CHAPTER ELEVEN
Desmond
Lorelei had defended the attendant, and I wish she hadn’t done that.
After I finished my meeting, I called Timothy, wanting to surprise Lorelei, who is still shopping.
Just as I walked in, I overheard an attendant talking about how I deserved way better than Lorelei.
Hearing her call Lorelei's name made me angry, which is why I was determined to fire her.
Watching Lorelei demand an apology, then speaking with the attendant, reminds me of the kind of person she is and why I am in love with her.
As we ride to my place, Lorelei sits right beside me, looking out the window, admiring the city.
I wish to ask her if she has ever been to Velhaven, but I remain silent, thinking about how to broach the matter.
“Are we heading to meet your family now?” Lorelei finally breaks the silence.
“Not yet. We’ll meet him later in the evening. You need to get some rest.”
She had dozed a bit on the flight here, but Lorelei needs to rest. I know she is putting up a tough front, and the last thing I need is for her to collapse on me.
Lorelei doesn’t say anything as she simply nods before her face turns away from me. I wonder what might be going on in her mind for the rest of the ride.
“We really need to talk, Lorelei,” I say as she places all the bags on the bed. She had refused to let anyone help her with them.
“Yeah. I also have something to say,” Lorelei says as she finally turns to me. “We can’t do this, Desmond.”
I pause, wondering if we have to do this again. “We’ve talked about this,” I remind her gently.
“I know, but I don’t think I have yet to grasp the full magnitude of what being Mrs. Sinclair means.”
I love hearing her being called Mrs. Sinclair, but my delight vanishes as I realize she isn’t exactly amused at the moment. Lorelei folds her arms and tells me that while she appreciates me rising to her defense, she is reminded of how stark the difference between our worlds is.
“Until this morning, I was just an immigrant trying to find out how to remain in this country and look after my grandmother. Just today, I spent what I would have earned in two years. Timothy mentioned how you’ll not be hurt by my spending, and I can’t fathom that.
” Yes, Timothy had mentioned how this might be a bit overwhelming for Lorelei, but the truth is that I am determined to be there for her as she adapts to what it means to be an elite.
“Is that why you said we can’t do this?” I ask patiently as I take a step.
“No. No, we can’t do this,” Lorelei says as she takes another step back. “You need to think about how we can end this marriage.”
I sigh heavily, realizing that Lorelei still doesn’t want to admit that we are both tied at the hip. I walk to the bed and sit down, taking a moment to gather myself.
“You want us to end this marriage?” I ask her, not looking at her.
“It’s the best for both of us, Desmond. Look at what happened today. Do you think anyone would believe that a man with your worth and everything would get married to me, a nobody?”
“And as I told you before, you just need to trust me. You do trust me, right?”
My eyes desperately search hers for an answer. It has only been three weeks away from her, but somehow it feels like forever. Ever since we’ve been united, all I can think of is how much I want to pull her into my arms. To make her beg me to take her, but I won’t push my luck.
At least not yet.
“I trust you, Desmond, but you lied to me. I don’t know if I should still trust you.”
That statement hurts. I walk towards her, hold her hand, and lead her to the sofa so we can sit.
I’m sorry, but this wasn’t my intention. This whole fiasco is happening because my father wants to tarnish my image. To him, our marriage is a tool he can use to bring about my downfall.”
“You mentioned that, but don’t you think this is way too much for me to handle?” She asks softly.
God, I want to kiss her.
“I know. This world can be cruel, and I can’t assure you that what happened earlier won’t happen again,” I honestly admit to her. “But I am going to be by your side every moment of the day. I brought this upon you, but I’m going to do everything to protect you.”
I watch as she bites her lower lip, which I find seductive. This woman has so much power over me that it drives me crazy. I have always had a thing for women on the curvier side, but this is different. It is almost as if something about Lorelei pulls me in.
“The original reason why I came down to Daston is to get the hang of management. My grandfather wants me to prove my worth to the board, but my father intends to sabotage that. Revealing our marriage is his attempt to make things difficult for me,” I continue, realizing that I am winning her over.
Lorelei sighs, looking away from me. “I understand, but this has nothing to do with me. You should have a girlfriend or someone who can do this, not me. I mean, you don’t love me, so why force this? ”
“Why would you think that I don’t love you?”
“Come on, we are not kids,” Lorelei says, disengaging her hands from mine as she gets onto her feet. I watch as she begins to pace the room. “This isn’t a fairytale, Desmond. You can’t just fall in love with someone you’ve known for four weeks.”
“So you won’t believe me if I say I am in love with you?”
Lorelei scoffs and tells me that we shouldn’t be trying to define what exists between us.
I look at her, realizing that somehow, she still doesn’t want to believe that there is no going back.
We are married, and no one would be able to change that.
I am in love with her, but saying it now won’t be enough to convince her.
I’ll have to show and convince her that I have fallen hard for her.
“What do you think we should do then?” I ask, getting on my feet.
“I don’t know. End things. I get that you’re in a dilemma, but this won’t work,” she says as I move closer towards her.
“Do you think that I would do this just for anyone?” I ask her, my voice a little bit louder than I would have liked.
“Maybe. I don’t know you well enough to assume everything about you.”
Again, that hurts, but I need to make Lorelei realize that what I feel for her is genuine. I pull her close towards me, her body clashing into mine. It feels so good having her body pressed against me, and even though she might deny it, I need to let her know that I am crazy about her.
“Do you think I’d feel this way if I don’t love you?” I ask right before I kiss her.
At first, she doesn’t kiss me back, but soon, she gives in. She kisses me with ferocity, our lips desperately claiming each other as my hands roam her entire body. She moans out her desire as I gently slap her butt. I break off the kiss, and I look into her eyes, which are burning with desire.
“We can’t deny that there is something between us,” I say hoarsely, my voice thick with lust.
“Desmond, we can’t,” she begins, but I cut her off again with a kiss.
I need to make Lorelei realize that she belongs right next to me. Talking with words won’t work with her. No, I might need to take things a step further. I kiss her passionately, my hands roaming her entire body.
“I have missed you, Lorelei. The past few days, I can’t stop thinking about you,” I admit to her.
“I thought about you every day, Desmond. Even when I thought you deceived me, I still craved for your touch,” she mutters as she bites her lower lip again.
“Room. We should take this into the bedroom,” I tell her as I lead her away.
She doesn’t try to resist, and I kiss her again, knowing that I would be able to prove to her that we can make this work.