Chapter 16
16
Greer
I take my time getting dressed. Aimée types on her phone the entire time and doesn’t offer to help me, which is fine. I keep my make-up light but add my red lip. There are a few hairpins set out on the dresser and I pick one that will match the dress I chose. It’s white gold with blue gems and has a twirling design, reminding me of the fairy wings I used to wear as a child. I clip it behind my ear. There. I’m ready.
Aimée looks at me when I turn to face her.
“Greer, you look beautiful.”
Her words seem sincere, but it’s hard to tell with her.
“Thank you.” I pause. “I don’t know why you didn’t feel like you could be honest with me.”
“About?”
“About a lot of things. Like why you wanted me to come here today.”
Her slender shoulder lifts in a shrug. “You know how it is. When the Brotherhood asks something of us, we have no choice.”
“We do have a choice, Aimée. We’re not the ones in the Brotherhood. They are.”
“You’re new to this, Greer. I know you’ve grown up around the Brotherhood and think you know how things work, but you have no idea.” She snorts. “I was thirteen when I learned of my arranged marriage. I was kept under lock and key to ensure that I was pure for Charles. We married the day I turned eighteen and from that moment on, my entire purpose has been to serve Charles and the Defiant God Brotherhood.”
“Don’t you see that’s not fair?”
“Life’s not fair! At least your husband might actually like you.”
For a moment, the mask that Aimée wears slips even further. I see the real reason she’s so mean. It’s because she’s unhappy and unloved. I think back and can’t remember a single moment where Charles has shown her true affection. Not when she had their two daughters. Not when she hosts flawless events for him. Nothing.
“I feel sorry for you, Aimée, but you have a voice which means you have the power to change things around you.”
Aimée is silent for a moment. Finally, she says, “Like I said, you’re new to this. Now, come. We don’t want you to be late for your wedding.”
She walks out of the room, expecting me to follow. Turning back to the mirror, I meet my gaze. This is really happening. I’m really about to go downstairs and marry Grant Carter. For better or for worse. Oddly, I’m not nervous.
“Greer?”
I turn to Aimée. “I’m coming.”
We make our way downstairs to the door that leads to the courtyard. The area has been transformed for a wedding, though Grant, Charles, Aimée, and a man I don’t know are the only ones there. Guess they don’t think I deserve a large, over-the-top wedding like Aimée and Charles had. That’s fine. Because at the end of this I get to leave with Grant, and that’s all I care about. He smiles at me, as if sensing my thoughts.
When I reach him, he says, “You look stunning, Greer.”
“Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
He changed from his normal suit to a tux. My god. The man looks good in a suit. A tux is a whole new level of sexiness.
I gesture to the courtyard. “Did you know this is where Grandfather married Grandmother?”
“I had no idea.”
“I think it’s a good sign for us.”
“I think so, too.”
The pastor clears his throat. Grant and I turn to face him.
The pastor says, “We come together today, in the sight of the divine, to witness the marriage of Greer Arwen Blanc and Grant Aragorn Carter.”
Aragorn? My gaze snaps to Grant’s, and his lips twitch in response.
He says under his breath, “Another thing we have in common, Little Fae.”
The pastor continues, “We look on with love and hope as these two begin their life together as one.” He turns to me. “Do you take Grant to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you commit to him until death do you part?”
Until death. Just like the Brotherhood.
My heart pounds. “I do.”
He turns to Grant. “Do you take Greer to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you commit to her until death do you part?”
“I do.”
“Having proclaimed your commitment to one another in the eyes of the Lord, and with the power vested in me by the great state of Texas, I now pronounce you man and wife. Mr. Carter, you may kiss your bride.”
Grant pulls me close, dipping his head. The kiss is soft and sweet.
He says, “Our wedding bands will be waiting for us in Mexico. I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten.”
I smile up at him. “Of course you didn’t forget.”
Charles clears his throat. “Well, the two of you have done this family proud. Grant, a word?”
Grant faces Charles. “It’ll have to wait. My wife and I have a flight to catch.”
His fingers loop through mine and he pulls me away. We don’t stop until we’re seated in the waiting SUV in front of the house.
I laugh, shaking my head. “Grant, I need to go back. My phone is upstairs.”
He points to the bag at my feet. “I had the housekeeper gather it while we were getting married.”
“I’m surprised she listened.”
“Money talks, and a kind word doesn’t hurt. Something Charles would never think of.”
I lean back, looking over at my husband.
“Aragorn, huh?” A giggle slips past my lips.
His lips lift in a half-smile. “I knew you’d get a kick out of that.”
“Wait. Is that why you call me Little Fae? Because of my middle name?”
“That and the wings you had on when we first met.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“It’s hard to forget a little girl who had the same haunted look in her eyes that I knew all too well.”
I touch his arm. “You never told me what happened to your parents.”
“My mother was a lot like yours. She married my dad, thinking she’d get ahead. What she didn’t count on was never being number one in his life.” He tilts his head toward me. “The Brotherhood was always Dad’s number one.”
“Did she…was she…”
He nods. “She liked to take out her anger on me. Did you know that the night we met that I could see bruises on your arm?”
I shake my head.
“I asked your father about it later that night. He said you were always getting hurt, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze as he said the words. I regret not punching him right then and there.” He says, “Back to my mother. The abuse got worse and worse until my father couldn’t ignore it. His solution was to send me off to boarding school. I resented him so much at first, but soon learned that I was better off. The next time I saw her was at her funeral. She overdosed. Dad followed suit a few years later when an affair he was having became public knowledge.”
“I’m so sorry, Grant.”
His shoulder lifts. “Don’t be. I’ve made peace with it.”
“I wish I could say the same about Dad and Grandfather. I still hold a lot of resentment toward them.”
“It’s understandable to feel that way, especially since your mother didn’t warn you like she was supposed to.”
“Do members of the Brotherhood really think Rule 3 is a good rule to have?”
“Most of us join the Brotherhood when we’re fresh out of secondary school. At that time, we’re young and think we’re invincible. The concept of joining something for life doesn’t hold the same impact as it does to a man in his 40s.” He snorts. “If someone asked me to join the Brotherhood right now, I’d say no. But that’s because I have twenty years of knowledge that I didn’t have back then. That’s why Rule 3 is a good rule to have.”
“I guess it makes sense, though one might say it’d be easier to just let people leave if they get tired.”
“Ah, but that puts the Brotherhood and all its secrets at risk. Believe me when I say there are a lot of secrets that could bring down several governments around the world.”
I sigh. “You’re probably right.”
“But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for change. The deaths of Elite Members have shown me one thing.”
“Well, you can’t just leave me hanging…”
He says, “It’s shown me that the path the Brotherhood has been on isn’t working, and it’s up to the new Elite Members to change that.”
“Charles will never go for it.”
“You’re right. He won’t. Luckily for me, I just need a majority vote within the Elite Members.”
“Smart.” I pause. “What changes do you have in mind?”
“Things similar to what I had put in our prenuptial agreement. I don’t think it’s right that our sons are expected to join the Brotherhood just because they were born. I sure as fuck don’t think our daughters should be used as pawns.”
“I agree with both of those. What else?”
He smiles. “The list is long. Are you certain you want to hear it?”
“I do.”
“Good. Because I’m sure you have your own thoughts on the Brotherhood. I want to hear them, too.”
A warmth spreads through me. Is this the kind of relationship we’re going to have? One where he shares his thoughts and I’m free to share mine? It’s almost too good to be true, but as he speaks, I find myself holding onto hope. Hope that we might actually be able to change the things that are broken within the Brotherhood. By the time we get to the airport, I see Grant in a whole new light.
“You ready to go to Mexico, Little Fae?”
I smile. “I sure am. Husband.”
His eyes are dark as he leans over, kissing me.
“That’s something I can get used to hearing.”
Hand-in-hand, we walk into the airport. I’m surprised when we follow the signs for the private planes. When I look questioningly at Grant, he simply winks.
A man in a blue uniform greets us.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carter, it’s a pleasure to serve you on your flight to Los Cabos.”
I glance up at Grant. “Los Cabos? I thought we were going to Cancun.”
“Shh. Don’t ask questions that I can’t answer. It’ll ruin the surprise.”
“Surprise? Well, then.” I make the motion of zipping my lips.
The man says, “Right this way.”
We follow him down a hallway, to a stairwell that leads outside. We cross the tarmac, going to a private plane that has Grant’s logo on the side. He motions for me to climb the stairs first, but he’s right behind me, keeping his hand on the small of my back.
A flight attendant smiles at me as I enter the jet, handing me a flute of champagne. I take it and go to the seat that she’s pointing at. There are eight black leather seats that face each other, four on each side. Grant slides into the seat next to me, taking my hand into his.
“I didn’t know you had a jet.”
“I try not to take it too much. It makes me unrelatable to the voters.”
I snort. “Yeah, that’s what makes you unrelatable to them. It can’t possibly be your income or the fact that you’ve had things handed to you when others can only dream of getting that kind of help.”
“HYPE would be so proud of you because that was a moving speech.”
“Oddly, I don’t think HYPE really ever listened to what I had to say.”
His thumb rubs the top of my hand. “So what are you going to do about it?”
I glance at him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re in a unique position. People are going to take notice of our relationship and doors will begin to open for you. If I become President, that means you will be the First Lady. People will expect you to have a cause to support.”
“I’ve learned that supporting a cause doesn’t mean anything is going to change.”
“We’re going to make things happen, baby. Want to know how I know?”
“How?”
“Because we can do anything together.”
I’m smiling like a fool as the jet rushes down the runway, lifting into the sky. The funny thing is that I believe Grant. I truly think we can do anything together.
We’ve been at cruising altitude for a while when Grant leans over, unbuckling my seat belt.
“I want to show you something.”
He takes me by the hand, leading me to a door at the rear of the jet. He opens it, stepping aside. I enter the bedroom, a smile on my face.
“Is this why you didn’t want to fly commercial?”
He closes the door before facing me. “You caught me.”
I move toward him, letting him pull me into his arms.
“Why, Mr. Carter. You truly have a thing for the mile-high club, don’t you?”
“Only with you.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“You’re the only one I’ve done it with, Greer. The only woman I’ve wanted to do it with.”
“Oh, you’re definitely getting laid.”
“That was my plan, Mrs. Carter.”
Heat rushes to my core and I say, “I just want you to know that I, too, find it sexy being called your wife.”
His lips brush against mine before he spins me around.
“Let’s get this dress off you.”
Slowly, he unzips the dress, kissing my shoulder when it’s exposed. The dress has a built-in bra, so he’s able to reach around, cupping my breast before tugging the dress down. Slowly, he pulls it until it’s pooled around my feet. I step out of the dress, turning to Grant.
“Fuck. Look how beautiful my wife is.”
“I was thinking the same thing about my husband.”
We share a smile as I reach for his jacket, helping him shrug out of it. His tie and shirt are next, leaving him in only his pants and shoes.
“This is a very sexy look, Mr. President.”
“Fucking hell. I love it when you call me that.”
“I know.”
He makes quick work of removing the rest of his clothes while I take off my panties.
“Get on the bed, wife, because I need to be inside of you.”
“Won’t the flight crew hear?”
He smirks. “They get paid not to hear.”
“Well, then.” I climb onto the bed, leaning back. “Come and get inside of your wife.”
He lets out a growl that has heat spreading across my body. Slowly and wolfishly, he moves over me.
“Did I ever tell you what I said to Kieran Van der Zee after that night at Unfortunate Souls ?”
“No. What did you say?”
“That he had mislabeled you because you were, without a doubt, a brat who needed someone to tame her.”
I laugh before I can stop myself. “A brat? Me? No, I’m a good girl.”
“Yes, you. But you’ve also got a bratty side.” He leans forward, nipping my shoulder. “Good thing I enjoy taming a brat into a good girl.”
“If I’m a brat, then it’s only because you bring it out in me.”
“That’s fair.” He smirks down at me. “Are you going to be a good girl tonight, or do I need to punish you before you get your pleasure?”
My entire body feels warm.
“I’ll let you decide.”
“Roll over and get on your hands and knees.” I hesitate for a moment, and he says, “Trust me, Little Fae.”
He moves back, giving me enough room to do as he said. I do trust him, which is why I get on my hands and knees.
“Fucking beautiful,” he praises. “Do you remember the color I told you to say at Unfortunate Souls if things became too much for you?”
“Red.” I glance over my shoulder at him. “You sure think about that night a lot, don’t you?”
“Guilty. I’m going to give you a bit of pain before the pleasure. If it becomes too much, simply say Red.”
“I understand.”
He slaps my bottom, making me jerk.
“I believe you forgot an important word, Little Fae.”
“I understand, sir .”
He rubs his hand over the same spot, taking away the sting. I’m starting to get a good idea of where this is going.
“You’ve been naughty, wife. Taunting and teasing me every time we’ve seen each other since that night all those years ago.”
Another swat. This one is on my other butt cheek.
“How so?”
He makes a sound with his tongue. “Again, you forgot an important word. One you should always use when addressing me in the bedroom.”
He spanks me again, coming closer to my pussy. I rock on my hands. Holy crap, that hurt! But it also felt…good. Like, what would it feel like if he spanked me right on my pussy? The thought has me moaning.
“Does my little brat enjoy being spanked?”
“Maybe, sir.”
“Maybe?”
“It hurts…but it felt good a moment ago.”
“When I spanked you here?” He swats in the same spot, making me moan again.
“Yes, sir.”
He hums under his breath. “I wonder…”
The next swat is right over my pussy.
“Holy fuck,” I pant. “Yes!”
Another swat has tears filling my eyes.
“Yes what?”
“Yes, sir! That feels so good, sir.”
“Look at my little brat. She’s practically coming by this alone. Tell me, baby, do you want another spanking, or shall I fill you with my cock?”
“Either, sir.”
My answer comes out like a plea.
He swats me again and then moves over me, grasping my hips. I fall forward onto my forearms when he thrusts into me. God, this feels so, so, so good and I make incoherent sounds as he pounds into me.
“Are you close, Greer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You may come.”
His words send me over, as fiery hot pleasure courses through my body. My orgasm goes on and on until I can’t breathe. I’m vaguely aware of him coming a moment later. It really is quite nice that he always makes sure I finish first.
Exhausted, I collapse on the bed, closing my eyes.
“Holy shit,” I murmur. “That was intense.”
Grant gently pulls out of me before lying next to me. “I fucking agree.”
I roll over to face him. “Guess you were right about me being a brat.”
“You’re my brat, though,” he says with a smile.
I yawn before I can stop myself.
“I should shower, but I really just want a nap.”
“Then let’s nap. We still have a few hours before we land in Mexico.”
My eyes are already closing as I drift off to sleep.