Chapter 48
48
E zra
I’m going to kill Martin, I repeat, in my head this time. What was he thinking buying her a dress so revealing? A little more and I’d see her nipples for fuck’s sake. And that lace? I don’t remember approving a gown like that. He went off script, that traitor. And Maeve being a devious fox doesn’t help either. Why did she need to announce her lack of underwear? I subtly adjust my rising cock while she’s swaying her hips in front of me. The vixen is doing it on purpose.
My hands are itching to touch her. Itching to run them over her shoulders. That sheer fabric makes me hungry. I know how the skin hiding beneath it tastes. I can see it but can’t touch. It’s torture.
Fuck, I want to bury my face between those tits and keep it there. So no one else can see them.
When we enter the elevator, the doors close, trapping me alone with the sweet smell of coconuts and something uniquely hers. She’ll be forever associated with coconuts and tropics and a promise of home. This is how my nose recognizes her.
We walk outside in silence where George is waiting for us with an open door. When he sees Maeve, his eyes fill with a new level of warmth I’ve never seen toward me. He gives her a short nod when she passes him and gets inside the car while I get a stern look. What in the ever-loving hell is going on?
We drive to the gala in total silence. The car stops in front of a red carpet. Thank fuck it’s a short walk because I’m in no mood for a camera being shoved in my face. I might shove it back.
While George walks around to open the door, I turn to her for the first time since we sat here.
“We need to show a united front.”
She slightly turns her head toward me. “Yeah?” Her tone suggests she thinks otherwise.
“Maeve,” I say. “We need to sell this marriage.”
“A little too late for that, don’t you think?”
I take a deep breath, trying not to raise my voice. It won’t help the situation.
“Maeve.” Another warning.
“Yes, Ezra?” she says, turning to me with a raised brow.
“We need to sell it.”
“Then why are you not trying?”
I stare at her face, waiting for her to elaborate. And so she does.
“You’ve been acting off this evening. And I don’t know why.”
“Don’t you?” My voice drops while her brows draw together in confusion.
“I do not,” she replies slowly. Her eyes dart toward me. And this is the moment when I feel a sharp ping of doubt. No one can look that innocent while lying.
Or she’s a very good actress. I remind myself how we met and how much she hated me. No way she suddenly developed these new feelings for me other than hatred.
But you have, haven’t you? Maybe she did the same? my subconscious asks quietly, but I shove it down, refusing to acknowledge that it might be right. That I’ve developed the need for my wife.
Was money and power all she wanted? Was the past month a lie?
But this is what you offered in return, didn’t you?
I shove my inner voice even deeper, hoping to never hear it again.
The door opens on my side, and I step out, waiting for Maeve to accept my hand. She accepts it without a fuss and plasters a wide smile on her beautiful, traitorous face.
Flashes are everywhere. Everyone wants to see the new Mrs. King. They have questions and speculations about the urgency of the marriage, hoping to dig an old skeleton from a closet. They’ll find one eventually—those vultures always do. And this is precisely why we need to appear as a happy couple.
I’ll deal with her and Jeff later. I started all of this to keep my company. Dreaming about getting something else out of this deal is ridiculous.
“Mr. King, show us your Ms. Wrong!” someone cries out from the crowd of lights.
This draws my attention, and I turn toward the voice. Placing a firm hand on her lower back, I announce loud and clear, “She’s Mrs. King now. Please, address her accordingly.”
They think I’m joking, judging by a few chuckles here and there. But I’m not. I’m dead serious. I hate them calling her anything but my name. And she knows it. A light tremor runs through her body, telling me she likes it too. I tighten my grip, moving my hand to her side and pressing her into me. She smiles at the cameras, looking happy and relaxed. In reality, she’s barely breathing. Further proof that she can be a good actress when needed.
A few moments later, we walk inside. The talking stops as soon as we enter. Everyone is curious. And not only about me being married. They also want to know who the new bride is, and why she hasn’t been seen in society yet. I wondered that too at first since I’ve heard the Wrong’s name before. But they have been living all their lives in Rhode Island, and they have a society of their own I prefer to stay away from. I knew he was from old money and that he had a family, but I wasn’t interested in him enough to learn more. Until he was introduced to my company as an investor. And even then, I never heard of him having two kids. Never. Such a prick. At least my father was shoving his two sons into everyone’s faces.
After a quick glance around, I see the first vultures heading our way. And I press Maeve deeper into my side.
“Look who it is,” my father says with a loud laugh. “My other son decided to grant us with his presence.”
Meaning Noah is already here. Good. We need an ally.
“Hello, Father.” Keeping my voice neutral might help me get through the evening without succumbing to a fight.
“Well, well, well.” He completely ignores me, focusing his beady eyes on Maeve. “Isn’t that one of the little Wrongs hiding under your short wing? I sure never imagined that Wrong would drop so low as to sell his own daughter.”
The desire to roll my eyes at his childish insults at me is strong, but when he talks about Maeve, the anger burns. The best course of action is to keep my mouth shut, or he’ll think he’s getting to me. I’m about to open my mouth with a random question to divert his attention from Maeve when she leans her head on my arm while her open palm lands on my chest.
“There’s nothing short about Ezra, Mr. King.” Then her voice turns even more sugary. “Nothing.”
Someone lets out a loud snort and tries to mask it with a cough.
My father’s sharp eyes shift their attention from me to her, and she’s in the line of fire now. He’d better keep his mouth shut—I might ignore his insults toward me, but I will fire back if his tongue touches her.
“And where did he find you?”
“In the ashes,” she quickly responds, blinking rapidly. “Where I was rising like a phoenix.” And she’s not even lying.
A corner of my father’s lips slowly goes up. “I see.” His eyes slowly move up and down, and by the end of his assessment, his face is filled with an evil smile. “I see,” he repeats with glee.
Maeve’s father’s words about no one taking me seriously because of my wife’s looks resurface to life. The momentary doubts I feel are embarrassing, but they are there. What if he’s right? What if my father’s right? They’ve been in this world longer than I have.
But then my gaze drops to the pink head of my new wife, and another feeling floods my chest. It’s time to bring new rules to this world—it could use some abnormality. Maeve might be just the person this society needs.
“I thought I was blinded for a second when my new sister entered the room.” Noah’s smooth voice comes from behind my back. “You look gorgeous, my dear,” he says when he appears to our right.
“Thank you, Noah.” Maeve pulls away to give Noah a quick hug. I wait for a ping of jealousy in my chest, and it’s there, just as I expected. But not as strong. I’ve seen how my brother talks to women. And that’s not it. With her, it’s different. It’s… with love as one would talk to a family member.
A stab to my chest would have hurt less. Everyone is so charmed by her, including me. She’s fooling everyone.
“Hey, Boss. Missus,” Martin’s cheerful voice lands to our left. The whole army is here. “Damn, woman. You look fabulous.” Martin runs his hand over Maeve’s lacy sleeve, and I want to growl at him. A quick reminder that it’s just Martin, and I shouldn’t behave like a Neanderthal is enough to keep my mouth shut.
“I don’t remember that dress,” he says, stepping backward and running his eyes over her clothing.
Maeve giggles. “I’ve changed it a little bit.”
“Oh, I see.” Martin’s eyes light up. “ I see .”
I have no damn idea what that tone implied, but Maeve clearly did, because she does a quick twirl, showing Martin her dress. He puts his hands together in front of his chest while looking at her like she’s his child he’s incredibly proud of. I do not know what’s happening, neither does Noah who’s looking between them with clear confusion.
She charmed the pants off my assistant as well. The person who’s always been on my side, and I’ve never doubted his judgment. Et tu, Brute?
The next two hours are a nonstop line of people wanting to come and be introduced to the new Mrs. King. And even though all of them are polite, not all of them take her seriously.
I could ask her to take that ring out of her brow. Or dye her hair a different color. But I haven’t seen any other person whom those details would have suited better. They are just a part of her. They’ve been her since the first moment I met her with a scowl and that brow quirked high into the sky with a silent challenge.
The more I look at her, the more I admire her. She’s holding herself well against the sharpest people of this financial world. All of them ruthless. Their wives and husbands are even worse—they have an inner circle within the society, and it’s obvious they won’t accept Maeve as part of it.
Tough luck, I’ll help her create one of her own. Even though she’s lying to me, I always keep my promise. And I gave it to her. We don’t have to be lovers or even friends. We can coexist.
But if she’s allowed to have someone on the side, I can do the same.
No matter how much the idea of sleeping with someone other than her hurts.