Asher’s POV
I meant every word I said. I wanted her, but I wanted her to want me as well. It felt better that way. I wanted the push and pull. Standing there, staring at the art hung on the walls–art that I had made solely with her in mind–her bum pressing against my crotch, I realized just how hard it was going to be. I was already struggling to hold it together, but now that she was in my house, living here, so close… I placed my nose at the crook of her neck and inhaled. Now that I knew her scent up close, now that I could feel her body against mine, it was going to be even harder.
“Argh!” I groaned. “You make it so hard, Ivy…”
She stilled. I smiled at the reaction on her face. I could see her reflection in the mirror. Her innocent face, her reddened cheeks. She had taken my words literally, and I was not going to explain.
“You’re so naughty, aren’t you?” I teased.
She wiggled out of my grasp, managing to slip free, and took a few steps backward, putting as much distance between us as she could. “Our agreement was a sexless marriage.”
I pretended to think about it. “Last I remember, it wasn’t quite an agreement. It was a back–and–forth between us. We left the matter inconclusive, and I inferred.”
She bit down on her lower lip.
“That is sexy as hell.”
She tried to hide her blush, but her cheeks betrayed her.
“See? No need to be coy about it, Ivy. No one likes a sexless marriage. Not you, either…”
She tried to argue, but I cut her off.
“You might think you do now, but you’ll find out soon enough that you don’t. How can you stay in the same bed with me and not feel horny? You’re going to want to have sex.”
“Wait, wait, hold up!” she interjected. “In the same bed?”
My smile widened. “Yeah, we get to sleep in the same bed. That’s also in the contract.” I watched in amusement at the disbelief on her face.
She tucked her hair behind her ears. “What else is in the contract?”
“Aside from the part where we get to have sex and you have to sleep in my bed?” I asked, enjoying watching her squirm.
“Yes, aside from that! And no, none of that is happening!” she replied.
I shrugged. “Never say never…”
“Asher.”
I smiled. “Well, there’s a honeymoon. No fixed date yet, but I’ve always loved the idea of a honeymoon. A cozy hotel room by the beach, a chance for my wife to be in hot bikinis all day. What could go wrong?”
“Wife…” she muttered, as if in disbelief.
1/3
8:16 pm DDXX.
Chapter 6
I grinned widely. “Yes, my wife. Isn’t that perfect?”
“No!”
“Now, now, I’m offended,” I said, feigning sadness as I held my chest. I plopped down on the sofa and crossed my legs over
the armrest.
She folded her arms across her chest. “What else is in this contract agreement that you coerced me into signing without reading first?”
I chuckled. “Seriously, love, always read the contracts before signing. I don’t want to come home one day and find out you’ve signed away everything I own. I mean, I love you, but that would really hurt,” I teased.
She stared at me for a moment, her eyes searching mine. “What else is there?”
I shrugged. “That we’ll be a doting and affectionate couple.”
“What does that mean?”
I sat upright. “It’s going to be the perfect love story. I’ll be by your side every time. I’ll take you to your modeling events. You’ll come with me to official events. We’ll visit our families together. We’ll have dinners at the most beautiful restaurants in every city. We’ll walk down the street holding hands at midnight after a movie night.” I had given it so much thought, more than I’d like to admit.
She was quiet, as if pondering what I had just said.
My eyes were fixated on her perfect face. Even now, pulled into a small frown, she was still beautiful.
“You have nothing to worry about, Ivy. It’s a great plan. There’s also the part where we go on vacations, do anything you like, try out fun new sex positions…”
“Asher!” she yelled.
I threw my head back in amusement.
“Where is the contract?” she asked.
My eyes darted to the tabletop where I kept it. She followed my gaze. There was a brief moment where we both waited, then we lunged for it at the same time. I grabbed it just in time and lifted it above her reach.
“Asher! Let me see it!” she pleaded,
“I’m not sure you really want to read it. It might ruin the surprise!” I said, laughing heartily.
“I signed it. I need to know what I signed.”
I shook my head. “No….”
We danced around the room as she tried to grab it. She jumped, but it was still out of her reach.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that, love,” I taunted, darting across the room.
In an attempt to take the document from me, she threw herself at me, hoping to overpower me. Instead, the impact sent us both tumbling onto the bed. My laughter rang out as I stared at her stunned expression. When I quieted down, I lifted my weight off her so I wouldn’t crush her.
2/3
8:16 pm D
Chapter 6
1
We were close–her flowery scent tickled my nostrils. It was soft and enchanting. I stared at her face, those beautiful eyes looking back at me intensely, always a question in them. Her full red lips–now that I knew how soft they felt, I wanted to kiss them again, to trace a path from her lips down to her neck and then to her full breasts, barely held by the loose tube dress. The air between us felt charged as my eyes wandered from her lips to…
“Asher!” she protested. Her cheeks were flushed, and her voice was small.
It took all my willpower to pull away from her.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
