the evenings. Well, she can’t get away from me now.

  I don’t even bother knocking. Instead, I use my key and I’m quiet so she can’t disappear into her room. There’s loud music playing and she’s dancing in the living room. I stand there and watch her for a moment, looking forward to scaring the shit out of her when she finally realizes I’m standing here.

  It takes a while, but when it finally happens, she jumps nearly a foot in the air and it was totally worth it.

  “Shit, Sylph, you scared the hell out of me!”

  I put my hands on my hips and keep a stern expression even though the look on her face makes me want to crack up. “You’ve been avoiding me,” I say.

  Her hand still clutches her chest when she sits on the couch. I wipe crumbs off the couch before sitting next to her. This place has really gone to shit without me being here to pick up after her.

  “I have,” she says, resigned.

  At least she doesn’t try to lie to me. I would’ve gotten it out of her anyway and she knows it. She’s always been a terrible liar. “Did you know about the P.I. the twins hired to look into my background?” I ask.

  She nods, but won’t look me in the eye. “He was looking into me too. That’s why I bailed on you. I was afraid it would affect my business.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me so I could at least tell Heath? His siblings caught us completely off-guard.”

  “I thought you would be fine since you’re past is dirt-free, and there’s nothing linking you to my business.”

  “I’m not dirt-free. They found out about my ex.”

  Mandi’s eyes spring open and so does her mouth. “Sylph, I’m so sorry. I forgot all about that douche bag. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, but I think it upset Heath.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  I forgive her because she’s my best friend and I need her right now. With everything that has happened, I’ve felt all alone.

  “How has everything been going with the job?” she asks.

  I hate that she calls it a job, even though that’s technically what it is. Heath stopped being a job for me a long time ago.

  “Great, actually. At least it was until his sister showed up and took me dress shopping.”

  “Did you find something?” Mandi asks.

  “Yeah, but I hate it. I mean, it’s absolutely gorgeous and it looks good on me, but something about it doesn’t feel right.”

  Her smile beams. “I know how to make all of this up to you.”

  I frown, skeptical. “How?”

  “I’m taking you dress shopping. You and I are going to find the dress of your dreams. It’ll be my gift to you.”

  I want to tell her no, that the dress I have will work fine, but I don’t want to wear it. When I stand at the altar with Heath in front of him, I want to feel beautiful and confident. That’s not going to happen in the dress Arora picked out for me.

  “Okay,” I tell her and start to feel excited about the prospect of finding my dream dress.

  Mandi and I go to a local dress store instead of one of those ridiculously over-priced ones like Arora had taken me to. This one has far more selections with better prices and more sizes. My heart feels lighter walking into it and I know I’ll find what I’m looking for here. An older woman with big hair and an Eastern European accent helps me to find all the different styles of dresses in my size and within Mandi’s budget, and I start trying them on. None of them are as detailed, frilled, or beaded like the other, but they are all still beautiful in their own way.

  I try on several that have potential. Every time I come out with a new one, Mandi says, “That’s it, that’s the one!” They all could be the one, but my heart hasn’
t sung yet. Maybe it won’t. It could be that I’m searching for a feeling that only exists in movies. But I want to keep trying.

  The next dress I try on is in a paper shroud so I’m unable to see what it looks like right away. When I pull the paper back, my heart starts to beat a little faster. Right now all I can see are a few little details on the bodice and some pearls and beads, but already, looking at it is giving me chills. Could this be it?

  When I pull it out of the bag, I know.

  I try the dress on. The woman who owns the dress shop comes into the changing room to help me. There’s a lot of fabric to this one. She gasps when she sees me in it and says something in her own language that I can’t understand. When I wrinkle my brow in confusion she smiles and says, “This dress was made for you.”

  I look at my reflection in the mirror, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. So maybe this feeling I’ve been searching for isn’t fake after all. Everything about the dress is delicate and lovely.

  I step out of the dressing room and Mandi is instantly on her feet. She covers her mouth with her hands and says, “Oh my god, Sylph. That’s really it this time. That’s the one.”

  I nod and start to cry. So does she.

  “Mandi, I’m in love with Heath,” I tell her.

  She doesn’t look surprised. “I know. I can tell by the way you talk about him.”

  “I know you think it’s stupid, and that pursuing him is a mistake, but I’m going to tell him how I feel.”

  She shakes her head and keeps fluffing the skirt of the dress. “I don’t think it’s stupid. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. But if this is what you want, I will be here for you. No questions asked and no judgement.”

  I hug her. “And you’ll be my maid of honor? Fake wedding or not?”

  “Absolutely. You better believe I’m going to catch that bouquet.”

  14

  Sylph

  As soon as I get back to Heath’s apartment, I unbox the beautiful dress Mandi bought me. I can’t stop looking at it. I want to try it on again, but I’m afraid of getting it dirty. I can’t believe we found the dress of my dreams and it was half the price of the one Arora paid for.

  I’m admiring it with the box lid off when there’s a knock at my door. I open it and find Heath leaning against the door-jam with his hands in his pockets. His lovely smile makes my heart flare up every time.

  “Can I come in?” he asks.

  “It’s your apartment. Your rules. You can come and go as you please.” My words come out snarkier than I meant them to. I guess I’m fed up with all of this: the harassment from his siblings, the lies. But mostly I’m sick of having to hide my feelings from him. This has become more than a job for me and I need him to know that.

  He tilts his head watches me a moment before coming in. He shuts the door behind him. He motions to the couch and we sit.

  I’m about to spill everything, all of my feelings, when he says, “I’m sorry what my brother and sister did to you. What I did to you. We shouldn’t have been looking into your past. It was a violation of your privacy and it’s clear whatever happened between you and your ex is still painful for you.”

  A lump forms in my throat. I swallow it down so I can speak. “It’s fine. I’m fine,” I lie.

  He shakes his head. “No, you’re not. What happened between you two?”

  “I was a stupid kid. I thought he would take care of me, but it seemed he was looking for more of a pet than a partner—actually, no. That’s not it. People treat their pets far better than he ever treated me. I just wanted someone who would be there for me. I kept trying to change him, and I was too embarrassed to admit I’d messed up, so I stayed.”

  “What made you finally decide to leave?” he asks.

  I look off to the side, away from him. I can’t face him when I admit the truth of what happened.

  “He came home one day and I didn’t have his clothes washed and ready for a football game he was going to. He punched me in the face and gave me a bloody nose and black eye. I called Mandi after he left for the game and she came over and helped me pack. I left that night and I never went back.”

  Heath’s hands are shaking. It’s obvious he’s trying to hold back his rage. “I’m going to make sure no one ever hurts you again.”

  “You can’t make sure of that. After this job, when we go our separate ways, you can’t protect me.”

  “Marry me,” he says.

  “Isn’t that already the plan?”

  “I mean for real. I’m in love with you and I want you to marry me.”

  My eyes nearly jump out of their sockets and my mouth springs open. “What?”

  “It sounds crazy, I know, and I might actually be losing my mind. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with the woman I paid to marry me. All I wanted was to run my company without my family lurking over my shoulder, but … then you came into my life and shook everything up. I love you, Sylph.”

  Tears stream down my face. When the hell did I start crying? I honestly don’t remember.

  “I love you too,” I admit, my voice thick from crying. “I’ve been holding it in because I didn’t think you felt the same, but I fell for you the moment I kissed you in the park and it’s been a downward spiral ever since.”

  He kisses me so softly out lips barely touch. “Marry me,” he whispers.

  “Okay.” I’m nodding and laughing and crying all at once.

  He kisses me again, but this time he does it with urgency. It’s as if I’ll slip out of his hands if he doesn’t kiss me hard enough. The desperation between us grows and this kiss feels different than all the others that came before. Our confessions have changed everything.

  He breaks our kiss, leaving me breathless and lightheaded. Then he gets down on his knees and pulls something out of his pocket. When he opens his hand, it’s a velvet box.

  My entire body starts to shake and suddenly things feel a whole lot realer than they did just a few seconds ago. He opens the box and inside is the biggest princess cut diamond I’ve ever seen. Jesus Christ, will my finger even be strong enough to hold that thing up?

  My hand is shaking so badly it blurs when he slips the platinum band on my finger. “I hope this is okay. My mom helped me pick it out.”

  His mother has expensive taste, but there’s something sweet about him asking for her help in picking it out. It makes me feel so much better about his family. She wouldn’t have helped him if she objected to this marriage, would she?

  “It’s perfect.” I put my hand to my chest and hug it tightly.

  I slide off the couch and get on my knees so we’re face to face. “We’re going to fuck now and I don’t want to hear any bullshit about you waiting until our wedding day. Okay?”

  He laughs. The sound fills every empty part of me until I feel whole again. “Not a chance.”

  “Good.”

  I kiss him hard. His mouth devours mine. He wastes no time getting my clothes off of me, practically ripping my panties off my body. He bends me over the couch and I know this isn’t going to be gentle love-making. This is weeks of built-up lust and tension that’s been begging for release. This is going to be like two caged animals going at it. The anticipation of it is so excited I’m shaking.

  He gets behind me and grabs my ponytail, pulling my head back so he can kiss me. I moan into his mouth as he slides deep inside my pussy. I close my eyes as the sensation of being filled overwhelms me. Heath fills me like no silicone dildo can. I’m stretched and loving every second of it. He starts to pound into me. Our skin slaps together and the friction of our fucking makes a loud, wet squelching sound.

  He lets go of my hair and grabs my ass cheeks, pulling them apart. He groans, obviously liking what he sees. He has the perfect view of him entering me. I’m jealous that he gets to watch, but too lost in my own pleasure to be too upset about it.

  He pulls out of me, leaving me with a lost, empty feeling. He sits on the couch and grabs my hips, pulling me toward him.
I climb up on the couch and sit on his dick, impaling myself hard and quick. At this angle I can feel him in the furthest depths of my pussy. He’s so deep it almost hurts, but with the pain comes immense pleasure that’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

  “Your pussy feels so good,” he says as I bounce on his cock. He stokes my clit and it feels so good I let out a loud moan. He strokes faster. If he keeps that up, I won’t last much longer.

  I start to ride him faster, harder. I’m so close. But before I can come, he pulls me off of him lays me on the couch. This time he lays on top of me and I like it like this because I can look into his perfect face and see those beautiful eyes. I love the way his mouth parts when he slides into me. He kisses me, and bite’s my bottom lip softly, then licks it. He nibbles on my nipple next and a fiery sensation shoots straight from my nipple down to my clit and I gasp.

  “That perfect pussy belongs to me now,” he says, thrusting harder.

  “I’m all yours,” I tell him, barely able to get the words out.

  I feel my muscles clinch, and it’s here. I can’t hold back my orgasm any longer. He plunges into me hard and deep one more time and I scream and writhe beneath him. He fucks me like a piston, grunting and growling until he too loses his battle of self-control.

  He pulls out and his cum drips from my opening onto the couch.

  He leans over and brushes the hair off my face. “I can’t believe I get to have you all to myself. I’m the luckiest man alive,” he says.

  I lay there, basking in the afterglow of having sex with the most beautiful man I’ve ever met. He’s going to be my husband. That thought no longer scares me. Not with Heath. He’s changed everything. I never thought I would ever wear a wedding ring again, or pledge myself to anyone and now I can’t wait to walk down that aisle and be Mrs. Heath Starre.