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“Then the marriage contract is broken and terminated.” He says abruptly.
“So, I must learn to love you to keep you. Is that what you’re saying?” I blink away the tears and he nods, a sad smile on his face.
“Yes, Purity. You may not love me now, but it’s my duty to make you fall in love with me. It’s up to you whether I’m successful or not.”
For some reason, I feel a little foolish that I even questioned him. Of course he’s right. Our love will grow. It will be like in the movie. At the beginning, it was a contract. A business deal that suited them both. Then, as they learned more about one another, it grew into something magical. Love.
I never knew I wanted it until I saw it happening right before my eyes and it’s with a lighter heart that I blink away the tears and smile.
“Then I will learn to love you, Killian, because I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
He stares at me for a split second with unguarded emotion on his face, then, without another word, he closes his eyes and pulls me close against his chest. His heart beats against my cheek as he whispers, “Come. We have a wedding to attend.”
As we walk back to take our place before the priest, this time I have no doubts. I am doing the right thing and I will fall in love with my husband. Just like the movie.
I know it.
CHAPTER34
KILLIAN
When Purity walked toward me, she was a vision. An angel walking into hell willingly and I couldn’t tear my eyes from her. So beautiful, so elegant and so pure, as her name suggests. The perfect woman to be my wife and I was happy for once in my life.
Then she ruined everything with her hesitation and when she told me why, I was incensed. Damn Serena for meddling in my business because I know my sister and that movie was well timed. She has always been a hopeless romantic and obviously decided to teach Purity her own lesson and I will deal with her later because she nearly ruined everything.
Now, as the priest declares us husband and wife, it’s as if the sun comes out from behind the clouds and everything is good again.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
The delighted smile on her face is enthralling, but knowing her heart is empty of love strangely upsets me.
‘I don’t love you, Killian.’
Why did those words hurt me so much?
I should be happy about that, but I’m not. I felt rejected, and I didn’t like it. The fact I don’t love her doesn’t come into it. Sheshouldlove me already. I’ve given her no reason not to.
I step forward and, taking her face in both hands, I stare into her eyes and drown in perfection. There is nothing I don’t like about this woman. I crave her, am addicted to her and as far as I’m concerned, this wedding is getting in the way of what I would prefer to be doing—with her.
She smiles into my eyes with a happiness that tells me she has settled her mind and as I crush my lips to hers, it’s as if I’ve come home. Like I needed the air she provides me to breathe and for a second back there I was afraid she was backing out of our deal. Not that she could. She doesn’t realize that yet. We would marry whether she liked it or not. It’s more convenient if she is willing.
As I taste my wife’s lips, it sends a surge of power through my soul, knowing that I have got what I want and now she will be chained by my side for eternity.
I won. She’s mine and I got what I wanted. So why is there still a prickling unease that she is still out of reach?
* * *
We gothrough the motions of celebrating our marriage. I can’t tear my eyes away from the diamond sparkling above the solid gold wedding band. My own ring is unnatural on my finger, but I have a sense of pride when I look at it. We are man and wife. A married couple and I no longer have any use for the women who indulged my perversions. I will train Purity to be my everything and if it takes me my entire life, I will make her fall in love with me.
The thought of her leaving me caused a strange pain in my chest. I willnottolerate it. She is my perfect woman. She has to stay.
I can’t believe she even thinks she has that option. Not now. Not ever. Over my dead body.
Nonna has transformed the island into a magical vista for our eyes. Fairy lights dance in the breeze in time to the music provided by the local band brought over from the mainland. We have encouraged our staff to join in to swell the numbers and there is much laughter as we enjoy a less formal wedding than the celebration I have planned in Chicago.
I pull Purity into my arms to dance under the moonlit sky and as her arms fold around me, she lays her cheek on my chest. “I am so happy to be your wife, Killian.”
My chest hurts as if the life is being squeezed from it as I hold my gentle angel in my arms, as if she may break at any moment. There is something so incredibly powerful about this woman, and I have yet to understand what it is. I crave her. She’s an addiction that only increases the longer I spend with her. I can’t tear my eyes away from her when she’s in the room and the thought of her anywhere but in my arms is too hard to bear.
