"You don't fucking own me. We are not truly married and you don't have the right to question me!"I knew when he used my full name that something awful was coming next. I had hoped that somehow, he wasn't avoiding me. That it was simply the chain of events that kept us apart. But it seemed I had hoped against hope. My eyes stung with incoming tears but I held them back. "We married before a priest! We're legally husband and wife. I deserve to know if I did anything wrong to make you not want me again." I said, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears that threatened to slip from my eyes. "I never wanted you!" He spat. "Stop living in the fucking clouds, Hailey.""Liar!" I screamed, stepping closer to him. My hands hovered in the air between us as I stared up at him. Xavier's eyes had darkened as he eyed my hand drawing close to his body. His breathing got harsher with each millimetre I closed in. "You want me." He smiled then, a cruel one that sent a shiver down my spine and my bra
Despite all the hype from Susie and listening to all women power songs by Little Mix, when I got to the dining room, the false bravado that I had put on, cracked as I noticed how everyone seemed to stare at me.Everyone including Xavier. But that wasn't because I appeared in a hot smoking dress and smelled like roses or something. On the contrary, I looked like a lost hobo. The sweatshirt I found was bigger than I was and underneath it was baggy pants. Old clothes from when I lived with Grandma. She always did say I needed to hide my curves. I had disobeyed her and now I got my heart torn to shreds. She was right all along. I knew that now.Ignoring the smug look on Brenda's face and the concerned look on Zach's face, I made my way to a chair far away from Xavier and settled on it. They had already begun eating and the meat and pasta casserole looked quite delicious. I sighed delightfully. At least coming down to eat wasn't in vain. Zach cleared his throat as I mounted my plate with
"You invited her?!" Susie yelled when Laura stepped into the salon. The hairdresser handling my hair yanked on it too hard and I yelped in pain. "Will you be gentle or shall I yank yours in return?" "Sorry, ma'am." The older woman grumbled unhappily and I watched her face in the mirror. She looked like she would rather strangle me instead with the wire of the hair dryer. Madness. It was funny how people envied me without knowing that I wasn't much different from them. And that in two days, I would be dropping Lowell's name for good. But of course, it was my little secret. And I was quite good with it. "Hailey, I am talking to you!" Susie snarled And I glanced at her tiredly. Susie sat beside me, getting her hair done as well. I mean what was the point of being Mrs Lowell if I wasn't able to give my girl a good pedicure and the best salon treatment ever? I had been on a spree for the past few months. Xavier had said I could live my fantasies for a short while and though he probab
"Hailey!" Brenda screamed so loud, I was sure astronauts could hear her. "What crawled up her a-""Just help me tighten the dress will you?" I groaned gesturing at the zipper of the cream lace ball gown I wore. "The modiste shouldn't have listened to you. Now she made it so tight.""Oh quit your whining," Susie chastened as she helped zip up my dress. "This dress is beautiful and you know it." It really was. I could barely recognize myself in the mirror. It was a cream-coloured dress that hugged my torso rather tightly. The sweetheart neckline made my breasts look like ripe plums and I feared that they would slip out at the ball the next day. "I don't get why we have to do a photo shoot. The marriage is ending anyways." I told Susie as she fetched my heels."You talk as if you don't know Brenda," Susie replied, helping me step into the deathly high shoes. "She's the fake till the end sort of person. And her son is exactly like her." My heart squeezed at the mention of Xavier quick
The photographer hired was none other than Vegas prominent artist John Declan. His name was splashed across magazines and tabloids as one of the most sensuous yet famous photographers in the history of photography. I couldn't for the life of me understand why Brenda had thought this man was the best person to take our pre-ball pictures or whatever this was called. "Ah Mrs Lowell, you're quite far away from the master you know?" John Declan declared in a faux french accent that grated my nerves. We were in his rather cosy studio, standing before the backdrop as he directed us into the poses he wanted. The paparazzi were locked outside the building. I knew they were still there even though we couldn't hear them from the soundproofed studio."I hadn't realized." I ground out with a stiff smile but apparently, he was either deaf or immune to sarcasm. "You need to move closer to the master. Yes, a little closer." Stiffly, I shifted towards Xavier, keeping my face straight and simple.
My body was on fire. It was as though all I needed was just one more heave of oxygen and I would explode. John Declan must have known this however and must love torturing me because it was at that very moment when I was close to falling over the edge that he yelled."Beautiful! That's a wrap Monsieur and Mademoiselle! It was a pleasure." And I was brought back to earth. The reality of things suddenly dawned on me, causing me to realize where I was and what the hell I was doing. Xavier cleared his throat awkwardly, his breathing, warm against my neck, slowly faded away as he let go of my babies and pulled away. His face was tinged pink but heck, I was sure mine was as red as a tomato. So much for staying away from him and staying aloof. All I had wanted was to be free from him! And I had almost achieved that! If not,... I cast a glare at John Declan who had a mad smirk on his face and itched to smack it off. If not for that bastard!The idiot must have noticed the look on my face be
I stood in John Declan's hallway, breathing heavily as my husband in name only, ogled me. Was I going to give it all to him? In a freaking hallway? And even worse in the hallway of some pervert photographer who was probably recording the whole thing?My senses seemed to recover at that moment and my face burned in shame. The paparazzi were right outside and I had just bared myself naked to the waist. Quickly, I tucked my breasts inside the damn dress and tried to finish my zipper. Xavier held my hand down. "We don't have to stop," he protested, his voice thick with need. "We need to," I said and turned my back to him. "The paparazzi are right outside. Please zip me up." I gasped in shock when instead of the idiot zipping me up, he slipped both hands through the back of the dress and grabbed my breasts from behind, flattening me against his chest. A position that seemed oddly familiar because not so long ago, I had been pressed up against his chest and his hands fondled me. "Oh,..
Running inside my room, I shut it behind me breathing heavily. Oh damn, that was hot. Too hot. How I was able to resist and say no was beyond me. I rushed to the mirror and stared at myself. I looked like a mess. From all the kissing and ravaging, my hair was tangled, my dress too low on the neckline and my neck filled with hickeys. "What the heck?!" I shrieked in surprise. The entire Vegas population were going to see pictures of me looking like I was thoroughly fucked! And I wasn't!I was teased, and touched and taunted but didn't get it in the end. To say I was frustrated, was an understatement. Angrily, I tried to unzip the dress but failed miserably. I would have to seek Susie's help. Kicking off the shoes I wore, I waddled out of my room and knocked hard on Susie's door. "Who the hell is that?!" She yelled from the other side. "The grim reaper! Open the damn door." I retorted. When she opened the door, she burst into laughter on seeing my face. Whatever floated through he