“She won’t say anything terrible,” he said as he opened the back door that led into a short hallway between the kitchen and small dining room. He gestured me forward, and I went in ahead of him. “She’ll have a hefty payout to give me if she does.”
I grunted because I expected nothing less. I stopped Alton before he got much farther into the house and tugged on his hand.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. His stare was soul deep and drilling even farther inside me, but it was also hot and underwear-melting.
“I don’t like lying,” I whispered. “Dad has lied to Mom their entire marriage. I won’t do that, even if this is a sham of a relationship.”
He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm. “Okay.”
“I went into your office to photocopy a drawing I did of Tucker, and I snooped.” I swallowed around my nerves and straightened. “I found the Courtesan cards. I know what they are because my dad used—uses—their services.” Licking my dry lips, I stared at his stoic face, searching for some kind of expression.Nothing.“I trust you not to use them while we’re married, but I thought you should know I’ve seen them.”
Silence filled the air between us, making it thick and unbreathable, and I thought I was going to pass out.
“Did you know you’re one of the shiest people I’ve ever met?” Alton said, his gaze darkening. “Every other young man on Vert Island is a spoiled brat who gets his panties sticky at the thought of money. Not you. You’re different. You don’t believe you deserve respect from anyone. Is that because of your father?”
I’d never thought about it. “I don’t know.”
“Hm.” He tugged me close, his hard body solid against mine. “Thank you for being honest.”
“I want to know who I married,” I said. “Who are you, Alton Bouchard?”
He stroked his thumb across my chin and gripped it hard.
I gasped.
“I’m yours for six months. I promised you I wouldn’t sleep with anyone else and I won’t, and neither will you because you’re mine. If anyone lays one finger on you I’ll destroy their life.”
“Are you mad at me?” I closed my eyes when his thumb traced across my bottom lip, dipping into my mouth. In my head it was his cock and I was doing everything in my power to make him forgive me. I sucked his thumb between my lips, licking and nibbling at it, and looked at him again.
“You will be punished,” he whispered, smirking. “Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, or maybe in Texas a month from now. You won’t know when it’s coming, but I’ll be keeping track of all the punishments you’ve earned.”
“Oh.” My eyes widened and my cock hardened at the thought of what he would do to me. I wanted it now, but I also loved the suspense ofwhen.
“For now you’re going to go to the bedroom, get naked, get on the bed, put your ass up in the air, and wait for me.” He kissed across my jaw, and I moaned, tilting my head back as he made his way to my neck. He sucked on a sensitive spot on my skin. “I’m going to fuck you into the bed before dinner. Understood?”
I whimpered. “Yes, husband.”
“Good little mouse.”
15
ALTON
December 20th
My jaw hurtand I massaged the tension out of it as I stared at the unopened boxes of lingerie stacked neatly in my walk-in closet. The gold foil lids glittered on top of the cream boxes, every bit as luxurious as the silk, lace, and gems hidden inside. The skimpy underwear hadn’t been on Noah’s delicious body yet. I turned and stared at the dark bedroom windows, the lamplight beside the bed reflecting in bright points on the glass. It was past two in the morning and shadows gathered in the corners of the room, taunting me with the out-of-reach possibility of sleep.
With a sigh, I shifted around to face the bed and tiredly leaned against the wall. Noah was spread out on the crimson comforter in a purple silk robe, asleep with pencils lined neatly in rows beside him. His sketch pad had slipped to his side. I’d told him I would be home at eleven, but that had been an unintentional lie.
And he’d tried to wait up for me like a good husband.
My heart gave a flutter at how beautiful he was lying there and I rubbed my face. There were miles to go with all the paperwork I needed to finish up before we could leave tomorrow—Well, shit. Later this morning—for my parents’ house in Texas. I both loved and hated taking a vacation. There just always seemed to be one more thing, and then another and another, all of which absolutely needed my eyes on it before I left. I’d also have to do a few things while I was gone, no matter how many people I’d assigned my typical work.
My cock hardened the longer I stared at Noah. His thighs were parted just a smidge and a nice solid lump sat under the robe—a nighttime hard-on. His brow furrowed and his feet shifted.Oh, what are you dreaming about, little mouse?As his hips rocked the tiniest bit, I licked my lips.
I’d gotten everything I wanted, including my revenge on Edison Divine for trying to take me for a sucker, but it had backfired in spectacular ways I hadn’t expected. I’d had to spend about ninety hours a week for the past month unfucking the damned business because now IlikedNoah and couldn’t leave him with nothing.
No, my pride demanded I send him off into the rest of his life with something better than had been there in the first goddamned place. The Divine Conglomerate would be a business working so well it could pay me back what I’d invested plus some and still be in good financial standing when I passed the reins back to... who? Not Noah. He didn’t want anything to do with it. I knocked my head back against the wall and could feel myself getting irritable with lack of sleep, but there was no way to stop it.
