by Violet Paige
The bacon splattered in the pan, and I added another strip.
“Hi.”
Evie was behind me, standing in the kitchen in a T-shirt that draped from her shoulder. Her hair was messy and gathered on one side.
“What are you doing up?” I asked.
“Do you usually make breakfast at midnight?” She stepped closer in her bare feet.
Damn. She was sassy.
“No.” I rubbed the back of my hair. “I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t eat dinner.”
“I didn’t either,” she admitted.
“Want to join me? Bacon and cheese omelet? I happen to make the best in New York.”
I could tell she was trying not to smile. “You’d make one for me?”
I laughed. “Why wouldn’t I? Are you implying I’d hold a grudge?”
She exhaled, sliding onto a bar stool. “I wouldn’t blame you, I guess. But an omelet would be nice, if you’re offering.”
“I am.”
I cracked more eggs and whipped together another omelet for her. The bacon was almost ready.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Is it the guest room? Are you out of towels? Do you need a noise machine to drown out the street sounds?”
“It’s everything.” Her voice cracked. I expected her to take the bait of my sarcastic quips, but it was the complete opposite.
I turned to face her. “What happened? What’s wrong?” I shoveled the omelets on two plates and placed one in front of her with a fork.
She looked up. “I talked to my parents tonight.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Before I walked home. My mom called.” She reached for her fork. “I knew telling them about the elopement would shock them, but I had convinced myself that somehow they’d be more excited for me than mad.”
“And that wasn’t the case?”
She shook her head. “My father wants to talk to you.”
“Fuck. That doesn’t sound good.” The last time I talked to someone’s dad was when I took Julia Sanders to prom our senior year. He’d wanted the name of the hotel where we were staying, so I didn’t think he qualified as father of the year.
Concerned, caring parents were out of my realm. Parents like Evie had.
“I told them we’d call tomorrow.” Her eyes misted over. “I don’t know if I can ask you to do that now.”
“Why? Because of our fight?”
She bit into the omelet. “This is good.”
“Thanks.” I leaned on the counter, studying her while I ate dinner. “I’ll call your dad tomorrow, Evie.”
“Really?”
“Really.” We finished our omelets in silence. I placed the extra slices of bacon between us. “Tell me what your dad wants to hear. By the time I’m off the phone we’ll have his full blessing.”
She huffed. “He’s not that kind of man. If you try anything but the truth, he’ll know you’re lying.”
“I might surprise you. I’m a solid negotiator. I’ve talked my way through mergers and company buyouts.”
“This isn’t a negotiation. You married his daughter without the essential father-son talk. You’ve disrespected him in his eyes. He is the kind of man to hold a grudge.”
“Shit. I didn’t know we were living in the Godfather world. It’s going to make for an awkward family Christmas.”
She giggled. I couldn’t help but smile. At least she wasn’t pissed anymore.
“I might have rewritten our history a little bit.”
“What did you tell them about me? Does your husband already embarrass you?” I teased. “You had to make up a fake story? You can’t change the past. They know me from Newton Hills.”
“Of course not, but I might have edited some details—like how long we’ve been talking, or dating, or whatever it is that led to us eloping.”
I shrugged. “What? You told them we talked longer than six hours? Did you stretch it to twenty-four? That makes it sound much more believable.”
She burst out laughing. “That sounds insane.”
“Just tell me the spin. I’ll go along with it.”
“I told them we found each other on a website and reconnected after all these years. Things moved faster than either of us expected. That’s why I never mentioned you to them sooner. I tried to make it sound wildly romantic, but I think that part of the story fell flat. They’re angry. They’re hurt.”
“That doesn’t seem too hard to go along with. It could have happened.”
Her eyes lifted to mine. “Thank you.”
“Hey, didn’t Bridgette and Danny get married after they met again on a dating site?”
“You know about that?” She looked surprised.
“I read the alumni notes sometimes.” I grinned. “And don’t forget, I remember everything.”
She laughed. “How could I forget? They should have named you Most Likely to Remember Useless Details,” she mocked.
“Aww, that hurts, Evie.” I chuckled. “Want another omelet?” I asked. “The stove is still hot and I can always make more bacon.”
“No. I think I better go back to bed. I can try to sleep now. It was delicious. A nice surprise to know you can cook.”
She slid off the stool and padded away from the island.
“Wait. Before you go.” I rushed around to the other side of the kitchen and grabbed the box that had been sitting there since I got home.
“I have a surprise for you.” I held it forward. “This is yours.”
I cracked the lid for her to see inside.
Evie gasped. Her hands flew to her mouth.
“I don’t know if that means you like it, or I picked the ugliest ring on Fifth Avenue.” I plucked it from the velvet cushion.
It was three carats of perfection.
“I-I…” Her eyes darted wildly. “I can’t wear that, Jer.”
“Why not?” I reached for her left hand. “I saw it and thought it was perfect for you.”
She stood frozen while I slid the diamond over her knuckle. It fit as if it were meant for her hand alone.
“It’s just so…huge. So real.”
I laughed. “Love it when you say I give you huge things.”
She shoved my chest. “That’s not what I meant.” She stared at her hand. “It’s extravagant. I thought simple bands would be enough. For what this is.”
“What do you mean?”
My chest was on fire for her. My cock throbbed. I wanted to scoop her up and carry her to my bed, but I knew after what she said tonight she had set a new boundary. A boundary I wasn’t going to cross. I’d never had to convince a woman to sleep with me. My wife wasn’t going to be the first.
“Our agreement,” she stated.
“I want you to wear it. You are my wife, Evie. That’s our agreement. And I want you to have a beautiful ring. The best ring. A ring that lets everyone know you are Mrs. Jeremy Hartwell. Don’t you like it?”
“It’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s unexpected.” She paused. “I don’t have a ring for you.”
I ran over to my coat and pulled a second box from the pocket. “I took care of it.”
I handed it to her. She twisted her lips together, but took the solid band of platinum. The metal was cool as she slid it over my finger. We should have had these last night at the Magnolia Inn, but time was tight and there weren’t any jewelers open in the middle of the night.
Standing in the kitchen, exchanging rings felt more intimate than the ceremony.
I wiggled my fingers. It didn’t feel as bad as I always imagined. It wasn’t as if a set of chains and shackles lowered from the ceiling and locked around my neck, wrists, and ankles. It didn’t burn or sear my skin. It was a small ring of precious metal—not the life sentence I pictured.
“It looks good.” Evie smiled. Her fingers moved through mine. Our palms clasped.
“Are you still angry with me?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I was furious. I thought about
clawing your eyes out.”
I chuckled. “Is that something I need to worry about?”
“No.” A sexy smile appeared on her lips. “Not tonight anyway. I feel better. Less raged.”
I tipped her chin upward. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep my hands off her beautiful body. She drove me crazy.
“This ring doesn’t mean you own me.”
“I know that.”
“I don’t think I believe you, Jer. And that’s the problem,” she whispered.
My mouth lowered to hers. “We’re in this together.” Our lips touched and she moaned slightly.
“Jer… ”
I wrapped my hand around her waist, tugging her to me. I was already hard. I pressed into the soft flesh of her stomach. “It’s your first night in New York. You can spend it where you want.” I raked her bottom lip between my teeth, drawing a sweet low purr from her throat.
“I’m going to bed.” I dropped my hold and stepped away from her. Everything felt cold without her body, but I was going to make a fucking point one way or the other.
“Where are you going?” she squeaked.
I stopped and looked at her. “Bed.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Reverse psychology isn’t going to work on me, Jer. I know what you’re doing.”
“What about straight-forward psychology?”
She bit her lip.
“Come to bed with me, Evie. I don’t want you to sleep alone.”
“You’re pretending to be worried about me? Is there something scary under the guest room bed you forgot to mention?”
Damn. She had a smart mouth.
I exhaled. “No. Nothing scary.” My shoulders relaxed. “Isn’t it obvious? I want you. I want you naked. I want you panting. I want you screaming. I want you to have as many orgasms as your sweet body can handle. I want to fuck you with my tongue first. And then when you want it, I’ll bury my cock inside you. Deep, Evie. That’s what I want. No games. No tricks. No reverse psychology. I want you. I want to spend tonight, what’s left of it, with you in my bed. Fucking you until morning. And I hope like hell you want it too.”
I walked toward the bedroom, leaving the door wide open.
Twenty
Evie
I stood in disbelief. Every time I thought I had him figured out, I realized I didn’t. There was an easiness about him swimming beneath a layer of power and control. The carefree boy I vaguely knew in Newton Hills had been suffocated by his last name. I didn’t know it then. I didn’t think any of us did. We didn’t know what it meant to be a Hartwell. Over time his circumstances chipped away at that side. He grew up under the shadow of his father’s influence. There were glimpses of light-heartedness. Glimpses of the boy who loved baseball. The one the girls chased after and doodled his initials in their notebooks.
That was the guy I drank two bottles of wine with. The one who flirted with me and laughed about Mrs. Wratchet’s horrible class. But the man I slept with—that was the possessive one. A man who was used to getting what he wanted in life and in bed. That was the man I married. The one with an elaborate plan to have everything he wanted, including me.
Tonight, I got to choose. What did I want? How did I want our relationship to be? What was he to me?
My body made it obvious. He made my pulse race, and my panties wet. I wanted him. I wanted his promises. I wanted the way he touched me. His kisses. His voice in my ear. To touch his chiseled body under the sheets.
I looked down at the enormous rock on my left hand. I’d never seen a diamond that size on anyone. Frannie would die when she saw it. It was Hollywood size. The kind of ring reserved for the celebrity section of a bride magazine.
And it was glittering on my hand. Snugly pressed under my knuckle as if he had given it to me during an elaborate proposal. This ring deserved something extravagant and over the top.
Jeremy’s bedroom door was open. I took a small step down the hallway. The room I had claimed was on my right, but I blew past it.
I stood in his doorway.
The lights were low, but I could see his silhouette lying across the bed. I shivered, anticipating what was going to happen next.
“Come here,” he growled.
It was as if my body floated across the floor. I was in his arms before I knew what happened. I was pulled to him like a magnet. There was an invisible thread between us that he used to reel me closer.
His fingers dug into my flesh. I found his mouth in the dark, inhaling his kiss as our tongues twined together.
He pulled me on top of him. Shit. He was already naked. I didn’t know if I was mad he had predicted what I would do, or turned on that he wanted me this much. He had an appetite for me that no other man had shown. His cock was always hard and ready for me.
He broke from the kiss. “I promised you something in the kitchen. I never break my word. Never.”
He pushed me upward so I was braced on my palms. He began to slide under me until his face was between my legs. He yanked on my pajama pants, sliding my silk panties with them.
I quivered and panted. “Jer,” I whimpered. My knees were shaky as he blew a hot breath over my folds.
“I love your pussy, Evie. So. Damn. Much.”
He ran a finger through my wet lips, separating them enough for me to feel the cool air around my clit. It hardened the instant he touched it.
His tongue flicked over it, again and again until my knees were wide and I had lowered my body to his mouth. I had abandoned shame. This man wanted me and I wanted his tongue to work its incredible magic on my body.
He growled as I rocked into him, aching for his tongue to fill me. He gripped my ass, until I was grinding his mouth with greedy dips, taking more of his tongue each time.
He sucked and slurped, lapping at my pussy like a man possessed. My breath was erratic. I pushed against the headboard until I was upright, sitting on my knees. I looked down into his eyes, sexy as sin. I’d never done anything like this, but I was unleashed and wild. Jeremy between my legs made me want to do forbidden and dirty things. I tore the T-shirt off my head and let my breasts bounce freely. My hands traveled over my body, loving how I felt. So erotic. So turned-on. So full of orgasmic energy.
I twisted my nipples and cried out when I felt the first ripple of my climax. I did it again, as his mouth devoured me. His eyes never left mine as I came hard and violently in his mouth.
“Oh fuck me,” I whispered. “It feels so good. I can’t…” My head thrashed and I fell into the abyss. I tumbled and spiraled until the orgasm had reached every pore and vein in my body.
Jeremy kissed the inside of my thigh, nipping it lightly with his teeth. He had a wicked grin on his face. The kind that made my stomach flip and my pussy clench for more.
“Did you like that, Mrs. Hartwell?”
I nodded shyly, letting him roll out from under me.
I gasped when he placed my hands on the cold metal headboard.
He was immediately behind me, his hands cupping my ass as he spread me open and his tongue lit fire to my rosebud.
“Oh shit,” I hissed, bucking into the intensity.
His tongue pressed inside the tight ring of muscle and I whimpered, loving it. He twisted and explored while I tried to get my bearings.
One hand curved around my waist, sliding to my clit. I moaned when his fingers pushed inside me. His tongue was in deep and his fingers began to pump in and out.
“Jer, I can’t. Oh fuck me. It’s too much,” I cried while I thrashed under his control. “Don’t stop. Please,” I begged.
His tongue licked from my pussy to my forbidden hole and I sucked in a full breath of air, feeling the void his mouth had left. But within seconds, he plunged back inside my ass and I moaned with absolute pleasure.
I wiggled back, taking more, wanting more.
His thumb stroked my clit while his fingers fucked me. All the while I was going down in a blaze. The sheets were probably on fire. I’d lost all sense of
reality.
When I was on the brink of my next orgasm, I realized how much he was giving me. How much freedom. The kind of sensual freedom I’d never experienced. He handed me the keys to a kingdom of sexual experimentation I’d always been too timid to try. Not any longer. Not as Jeremy Hartwell’s wife.
“More,” I cried, finding my voice. He didn’t think I was needy or desperate. “Jer, I want to come like this,” I breathed.
He growled, licking me with a new fiery rhythm.
“God, I want to be inside your ass.”
I shook my head. I wasn’t ready for that. One thing at a time.
“It’s ok,” he whispered. “We’ll get there. Enjoy this right now.”
He kissed my special hole once more before diving his tongue inside at the same time his fingers thrust as deep as he could make them go in my pussy.
“Fuck,” I moaned, letting the world fade away and the pleasure consume me. There was no way to describe the beautiful sensations bouncing between my core and my ass. All I knew was that my body zinged with it. It snapped with a new kind of electricity. I tried to hold on to it. To possess it, but the waves rippled and cracked until I was a sated heap on Jeremy’s pillow.
He flipped me over, kissing my legs and my stomach. He took a nipple between his teeth.
“Oh, Evie. You’re a fucking siren. Did you know that?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never done anything like that. What you did…”
“Are you ok?” He kissed my collarbone and shoulder. “Did you like it?”
“I liked it too much. I didn’t know it could feel like that back there.”
He pushed my knees wide as he settled into my overheated pussy. I hissed when his cock nudged against my swollen entrance.
“Good.” He grinned. “Because I plan on having that virgin ass one day.”
“It’s yours,” I whispered.
“And so is this.” He sliced inside me and I bowed from the bed, my back arching toward him. His thick cock stretched me fully. I felt delirious with him inside me. I said things I’d never say. I did things I’d never do. And somehow in his bed I felt safe and protected. Safe enough to give myself over to his control.