Bride: The Deceit Duet Book One Read online

  “More gifts?”

  “I expect you to be the part one-hundred percent.” I hand her a pink little bag. “Here.”

  She peers inside the Guia La Bruna bag and gasps. “You bought me underwear?” She pulls the black-lace bra and panty set from inside.

  “Yes,” her look of outrage is undeniably appealing, “I need my wife in the finest things.”

  Her eyes narrow. “Well, I’ll have you know my underwear is just fine.”

  “Look, I’m not criticizing your clothing…”

  She tosses the bag on the bed. “Well, you are.”

  I scrub a hand across my jaw. “That wasn’t my intention…”

  Before I can say anything else, she lifts her little black dress and removes it, revealing expanses of golden skin. “You don’t like what I’m wearing? It’s not good enough?”

  I step away from her luscious curves before I throw her on the bed and take off the lacy-red bra and panties lucky enough to be on her sexy as fuck body.

  “You want to play with fire, Clementine?” I take a seat in the leather club chair next to the bed. “Try it all on for me. Right here.”

  “You want me to get dressed in front of you?”

  I shrug. “Yes.”

  “No way.”

  “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

  Her eyes look like they might explode. Her whole face is red, it looks like it might explode too. “Well, you’ve never seen me.”

  “Potatoes, pah-ta-toes.”

  “I will not get dressed in front of you.”

  “Afraid you might turn me on? Afraid you might like it?”

  Her breathing comes heavier now. “Careful, Gabriel. You might be the one that gets burned.”

  She slides down the red-lace panties, and I inhale a quick burst of air.

  “Here.” She flings them at me, and I catch them, putting them in my pocket, acting like seeing her bare pussy doesn’t affect me.

  It does.

  Clementine grabs the black panties from the tissue paper in the pink bag and slides them up her legs, resting the sheer material on her hips. I have to give her credit, she’s a worthy adversary.

  My eyes land on her breasts, swelling from the cups. “Now the question is, are you brave enough to try on the bra?” I meet her liquid gold stare.

  Flames shoot from her eyes and she reaches behind her and unclasps her bra, sliding one strap down from her shoulder, then the other. She chucks it at me. Fuck. Her rosy nipples are stiff and begging to be sucked. I clench my teeth, ignoring my hard cock.

  Clementine twists to retrieve the matching bra and without looking away from me, has it on in two seconds.

  Her body is tight as fuck, and I lick my lips, my eyes roaming over her body. I’m not shy about it either. And I don’t have to be.

  “Does this turn you on?” she asks with so much confidence it’s sexy.

  “Not a bit,” I lie through my teeth.

  She picks up the red dress and tosses it over her body, smoothing it down her legs until it touches the floor.

  My dick is as hard as a rock, and it pisses me off she’s affecting me this way. I can’t let her know she’s turning me on. But fuck, I can’t turn away either.

  “I have one more present for you.” I grab the box from the nightstand beside me. “Come closer.”

  She takes three steps until she’s standing right in front of me. If I wanted to, I could reach out and touch her, maybe run my hands over her perfect little ass.

  I open the shoebox, and pull out a Louboutin heel with a thin crystal strap. “Put your foot up here.” I spread my legs, tapping my hand on the chair for her to place her foot there.

  She does as I tell her. “Am I Cinderella?” she asks.

  “Am I your Prince Charming?” I slip her old shoe off and place the new one on her foot. I’m tempted to run my hand up her calf. But I don’t.

  “No,” she whispers.

  I stare into the gold of her eyes. “Other foot.”

  She places her hand on my shoulder to steady herself, and her hair hides our faces in a cocoon. Her breathing is fast and ragged. She lifts her other foot, and I remove her heel.

  My cock throbs, begging for some action. My hand betrays me, and I caress her calf in my hand, massaging it with my fingers and palm. Then I go a bit higher, my eyes holding onto hers.

  “Too hot for you, Gabriel?”

  “I’m fireproof, baby.”

  She bites her bottom lip and it damn near kills me.

  What the fuck am I doing?

  Whatever this is, I don’t stop. I can’t stop now.

  I trace my hand up the underside of her thigh. And then in one fast action, I stand and lift her up, turning to drop her on the bed.

  I climb her body in a flash. She clutches my jacket in her hands, and our bodies rub against one another as I bring my lips down to mere millimeters away from hers.

  “Let me make one thing very clear.” Her eyes widen as her breathing comes out in short pants. “You play the part, Clementine. And if I ever hear of you kissing my brother again there’ll be Hell to pay.” I drag my lips down her face, digging my hard-on into her stomach. “For both of you.” And then I get up and walk out of the room.

  Eleven

  Clementine

  * * *

  My body is a traitorous bitch. I try desperately to catch my breath. I can’t believe that just happened. I’ve never been touched like that before. His touch was rough, yet gentle. Hard, but soft. I’ve never been that turned on in all my life.

  I climb off the bed and smooth down my hair with shaky hands. How did he know about the kiss?

  I didn’t ask for Ronin to kiss me. And the thought that Gabriel thinks he can bully me with fear about my friendship with Ronin pisses me off.

  Before I head down for the party, I glance around the room. Above the mantle over the fireplace, is a picture of two young boys with a dark haired man and woman. I walk closer and recognize Gabriel and Ronin, not much older than Tennyson. Gabriel clings to the woman’s side with a wide grin. It’s unsettling to see an innocent Gabriel before life had a chance to taint him. It makes me think of my own son, and what kind of man he’ll grow up to become.

  Metal catches my attention, and on the far end of the mantle sits a drone. Such a boyish hobby for the man Gabriel is. I run my finger over the cool material of the back propeller.

  “These drones cost more than my house,” I mumble before I leave his bedroom to find Tennyson and Erin.

  I wander through the house, getting a bit lost, as I check out each elegant room after the next.

  When I make it to the top of the staircase, strangers are assembled behind Gabriel, and their eyes land on me, watching me descend each step. Gabriel waits for me at the bottom of the stairs with Tennyson. They hold hands like father and son, and a lump forms in my throat.

  I try to swallow it down, and plaster on a fake smile, playing the part Gabriel requested.

  “Are you ready to meet the world?” he asks me. “These people are going to ask us some questions.”

  I shake my head, trying my best to play the part, but there’s so many people in my face all at once, and I can’t do this.

  “You look pretty, Mommy,” Tennyson tells me.

  I smile at him. “Thank you, honey.” I look at Gabriel. “I need to talk to Tennyson privately.”

  His dark eyes bore into mine, and then he gives a slight nod. “This way.”

  Still holding Tenny’s hand, he leads me into his office and rests his back against the door, while I spend the next ten minutes explaining that the party is for mommy and her friend, Gabriel. And how we’re getting married for a little while, because Gabriel needs my help. He’s four, he couldn’t care less.

  “Do I get to bring all my toys?” he asks when I tell him we’ll be living here until we’re done being married.

  “Of course,” I answer.

  And that’s all he needs to hear. His grin makes me feel a
little better. Gabriel’s does not.

  “Ready to do this?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I lie.

  When we return, questions fly from every direction, asking how Gabriel and I met, and how we fell in love.

  I smile until my cheeks hurt, while Gabriel answers questions like a pro. He never once falters, or trips over his words. Meanwhile, I can’t make anything come out of my mouth. So, I just become a mute accessory on his arm, waiting for it to be over.

  After another fifteen minutes, the interview ends, and we head back to the ballroom to feign happiness.

  “I can’t believe this is your life,” I say to Gabriel as we step into the space filled with people ready to celebrate our impending forced marriage.

  He kisses my hand, and even if it’s for show, the warmth from his lips causes an eruption of goosebumps. “It’s our life now.”

  We spend the next few hours in a whirlwind of introductions. Gabriel’s esteemed guests include an assortment of politicians, CEOs, and anyone with a Roman numeral at the end of their name.

  “Wow, you look…wow,” Erin says, as soon as I get a break from my duties. “Like you were born to do this.”

  “I definitely wasn’t born to do this.”

  We find a secluded corner away from the activity and I lean my back against the wall while Tennyson investigates what’s beneath an empty table nearby.

  “You’re doing great,” she says. “I almost forget it’s not real.”

  Me too. I still feel Gabriel’s handprint etched in tingles on my lower back, the spot he’s kept his hand since we walked back in here. “Thank you for coming. I don’t think I could’ve done this without you.”

  “I’ve met some interesting people.” She leans in. “I told them I was in the amenities trade.”

  I laugh.

  “Hello, Erin,” Gabriel says, joining our seclusion. “I hope you’re having a good time.”

  “The best,” she says. “Your hors d'oeuvres are top notch.”

  He smiles. God, he’s so gorgeous when he smiles.

  “Well, I have connections, if you’d like to take some home,” Gabriel says with such charm it makes my body melt.

  “Don’t tempt me,” she replies.

  “I’m bored,” Tennyson says.

  To my surprise, Gabriel laughs at his honesty. The action causes a startling transformation to his face, removing the stone mask and revealing a very appealing side of him in its place. A side that is human. A side under different circumstances, I might want to explore.

  “We should go soon,” I say to Gabriel, wanting to run away from this unwelcome attraction over a laugh. “This is a long day for him.”

  Gabriel’s eyes meet mine and sear right through me as if he knows what I was thinking.

  “I’ve got an idea,” he says, looking down at Tennyson. “I have a movie room. Want to watch a quick movie while your mom and I finish up?”

  “Yes,” Tenny exclaims.

  “I’m up for a movie,” Erin says. “I’ll stay with him while you two do your thing.”

  “I need my cape,” Tennyson says.

  Gabriel smiles, again causing a strange reaction in me. “Yes, you do. Let’s go get it.”

  He and Tennyson walk to the center of the room where his cape is draped across the back of a chair at a round table adorned with fresh flowers in reds and pinks.

  “You have to admit,” Erin says, “that was nice of him. He could’ve ignored the fact Tenny is bored.”

  “I know,” I say, confused.

  When they return, he leads us out of the ballroom and makes a call to alert his staff to get things ready. Tenny can barely contain his excitement, bouncing down the stairs that lead to a room filled with five rows of oversized leather recliners and a projection screen on one wall.

  A smiling woman, with a dark bob, stands by a popcorn machine.

  “This is Leah,” he introduces us. “She’ll take care of you.”

  “Have fun, sweetie.” I give him a kiss. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “No rush,” Erin says, reclining with a smile.

  Gabriel leads me out and back toward the party.

  “Thank you,” I tell him.

  His dark eyes flit down to me and he shrugs it off, sliding his hands in his pockets.

  “I remember being a kid at functions like this bored out of my mind.”

  Thankfully, his long strides slow, so I don’t have to rush to keep up. “And now? Do you enjoy these things?”

  “Fuck no,” he answers.

  “Then why do you do it?” The chatter from the party drifts closer to us as we turn the corner. “It’s not like you need to impress anyone.”

  “For reasons you wouldn’t understand.”

  When we reach the entrance, I sneak a peek at his profile, and see the moment the mask slips back into place, blocking the life from his face.

  His hand returns to my lower back as he guides me to different clusters of people. In a messed up way, it soothes me.

  After a painstaking round of mingling, he leans down to whisper in my ear, “We need to dance.”

  His husky voice causes my body to rebel once again, and my nipples harden.

  I look up at him. “I think you’re supposed to ask me.”

  His brow raises. “Would you like to dance?”

  “No.”

  He chuckles. “Exactly.”

  Before I can object, he takes my hand and leads me out to the dance floor. All eyes are on us as he pulls me flush against him. My hand lands on his chest, and I stare at the black tie around his throat, to avoid looking at him as our bodies sway with intimacy against each other. If I thought the meet and greet was torture, I was wrong. This is.

  Finally, I glance up at him, and the look in his hooded eyes makes my heart pound against my chest.

  One year. I can do this for one year. And watch my life change forever.

  The soft music from the band wraps itself around us, and I can’t breathe until it finally ends.

  I step away. “I just need a few minutes of me time,” I tell him.

  He nods, and I smile for the people watching, and will my legs to walk—and not run—away from him.

  I find a spot with no one around to let out the breath I’ve been holding and watch as Gabriel’s tall body moves over to a group of suited men.

  “Overwhelming, isn’t it?” a feminine voice says.

  I turn and am met with a pair of cold green eyes and one of the fakest smiles I’ve ever seen. “It is. Who are you?” I ask.

  She sidles closer in her elegant black dress that sparkles beneath the lights. “Veronica.” She eyes the rock on my left hand. “Gabriel’s ex-girlfriend.”

  Talk about awkward. “Nice to meet you.”

  “I wasn’t expecting an engagement.” Veronica glances over her shoulder at Gabriel. “Do you know everything?”

  “Everything?”

  She looks back at me. “Not everyone is capable of being Gabriel’s wife.”

  A man with buzzed dark hair approaches Gabriel, leaning in to tell him something. Gabriel glances in my direction, a scowl forming over his features.

  “I’m sure they aren’t.”

  She tilts her blonde head, studying me. “You don’t know, do you?”

  “Know what?” Her riddles are using up the last of my patience. “If you’re not going to tell me, I’m going to go, because although these shoes are to die for, they’re killing my feet.”

  “If you’re a smart girl, you’ll figure it out.” She gives me a patronizing grin. “Here’s a hint…”

  “Veronica, it’s time for you to go,” Gabriel says, appearing at my side.

  “I was just meeting your new fiancee.”

  “And you did,” I tell her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  Dealing with scorned exes is the straw that breaks my back. I leave them and the party behind and walk toward the theatre. I’d say my duties have been more than fulfilled.

  “He
y,” I say, when I enter the dim room. “How was the movie?”

  Tenny pops up on his knees and looks over the back of the chair at me with a wide grin. “Good.”

  “It’s time to go,” I say to him.

  “I’m hungry.”

  “I’ll pick you up a Happy Meal on the way home,” I say, hoping bribery works to get him out of this house as quickly as possible.

  “You ok?” Erin asks, standing.

  I nod and try to act like nothing's wrong.

  “I just need to get out of here.” And fast.

  My spur of the moment attempt to escape is blocked by Gabriel, leaning against the door frame.

  “Where are you going?” he asks.

  “I need to get Tenny home,” I answer.

  “Mommy, I’m hungry,” Tennyson says again, tugging on my arm.

  “Why don’t we go to the kitchen and eat.” Gabriel’s hand reaches out to take Tennyson’s.

  I hesitate, but then follow, only because I need to know more about what’s behind the mask, so I can form a defense and come out unscathed. Wishful thinking, I’m sure. And one more lie to add to my list.

  Twelve

  Gabriel

  * * *

  Maybe I should’ve let Clementine leave. Tennyson’s small hand in mine feels odd. I can feel all of his trust and innocence in his grip.

  “Let’s see what we can find you,” I tell him as we enter the massive kitchen bustling with servers.

  “I want a hot dog.”

  My whole body cringes. “Oh, you won’t find anything like that here.” I spare him the details of how hotdogs are actually made.

  Together, we walk hand-in-hand toward the granite island where food pans rest, filled with fancy appetizers waiting to be arranged on silver trays and fed to the sharks in the other room.

  Erin takes a seat on a stool and Clementine moves beside her, watching us. I feel like this is a test. I try my best to look for the most kid-friendly item. There aren’t any. I make a mental note to correct that in the future.

  “What’s that?” Tennyson points to a chafing dish filled with bite size filet mignon.

  “Steak,” I tell him. “Very good steak.”