When Elvie left, Zander picked up his champagne glass because, unless he gave his hands something to do, he knew they would be tempted to jump ahead a few spaces. He could wait. Sure, he could. Elvie was all for keeping things on paper, but he knew she would crack before her brother’s release from the mental institution.He knew she was still attracted to him. What happened earlier in the closet was never a mistake, and they both knew it but tried to deny it. Yes, he had a moment of weakness, but how could someone blame him? He was a man in his prime.However, he knew Elvie had a teenage crush on him, which had amused and annoyed him in equal measure back in the day when he and her brother were still the best of friends. He’d been a little ruthless in handling her back then, but he hadn’t been interested in messing with a teenager, especially so soon after his break-up with the ex he’d thought he was going to marry. Back then, Elvie had been young and starry-eyed, fancying herself in
Elvie stood by the door, ready to sprint any second.Zander smirked. He loved how he made her relentless. "I understand you’re a little apprehensive about sex, but I can assure you, I’m excellent at it," he winked. "You moaned my name earlier, remember?" Twin pools of bright pink flared on her cheeks. "I am not apprehensive about sex. I have sex—I have it all the time. I just don’t care to have it with you again." It was the biggest lie in the century, and her husband’s eyes knew about it. But Elvie didn't care anymore, she just wanted to get rid of the silly grin on his face.However, he wanted to make her eat every one of those words and lick them away with that hot little tongue of hers. He wanted that tongue all over his body. He wanted to taste every inch of her again. His desire pulsed through him like an ache. He’d been too long between relationships. It had been weeks—no, months—since he’d had decent sex, and earlier was beyond amazing. He’d been too busy, distracted by work
Later that night at Zander’s mansion, Elvie didn’t know how she got through the rest of the evening, with Zander and her brother, Joey, chatting away over dinner like two good friends who’d just nailed a successful business deal. Damn it. She was the business deal. How could this be happening? Married to her worst enemy! And it was happening so quickly. Her phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with incoming messages because Zander had taken the liberty of announcing their marriage on social media and in the press. She thought he wanted their marriage to be private—out of the media’s eyes.Her friends and colleagues had been calling her since earlier, and even though she ignored their messages, her phone hadn't stopped ringing.And Joey? Her brother? She didn't even know what happened to him that made him surrender himself to the mental institution, and now that his doctor said that he was clear to get out and was now cured of whatever was happening to him, She had so many questions that her h
Zander turned and saw her looking at him, and before she could put any distance between them, he lifted a finger to her face and tucked a breeze-teased tendril of her hair back behind her ear."You are my wife, Elvie. Mine. You need to remember that."His face was mostly in shadow, but she could see the moonlight reflected in his gaze like a glint of quartz in black marble.Elvie knew she should step away; she also knew she should brush his hand aside, frown at him, and tell him to back off in her sharp, schoolmistress-y tone. But it seemed her mind and body had other ideas. Wicked ideas. Dangerous ideas. Ideas that made her picture her body crushed beneath his, his mouth clamped to hers, their bodies writhing in mutual, skin-shivering ecstasy. She drew closer to him as if someone had a hand in the small of her back, her hips brushing against his. The shock of the erotic contact made her insides twist and coil with lust, her breath hitch, and her heart race. She saw her hands slide up
Zander bit her lips in a sensual way that made Elvie want to just kiss his lips again. "Are you sure, wife?" One side of his mouth came up in a slanted smile. "You seriously think you can maintain that, even if by some remote possibility I agreed to it?""Of course," she said with much more conviction than a person who would have then lied about having botox. "What happened in the closet stays in the closet and must never be repeated ever ever ever again.""Wow! That's a lot of EVER."Elvie raised her chin. "I'm serious, Zander. Those are my rules.""Are you sure, wife? I can be persuaded, you know.""What the hell are you doing? You hate me, and I hate you. The feeling is mutual. Can we just get this over with like two civilised people?"He raised his brow. "Here’s what I think of your rules." He stepped back into her body space, standing close enough for her to feel the tug of attraction pulling at every one of her organs like invisible silken cords. His eyes moved back and forth be
All through the recital the following day, she found out that her brother left at dawn, and she didn't even have the chance to talk, which made her confused as to why her brother was in a hurry. She planned to ask Zander about it. However, Elvie couldn’t stop thinking about THE EX, who had spurned Zander’s proposal. If it wasn't Kristal, the whore, then who could that be? She’d tried searching for information on the net, but there was nothing about him having been in a long-term relationship. How many years had it been? Had it been long before he’d risen to the top, while he’d been still making his mark on the world?Before their marriage?Was that why he had never fallen in love and insisted he never would? Was that why he only ever hooked up with women for short periods of time—because developing an attachment would make him too vulnerable? If he had truly loved the woman, then Elvie could understand how hurt he must have felt—especially when his ex had supposedly chosen someone bec
Zander took his child, holding her slightly aloft as if not wanting to get too close. But then Thea smiled and gurgled up at him, and Zander brought him against his chest and gently rocked her in his arms, looking down at the smiling kid. Elvie hadn’t expected the sight of him with Thea in his arms to stir her so much."I think she is really tired," he said after a moment."A nap will do, and she'll be back into a bomb," Elvie said."Don’t we all?"She angled her gaze at him.He gave her a self-deprecating smile. "With a baby, it's like having a meeting with a client.""Seriously?""Yeah. Uncontrollable. You'd be surprised. It took me a long time to get control of my life. I almost lost my way a few times." He looked down at the child again, his smile dimming slightly. "Especially after my parents were killed, I suddenly found myself all alone in the world." His expression reminded her of a suit of armour. She could see the outline of his face, but only through a mask of steel.She fr
"Shut it up, old man," Zander growled.Matheo smirked. "Not as good as things are going for you, I’ll wager," the SVP said with a wide grin. "So, you two finally got together. He’s a good catch, eh, Elvie? You must be feeling pretty pleased with yourself for landing a man like him."Why’s that? Because I was rabid-dog ugly and left on the shelf, and no one in their right mind would ever have offered for me in a thousand, million years? She thought to herself.Elvie ground her teeth so hard behind her smile that she thought she would have to be tube-fed for the rest of her life. "Actually, Matheo, Zander is the one who got the prize catch, aren’t you, dear?"Zander’s smile set off a smouldering glint in his eyes. "But of course, wife, I’m the hands-down winner in this union."Elvie’s back teeth went down another centimetre. But thankfully, Matheo moved on to chat with his secretary, who had come out to the garden to enjoy the shade and light breeze coming in from the ocean."What is he
“I need you to turn my maybe into a definitely." Zander crawled into Elvie’s bed at the end of that gruelling Monday in the office. “Yeah, right. What are you doing here? Thea will—” “Come on, can a man get some time alone with his wife?” Elvie rolled her eyes, but she didn’t kick him out, even though a small, vindictive part of her wanted to. Life was too short to deprive yourself of spending time with those you love—something I’d learned the hard way. She thought to herself. His body seemed to mould into her massive mattress. Somehow, he fit. If there was one thing she’d realised this year, it was that sometimes they belong in the last place they thought they’d ever be. “Wife, let’s turn maybe into definitely.” “How can I do that?” she put her thriller in her lap and let his arm loop around her waist, dragging her into the crook of his shoulder. His lips fluttered along her neck. “Stay at SBC, stay with me no matter how this sh*t turns out. I can’t make it without you.” “Make
They went home to his mansion. To his cock’s disappointment, he slept in the master bedroom alone because Thea was sick and Elvie slept in her room. But it was still better than sleeping in a million-star hotel or at the Stanton Towers, which he couldn’t even look at after he’d learned what he had about his father not being his real father. He wasn’t the one who’d cheated on him. Yet Zander was the one who’d taken most of Matheo’s wrath. In the morning, Elvie gave her brother a shake from what looked like sewer water, green puke, and misery and slid a bowl of cereal his way. It wasn’t even a brand. It was poured right out of a six-pound industrial box with a Costco logo. “Where is the chef?” “Vacation…half of the staff too.” Elvie smiled. “Cavities and diabetes. Breakfast of champions,” Zander muttered into the bowl as he took a spoonful. “My apologies. Our room service doesn’t work on Mondays. Butler is sick. No chef, yeah so, stick with me!” Elvie took a seat next to her dad a
Zander set the papers down, sitting on the edge of her desk and lacing his fingers nonchalantly. So Matheo had planned it all along. The old cow killed his parents. His meeting Elvie, his falling in love with her, giving up on the Davis family—every single thing And he’d walked right into his trap. Well, almost. He would pay! Dearly. Zander thought to himself. He didn’t make the mistake of asking Elvie if she’d known about it. Of course she hadn’t. Instead, he focused on how to deal with this shit. “We’ve both been set up,” he said. “And he—the bastard—killed my parents!” His voice shuddered with enough hatred to melt the antarctic. And though he had his doubts before, he disregarded his instinct and thought that Matheo wasn't capable of doing such nineious things. “He—will pay! I will make sure he—” "Zander." She put a hand on his shoulder, and he resisted the urge to pull her into him and bury his face in her hair. “I'm sorry." Elvie had this touch that made sh*t go away. Bad shi
The word “music” comes from the Muses, goddesses of the arts in Greek mythology.I never said it before, because I thought it was tacky, but you’re my goddess (especially your ass).—ZanderJohn Lennon started his music career as a choir boy.I never said it before, because it terrified me to admit it, but you’re my church (although I plan to be inside you way more than just on Sundays).—ZanderYour heart mimics the beat of the music you’re listening to.I didn’t know I even had one before you came along, and now I do, and it hurts like a motherfucker (thanks for that).—ZanderRemember in university? I stole your iPod before you stole my wallet. It was tucked inside my jacket before I even removed your panties. I wanted to know what you were listening to. (And I was sorely disappointed there were no Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake songs in sight, because it made not falling for you so much fucking harder.)—ZanderI tried to tell myself I broke up my contract with Kristal and her f
Her heart was that of a lonely hunter.Yes and everything hurts.Elvie had always thought she was doomed by not being able to fall in love, but once she did fall, she wished she hadn’t. Now it hurt when she breathed, when she walked the hallways at work, and each time in between, when she caught sight of the person with a sharp suit and even sharper tongue moving past her, firing orders at Bella or bantering with the rest of the newsroom staff.A few weeks had passed. Four weeks after he’d shown up at her doorstep with flowers and chocolate, Zander had invited everyone into the conference room and announced that he’d given up his position and would only be staying for another month.After he made that announcement, he’d shot her a look, searching her face. Whatever he found there made him ask her to stay after the meeting was over so they could talk about it.She’d wanted to badly, but she knew nothing had changed. Though he often talked to Thea and visited her when he wasn't busy, he
Kristal had been a no-show during those terrible days, but he still remembered the flowers and pastry the family had sent every morning, her mother checking in on him, and her grandmother calling him three times a day to make sure he ate, showered, and breathed. Bella turned around, reaching for the door handle. Zander kept his face blasé. “Good luck explaining it to everyone, sir. Because let me tell you something—the moment Elvie walked into the room and into your life again, she changed you. It wasn’t profound. It was even more gradual, but it was there. In the way you started smiling, the way you softened towards your employees—just a little—and started doing the right thing by yourself and Kristal. But standing here?” She shook her head. “I think that man just bailed on us, and it saddens me because I was looking forward to working with and befriending the new Zander.” Fuck! Bella closed the door behind her, and he looked to the glass wall, catching Elvie unpacking her lunch a
Elvie was about to round the corner and turn onto the street when a limo pulled up at the curb and the passenger door flung open. Her eyes widened, and she stopped in an instant. Her brother was no Liam Neeson, and if she was going to get kidnapped, she very much doubted she could be saved. She turned around to look at the person getting out of the vehicle. It was Kristal, dressed to impress in what looked like a cocktail gown. She seemed to be alone.“Can I help you?” Elvie cocked her head. She wanted to be strong, but she was tired, hungry, and annoyed. And pissed at herself—so pissed that she’d let herself get carried away with a man like Zander Stanton. She usually made smart choices. She was a salad girl, and he was a deep-fried chocolate lava cake.“Me? No, though I’m sure you’ll do it at some point once you get fired, divorced, and have to become a waitress to support your slutty ways.” She walked towards her on her high heels. The limo driver looked the other way, like he coul
On the way to work, Gerald told her in her earbuds that they’re spending the treasure that love cannot afford, and Elvie nodded, not only to the rhythm but to the sentiment. Her shoes were blood red, and she’d spent the ride dying their laces black with a Sharpie.She walked into the office, not knowing what to expect. The professional side was going to be evidently extra depressing. But last night, Zander and she showcased their hearts like they were on a window display when they touched—crawling into each other’s mouths and seeping into each other’s souls. Then she’d left, without a message or a phone call. It was not her most mature moment, but she was sure he needed time to think too.Elvie walked the hallway, ignoring the judgy looks and raised eyebrows people tried to pin her with. One of the secretaries passed her and winced. She didn’t say anything, but one look at her face told Elvie she was in for an unpleasant surprise. What the hell was wrong with these people? Why on eart
Her legs were up before she knew it, carrying her to the exit. No explanation. No apologies. Elvie felt his grave steps thumping in her hollow chest as he followed her out. It was raining outside—the kind of dirty, humid rain to break the pulses of summer heat. It reminded her of the day they’d met at the university, of the carnal desperation that ate at her back then, and of the fact that she was still alone.Elvie felt his hand on my shoulder as he swivelled her around sharply. He jerked her into his arms.I didn’t want him to let go.I didn’t want him to keep me there, either. She thought.“I wish I’d never met you.” My fists pounded his chest, and he took it. Maybe because he knew he deserved it. His mouth pressed against my cheek felt like a rusty, hot blade. The world felt like it was ending, even though I knew it couldn’t be.The vane of his breath sliced through my ear. “I wish that, too.”That night, the sex was different.Slow, intense, and angry. Every thrust was a punishme