21. Your Contract Says Otherwise
CHAPTER 21
YOUR CONTRACT SAYS OTHERWISE
Paloma
I eat dinner in silence and realize that I now have more questions than before. Because even though Archer and I have finally consummated our union, I still don’t know if he wants to have a real marriage with me. Not to mention, that he still won’t let me touch him. Why is that? He says he doesn’t trust himself around me. But what does he mean by that? Is he afraid to lose control? I press my lips to suppress a smile. I absolutely loved it when he lost control earlier tonight.
Archer is everything I didn’t know I could have in a partner. He’s tender when I need him to be, controlling and demanding when I feel lost.
“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, we’ll be here all night.” He dabs the corners of his mouth with his napkin then leaves it on the table. “Are you finished?” He dips his head toward my almost empty plate.
“Yes.” I glance up at him when he rises to his feet and comes over to me. “What is it?”
“I’m taking you upstairs.” Before I can agree to his plan, he bends down and scoops me up like I weigh nothing.
If sitting in a wet dress weren’t so uncomfortable, I would demand he set me down. “You know people are going to think you’re taking me upstairs to have your way with me.”
That earns me a chuckle. “Maybe later, Little Dove. I have work that can’t wait.”
I look away from him to hide my disappointment. I’m in his arms, and yet, he feels like he’s a million miles away. What is this secret that makes him push me away like that? His desire for me fills the space around us and makes the air sizzle with raw energy every time we’re near. And yet, he chooses to put up his shields instead.
“What kind of work demands your attention this late?” I ask, my words laced with bitterness.
“The kind I’ve had to put off to stay home and make sure you don’t escape.” He shoulders his suite door open, bypassing the big bed to take me to the en-suite bathroom.
“That’s because you don’t trust me. I’ve told you. I’m not going anywhere.” I turn to face him when he gently lets my feet touch the floor. “Archer?”
“No more questions for tonight.” He taps on the screen outside the shower to run the jets and the water. Jasmine scented steam fills the room as he cradles my neck. “And no more requests, Little Dove.” He cocks an eyebrow.
Translation? I’m required to shower then go to bed. No more sex, and definitely no touching him. Pulling the glass door open, he gestures for me to walk in. When I don’t move, he ambles around to stand behind me. His thumb presses on my spine as he pulls down the zipper and slides the dress off my shoulders.
He releases a breath as if he’s at the end of his rope. Then when it feels like he’s leaving again, he grips my neck and moves me so his mouth is in line to capture mine. Our tongues collide in a desperate kiss as if days, not hours, have gone by since the last time we kissed.
“Go on,” he orders.
I’m too dazed and confused to argue. I step under the spray, keeping my head away from the water so I can undo my hair first. I let it fall down my back while the warm water soothes my sore pussy. When I glance over my shoulder, Archer is still there, fully dressed and watching me with hunger in his eyes.
Shifting my weight so he sees me reach between my legs, I begin to pleasure myself. If he won’t let me touch him, I want him to see what I can do with my hands. I palm my sex, while kneading my breast.
“Paloma,” he says through gritted teeth, bracing one hand on the tile and gripping the glass door with the other. “What are you doing?”
“Hmm.” I moan, reaching farther down until I feel my entrance at the tip of my fingers. “I’d much rather be stroking you.”
His searing gaze studies every inch of my body. “Against the wall, Little Dove. I want to see you touch your pussy.” He exhales slowly. The tips of my hair are damp and stick to my skin. His jaw clenches. “Brush your hair away from your nipples.” He orders. “I want to see those gorgeous tits of yours.”
I press my back to the tile behind me and peer up at him through my eyelashes as I follow his orders. My body is on fire the way he watches me with so much fervor and reverence, as if my body is some sort of holy temple.
He licks his lips, then nods, silently ordering me to slide my fingers inside me. I do as he asks. “Hmm.” My head rolls to the side as my legs threaten to give out from under me. “Archer?”
I need him to hold me. I need him closer to catch me if I fall. But he doesn’t move a muscle, he simply continues to watch, like I’m on a window display. “You’re so close already. Aren’t you, Little Dove? Such a greedy pussy.”
I nod.
“Then finish it.”
I rub my bud impatiently with one hand, then reach in with the other and plunge my fingers as I far as I can reach. Squeezing my eyes shut, I wait for my desire to unfurl at my core until it can no longer be contained. I get there so fast, it takes me by surprise.
“Ahh.” I continue to touch myself everywhere it feels good until my climax is spent.
I’m still panting, trying to catch my breath when I glance up at Archer. He’s gone. And I don’t even know if he stayed long enough to see me come.
“Archer, I love you.” My words are muffled by the tears stuck in my throat.
I slide down the wall until my butt reaches the floor and decide I’m going to stay for a while. The warm water feels good on my skin. Plus, in here, I don’t have to face the fact that Archer turned me down yet again. Why is he so stubborn? He thinks I’m going to hate him for taking my virginity. But so far, all I feel is an intense need to be near him, to know more about him.
When my fingertips start to prune, I end my pity party of one and finish my shower, shampooing my hair and removing all my makeup while I’m still in here. I put on underwear and climb into a cold bed.
Hours later, I’m curled up, trying to get warm, when Archer enters the room. Immediately, the temperature in the room goes up. There’s no firelight because when he’s here we have no need for it. He moves soundlessly in the dark; it’s impossible to even see his figure. But my whole being knows he’s near. His presence is an incessant drumming in my chest. It taps at my heart and makes me feel alive.
The mattress dips, and I hold my breath, pretending to be fast asleep. Slowly, the heat radiating from him cloaks the whole bed, and my muscles are able to relax into what feels like a waking dream. I have my back to Archer, but I can sense him lying on his pillow glaring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he shifts to his side. But he doesn’t stay like that for long before he switches back to staring heavenward.
“Fuck,” he says under his breath.
He rolls over and scoops me into his arms, holding me tight. His naked body feels like heaven next to mine. “Go to sleep, Little Dove,” he orders.
“Hmm.” A sleepy moan escapes my lips as I curl next to him, throwing my leg over his thighs and sliding my hand up his abs and chest. He’s all hard muscle and smooth skin.
It isn’t normal that he’s fighting this when it feels so good to be together.
* * *
The next morning, the landline ringing wakes me up. I sit up, looking for Archer, but he’s gone. Rubbing my eyes, I grab the speaker. “Hello?”
“Good morning, Mrs. Archer.” Mary Jane’s voice is all cheery and full of energy.
I get the sense that she’s happy Archer and I are finally sleeping in the same room. We are far from being fine or being a married couple. But now that I have decided to stay, I have all the time in the world to one, figure out what Archer is hiding, what requires him to keep his guard up all the time. And two, convince him that loving me doesn’t have to hurt. I can see he’s hurting. I just don’t know why.
“Good morning,” I greet her.
“Mr. Archer already left for the office,” she announces.
“Of course he did,” I say with so much disappointment in my chest. But what did I expect? That now that we’ve had sex, we would be doing it like bunnies. Okay, fine. Yeah. That’s exactly how I thought it would go.
“He asked me to make sure you were up in time for your appointment. I’ll bring your breakfast in a few minutes so you can eat before you get ready.” She says in a single breath.
“I’m sorry, what?” I squint at her even though she can’t see me. “What appointment?”
“A gynecologist will be seeing you today.” She says each word with measured caution.
Of all the high-handed things Archer has ever done. This easily tops them all. He called me a doctor? And made an appointment on my behalf? I place a hand over my forehead, trying to ignore the deep embarrassment I feel over this.
“I could’ve gone to her office,” I say.
Mary Jane clears her throat. “Mr. Archer feels you need your rest to recover from the fall.”
I feel perfectly fine. But I decide not to argue or even dwell on the fact that Archer is back to treating me like a prisoner. It’s like we took one step forward and three steps back.
“Okay, so how does this work? Will this doctor just come to my bedroom?” That feels way too intimate.
“Yes, she will meet you in your old bedroom.” Mary Jane’s happy tone is gone. Good, at least she realizes this situation is highly irregular. If not, a straight-up, total disregard and invasion of my privacy. “If you’re still feeling tired, I’m sure Mr. Archer will understand if you need to re-schedule.”
I open my mouth to say I want to cancel indefinitely but then remember Archer and I had sex last night without birth control. Oh crap. “No, it’s fine. I’ll meet with her. Thank you.”
As soon as I hang up, I jump to my feet and head for the bathroom to wash up. I’ve seen a gynecologist before. Dr. Sloan sees most of the dancers at my ballet company. Many times before, she’s offered me birth control. She assumed that after I turned eighteen, I would start being sexually active. But she didn’t know about Dad’s strict rules around dating or going out with boys. Mainly that I wasn’t allowed to do any of that.
Not until I met Hunter. Dad hit it off with him right away. It was his idea for us to go out on our first date. Unfortunately, Hunter shared Dad’s same outdated opinions when it came to women and sex. He wanted to wait until we were married. Thing was, I never wanted to marry him.
But now here I am, married and possibly pregnant.
I cradle my stomach, smiling. A baby with Archer. Yet another thing I never considered until him.
A knock on the door pulls me out of my reverie. “Come in,” I say.
Mary Jane comes in with my tray and sets it on a round table facing the terrace. A huge improvement from the small writing desk in the other room. I eat the breakfast of toast and avocado with black coffee. Then, go downstairs to wait for my appointment in my bathrobe. Oddly enough, even though the terry robe covers way more than the gown at Dr. Sloan’s office, I feel strangely exposed.
“Hello.” The doctor knocks on the door and opens it at the same time. “I’m Dr. Fern.”
“Hi. I’m Paloma. Nice to meet you.” I rush to meet her at the threshold. “I’m sorry you had to make the trip out here.”
“No worries at all.” She smiles politely. “Your husband explained. It was quite a fall you took.”
“Right. Yeah.” I stuff my hand in my hair, unsure on what to say next.
“You married recently? Congratulations.” She gestures to the bed.
I guess we’re doing this here. I lie down and wait for her to give me further instructions. “Yeah, it was one of those elope weddings. Archer wanted to get married as soon as possible.”
She laughs. “Yeah, I got the sense he’s not the patient type. I didn’t have an opening for another three months. But all of the sudden, my entire afternoon cleared up this morning. So here I am.”
Jeez, did Archer bully all the other women into canceling their appointments. No, he wouldn’t do that. He probably paid them all off. That’s more his speed. There’s not much Archer can’t solve with his wealth and influence.
“I’m sorry.” I offer her a shy smile.
“Don’t be.” She winks. “He’s making it well worth my while. He’s also hard to say no to.”
“He came to see you in person?” I ask.
“He did.” She blushes a little, and I can’t help but feel jealous.
It’s irrational. Archer should be able to talk to whomever he wants. But I can’t help but notice how beautiful Dr. Fern is. She’s tall with long legs and big boobs, and well, she’s also a freaking doctor. Does Archer like particularly smart women? I hate myself for how long I let that question linger in my mind.
“I’m assuming you want birth control?” she asks.
“Yes. Thank you. And also, maybe a plan B?” I say tentatively.
Archer didn’t exactly say he wanted me to get on the pill. Well, technically, he didn’t say anything at all. He just ordered his housekeeper to wake me up in time for my appointment. I slept in his arms again. And still, I don’t know if he wants me as his wife or his little pet. What’s worst is that he didn’t say if we would ever have a repeat of last night.
“Of course, whatever you need. I came prepared.” She smiles.
It’s all over quickly, and somehow not awkward at all once she got started with the exam. By the time she leaves, I have a three-month supply of birth control pills and the emergency contraception. I stay in the room a little longer, but it feels so empty and lonely without Archer filling every corner with his energy. He’s not in his suite either, but at least when I’m in his bed, I have his scent to keep me company.
I return to Archer’s suite to get dressed. The whole time I’m half expecting him to walk through the door, but he never does. He’s determined to stay away from me.
I amble to the floor-to-ceiling glass doors and peek at the snow-covered grounds. It’s so beautiful. From up here, I can see the pond in the distance. I rub my arms as a cold shiver travels up my back. If Archer hadn’t gotten to me when he did, I wouldn’t be here right now. I open the door and walk up to the terrace wall. That’s when I hear him. Archer’s laugh is intoxicating. I’m smiling along with him for a whole minute before I realize he’s not alone.
A gorgeous, tall blonde hangs from his arm as they stroll up the garden path back toward the house as if they’d been out there together for a long time. What is it with him and blondes? Jealousy-induced adrenaline lurches through me. I am not an irrational person. But what I feel is exactly that because Archer isn’t mine. He’s always been very clear on that point. Sure, last night I managed to get him to drop his shield for a bit. But that doesn’t mean anything until he says the words aloud: Paloma, I’m yours.
But looking at this woman and how easy he acts around her, I can’t help but wonder if she’s the reason he can’t have a real marriage with me.
“I didn’t want to marry her.” His words to Gardenia echo in my head.
I fist my hands. Is he in love with her?
“Archer,” she shrieks, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him on the lips.
I glare at them, heat rising to my cheeks. What the fuck? Stomping back inside, I slam the glass door shut, and then, head downstairs. Sure, I’ll admit, I never asked for fidelity on his part. And thinking back on the contract I signed, I’m the only one who’s required to be his, to live in his house and sleep in his bed. My body belongs to him, for him to do whatever he chooses with me. On the other hand, the contract doesn’t require him to be exclusive to me or give me anything in return…apart from marrying me, that is. And he was very clear on that bit—our marriage isn’t real.
But just because I understand the terms of our arrangement, it doesn’t mean I’m willing to stand back and watch him make out with another woman right under my nose.
I’m breathing fire by the time I reach the bottom of the steps. I enter the living room just as Mary Jane is leaving Archer’s study. I make my way to her just as the garden door opens and in strolls Archer and the demigoddess, still smiling at each other. Her cheeks and nose are pink from the cold, or maybe she’s just blushing because Archer made some sexy remark that’s got her all hot and bothered.
“Paloma,” Archer greets me.
I ignore him. “Mary Jane, could you ask William to pull the car around? I’m heading out.”
The chill that blankets the entire floor makes me shiver. When I look back at Archer, his face is blank and even his lady friend is a step away from him.
“William is busy running an errand for me.” He clenches his jaw. “Where are you going? If it’s important—” He puts emphasis on the word important . “I can take you.”
“No, thank you.” I plaster on a fake smile. I don’t even know why I bother with it. I don’t care if either one of them knows how angry I am. “I can see you’re busy too.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The woman places a hand over her chest. “I’m Edith. Archer and I go way back.” She strides across the room to shake my hand.
“I’m Paloma.”
“Archer’s wife. I know.” She lets out a sexy laugh. “I’m still stunned. I never thought I’d see the day. You two make a beautiful couple.”
“It’s nice to meet one of Archer’s good friends. But please, continue with your conversation. I was just leaving.” I face Mary Jane. “I hate driving in the city. Maybe someone can give me a ride to the train station. I can take it from there.” I turn toward the door and run straight into Archer’s chest.
“Edith, could you wait for me in the study?” Archer grips my upper arm.
“Sure, no problem.” A very confused Edith strides toward the other room.
As usual, poor Mary Jane knows when to make a quick exit without being told.
“I’ll ask again. Where are you going?” His gaze bores into mine.
“I’m going to see Dad.” I jerk my arm to free it, but he holds on tighter. Why is he angry at me? I’m not the one parading all over the grounds with some gorgeous old friend, who looks like she wants to be more than friends. “If you can visit with ex-girlfriends, why can’t I go see Dad?”
“Because your father is…because he lives an hour away,” he says through gritted teeth
He ignores my whole comment about the ex-girlfriend. Why? Because it’s the truth? Edith looked way too comfortable hanging from his arm. And that hug and kiss she gave him? That’s something I don’t even get to do with him. The only time I’m allowed to touch him is when we’re sleeping in bed.
“You can’t keep me here. I’m not your prisoner.” I glare at him.
“Your contract says otherwise.” He lets go of my arm to wrap his arms around my waist. His whole body is wound up so tight, he’s barely breathing. “Last night you said you were not leaving me.” His hot breath brushes my face.
“Last night, you weren’t in the gardens making out with an ex-girlfriend.” My eyes well with tears.
“You saw that.” He releases a breath, and his embrace softens. “I can explain.”
“I don’t care.” I wedge my arm between us and push at him. “The all-powerful Archer can do whatever he wants, right?” Great, now I sound like my ex.
A smug smile pulls at his lips. “How do you not understand what you are to me?”
“Explain it to me then,” I beg.
“You’re mine. It’s my job to protect you. I need you here, Paloma.” He presses his lips to mine.
I simply melt.