Chapter 19
SIMEON
Kissing Alice for the first time is surprisingly emotional. Kissing any woman is surprising. It’s not something I do very often, but knowing she is my wife has detonated my soul in a way I wasn’t expecting.
She almost swerved the kiss, but I had an overwhelming desire to discover what she tasted like. It crept up on me like a thief in the night, and now I’m here, I can’t pull away.
I want more—then again, I always do, but the thought she is now my wife has unleashed a more powerful beast inside me I never realized was sleeping. His claws are out and wrapping her in protection, and this kiss is my promise to always keep her safe.
I’m telling myself it’s because I’ve won. I completed the first part of my deal, and this is my victory dance. However, I’m only lying to myself because I’ve been wanting to kiss this woman for quite some time.
When she stood up to me with defiance and quiet bravery, even though she was so deeply in trouble and on unfamiliar territory. I love her spark, her passion and her innocence, and it’s more attractive to me than her billions.
So, I deepen the kiss, not in any hurry to finish it, and as I kiss her with passion, my thoughts are already turning to the second part of the deal. Our wedding night.
The journey to the bank is spent in silence.
Alice is a bundle of nerves, and I do little to reassure her.
If anything, it’s more awkward between us because she is wearing my ring—literally.
It prompts me to knock on the partition between us and the driver and request him to stop at the nearest jewelers.
Alice says nothing, and I respect that. She has a lot on her mind, and I’m not a man who enjoys explaining his movements.
When we pull up outside, my guards secure the area and I take Alice’s hand.
“Come, you are liable to lose my ring and I want it back. We’ll purchase one of your own.”
She offers me the ring with an awkward shrug.
“That’s fine by me, but don’t break the bank. The cheapest one will do.”
I ignore her words and stride into the shop, expecting her to follow me – always to follow me.
“Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?”
The assistant almost trips over his words as he stares greedily at the Rolex on my wrist.
“A wedding ring, two of them.”
He nods and scurries off to fetch the trays, and I point to a seat at a nearby desk.
“Sit.”
“I’m not your dog.”
Alice glares at me, and I shrug.
“Then stand; it’s of no consequence to me.”
I take a seat and lean back, studying her through hooded eyes, loving the battle she is waging with herself before tossing her eyes. “Fine.”
She slumps into the seat beside me and glares at me, and I grin.
“Welcome to married life, angel.”
If anything, it tugs a smile out of her, and then the assistant returns with an effusive, “I’ve brought our finest selection, only the best for the woman who has captured your heart.”
I ignore his outburst, wondering if he really believes this is a proper sales patter. If anything, it put me off, but I have one job to do and point to a thick gold band.
“I’ll take that one.”
He nods with approval.
“A fine choice, sir. Please allow me to measure your ring finger.”
The fact that almost every finger I possess has a ring on it causes me to shake my head, and as he measures my ring finger as he calls it, Alice studies the other rings.
“May I ask you for your cheapest one, please?”
The assistant glances between us, and I snap, “Just choose the goddamn ring. Leave the cost for me to worry about.”
She huffs, “Fine. I’ll take that one.”
She chooses a simple gold band, smaller than the others, and I shake my head. “She’ll have your most expensive one, and that’s an end to it.”
As she opens her mouth to object, I stand, pulling her up with me, and before she can utter a single word, I clamp my lips on hers, silencing her in a far more satisfying way.
Once again, the world blurs as I kiss the woman I just married. It’s as if I have a new addiction that I can’t get enough of.
I’m loving how well she responds to me. She melts into me rather than pulls away, and as she kisses me back, it lights something alien in my heart.
It’s almost as if she likes it.
I deepen the kiss, wondering if it would be bad manners to shift her ass onto the desk and step between her legs, running my hand up her sweater and touching her bare skin. Lighting a spark of lust that will only lead to one destination.
A discreet cough tells me it wouldn’t be an option, and I pull away and turn to the assistant with a dark glare.
“What?”
“Will it be cash or charge, sir?”
He is holding two small gift bags in his hand, and a growl of frustration is his answer as I reach into my pocket and pull out my credit card.
“Charge it.”
I thrust the card at him and then, without maintaining eye contact, I grasp Alice by the hair and return to kissing the life out of her, not into her.
Her soft moan against my lips is all the fuel I need and as the assistant moves to the cashier area, I indulge my desire and wrap my hands around her waist, shifting her ass onto the desk, ignoring her squeal of surprise as I press my body between her legs.
As I grip her hair in my fist, I devour her lips, and my mind explodes as I decide that this will not wait.
My heart is racing and my blood is running thick, passion replacing cool reserve as I contemplate what is happening here.
I have a wife. An innocent virginal wife who I wrestled from God’s hands.
Who I’ve killed for already, started a war for, and who I captured despite the fact she attempted to escape me.
It’s as if I’m a caveman and I want my reward.
To seal my stamp on this woman and chain her to me for eternity.
I have fought for her and now I seek payment for that, and so with a deep growl I pull away, gripping her wrist, pulling her along with me as I nod to my guard.
“Collect my card and the rings. I’ll wait in the car.”
Without a backward glance, I pull Alice along with me, and as I push her unceremoniously into the car, I flick the lock behind us and whisper huskily, “You’re mine now.”