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05/08/2025

Im back guys who missed me 😭

23/07/2025

💎💍 A
TEMPTING
ARRANGEMENT 💍💎
By 🖋️ Celine's books 🖋️
🔞 COPY & PERISH IN HELL🔥🔞
💫CHAPTER 24💫
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
⚡Misty⚡

Ethan: Be there in ten.

My heart beats wildly in my chest as I swoop eyeliner over my right lid. I cuss under my breath when, once again, the wing jerks at the end, and I have to wipe it off for the third time. I’ve been attempting to do my makeup in my tiny bathroom mirror for the last twenty minutes, avoiding my entirely too-casual husband. His gaze tracked my movements when I got home, but he stayed silent as he watched me move about the small apartment.

Taunting Damon is like taunting a wild animal. I’d declared we weren’t exclusive, then quite literally scurried out of his office.

I found the first single hockey player I saw and asked him on a date tonight. Then, I hid in an unused office for the rest of the day, praying that my bracelet really isn’t a tracker.

Damon didn’t come for me though. Instead, Nicholas was waiting for me at the exit, as usual. It was his low brow and quietness that let me know he was disappointed.

What I didn’t tell Nicholas, and I can barely admit to myself, is that I’m jealous. I shouldn’t have expected him to fight against pretend dating. After all, I’m the one requesting it, but I did. Against my better judgment, when he’d asked when we’d start the charade of him dating, something snapped inside of me.

A bone-deep feeling that made my stomach turn and my chest burn with the need to deny him. To scream at him that he’s married to me and how dare he even pretend to date other women. But the slight curve of his lip had my carefully controlled emotions shredding apart, and all rational thought disappeared.

I wanted him to feel like I did. I wanted him to taste the nausea on his tongue the way I was.

So I declared us nonexclusive and then hid.

The thing is, I want him to find me. I want him to prove there’s nothing that will come between us. It might be sick, twisted, and wrong. But after what happened to me in the past, I want someone who’s obsessed with me in the best way. Who’s happy to prove it time and time again.

A man who will enjoy the game as much as I do.

I don’t know when it happened, but Damon’s made me feel daring, like I can be as defiant as I want and he’ll still never let me go.

The doorbell rings, and I take a deep breath, suddenly worried that Damon’s left and I misread this game between us.

A sigh escapes me when I find him waiting for me, leaning on the wall directly beside the front door. His arms are crossed over his chest, his crisp white dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves, revealing the bright colors of his tattoo.

I take my time, scanning up the column of his neck, finally daring to meet his gaze. A thrill goes through me when it’s a burning heat in his expression. His jaw is tight, one brow slightly lifted as he runs a thumb over his lower lip.

“You look beautiful, wife,” he says in a low, raspy warning.

My skin erupts in goose bumps as his attention settles over me.

He uncrosses his arms and gestures to the door beside him. “Aren’t you going to open the door for our guest?”

I swallow hard. “Maybe you should wait in the other room? Don’t you think it’ll look weird that you’re here?”

He cuts me a sharp look, and his head tilts to the side like a predator.

“Open the door, Nymph. Let’s see who you invited to replace me,” he dares.

Damon looks dangerous, unhinged, but it’s not fear running through my veins. There’s a certainty locked in place within me that he’d never hurt me. That he’d protect me at all costs. Which just makes this game all the more powerful because I’ve trapped a dragon and forced him to play it with me.

When I don’t move toward the door, he smirks. “Good girl.” Then, he opens the door himself. Damon’s shoulders are so wide I can barely make out Ethan, but his words carry over to me easily.

“I’m here to pick up Misty.”

I wince, feeling a little bad that I dragged him into it. At least I’d picked one of the guys that had a reputation for being a dick to the girls he dates.

“Your date is canceled,” Damon replies.

“I just talked to her. I know you’re her boss, man, but you can’t monopolize all of her time.”

Damon’s posture grows supple as he leans against the door, but there’s nothing casual in his stance. “It’s you who can’t go out. You’ll want to call your agent. I’ll let Misty know you’re sorry you had to cancel your…evening.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ethan asks, confusion clear in his voice.

“Just that I hope you like the cold. Now, leave.” Damon shuts the door, locking it before turning on me.

“What did you do?” My voice comes out barely above a whisper.

He stalks toward me, eating up the space in a few long strides. He reaches up to grasp my jaw, his fingers too gentle for the motion. “This is what you wanted, right? To have me in your control?” His thumb dips into my mouth and runs along my bottom teeth. “Did you have fun making me jealous?”

“I…that’s not what I was doing,” I lie badly.

His lips replace his thumb, grazing against mine. “Sure it isn’t.” He nips my bottom lip. “I’m always happy to play with you, but I told you that you’re mine. I don’t share what’s mine. Now, what’s your punishment?”

“W…what?” I gasp.

“I told you not to pull that s**t again, and here you are, pushing me. You obviously want to be punished.”

Heat floods between my thighs, and I stagger, unable to support my weight. He catches me around my waist, providing support, but he’s standing with a blank expression, wanting my answer. My brain is screaming that hell no I don’t want to be punished, but my body’s lit up with the idea. There’s something in the way he asked it, like he would be doing it for me and not to me, that has my heart skipping in my chest. I started this game, and now it’s up to me to decide to follow through.

I trail my nails up the firm lines of his chest, struggling to take controlled breaths in preparation for what I’m about to do. “I…” My fingers clench in his shirt as I fight against the tremble in my voice.

Stormy gray eyes meet mine. “You don’t need to be afraid of me. I’ll never do anything that you don’t want. I will never hurt you, Misty. Let me make you feel good.”

“Okay.” The air rushes from my lungs, and there’s a dampness pooling between my thighs.

A low purr forms in his chest. “That’s a good girl.” His fingers dig themself into my hair and tilt my chin up. “Now, kneel.”

A shiver rolls through me in anticipation of what comes next. I lower myself to the floor, the smooth linoleum cool on the bare skin of my knees. The outline of Damon’s hard c**k is directly in front of me, and I internally celebrate when it jerks with my attention.

“Take it out,” Damon says in a low command.

I pull at the belt, the smooth leather cool on my overheated skin. The small silver prong refuses to let go, and I have to lean closer to gain better leverage. My neck grows warm with embarrassment when it’s clear I’m struggling with the simple task.

Damon strokes his thumb below my hairline, and I look up at him. I let out a long exhale. He’s not judging me or disappointed; he’s staring down at me with pure lust written into his black gaze. I’m still watching him when the belt finally slips free, and I make quick work of getting him out.

His c**k is heavy in my hand, and when I try to wrap my fingers around it, the tips barely graze around his width. My mouth waters as I take in the swollen tip, precum dripping from the slit. I can’t help myself from running my tongue over it, filling my mouth with his salty taste before taking the head between my lips.

He groans low in his throat but doesn’t guide me. Instead, he lets me play with him how I want. A power rocks through me as he staggers when I swirl my tongue around him, taking him deeper with each pass. His hips jerk forward, causing me to moan around him.

“F**k…” He pulls his length out of my mouth, his large hand tightening around the base. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

I whimper at the loss and dig my fingers into his thighs. I want this…more desperately than I should be willing to admit. He runs the tip of his c**k along my bottom lip, painting it.

“Open your mouth.”

I swiftly follow his command.

“Stick out your tongue.” I don’t have time to question this position because he slides over my tongue. My lips immediately close around him, and I groan when he pulls out.

“I said open,” he commands in a low, raspy voice that has me trembling.

I open wider, giving him full access, and he doesn’t hesitate to thrust deep into my mouth. I gag when he hits my throat, tears pooling in my eyes. He doesn’t stop, stroking in and out, using me like a toy. My jaw starts to ache from keeping my mouth open, but he doesn’t stop his punishing, delicious movements. His c**k grows larger, causing my teeth to scr**e across his soft skin, and he buries his hand in my hair, pushing me further down his length. The tip bruises my throat as my mouth waters in anticipation. I’ve never taken anyone this far, and with each thrust, he demands more.

He doesn’t pull out when I gag again. If anything, he pushes in deeper. “That’s it, wife. You look so perfect, mouth filled with my c**k.” He bends and strokes a finger along my jaw and down the side of my throat. “Swallow it.”

My gaze snaps to his, unsure I can do what he asks.

“You can. Relax.” He runs his thumb over my neck in a calming motion, and I try to swallow. “That’s it. Just like that.” A thrill goes through me, and I swallow again, moaning as his c**k breaches the barrier and I take him deeper.

“F**k,” His movements grow jerky. My head is dizzy from the lack of oxygen, but all I want is more. I want him deeper. I want to see him break control until he’s wild. I grip his hips and yank him forward. That’s all the encouragement he needs, his c**k slipping out and slamming back with each thrust.

He groans and fills my mouth with his cum, bracing himself as he slips out of my mouth. “So fu***ng perfect.”

His eyes track my tongue as I lick his taste off my lips.

“Is that my punishment?”

A slow, sinister smile curls his lips, and he rubs the corner of my smudged eyeliner. “Not even close.”

He steps back, leaving me on my sore knees, and walks the short distance to the couch. “Come here, lay your stomach over my knee, and take your punishment like the good girl I know you are.”

A thrill mixed with fear tumbles through me. His dark eyes dare me to go through with it. To push myself past my boundaries.

I go to lift myself from the ground, but he stops me.

“Crawl to me,” he demands.

I rear back on my heels, the world swirling with my shock. “I…I can’t.”

“Did you purposely set out to make me jealous?”

I should deny it, but my head’s fuzzy, and I can’t help but do as he wants. “Yes.”

“Do you think that deserves punishment?”

My panties are soaked through. “Yes.”

“Then crawl to me. Show me how good you can be.”

Every ounce of feminism evaporates from my mind. I’ll be a feminist tomorrow. I crawl on my hands and knees as he watches me with pitch-black eyes, the silver completely taken over by his pupils. His hands clench the sofa so hard his knuckles are white, and a muscle ticks in his jaw. Power trickles down my spine, knowing that I’m the one doing this to him. That even though he’s giving the commands, I’m the one making the decisions.

I close the distance between us with more confidence and kneel between his spread legs, eyes wide as I look up at him. The air is thick around us with anticipation.

He pats his thigh. “On your stomach, wife.”

My body trembles as I lift up and lay myself over him, the hard muscle digging into my stomach.

He flips my skirt over my back, revealing my pink lace panties. A low groan escapes his throat, and he rips them off, balling them in his fist. “You’re going to pay for wearing these for him.”

He brings the fabric up to my closed mouth, and I refuse to open. His free hand smacks hard against my exposed ass, and I gasp with the shock.

He fills my mouth with my panties that taste like me, and he closes my jaw when I go to spit them out.

“Keep them in, or you’ll just prolong this.”

There’s a frustrated anger wrapped around my lust that has every nerve standing on its end. I wiggle on his lap. He pins me down with one arm as his other hand trails over my ass, already sore. Tension builds in my stomach, a desperation for more burning through my anger. I can’t stop myself from rocking against him, searching for the friction I desperately need.

His fingers dig into my hip. “Beg for it, wife.”

I glare at him and spread my mouth wider, revealing the panties he’d stuffed it with. How am I supposed to beg?

He chuckles low, but it’s the slow motion of his fingers up my thighs that has me moaning for more.

“Please.” My words are muffled from the fabric in my mouth, and he takes them out.

“Please, what?”

I let out a frustrated whimper. “Spank me.”

He pulls my legs further apart, leaving me completely exposed. Vulnerable, I attempt to close them, but he stops me, and I stay perfectly still.

A low chuckle rolls from him. “That’s my good girl.” It’s punctuated by the sharp sting of his palm. My entire body comes alive, the pain quickly morphing into pleasure, causing my c**t to throb. He spanks me again, and I moan.

His fingers dig into my hair, tilting my head back so he can look into my eyes. “You like that, don’t you, wife? You like to be punished.”

I can’t speak. I’m breathing so hard, but he must read the answer in my eyes because he spanks me again, this time landing right over my core. My senses shatter with the new sensation, and I struggle to inhale before he does it again. My c**t pulses with the tempo of my heart that he sets with each touch. I’m completely lost to him, brain short-firing through the fog. He shifts lower and lands his slap directly against my c**t.

My or**sm slams into me, my entire body quaking as it rushes through my limbs. Damon doesn’t stop, instead alternating between my c**t and spanking me hard, building a pressure inside me I’ve never felt before. He guides me higher and higher until I explode, my cm gushing out of me. Holy s**t. What was that?

“F**k yes,” he hisses. “Such a good girl. So perfect for me, wife.”

I collapse against him, too exhausted to be embarrassed, trying to concentrate on my breathing before I pass out. He doesn’t give me time to come down, instead flipping me stomach down on the sofa. He straddles my ass, pinning me down, and tears the seam of my dress up the side.

My veins freeze at the memories of another time, a different man pinning me from behind. My muscles seize, cutting off my breaths. No, no, no. Please, no. I grip the sofa, trying to hold on to the here and now.

I’m safe, I’m safe, I’m safe.

I repeat the words in my head, trying to surface from the fear, but I can still feel Thomas’s clammy hands holding me in place, the sharp edge of his blade cutting through my skin.

I’m in Boston. He can’t get me. I’m in Boston. Boston. Boston. Boston.

The chant in my head slowly grounds me enough that my surroundings trickle back into my consciousness. My face is buried into something warm and hard, and the scent of ci**rs and cologne fills my lungs with each breath. Strong arms are wrapped around my middle, holding me up, but the terrifying feeling of being trapped is gone.

Damon.

“It’s okay. Shhhh, Misty. It’s okay. I promise nothing can touch you now.” He splays his fingers over my back, spanning from my ribs to shoulders, and strokes up and down over the thin fabric of my dress, murmuring reassurances in my ear. “I have you. I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe with me.”

I let out a shuddering breath as his strength slowly infiltrates my mind, burning away any memory of Thomas. He’s gone, and Damon will never let him get me back. The realization that I feel completely safe with Damon rattles me. I’d purposely set out to make one of the most dangerous men in the city jealous, and I didn’t worry about the consequences. I knew, whatever it was, he’d make me like it. Somehow, this man has become safe to me, and my heart doesn’t know how to handle it.

I pull back just enough to meet his gaze, no doubt looking like a complete disaster, nose red, tears streaking down my face. “Sorry.”

“How very Canadian of you,” he murmurs as he trails a thumb along my cheek, catching a stray tear. He’s being gentle with me, but there’s an underlying coldness in his gaze, a rigidness to his body that gives away the rage building within him.

“Tell me what happened, and I’ll fix it.” His stormy gray eyes glint silver as he studies me.

“It’s…it’s fine.” I relish the idea of Damon tracking Thomas down and ruining his life, but that would come with the need to face everything.

Cool air hits my back when he moves his arm, and I flinch, scrambling to grab the ripped seam of my dress. Suddenly, even the idea of him seeing my scars, of how broken I’ve been, makes me want to throw up. I grab the seams of my dress, holding them together in a fierce grip.

“I can’t.”

His head rears back, hurt written in his eyes.

“Just…just leave my dress on.” My voice is almost a cry, and I can see his face drain of color.

Damon stares at me for several seconds before nodding and pulling me against his chest. I can feel his heart pounding against mine as he sucks in air. His body’s trembling, as if he’s using every ounce of his willpower. His arms bind me to him, squeezing once, then letting go. He kisses the top of my head before getting up and leaving me to go to the bathroom without a word.

I collapse back on the couch. I’ve upset him, but I don’t know what to say to make it better. I care what he thinks more than I want to admit.

I want him to see me as he does right now. Not as the broken girl I was.
Tbc..............
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for the next chapter!!!!


23/07/2025

💎💍 A
TEMPTING
ARRANGEMENT 💍💎
By 🖋️ Celine's books 🖋️
🔞 COPY & PERISH IN HELL🔥🔞
💫CHAPTER 23 💫
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
⚡Damon⚡

I lean forward, elbows braced on my desk as I rake my fingers through my hair. The clock’s been ticking on the wall, slowly driving me insane, as I watch Misty speak to her friends on my phone. Nicholas’s videoing from the car, so the angle’s bad, and there’s no sound, but I can still make out her expressions. Every time she looks unsure of herself, I have to press down the urge to go to her. To make her see that even though I’d coerced her into marrying me, it was to hurry along the inevitable.

She’s always been mine.

The second she tied herself to me, my world clicked into place. Like everything I’ve lived through brought me to her. I’d endure the pain all over again if it meant making me what she needs.

Because she doesn’t need someone soft. She needs someone to see the darkness she tries to hide and worship her because of it. She needs someone who she isn’t afraid to show herself to because she knows I’ll never reject her. She instinctively knows that already. It’s why she shows me her fire and no one else. It’s why she’s comfortable pushing my boundaries every chance she gets. And I fu***ng love her for it.

I love the joyfulness she shows her friends, making everyone feel lighter, but it’s the sharp edge to her wit that has me willing to drop to my knees to give her what she wants.

There’s no feeling like tying the person you are meant to be with to you permanently. Because we are permanent.

I let her believe it’s only for a year, but that’s never been the plan. She’s about to learn what it means to be mine.

Fate has always been something people told themselves to justify their s**tty lives, but I can see it now. Fate brought her to my team, pulled her from a different country to work for me. Now, I’m just waiting for her to admit it because I know she knows we’re meant for each other, even if she’s lying to herself.

I turn off my phone and stare blankly at my computer. Her wanting to keep us a secret itches under my skin. The way she looked away from me when she laid down that rule had suspicion growing in my gut. A nagging feeling I can’t ignore tells me there’s more than just losing credit at work. That there’s something deeper behind my Nymph’s lies.

My phone dings with a text from Nicholas, letting me know they’re on the way to the office.

I smile. She may be keeping secrets, but I’m going to do everything in my power to figure it out. I tried to give her at least some privacy, but now all her secrets will be mine.

Misty walks into my office, all sharp lines and determination. Her heels click against the tile floor as she eats the space between us. But she’s not looking at me. Instead, her head’s bowed, attention focused on her tablet while she comes toward me.

“Wife,” I say, and her head snaps up, her pale green eyes meeting mine. My lips curl in satisfaction, and I lean back into my chair.

“Husband.” Her voice is smooth, professional, and it’s grating against my skin. We may be at work, but there’s nothing professional between us. Still, the word sounds sweet on her tongue.

I want to push her, crack the cool shell she’s wrapped herself in. “So, wife, how do you suppose we go about our marriage when I’m supposed to be shopping for a wife?”

Adorable wrinkles form at the top of her nose, but she clears her expression before responding, nothing but the perfect employee showing through. “Simple. We’re going to stick to the plan, and you’ll appear to still be looking for a suitable wife. Your mother and I have put a lot of work into making this list, after all.”

Bitterness fills my mouth, and my teeth grit hard enough to break, the muscles in my jaw aching in an effort to bite back my reactive response. A slight growl forms in the back of my throat as I try to figure her out. She’s watching me just as hard, head held rigidly high, arms crossed over her chest as she waits for my response.

It’s her clenched fist and the tight tendons leading up her neck that give her away. My girl thinks she can act unaffected, that I can’t tell that jealousy is eating at her. She wants me to refuse, but it’s the perfect opportunity to find out why she’s doing this in the first place. It’s her rule that got us here, and she needs to be the one that breaks it.

My lips curl into a smirk as I relax into the back of my chair, and I give her a little push. “When do we start?”

She visibly flinches, nostrils flaring as she takes a deep breath before drawing herself up to her full height, her chin held high as she maintains eye contact with me. There’s a defiance in her gaze, a cunning willingness to play this game with me. My c**k starts to harden. She’s meant for this, meant for me.

It’s her mischievous smile that lets me know I fu**ed up.

“Perfect, so we’re agreed. We’re not exclusive.”
Tbc..............
Like , comment 💬 and share!!!

for the next chapter!!!!


22/07/2025

💎💍 A
TEMPTING
ARRANGEMENT 💍💎
By 🖋️ Celine's books 🖋️
🔞 COPY & PERISH IN HELL🔥🔞
💫CHAPTER 22💫
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
⚡Misty⚡

I bury my nose into the pillow and breathe in the sweet smoke and expensive cologne…Damon. My eyes snap open as the memories of last night rush to the surface. The ghosting of his hands over my skin, the barely there brush of his lips, the way his words lit a fire within me that feels impossible to put out.

I groan, flipping onto my back, and rub the sleep out of my eyes, frustration building inside me. He just left. Like we weren’t in the middle of the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me, like he didn’t have control over every fiber of my being. Maybe it’s good he left because I would have done anything he wanted to get him to touch me.

I’d think he left for the night if it wasn’t for the vague memories of him pulling me into his arms sometime later last night and his fingers stroking my hair, so faint they could’ve been a dream.

Knowing there’s no way I’m going back to sleep, I roll out of bed and grab my giant unicorn robe, hoping he’s already left.

Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of a shirtless Damon leaning against my counter, casually drinking coffee from a neon pink cup while staring at his phone. My heart skips in my chest at just how domestic he looks, like he’s done this every day.

Meanwhile, I’m about to swallow my tongue to stop myself from drooling over the way his gray sweatpants mold around his curves. I can’t stop staring at the way his long, slim fingers dwarf his phone. Tingles scatter over my skin of the memory of how they felt against my skin.

“Morning, Nymph,” Damon says, his voice filled with amusement. “I like the unicorns. Cute.”

Suddenly feeling completely exposed, I pull the corners of my robe tighter. The realization of just how bad I look in the morning, hair a wild mess, half sticking to my face, sinks in and has me fidgeting with my hair.

“I like your sweatpants.” I go for sarcasm but fail miserably. I’m never like this. I’ve spent years mastering the art of hiding my irritation, but one look from Damon has me bristling like a defensive cat.

He chuckles. “I can tell.”

Dammit. My cheeks heat, only bringing him more amusement.

“Whatever,” I grumble and make my way to my coffee maker, only to stop dead in my tracks. My little box-store-bought pot is nowhere to be seen. Instead, it’s been replaced with a stainless steel, state-of-the-art espresso machine. I go to turn it on, but my fingers hover over the dials. I don’t even know where to start. An underlying frustration builds within me, sparking a fire in my chest. “Who said you could bring your coffee maker?”

“Grumpy in the morning, I see?” Damon’s voice is right next to my ear, and a shivery heat tracks down my back.

I scoff. “I’ve been told I’m a joy in the morning.”

“Mm-hmmm,” he hums in mock agreement before grabbing a cup from the top shelf. It’s a pale blue mug printed with the words “Oh” and “It” and a cute fox in between them. He moves to the machine and turns a few dials. He hits a button, and it comes to life with a loud rumble. I stand, mouth dropped open, as he uses the machine, effortlessly frothing milk. He dumps several scoops of sugar into my cup, and his arm moves in tightly controlled gestures as he combines the frothed milk with the espresso.

My mind is so monumentally surprised at the scene that’s playing out for me it takes a second to catch up and realize he made it exactly how I order them at a fancy coffee shop. “How did you know⁠—”

Damon thrusts the warm mug into my hand, cutting me off. “You have half an hour to get ready. I thought it would be better to let you sleep in as long as possible.”

“I’m not coming with you.” I hum as the perfectly made cappuccino passes my lips.

“Yes, you are.” His eyes flash with hidden meaning. I wish I could read him better. “Now, go get ready. I have a meeting first thing.”

“Can’t do that.” I shake my head, enjoying the way his mask cracks, revealing his growing annoyance.

When I don’t elaborate, he asks, “Why not?”

I raise one brow in a mock portrayal of his favorite expression. “Well, I’m pretty sure that would ruin the whole keeping our marriage a secret thing, don’t you think? Or do you want the whole office to just jump to the conclusion that I’m sleeping with you to get a promotion? Because I can promise you they won’t guess we’re married.”

His teeth clack together, and a muscle ticks in his jaw. “That’s why we should announce it.”

“No, we…we can’t.” Coldness freezes in my lungs, preventing me from taking in a breath. The last thing I need is for news of our marriage to get out and my parents to see. “You agreed.”

I expect to see anger, but it’s concern creasing his brow. “Why is that one of your rules, wife?”

A shiver rolls through me, and I try to suppress my reaction to the title. I swallow hard. “Telling you isn’t a part of our agreement.”

“Fine.” He cracks his jaw from side to side. “Nicholas will drive you.”

I smile at his attempt to stay calm and can’t resist giving his control a little shove. “Actually, I have the morning booked off.”

“Who approved that?” He practically growls out the word.

“My husband.” I smirk.

He visibly softens in front of me and rests a hand on the counter, a slow smirk curving his mouth. “Why would he do that?”

“Because I asked him to.” I meet his gaze, playfulness evaporating. “I need the morning to speak with my friends.”

He watches me for several moments before nodding. “Nicholas will be waiting for you when you leave. We’ll have lunch at the office.”

“Oh, that’s not going to happen. You’re really bad at this whole covert thing.”

He tilts his head and bites his lips. “Apparently, only when it comes to you. I expect to see you this afternoon.”

“Yes, boss.” I roll my eyes.

He crowds me, my coffee pressed between our chests. “What happened to husband?”

Heat builds in my lower stomach. I need to get away from him before I do something stupid, like kiss him.

“It’s a secret,” I stage-whisper.

He leans in and brushes his lips over my forehead, his words a caress. “Not when we’re alone.”

He shifts so his dark gaze meets mine, and time stops with the intensity of the moment. The air grows thick with the tension surrounding us, making it hard to breathe. He doesn’t look away, instead scanning my face for any reaction. My carefully protected heart starts to crack open, and fear seeps in. I can’t do this.

His brows pull together, eyes scanning rapidly between mine.

“What’s wrong?” His voice comes like he’s speaking to a scared animal.

“I…I have to get ready.” He’s still in front of me and doesn’t move when I try to skirt around him. “Please, let me go.”

The plea in my voice startles him, and he steps back so fast his back bangs into the counter.

The glint of my silver bracelet catches my eye. “What the hell is this?”

“You said no ring. You didn’t think I’d marry you and let you walk around without something that marks you as mine?”

“I can’t take it off.” It’s not so tight that it imprints my skin, but it can’t be removed.

He smirks. “You’re not supposed to.”

“You’re very frustrating, you know that?”

“I could say the same for you.”

Warmth fills my stomach, expanding throughout my limbs at the way he’s looking at me.

Ugh. I turn away from him and his perfect smile, escaping into my bedroom. Stripping out of my clothes, I bury my head under the shower. I stay like that for what feels like forever before finally peeling myself out of the room, my unicorn robe firmly back in place.

There’s a coffee on the counter and a handwritten note.

You look cute in the morning, wife. I’ll see you for lunch.

--Your husband.

I ignore the fact that Damon has, once again, suggested we have lunch together and run my fingers along the thick textured paper. I subconsciously raise it to my nose and take a deep breath of his scent.

Husband, husband, husband. The word both thrills and terrifies me. Everything feels like it’s barreling down a freeway at a million miles a minute, so fast that I can’t make out the passing buildings. So fast the world blurs.

I spin the silver bracelet around my wrist as I look around, the cool metal now warm against my skin.

Damon’s things are all around my place. There are a few bottles of whiskey that look more expensive than my rent sitting on a new table tucked against the wall. The smooth oak looks out of place with the cheap laminate of everything I own. His suit jacket is still hanging over the back of the chair from last night.

My cheeks flush at the memory of his barely there touch, and I shake off the shiver traveling over my skin. A bubbly feeling grows in my chest, spreading warmth through my body.

The plan seemed so simple yesterday. Get married, get my visa reinstated, get divorced in a year, and forget all about this.

Then he had to go and be so freaking observant. He was understanding when I didn’t want to go into his house. Now, he’s moved into my place, and he’s leaving little reminders of his presence everywhere I look. There was a softness to him that I didn’t anticipate. An understanding, like only he could see what I’ve buried deep within me.

He didn’t ask questions or try to pressure me. Instead, he bent to my level and gave me a choice in what we did. He gave me a say in his life and had no trouble adjusting. If I’m not careful, I could get used to this, and that’s not the plan at all.

My chest tenses. One year, and this will be over.

I have one year to survive with my heart intact.

First, I have to face the inevitable chaos that’s about to ensue when I tell my friends what I’ve done. I bring my coffee to the couch and collapse against it, pulling up the group chat with Piper and Mia, and take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next.

Me: I did a thing.

Piper: Why does that sound so ominous?

Me: I got married. Surprise.

Piper: No seriously. What’s up.

Me: Yesterday, I got married to keep my working status in the US.

Mia: YOU DID WHAT?

Piper: Explain.

Mia: To who?

My thumb twitches above the keys, and I bite the corner of my lip. It’s one thing to marry Damon. It’s an entirely different thing to admit it. I pull the Band-Aid off and type out my reply.

Me: Damon Everette

Piper: WHAT?

Mia: I KNEW IT!

Me: I can explain. Kind of…

Explaining means opening up my past and letting them see me for who I am. It means owning up to hiding a part of myself from my closest friends, which is considerably easier to not feel bad about when you’re the only one who knows.

Piper: Girls meeting. Now.

I sigh, resigning myself to the disaster that’s going to be the rest of the morning, and get up to pick out the perfect outfit.

If I’m going to the gallows, I might as well look pretty doing it.

“So let me get this straight. He wouldn’t sign your visa papers, so you…married him?” Mia asks from across the small bistro table.

We’d chosen a cute cafe down the street to meet. I thought it was better to have this conversation with witnesses in case they decide I’ve gone insane and my only hope is for them to kidnap me.

When I’d told Nicholas it was ridiculous to drive somewhere so close, he opted to trail me as I walked the entire way. I rolled my eyes at him, but he just smiled.

I shrug. “Pretty much.”

“Okay, not to be insulting, but why you?” Piper lays her chin in her palm, leaning forward with rapt attention.

Excellent freaking question, unfortunately one that I’d also love to know the answer to. “He didn’t say. Just that he has to get married and he wants it to be me.”

Mia grins into her coffee. “That’s actually kind of sweet.”

“He coerced me into marriage,” I scoff.

She shrugs. “Still sweet.”

“Why did you do it?” Piper cuts in.

Confusion tumbles through me. “What do you mean? You know I needed to do something, or I’d have to move back.”

“Yes, but don’t you think getting married is extreme? You could have moved home, then had everything sorted and come back. Or, now that you have experience, you could have found a Canadian team to work for.” She twists a strand of her hair. “So, what’s the real reason?”

I’ve been avoiding telling them for so long I have no idea how they’ll react when I do, but I owe them at least some of the truth.

“I can’t move back there because my ex will find me and won’t leave me alone.”

I explain everything I can about my past, holding only the most painful parts back. My manipulative ex. The r**e, how my parents chose his side over mine. Chose their reputation over my sanity.

Piper’s brows pull together, hurt clear in her expression. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Ah, there’s the question I’ve been expecting. I take a deep breath. “When I met you, I’d just restarted my life. I’d cut all ties with Thomas and didn’t want anything from that time seeping into the new me. I wanted to forget everything that happened and let myself recreate my life. Don’t get me wrong, there were countless times I wanted to tell you, but in the end, I just wasn’t ready.” Tears slip down my cheeks. “I really am sorry. Eventually, it just felt too late to bring it up.”

Piper reaches across the table and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Misty, there is nothing to be sorry about. You went through something traumatic, and you chose how you would recover from it. What kind of friends would we be if we centered our own feelings over yours?”

“Thank you.” I sigh.

“Of course.”

“You know, the guys are good at threatening exes,” Mia adds, a playfulness to her tone, but it’s cold dread that fills my stomach.

“Not him.” For a second, I debate explaining he’s a part of some rich people’s secret society, the same that people speculate Damon’s in. It basically makes them untouchable. I drop it. Some things are meant to stay secret, and the knowledge that a bunch of as***le men are basically controlling everything is one of them. No need to feel like a helpless ant if you don’t need to.

I subconsciously spin the silver bracelet. It’s providing way more comfort in this conversation than it should. Despite the fact that my dear husband coerced me into this marriage, he’s never made me feel like I should be anything but what I am. The thin band should freak me out, but there must be something wrong with me because I’m eating up the fact that he wants me to wear it. I can’t even begin to process how I feel about him. I know how my body responds, like he’s set it on fire, and it somehow was meant to be that way. Like, it’s just been waiting for him this entire time. But my brain? It’s split in two, and the sane, rational part tells me I need to get away from him as soon as possible.

The instinctive, selfish part of me, however, wants to believe he wants me. That I’m more than his latest obsession. I quickly squash that part because in one year, he’ll be gone, and if I’m not careful, there will be nothing of me left.
Tbc..............
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