Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
I shift to the end of the seat and press myself against the door, but it’s not far enough from him. As the vehicle moves away from the church, Valentino removes his jacket and loosens a few buttons of his dress shirt. As more of his chest is exposed, I turn my head away so fast I almost twist my neck.
We do not speak until we reach the airport. Everyone is looking at me in my bridal dress. If he thought he could embarrass me in this way, he was wrong. I hold my head up high and sweep across the floor. In half an hour, I’m seated in his private jet. Apparently, we’re on our way to Paris for our honeymoon, another notch in the number of scams we have run today.
Honeymoons are for real couples, not people like Valentino and I.
The air hostess’s eyes show surprise to see my attire. I smile blandly at her as if it is the most normal thing to board a plane in a big bridal dress. Once we are airborne, he opens his laptop and immediately becomes immersed in it. Infuriated by his attitude, I rip my silk gloves off and toss them on the little table in front of me.
“I’m going to the toilet,” I announce.
He doesn’t look up.
Bastard!
I stomp huffily towards the toilet and stare at my reflection in the mirror. I’m in such a rage I feel like breaking something, but I take deep calming breaths and by the time I get back to my seat I have made the decision to act as cool as he is acting.
I spend the rest of the flight unable to relax in my pearl-encrusted bodice, but pretending to be totally engrossed in the pages of random magazines.
Food and drinks are served and still, the bastard ignores me.
“Your dress is beautiful,” the air stewardess serving me says.
“Thank you,” I reply quietly, my eyes sliding towards Valentino.
Even though he is looking down I can see his lips curl upwards mockingly.
Bastard!
Many painful hours later of me staring with unseeing eyes at the pages of magazines I have no interest in, the journey is finally over.
We are met at the airport and driven to a beautiful old hotel full of faded grandeur in the middle of the city. By now, my dress is a crushed mess and I’m sure I look terrible, but Europeans must be of a different temperament because everyone we meet pretends everything is perfectly normal.
A bellboy dressed in a blue and gold uniform ushers us into the most opulent suite I’ve ever seen. It is almost a mini palace with tall ceilings, luxury stone decorations, gilded mirrors, and two stupendous antique chandeliers. There are massive bouquets of flowers everywhere and a bottle of champagne on ice awaits on the low coffee table.
While Valentino speaks on the phone, I head to the bedroom. I can’t help but admire the exquisiteness of it all. I touch the rich curtains and sigh with pleasure. I don’t know the exact extent of Valentino’s wealth, but it’s rumored that his riches multiply so quickly that he himself cannot know what he is worth.
The door closes behind me and I jump. I whirl around to see Valentino walking into the room, his shirt is unbuttoned halfway down his chest. It’s incredibly obvious what he wants… But every cell in my body screams, NO. The inevitability of sex with him has haunted me from the very moment I was ‘persuaded’ to wed him, but now that the moment is here, I am convinced I would rather die than sleep with this monster.
“I will not share a bed with you.”
The room rings with my words. His dangerous eyes move towards me, and I begin to tremble, but I hold my head high.
“Why not?” His voice is calm and his posture relaxed. I hate how unaffected he seems, how in control. How damn unflustered.
“Because I will not.” I glance haughtily at the king-sized bed. “I won’t-”
“You won't what?” Valentino saunters toward me, like a predator toward its prey.
He stops in front of me, and to my shame, once again, my body completely and utterly betrays me and reacts lustfully to his presence.
“I won’t have sex with you,” I spit, staring into his expressionless gunmetal eyes. “I… I find you… repulsive.”
“Repulsive?” A corner of his lips tugs upwards. “That’s a rather strong word, my little pearl.” He takes another step towards me, caging me against the wall. I can hear my heart going wild in my chest, and I fear he can hear it too. Suddenly, he touches me. One hand sliding into my hair to angle my head while his other hand roams my dress, eliciting responses I never knew my body to be capable of.
“Especially,” he continues silkily, “when I can see the way your body reacts, when I can smell you.” He sniffs the air critically. “Hints of honey, musk and laurel. Fresh, but a little too virginal. Needs seasoning to reach a complete flavor profile.”