Page 32 of Darkness Tempt Me
I cock my head to the side, curious. “What do you mean?”
She shakes her head. “You know what he prefers to eat, how he takes his coffee, and the type of music he likes. Hell, once you casually dropped that he likes to sleep on the left side of the bed. I should have known then that you two were sleeping together.”
I laugh. “That’s just basic stuff. Any good assistant could figure those things out. Especially with how many overnight business trips we have to take.”
“Right. The ‘overnight business trips,’” she teases, using air quotes.
“Hey, shut it. I kept things very appropriate on those trips.” Images of me flirting with Mavik come to mind, but I silently wave them away.She doesn’t need to know about that.
“You don’t get it, Pey. Until you came along, no one ever accompanied him on any overnight trips.”
“What?”
She nods. “And the way he’s rushed to your side these past several weeks, how he knows exactly how to ground you after a panic attack, the way he looks at you, or knows what kind of food to order for your lunch. The man is obsessed.”
My heart is racing. I think about the way he’s touched me recently. A caress. A brush of our bodies. His hand at the small of my back. The fact that he knew I liked to carve things. But how the hell did he know that? I never told him about my hobby of wood carving.
Sophia walks into the room, scanning the area until her eyes land on me. She glides toward me confidently, takes in my sparkling tux, and whistles. “You look beautiful, Peyton.” She pulls me into a hug, and I hug her back tightly. I almost thank her for coming, but stop myself.
God, how pathetic would it be to thank her for showing up for me when she’s really here for her son? I glance around the room and notice a few people from the previous party still lingering. I scan the guests, hoping to see my brother, but he isn’t here. I let out a sigh. He messaged me briefly a few days ago, long enough to say he was safe, but that was it. I can’t even guarantee it was actually him.
Before I can worry even more, the other party is ushered toward the exit. When they reach the door, several of the women pull back, making room for Mavik as he strides into the room with Hunter at his side. He’s in a slim-fitting black tuxedo that shows off the nice curve of his muscular arms and his broad shoulders. He carries himself with an intimidating confidence of self-importance. I don’t know what shocks me more. That he looks hot as fuck, or that he’s here for me.
This might be a marriage of convenience, but hell, a boy can dream. When he spots me, his whole face lights up. Iris nudges me. “See? I told you.”
Mavik walks to my side, his gaze so possessive, I could almost believe that this wedding is real.
“Hey, you,” he says. “You ready to get married?”
Despite the pretty decorations and the fancy gazebo, our time was limited. As soon as the wedding ceremony was done, Mavik and I were ushered over to a podium where we signed our marriage certificate. The rest of it was pretty clinical since we had to wait in line before submitting it right then and there.
“I can’t believe you did this for us,” I whisper to Mavik before sipping my second glass of wine tonight. We’re sitting in a fancy family-style Italian restaurant, sharing appetizers and entrées with Sophia, Iris, and Hunter. The five of us were the only ones present for our wedding, and I have to admit, I kind of liked how intimate it was. My only wish is for my brother to be here celebrating with me. That and maybe a kiss from my husband. I can’t believe they skipped that part of the ceremony.
“Of course. You’re the one doing me this huge favor, Pey. I wanted to make it special.”
“You already made it special for me.” I smile, my cheeks flushing with heat. Whether it’s from alcohol or happiness—or both—I can’t quite be sure.
“How so?” he asks, leaning his arm against mine.
“You let me pick this date,” I reply, hugging his arm. “You have no idea what that means to me. I know you were in a bit of a time crunch, yet you waited so we could have this special day on the thirteenth.”
“Isn’t the thirteenth considered bad luck?”
I shake my head. “Not for me. It’s the day I left my abusive ex. It’s the day I escaped and ran with my brother. It’s a happy day, and the day I made a promise to myself that someday I would do something else meaningful on the thirteenth.”
Mavik frees his arm and places it around me, wrapping me in his comforting embrace. He pulls me in close, and I cuddle up. “I have a confession to make, considering we’re going to be living together. I still have nightmares sometimes. It isn’t pretty when it happens.”
He doesn’t seem surprised. “I promise you, Peyton. Your ex willneverhurt you again. I’ll keep you safe.”
I don’t bother arguing with him. This is the second time he’s said it, and I don’t want to ruin the moment. I want to believe him when he says Jimmy won’t hurt me, at least for tonight.
“So,” he says. “Let’s make this day extra special and go out tonight. What do you think will make this night even better?”
Damn. I really married a good one. My smile is so wide, it hurts my cheeks. “Let’s go dancing.”
Chapter twenty-one
Mavik
