His lips turn down. “You would think that, wouldn’t you? Must be hard, sitting up there in your ivory tower.”
I won’t be distracted with jabs.
I ask, “And then what happens? We ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after?”
“Once I’m sure my ass is safe, we’ll quietly get divorced, and you’ll be free to go.”
I narrow my eyes. “How long will we be married?”
“For as long as it takes.”
“Not good enough. I need a timeline, and I want it in writing.”
He stares down at me until I feel like looking away, but I don’t. I won’t give him the pleasure of backing down.
“One year.”
“Six months,” I counter. “Or no deal.”
He sticks out his hand. “Let’s get married.”
I put my hand into his and quickly jerk away. Did he feel that, too? It was like touching a live wire. If he notices, he doesn’t comment. Instead, he ushers me forward by placing his large hand at the small of my back. A numbness settles over me as we walk up the steps to the church. I’m really going to do this—I’m going to marry this stranger to save my father.
The man waiting for us smiles. “Thought the two of you were getting cold feet.”
Hades answers, “Not a chance.”
“I’ve already drawn up the documents. You’ll just need to sign after the ceremony. My wife and I will be the witnesses, just like you asked.”
Hades nods. “Let’s do this.”
The church is empty inside, except for an older woman who sits in the first pew. When she sees me, her eyes widen.
“Oh. My. That’s a very…modern dress.”
My cheeks heat. If she knows who I am, then she’s probably wondering if all the tabloid rumors about me are true. I’m not a party girl, but dressed like this, she’s more than likely leaning toward believing the lies. I made the mistake of trusting the wrong person a few months ago and ended up at a party with drugs and paparazzi. Even though I left within minutes of arriving, the damage was done.
She’s skinny because she’s on drugs.
She’s out of control.
Her poor fiancé.
I frown, thinking of him. He’s known me for years, and yet he believed the rumors, too. Told me I should be thankful he was still willing to marry me. It left a sour taste in my mouth that I still haven’t gotten over.
Hades glances at me, and shrugs off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders. I shiver as his scent envelops me. Again, the spicy scent mixed with leather and smoke seems familiar. From where, I don’t know.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
He clears his throat. “We’re ready.”
The ceremony is short and to the point. My voice quivers as I say my vows. There’s no going back now.
“By the state of Mississippi, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
I turn to Hades to tell him we can skip this part, when his mouth crashes over mine. My emotions whirl and skid as he kisses me with so much intensity that I actually moan. Sure I’ve been kissed before, but never like this. His kiss is slow and dominating, so much that I hold onto his arm for support. My other hand grasps his thick hair, urging him on. And he doesn’t disappoint. A delicious shudder heats my body as he pulls me flush against him. This is madness, but it’s also perfect.
“Save some for the honeymoon,” the officiant laughs, ruining the moment, and reminding me where I am.
With a slight growl, Hades pulls away. “Let’s sign those papers, Princess.”
I hate how unaffected he looks as he strolls over to a table, signing his name. I’m less steady as I add my name next to his.
Hades peers down at me. “Come on, wife. Let’s go home.”
4
For some reason I thought he would take me back to my father’s house, and that we’d just go our sperate ways. Of course, I was wrong. We speed down the highway until we’re far from town. The night air is cool, and I shiver, holding onto Hades for warmth. Even his jacket doesn’t help with the chill from the wind. We ride for what feels like forever, until we pull up to a large compound. The parking lot is full of motorcycles and a few vehicles.
Hades parks in front of the building. As I climb off, I hear deep bass coming from inside. The front doors open, and a cloud of smoke follows the man who stepped outside. He’s obviously drunk and urinates right in front of us. I glance at Hades, who only laughs.
“I see how you are, Ace. Starting without me?”
The man grins. “Couldn’t help it. Ain’t every night my Prez gets an ol’ lady.”
“A what?” My voice raises on the last word.
Hades gets off the bike, unbuttoning the white dress shirt he’s wearing. My breath catches when he takes it off, tossing it over his bike. His muscular chest is covered in tattoos that tell a story I find myself wanting to know more about. There’s a jagged scar above his left pec that looks fresh. My hand itches to trace over it. I clench my fists at my side just so I don’t do anything stupid.
He turns to me. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone and then take you to my room. I’m sure you’re tired.”
“I’m not staying here.”
The muscle in his jaw tics. “Look, Princess, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You’re my wife for the next six months. We need to appear like we fucking like each other, or this is all for nothing, and your old man still goes down at the end of the day. Got it?”
“Fine. But don’t you dare kiss me again.”
Because that kiss was dangerous.
His lips twitch. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I was just giving the paparazzi hiding outside the church a good shot. It’ll make a great front page of People.”
My face grows warm with humiliation. Of course he hadn’t meant the kiss. Hot tears fill my eyes, and I swipe at them. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. A look flashes across his face, but quickly disappears as he leads me through the door. Inside, smoke is thick in the air, and leaves me coughing. I’m pretty sure it’s not just cigarette smoke, either. The lights are dimmed, but Hades leads me with ease.
We reach a platform where a throne of black iron sits overlooking the club.
I snort. “Taking this ‘Hades’ bit kind of far, aren’t you?”
He eases into the chair as if he’s an actual king, pointing for me to sit.
“You’re out of your mind.”
“Either my lap or the floor at my feet. Your choice, Princess.”
Gritting my teeth, I settle onto his thigh. His hand snakes around my waist, pulling me close against his body. The air between us seems electrified, and I feel a ripple of excitement like I did when we kissed.
I can’t have thoughts like this!
Pulling away, I perch on the arm of the chair. It’s uncomfortable, but at least it’s safe.
He calls out, “Listen up, fuckers.”
The music stops and the room goes silent.
“I’d like everyone to meet my bride, Kinsley. You’ll be seeing her around, so play nice and keep your hands to yourself.”
This gets chuckles from the men, and I don’t miss a few of the women shooting daggers at me.