Chapter 29
What have I done to us? I ask myself, horrified, when I see the chaos on the street in front of Rodrick’s offices. They look like wild animals completely out of control.
Because of my impulsiveness, I’ve thrown both of us into the center of every gossip site. This fake engagement is probably being talked about all over the world.
The one thing Kaled begged me to avoid.
Not to mention how ridiculous I made myself look in there. How could I possibly imagine that a man like him would settle for a virgin with zero experience?
I feel physically sick, and an absolutely murderous jealousy hits me at the thought of a marriage where my husband—Rodrick—would sleep with other women.
I look out the building’s glass facade again. Reporters are everywhere. There’s no way I’ll get out of here without them tearing me apart with questions. Even if security pulls the car right up to the entrance, they won’t be close enough to shield me from the press.
A sharp throb blooms behind my eyes, and I prepare to head back toward the elevator.
I’ll need my fake fiancé’s help to get out of here.
But before I can take even two steps, I hit a solid chest. Without even lifting my head, I know it’s him.
I already know his scent, and when his hands slide around my waist, I let myself stay right there—nestled, protected—even knowing it won’t last.
“Come back to my office with me. We’re leaving by helicopter. I already called for it.”
“All right. I need to call my brother. He must be losing his mind over the mess I made.”
“We’ll deal with that, but first we need to get rid of the press.”
As we walk, he conceals my whole body—one arm around my shoulders, the other guiding my head against his chest, shielding me from the curious employees staring as we pass.
Rodrick is protective even when he doesn’t mean to be, and the fool inside me loves it.
Only the two of us step into the private elevator, and once I’m sure no one is watching anymore, I pull away and lean against the opposite wall.
To my surprise, he pulls a small key from his pocket and inserts it into the panel. Then he faces me, arms crossed over his chest. His posture is aggressive; if it were anyone else, I might be scared, but with Rodrick, it turns me on.
Yes, I’m an idiot. It hasn’t even been five minutes since he told me he wouldn’t be able to be faithful in a marriage.
“I didn’t intend to touch my wife,” he says. “When I told you about an open marriage, it didn’t mean sleeping in the same bed with my wife and also sleeping with dozens of others.”
“Oh.” I thought nothing else today could shock me, but that revelation might’ve just shot to the top of the list. “So if we . . . I mean . . . uh . . . It’s not going to happen, but if we hypothetically got married, you wouldn’t .
. .” Heat floods my skin so fast it’s almost dizzying, but curiosity wins. “You wouldn’t want to . . .”
He moves toward me. One hand on each side of the elevator wall, trapping me in.
I’m anxious and aroused. Breathing suddenly takes effort.
“No. If we get married, I want you naked in my bed every night. I want to teach you how to touch me, how to know my body. You’ll come screaming my name, Jazmina. Night after night, you’ll come on my cock screaming my name.”
I should shove him away for saying something so filthy, but how could I, when every part of my body is begging him to make those promises come true?
I lift my face, looking up at him through my lashes. Tense. Wanting his hands on me.
He traces my mouth with the tip of his finger, his eyes locked on that spot. I open my lips and taste his skin.
Faster than I can think, his hand sinks into my hair, tugging, tilting my head back.
“I may be a duke, but I don’t fuck like a noble,” he growls. “I have a filthy mouth, and I’m going to make you beg for what you want. I don’t want a princess in our bedroom. I want my woman. Shameless, unrestrained.”
“All of this is hypothetical. We don’t have an agreement.”
I don’t even feel his mouth coming down on mine. When I realize it, I’m already clinging to him, kissing him back with hunger and greed. Our tongues clash in a reckless duel, one trying to dominate the other.
This time, I’m not simply letting him kiss me; I kiss him back with my whole soul.
I may know nothing about men, but even in my inexperience, I understand that Rodrick can unravel my body and my mind like no one else ever will. With him, I feel like a woman, like a female animal, lost in passion.
Nothing he said feels wrong or dirty. I want to experience everything. Learn everything. Demand and give. Possess and surrender just as much as I receive.
I tug his hair hard, pulling him closer, but when I realize what I’ve done, I try to pull away, embarrassed that I might’ve been too rough.
He doesn’t let me go. He lifts me easily, aligning our sexes, grinding against me so I can feel how much he wants me.
I moan and suck his tongue. He growls, and the sound makes my whole body throb.
He leans back just enough to look at me, still holding me off the floor. “Is fidelity your only requirement?”
I’m lost, intoxicated by what we’ve just done. Pleasure is buzzing through every inch of my skin, and it takes me a moment to process what he asked.
“Answer me.”
“Yes. Fidelity and my freedom at the end. A divorce without fights or scandals. We both walk away winners when it’s over.”
“And if it doesn’t end?”
“I can’t see that far ahead. I prefer one day at a time.”
He watches me like he’s trying to figure out whether I’m bluffing, but I’m not. The truth is, I don’t want to contaminate whatever this is by setting an expiration date right now.
“Do you have any idea what it means to be mine, Jazmina? Doesn’t it scare you?”
I don’t hesitate. Not for a second. “What just happened, was that a sample? Because if it was, I want more.”