Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
BLAKE
“How many months for my virginity?” Truly's tone is tart and hinted with anger. I’ll take anger. It’s better than not giving a shit.
It’s a tempting offer to take her up on. Would it make me an asshole? Yes, but I’m barely hanging on. Years of only thinking of her while fucking my hand have done that to me.
I suppose I can’t say I don’t know exactly what took over when I bent her over the kitchen island and buried my face between her lush thighs because that had been one of my many fantasies of her. When all you have is time, you’ll think up all kinds of shit.
“Wouldn’t that kill your annulment?"
"We'll be getting a divorce in—" Her nose scrunches. I have her pulled into my side with my back against the headboard. "Eight months?" Right, the months I'd audited off.
It doesn't matter. It can be eight months or twelve; either way, I'm not letting her go. I lied, and honestly, I don't give a fuck. I'm a desperate man, and you know what they say about those.
"We're not getting a divorce. You need to get that out of your head." She’s mine. Always has been and always will be. Nothing and no one will ever change that.
"What?!" Her hand that was on my chest tries to push off, but I tighten my hold on her. "Blake." She growls my name out. I have to say that while this new Truly is trying to get away from me, I'm adoring this feisty side of her.
Truly has always been sweet, but there is nothing wrong with adding a little spice to it when needed. I want my girl to stand up for herself. I'll do what I can so that she doesn't have to, but her sweetness gets taken advantage of.
"I can do a lot of things, Truly," I tell her. "I can save your family's name, I can work a job I loathe, and I can let you finish college, but what I will not allow is to let you go."
Truly stiffens in my hold. "What about my family?"
"It doesn't matter. I fixed it before your father lost everything." She starts to wiggle again.
"Blake, I want to see you while we talk." She tilts her head back, trying to meet my gaze. I relax my hold so she can shift, but it's only pressing her soft tits into my side. Truly is going to make me come again while my dick is still in my pants. “My family.”
“Your father and mine are shit at playing the market. I pulled them from the brink of bankruptcy." I let out a deep breath. “I’d been looking forward to watching their lives being ruined.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
It was my understanding that your father and mine merged their investment company and, in turn, made you CEO.
To make sure that deal or whatever the hell it is, stayed solid, they arranged our marriage.
” That's not all it was. It's way more intricate than that, but that works well enough.
"Did you not want to get married?" I ask her. She glances around from me. "Were you forced or threatened to do so?"
"No."
I close my eyes and let that settle, grateful that her answer wasn’t yes. That would have been the worst of what she could have told me.
"You knew I had a crush on you." I open my eyes to meet hers. "And everyone used it against me." Her mouth turns down at the corners. I hate seeing her unhappy. That was never my intention in any of this.
"Yes, I did know. I thought you wanted this."
"I did!" she hisses, but her eyes fill with tears.
"Please don't cry."
"Oh, that would bother you?" I don't care for where this is going because I have an idea already. "What about the nights I lay in bed all alone across the world? You think I didn't cry then?"
I deserve that. It kills me inside even thinking about her being upset. Imagining her lonely and thinking I didn’t give a shit enough to go and see her is a regret I will have to live with for the rest of my life.
“How fucked up was it that I was lying here, in this bed, lonely for you too?” Her lips part, and a small gasp leaves her. Out of everything that has happened, these remarks appear to have the most effect.
"I don't understand."
"I thought I did until I didn't." I grit my teeth. "Until I start again. I think."
"I still don't understand."
"I was only ever cordial to your father because he was a friend of my father. Then I was nice to him because of you."
"You don't like my father?" Her head cocks to the side, making a few pieces of hair spill from the pile of it she has on top of her head. I can't stop myself from reaching out and wrapping one of the strands around my finger.
“Nor your mother.” Might as well get that out there too.
“She’s hard to love.” A humorless laugh leaves her.
“I had no idea this was how it was between you and them.” How did I miss that?
As we’d both gotten older, I did put more space between her and me.
I stopped going where I knew she’d be. It was better that way.
I started to not trust myself around her.
My control was slipping fast, and I didn’t want to spook her.
I find I’m rather irrational when it comes to my wife.
"We hid it well. Everything to my parents is about perception. Even our marriage." Sadness takes over her beautiful features again.
"Both of our fathers are terrible businessmen. Thankfully, my grandfather and I were a lot alike, and he knew my father would never keep it together. He left most of the estate to me."
"You two were close." Truly places her hand back on mine, trying to comfort me. I had been close to my grandfather. He mentored me and taught me everything I know. I soaked it up, not wanting to end up like my father.
"I paid a stipend to my parents. It would be one thing if they were merely greedy.
I could feed them money, but to them it's about everything, so I started to slowly pull back.
When my father didn't have my money to bleed into his own investment, everything went to shit, and his name was getting dirty. "
"Oh God." Truly puffs out a breath. "They forced you to marry me?" Her expression turns to pure horror.
"Forced? No, Truly. They used you against me.
" Her eyes widen. "Because they knew I wanted you.
" Truly is shaking her head no slowly. I keep going.
"From what I've been piecing together over the last few days, they told me you wanted me to stay away so you could go to college and have some independence before you married.
That if you wanted to speak to me, you'd be in touch.
" Truly's jaw drops, and I lift it back with my finger.
"I never…" She trails off. "I didn't care where I went to college, honestly.” Truly's shoulders drop. "Why would they tell you that?"
"The only reason I can think of is to exert control. They knew if we were close that I’d eventually find out you weren’t too fond of your own parents and could easily cut it all off.
I have only helped your father to save face for your family.
For you and your future, not because I give a shit about what happens to your parents.
” Truly pushes her palms into her cheeks.
"So they kept me away from you, and I found out nothing. "
"This is a lot," she whispers, letting her hands drop from her face. "You've wanted me this entire time. That's what the remark was before about having wanted to marry me before you should have."
"I did. Fuck, you'd just graduated, and I was salivating at the idea of you finally coming home to me. That we could start our lives together.”
Truly tries to fight a smile.
"Don't fight it, wife; you'll soon see how tied up in knots you can have me."
"I don't know about that." She licks her lips. "Now what?"
"We can do anything you like." Her brows rise. "Don't say divorce."
This time she doesn't fight the smile, making me think—fucking hope—that wasn't what she was about to say.