Elvie closed her eyes before responding, "Yeah?""You okay?""Yes. A little dizzy, but erm, I think I’ll have a drink. Would you like champagne? I feel like some, don’t you? This is a good one. Wow, I’ve been to the vineyard. It was amazing, so picturesque." She fumbled with the foil around the top of the bottle, sudden nerves and shyness assailing her.Zander came over, took the bottle from her, and placed it back in the ice bucket. He put his hands on her waist, his expression as tender as she had ever seen it. "You’re nervous. Why is that?" He said it as a statement, not as a question. Elvie pulled at one side of her lower lip with her teeth, her cheeks feeling as if someone had lit a fire under them."It was probably a fluke down at the beach. I might not be able to do it again."He lifted her chin with the tip of his finger, holding her gaze with his. "No one’s keeping time here, wife; we can do whatever we want. Hmmm, what do you want us to do anyway?" He teased her. "You can ta
Zander had worshipped her body, not exploited it. He had caressed it, not coerced it. He had respected it, drawing from her a depth of passion she had never given to anyone else. She hadn’t been capable of it with anyone else. Her body had never wanted anyone like it wanted him. It was as if she was programmed to respond to his touch alone. Zander leaned his weight on one elbow and used his other hand to stroke her cheek. His eyes held hers in a gentle tether that made her feel even closer to him. It was as if he had glimpsed who she really was and liked what he saw. “You are amazing, wife.” Elvie gave him a shy smile. Silly to be feeling so shy after what they’d just done, but still. “I don’t suppose you’ve had too many dreams like this?" He idly curled a strand of her hair around one of his fingers, the slight tug on her scalp making her shiver in delight. “Maybe?” “Good, because it’s nothing any man should take for granted. What pleases one woman might not please another. Commu
A few hours later, Zander stood and breathed in the warm night air scented with the brine of the sea. He loved being out on the water, away from all his responsibilities. Out here, he could breathe. He could reflect on the goals he had achieved instead of dwelling on the ones he hadn’t. He wasn’t sure why he’d told Elvie about his past—not in so much detail. But she had shared a lot about herself—deeply personal stuff that couldn’t have been easy to share.He enjoyed being out here with her—maybe a little too much. The desire that roared between them wasn’t something that was going to fade away any time soon. Not on his part, anyway.Zander didn’t know what it was about her that made him so fired up. She was beautiful, but then he slept with many beautiful women. No, it was more than that. She was captivating, she was pure and honest; she was too kind for her own good, she wasn't selfish, she was everything he wanted for a woman—for a wife. She was smart and funny, and she responded t
He tugged at her yoga pants, and she slipped down off the bench to free them from her body, leaving her in a tiny pair of black knickers with tiny hot-pink bows. Zander picked Elvie up, carried her to the living area, and laid her on one of the leather sofas. He removed the rest of his clothes and came down beside her, his mouth coming back to hers in a kiss that sent incendiary heat throughout his body. Her tongue wrestled and writhed with his, and her lips were soft, supple, and playful. Her teeth got into the action with little kittenish bites that made the blood thunder through his veins. It had been a long time since he’d worried about losing control, but, with her mouth working its mesmerising magic on his, he seriously wondered whether he would go the distance. Need pulsed, powered, and panted through him. Elvie’s body beckoned to him, her legs opening and her arms around his neck as tight as a vine.Zander put his hands around her wrists, encircling them like handcuffs, but sh
"You could set up a consultancy of your own. You could help your brother."Elvie had always resisted the thought of working for her brother’s company.She had been so determined to be independent from her parents and from her brother. But she knew there were opportunities that would be career-enhancing and personally satisfying. "I don't know; I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to juggle my job without taking on anything else, especially with Thea. Now, you.""Me?""Yeah.""Zander, you need a trophy wife. I can play the game you want, regardless of whether I'll be Bella’s assistant or not.""I’m not expecting you to quit your job to cater to my needs," Zander said. "You have the right to work where you please. I have business commitments too. I’m just putting out the idea in case you’d like to think about it."She bit her lip and said, "What would be the point of setting up something I will then have to stop once our marriage is over?"His gaze suddenly seemed to be darker t
Zander hadn't had a holiday for months, so he kept telling himself that was why he was feeling so relaxed after a week sailing around the islands. He’d chosen a couple of private hideaways he was familiar with, where he and Elvie had swum in quiet coves with the fish darting below them or lain on pristine beaches. But, if he were honest with himself, he knew it was because Elvie was proving to be the best thing that had happened to him in a long time.Maybe ever. He woke each morning with a tick of excitement in his blood. Not just because the sex they had was getting better and better, but because the companionship they’d developed had settled into friendship, unlike anything he’d had before with anyone else. He looked forward to discussing things with her—current affairs or business things that came through on email. She had a good mind and sound common sense, and he enjoyed listening to her take on current issues. They cooked together, read together, walked, swam, and snorkelled to
“If you ever had the pleasure of getting in bed with me again..." Zander narrowed his cold eyes on hers. “You would be the one to catch fire, and we both know it.”“I don't think so. You did all the work on the yacht, remember? ”He frowned.“Oops! Did I hit some nerves, husband, dear? ”With that, he curled his finger, motioning her into the conference room. People had begun to trickle straight into it with their coffee cups and sleepy eyes. Elvie obeyed, her catlike, limber walk telling him she knew he was looking.Matheo, the old cow, opened the door for them before he walked in.“Hey, Sonny boy. How's the honeymoon?" He clapped his back.“Call me that again if you want a one-way ticket to early retirement,” Zander muttered.“Junior.” He winked at Elvie.“Mr. Ass," she saluted.They shared a knowing smile. Zander punched him in the face. Internally, of course. His limits were few and far between, but they were there. Besides, Matheo had just married the morning show’s latest weathe
Elvie knew she was being irrational, but she still logged into the SBC software’s Messenger app and group-messaged Gerald, Bella, and Almera. For the past few weeks, she’d been spending her lunch breaks exclusively with them. Not surprisingly, they had their noses in everyone’s business.Elvie: Did you know why Kristal is back?Almera: NO! And really? The bitch is here in the building?Bella: Yes, I saw her go inside my boss's office.Bella: Elvie? Why did you let the bitch in?Gerald: You are the wife. Did you let her in?Elvie: Hey! Relax; I trust Zander, and yes, I think she wants to talk to him. No biggie.Gerald: Shit! You have no idea, but troubles followed her anywhere; be warned.Bella: Elvie, I don't like this...Gerald: The sweet part. I’ve seen them together enough to know the man likes her as much as I love getting my crotch waxed. (The results are far more aesthetically pleasing than shaving, if you’re wondering.)Elvie: We weren’t, but thanks for the mental image.Elvie: