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. "Hereâs 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 couldnât stop thinking about THE EX, who had spurned Zanderâs proposal. If it wasn't Kristal, the whore, then who could that be? Sheâd 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 heâd risen to the top, while heâd 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 timeâbecause developing an attachment would make him too vulnerable? If he had truly loved the woman, then Elvie could understand how hurt he must have feltâespecially 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 hadnât 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."Donât 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, Iâll wager," the SVP said with a wide grin. "So, you two finally got together. Heâs a good catch, eh, Elvie? You must be feeling pretty pleased with yourself for landing a man like him."Whyâs 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, arenât you, dear?"Zanderâs smile set off a smouldering glint in his eyes. "But of course, wife, Iâm the hands-down winner in this union."Elvieâs 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
Once the legal team and the rest of the crew had been seen during the week, Elvie didnât see Zander again until the day before the scheduled honeymoon, when she arrived at his private retreat via a helicopter he had chartered to meet her at the airport. Her week had been a nightmare of juggling work, Theaâs never-ending questions about her dad, and arranging and packing for their âhoneymoonâ. Every time she even thought of the word, much less said it, it made her pulse gallop. She knew he wasnât the sort of man to force himself on her. It was her own uncontrollable desires that she was worried about. But yeah, they talked about what happened in the closet and agreed to never let it happen again.Yeah, full of bull, because she knew it would eventually happen again.SoonâŠBella was right. How on earth was she going to resist him? Spending a week on a yacht with Zander was going to test her resolve like a chocolate addict standing in the middle of a chocolate fountain with her mouth ope
Elvie let out a breathy little sigh and stepped closer, placing her hands flat on his chest, making his blood roar all the harder. "Iâm sorry. I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all. Is he OK, this employee of yours?"Zander held her by the hips, his need for her closing the distance between their bodies like a bridge of lust. "Yes, no worries."She bit into her lower lip with her teeth. "Oh, okay." Her brow was still slightly furrowed.By the way, you need to call Thea later, sheâs been asking a lot about you.""Shit, I forgot, I promise to call her back," Zander said.Her expression was thoughtful after a beat or two of silence. "You should call her back asap, or else she won't stop scaring her nanny. I wish I could bring her with me.""You know you can'tâŠ" "Yeah, yeah!" Elvie gave him a lopsided smile, and her hands slid up to link around his neck, bringing her body even closer to his until he could feel the cool, wet press of her breasts and the hot swell of her mound.
Elvie walked back along the sand to the pathway leading to the villa, with Zanderâs hand holding hers. Her body was still vibrating with aftershocks from the pleasure he had evoked. It made her aware of every inch of her flesh, as if all the nerves had been given steroids and were twice their size and three times as active. How did it happen? How could she let herself go? How could he let him touch her like that again? How could she be so stupid and naive again? Why had she allowed Zander to touch her like that? He hadnât followed through to claim his own pleasure, so didnât that make her seem a little pathetic? Like that teenage girl she used to be? Her wanton response to him demonstrated her vulnerability. She was a fool to give him more ammunition. She was supposed to be resisting him. Rejecting his advances and not encouraging such intimate contact. Not only encouraging it but responding to it like she had never responded to anyone before. Her breasts felt fuller and more sensiti
"Fine. The shell-pink I'll wear later," Elvie said, turning to Bella, who was hovering nearby. "What do you think, Bella? It would go best, donât you think?"Bella nodded. "Absolutely. Itâs perfect."Having Bella there meant so much to her. Why had Zander gone into so much trouble? It made her feel that he cared for her. Really cared for her. Or did he just really care what people made of their somewhat over-the-top honeymoon?Though she knew it was for a show, to let the media swarm like bees to honey, it still unnerved her.Bella grinned at her, while Gerald and Almera bid their goodbyes.Elvie grasped her friendâs hands again. "Bella, you didnât let on that, you know, did you?""No, but even if I took my contacts out, I could see youâre halfway to being in love with him, if youâre not fully there already," Bella said. "Truly, heâs something else to look at, isnât he? And that smile. Gosh, Iâm halfway in love with him myself. Not that I wasn't since working with him, but don't get t
âI need you to turn my maybe into a definitely." Zander crawled into Elvieâs bed at the end of that gruelling Monday in the office. âYeah, right. What are you doing here? Thea willââ âCome on, can a man get some time alone with his wife?â Elvie rolled her eyes, but she didnât 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 loveâsomething Iâd 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 sheâd realised this year, it was that sometimes they belong in the last place they thought theyâd ever be. âWife, letâs turn maybe into definitely.â âHow can I do that?â 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. âStay at SBC, stay with me no matter how this sh*t turns out. I canât make it without you.â âMake
They went home to his mansion. To his cockâs 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 couldnât even look at after heâd learned what he had about his father not being his real father. He wasnât the one whoâd cheated on him. Yet Zander was the one whoâd taken most of Matheoâs 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 wasnât even a brand. It was poured right out of a six-pound industrial box with a Costco logo. âWhere is the chef?â âVacationâŠhalf of the staff too.â Elvie smiled. âCavities and diabetes. Breakfast of champions,â Zander muttered into the bowl as he took a spoonful. âMy apologies. Our room service doesnât work on Mondays. Butler is sick. No chef, yeah so, stick with me!â 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 familyâevery single thing And heâd walked right into his trap. Well, almost. He would pay! Dearly. Zander thought to himself. He didnât make the mistake of asking Elvie if sheâd known about it. Of course she hadnât. Instead, he focused on how to deal with this shit. âWeâve both been set up,â he said. âAnd heâthe bastardâkilled my parents!â 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. âHeâwill pay! I will make sure heââ "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. âI'm sorry." Elvie had this touch that made sh*t go away. Bad shi
The word âmusicâ comes from the Muses, goddesses of the arts in Greek mythology.I never said it before, because I thought it was tacky, but youâre my goddess (especially your ass).âZanderJohn Lennon started his music career as a choir boy.I never said it before, because it terrified me to admit it, but youâre my church (although I plan to be inside you way more than just on Sundays).âZanderYour heart mimics the beat of the music youâre listening to.I didnât know I even had one before you came along, and now I do, and it hurts like a motherfucker (thanks for that).âZanderRemember 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.)âZanderI 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 hadnât. 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 heâd shown up at her doorstep with flowers and chocolate, Zander had invited everyone into the conference room and announced that heâd given up his position and would only be staying for another month.After he made that announcement, heâd 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.Sheâd 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 blasĂ©. âGood luck explaining it to everyone, sir. Because let me tell you somethingâthe moment Elvie walked into the room and into your life again, she changed you. It wasnât profound. It was even more gradual, but it was there. In the way you started smiling, the way you softened towards your employeesâjust a littleâand started doing the right thing by yourself and Kristal. But standing here?â She shook her head. âI think that man just bailed on us, and it saddens me because I was looking forward to working with and befriending the new Zander.â 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.âCan I help you?â Elvie cocked her head. She wanted to be strong, but she was tired, hungry, and annoyed. And pissed at herselfâso pissed that sheâd 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.âMe? No, though Iâm sure youâll do it at some point once you get fired, divorced, and have to become a waitress to support your slutty ways.â 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 theyâre 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 sheâd 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 touchedâcrawling into each otherâs mouths and seeping into each otherâs souls. Then sheâd 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 didnât 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 outsideâthe kind of dirty, humid rain to break the pulses of summer heat. It reminded her of the day theyâd 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 didnât want him to let go.I didnât want him to keep me there, either. She thought.âI wish Iâd never met you.â 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 couldnât be.The vane of his breath sliced through my ear. âI wish that, too.âThat night, the sex was different.Slow, intense, and angry. Every thrust was a punishme