Chapter Six

Cyn.

The wedding had become sort of much anticipated society event, despite how little time had passed between the announcement and the actual ceremony or maybe because of that reason. I couldn’t help but think that the haste of the marriage was part of what made it interesting.

I felt half the eyes in the historic church examining my flat stomach speculatively as i walked down the long aisle.

The air was heavy with the perfume of flowers, compliments of my overzealous wedding planner, and the late afternoon sun streamed through a round stained glass window, throwing squares of blue light onto the stone floor. It was a beautiful wedding. But it was someone else's wedding. 

None of it was to my taste except for my simple earrings, everything else was custom made. 

I raised my eyes and looked at my groom, waiting for me at the head of the aisle. I had never seen him look so handsome. His tuxedo was black and well fitted, showing off broad shoulders and a tapered waist.

He was in fantastic shape, but hours in the gym weren’t the biggest contributing factor to his immense appeal. He was handsome, criminally so, his chiseled features the perfect blend of masculinity and beauty. But it was his charisma, his raw confidence, his power that made people gravitate to him. He wasn’t like any man, any person, I had ever met. And i was about to marry him the right way Infront of millions of people since the wedding was being streamed online.

I swallowed. My throat felt like the inside of a pincushion. This is nothing but a business deal. Nothing but another contract. A business my father and his father made, love was not involved. 

I shifted my bouquet and took my groom’s hand.

I had no idea how I had managed to make it through the ceremony, the receiving line, and four hours of the reception. My feet hurt from wearing my extremely impractical shoes, and my face hurt from all the overly cheerful smiling. And dancing with Ace , clinging to his arm, trying to pretend that i wasn’t melting from the heat he was making my feel, had been as taxing as it had been torturous.

I sank into the limo with a sigh, and rested my head on the back of the seat. 

“That was exhausting.”

“New brides usually say that after the honeymoon.” he said with a huge smirk. 

Heat flooded my face. My treacherous mind was all too willing to offer up possible ways Ace could tire me out. I did not need this. Not now, and not with this relic from the Dark Ages.

The limo, which had been decorated with over the top script writing that said “Mr. and Mrs. Ace” pulled up to the curb in front of Ace’s penthouse. I didn’t wait for him to open the door for me. I got out and waited for him by the entrance of the building.

He caught up to me and passed me by, his long legs taking strides much faster than my own legs could carry me. I had changed after the. reception into a white silk pencil skirt and a green sweater, but si was still wearing the ridiculous stilettos, which made walking fast a little tricky.

I trailed after him down the long marble corridor. This was the sort of love den I had expected a man like him to own, not his other house that I had been taken to, that house seemed like a family home, this seemed more like his style. 

My stomach lurched at the thought of him bringing other women back here. How many had there been? More importantly, how many would I have to see during our marriage? Would i be able to hear them as i lay in my own bedroom trying to sleep?

“This is my elevator.”

“You have your own personal elevator?” All those little tarts he paraded though here probably loved that.

“Yes, it acts as the main door to my house. It would be a security risk if everyone could use it.” He spoke to me as if i might be a small child.

“Does everyone have their own elevator?”

“No, just me.” He offered a smug grin at that.

He entered a key code into the number pad that was on the lift and thendoors opened. The ride up was a long one; he was on the top floor, naturally what penthouse wasn’t? When the ping signaled that we had reached our destination, the doors opened and revealed a bright, airy living room.

It didn’t match with the rest of the building at all. Nothing tacky or overdone about it. No gold filigree on the windows. No champagne glass hot tub dominating the room.

Far from any of the glittering garishness she’d imagined, it was a contemporary design with clean, sleek lines that didn’t suffer from the impersonal, cold feeling of some modern décor.

White walls and vaulted ceilings added to the feeling of openness, along with floor to ceiling windows that afforded a fantastic view of the sparkling Manhattan skyline.

The kitchen and living room flowed into one another seamlessly. The countertops in the kitchen were granite, and the appliances were top of the line stainless steel. It was a modern luxury Mecca. 

“You like it?” Ace asked. His husky, sexy voice sent a tremor through my body, and i had to tamp down the wave of longing that

threatened to rise up and swamp me. No, it was going to be a trial, all right.bJust a luxurious one.

“I do. It’s very tastefully decorated, and the view is amazing. Although the windows don’t offer much privacy, do they?”

“Will we be needing privacy?” He raised his eyebrows, his expression one of keen interest.

My face went hot and turned red. “No! I just meant…I mean because people could

see in.”

“They can’t. It’s one way glass. But I will make a mental note that you intend to do things in my living room that require privacy.” He gave her a look that was so hot it nearly melted the soles of my ridiculous shoes.

 “I will make it a point to work from my home office more often.”

It was at times like this that i really wished i could come up with some witty, off the. cuff remark, but his casual innuendos always left me a mess.

I cleared my throat and tried to salvage some dignity.

 “Where is my room?” Anything to escape.

“Down the hall, last door. You have your very own en suite bathroom, so you will have all the privacy you need. I will be in my office; I have some work to do.” 

I didn’t watch to see which direction he went, didn’t even try to. I just headed down the hall, the promise of a hot bath keeping me going.

M bedroom was white, like the rest of the house, and i was pleased to see that i had a view of the city skyline out of my window as well. It. certainly beat the view from my other room. 

All i wanted tonight was my bath and then bed. An image of Ace , his chest bare, his skin tan against my white sheets, flashed in my mind.

Alone. I would be going to bed alone.

I padded into the bathroom and my heart nearly stopped. There was a separate shower and jet tub, all tiled with caramel colored Italian marble.

The tub was so deep it looked as if i could sink in up to my neck and lose myself completely.

I went back into my bedroom and rummaged around until i found my iPod, then gave a casual scan for the bag I had packed my clothes in.

I didn’t see it, and decided to forego searching for pajamas until after I had a chance to let the warm water work the knots out of my muscles.

It took a while to fill up the massive tub, but it was worth the wait.

I submerged myself in the warm water and felt the tension slowly recede from my tightened muscles. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, letting the events of the day slip from my cluttered mind.

My quiet moment was shattered by a rush of cold air. I jerked my head up and scrambled to cover anything that might be showing when I saw Ace standing in the doorway.

“Good glad to see you are making yourself at home.”

“Get out!” I had never been naked in front of a man before. I very likely hadn’t been naked in front of anyone since I had been in diapers. I was the type to avoid public locker rooms and showers.

“Spare me your maidenly modesty.”

He had no idea how apt a description that was.

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

My ears burned at his casual reference to his love-life.

“I had hoped that we could put this off for a day or two, but I’m needed in Hawaii to close a very important deal,” he went on.

“Can we have this conversation when I’m not naked and dripping wet, please?”