Page 25 of Velvet Chains
“Borrowed, huh?” I drawl, stalking closer.
She tilts her chin up defiantly, but I catch the hitch in her breath, the darkening of her eyes as I invade her space.
“That’s right. Consider it my fee for playing nurse.”
My gaze drops to her lips, remembering how they felt wrapped around my cock just hours ago. “I can think of some other ways you can earn your keep, wife.”
Her breath catches, but she plants a hand on my chest, halting my advance. “Down, boy. You’re bleeding.” Her touch gentles, fingertips tracing the edge of my bandage. “Let me take care of you first, okay?”
The soft plea in her voice undoes me. I can’t remember the last time someone wanted to take care of me, no ulterior motives. Swallowing hard, I let her guide me to sit on the edge of the bed.
Perched between my knees, she unwraps my soiled dressings with careful fingers. I’m entranced by the furrow of concentration between her brows, the way she bites her lip as she works. Such a strange feeling to be the sole focus of her attention like this.
“All done,” she declares as she finishes, smoothing the last piece of tape in place. Her eyes meet mine, and the tenderness I find there steals my breath. Slowly, as if she’s giving me time to pull away, she leans in and brushes a featherlight kiss over the bandage.
I shudder at the contact, at the unfamiliar swell of emotions rising in my chest. But as quickly as they come, I force them back down, locking them away. I can’t afford to feel, not in this world, not with her.
Abruptly, I stand, putting distance between us. Laura blinks up at me, confusion and hurt flickering across her face at the sudden shift.
“Don’t get it twisted, kiska,” I say, my voice cold and cutting. “This marriage, it’s just a business arrangement. A means to an end. Don’t start thinking it’s anything more.”
She flinches as if I’ve slapped her but quickly composes herself. “I know that,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. “Believe me, I’m counting down the days until I’m free of you.”
The words are meant to wound, and they do. But I welcome the pain, let it fuel the anger simmering in my veins.
Anger is good, anger I understand.
These softer emotions will only get us both killed.
“Good,” I bite out, stalking toward the closet to find a shirt. “Then we’re on the same page. No feelings, no attachments. Just sex and a signature on a dotted line.”
I hear her suck in a sharp breath behind me, but I don’t turn around. Can’t bear to see the look on her face.
“Fine by me,” she says after a loaded pause, her voice tight and controlled. “I’ll be a good little wife in public, but don’t expect me to warm your bed every night. I’m not your whore.”
Fuck, she’s cute when she’s pissed like that.
The way her eyes flash with indignation, the defiant tilt of her chin… it makes me want to grab her, shake her, kiss her until she’s breathless and pliant in my arms.
No. Stop it. Don’t let her get to you. She’s just a means to an end, nothing more.
I can’t afford to be distracted by a pretty face and a sharp tongue.
I clench my jaw hard enough to crack teeth. “Trust me, I have no shortage of willing women to satisfy my needs.”
I see the hurt flash in her eyes, the way her lower lip trembles for just a moment before she presses her mouth into a thin line. She turns away from me, her shoulders stiff with tension.
It’s a low blow, and I hate myself even as the words leave my mouth. But better she hates me, better she keeps her distance. It’s safer that way… for both of us.
Chapter 11
Laura
WOW, WHO is this woman?
I stand in front of the floor-length mirror, scarcely recognizing the woman staring back at me. The ivory silk gown hugs my curves like a second skin, the intricate lace detailing glimmering under the soft lights of the hotel suite. It’s the kind of dress I’ve only ever dreamed of wearing, the kind of luxury I never imagined I’d experience in my lifetime.
I twist and turn, watching the way the gown catches the light, the way it transforms me into someone new again, someone ethereal and untouchable. For a moment, I let myself get lost in the fantasy, in the dream of being someone special, someone worthy of all this luxury.
