*Miles* I sat in my wheelchair in front of the large audience with the award in hand that I had received once before. I could see the various faces I knew all too well from the rather small circle of high society. They were all still bewildered that I could walk. My little rouse had come to an end and I was showing some of the cards that I had held tightly to my chest.I didn’t want to be here but it was part of my schedule that I just couldn’t get out of it.“Thank you for this.” I raised the small sphere in the air. “I don’t have much to say apart from thank you to my wonderful wife, Dove.” I heard the low rumblings of whispers but I still carried on. “You make me a better man. You brought light into my dark world and I will forever be eternally grateful to you and our union.”I stepped away from the microphone and turned to walk off the stage. The cheers that erupted in the neatly decorated ballroom were magnanimous. But I knew better than to believe any of them. They were al
*Dove* The seconds felt like hours and the days felt like years. It was only three days away from him and I felt like I was suffering. Though I would never admit it to him.For the most part, Dylan had left me alone. He would send me the occasional death glare from time to time but other than that he left me alone which I was grateful for because I was not at all in the mood to deal with him.I had too much on my plate already.I walked into my mother’s room trying to mask my unease with happiness so she didn’t see that I was actually borderline depressed.“Hey, baby,” she smiled weakly.She looked better today than she had the last few weeks. There was a little bit of color in her cheeks and she had gained a bit of the weight that she had lost.“Hey, Mom.” I came to sit by her side. I took her small hand in mine and kissed the back of it. “How are you feeling?”“Like a strong gust of wind could take me down.”“Mom,” I chided, “be serious with me here.”“Come on, Dove. If
*Miles* After I had typed that message to her I had called my pilot and to be ready to take off within the hour. I hopped off my bed and started packing my clothes into the suitcase. It was all short notice but I needed to be back with my wife.These past few days had been torture. I had wanted to bring her on this event. I wanted this chance to show her off to the world the way she deserved to be, but instead I had flown all the way here alone. I had been tossing and turning in ,y be alone wondering what she was doing. Tony had found me insufferable to say the least because I strictly communicated through grunts and frowns. My mind was too wrapped up in Dove who was likely thinking of divorce—well, after the message she sent me I saw a glimmer of hope. She missed me and that was good enough for me. Milan was fine—note my sarcasm—but I needed to head back to my wife and I had about an 8 hour journey back to New York.Tony walked into the room looking like was on the brink of
*Dove* “Hey, birdie.” His voice reached my ears like a sweet harmony. “I missed you.”Miles's hand cupped the side of my face, my dream feeling so real. I leaned into his warmth and closed my eyes, relishing the touch.I missed him far more than I had let myself realize.I placed my hand on top of his, our fingers threading together.“Dove, open your eyes.” His voice was soft and comforting. It reached deep into the crevasse of my chest and stroked my heart gently.Oh how I had missed hearing it. Wait.This all felt far too real to be just a dream. I blinked my eyes open, the world becoming a little more clearer as the sleep melted from my eyes.“Are you real?” My hand lifted tentatively as if I were scared—in truth I worried that he wasn’t real and the moment I touched his skin he would disappear into thin air. My fingertips brushed the edge of his sharp jaw, his ocean eyes filling with..relief at the contact. I pressed my fingers down and cupped the side of his face fe
Our tongues fought against each other, and our hands clawed at each other like uncaged animals. Every kiss and touch felt like a new mark on our story—the story we had decided today would begin for real. There were no false pretenses, no inks on papers. This was just me and him.We fought for dominance, neither one of us wanting to yield.We ripped our lips apart, our lungs gasping for air. Our foreheads leaned against each other, our bodies heating with the kind of heat that had been subdued for months now.“Take me to bed, Miles.”He didn’t need to be told twice. He picked me up in his arms and led us to our room. Layer by layer we removed our clothing until there was nothing but skin left between us. He hovered over me, his eyes boring into mine like he was a starved man and I was food on a silver platter. The desire in his eyes filled me with a scorching heat that had me writhing beneath him. With his hard cock in his hand, he ran the crown through my slick folds. Just a little
*Miles*I woke up to the smell of vanilla in my nostrils and I knew exactly where I was. My arm was draped around her body and her hair was sprawled out all across my chest.I could wake up like this every day.After last night, I knew that there was no way in hell that I was ever going to let this woman go. Dove had me. She was my end, my undoing, and my ruin.I watched her chest rise and fall gently. The sun was barely peaking beyond the large concrete buildings and I knew that it was still early. Which meant that I had enough time to head to the kitchen and prepare some food for her before she woke up.I had no idea when I became the guy who does breakfast in bed but I just knew that I wanted to take care of her in every single way.I carefully detached myself from her and made sure to cover her body with a sheet. Clothes lay scattered on the floor from last night and I couldn’t help but smile. Last night had been nothing short of perfect. The way her body had melded against
*Dove* Sabrina: Just say the word and I will torch his house down. I can even make it look like an accident.Amy: Must you always think of felonies as solutions? I’m shocked you haven’t ended up in jail.I read the messages in the group chat after my shower. The last two days had been a whirlwind of emotions, but I can safely say that I had never been happier in my entire life. I was just so…happy.Dove: I think we can hold out on getting criminal charges onto our records. We don’t need the police after us.Sabrina: What part of I can make it look like an accident don’t you guys get?Sabrina: Anyway, it’s fine. When are you coming back to work, D?Oh yes, there was that little thing that I still needed to address. Work was the last thing on my mind right now. All I wanted to do was just hide in this little bubble that Miles and I had created.Dylan was the last face I wanted to see. After all he had done to me. After all that had been said. I couldn’t see myself working for
I looked down at the little arrangement that I had done and smiled.After Brandon had left, I got to work in the kitchen. I knew that Miles would be home a little later than expected and I wanted to do something nice for him. After my talk with Brandon, I wanted to show Miles how much I cared. He had done so much for me and I wanted to make him feel special today.“Steaks in the oven and table is set.” I was proud of myself.And just in time, the elevator door opened, and in walked my husband who looked like he had been through one hell of a day. But even with his tiredness, his lips split into a smile at the sight of me.“Hey, birdie,” he smiled. “Come here.”I practically ran to him and threw myself into his arms, my legs curling around his waist and pulling me in closer. My lips connected with his in a short but electric kiss that had all the nerve endings in my body tingling.Oh, this man.When we pulled apart we both had matching grins on our faces. His eyes danced with hap
*Dove*It’s been a week since the night Dylan apologized for the way he treated me after my assault and the things he has done since. True to his word, he has changed his ways. He is no longer belittling me or making me complete stupid tasks at work. He has treated me like every other employee and that’s all I could have ever asked for. I don’t want him to give me special treatment now that he’s admitted to his wrongs—I just want him to treat me like everyone else.Miles and I have grown closer this past week—if that’s even possible as a married couple. It just feels like everything is falling into place with us now. We have our routine that we do each day—we eat dinner together, have a drink, and then watch a movie if we’re not trying to rip each other’s clothes off. I know we’re still in our honeymoon phase, but God I hope this feeling of excitement whenever he’s around and the need to be near him at all times never fades. I’m so in love with this man and I couldn’t be luck
*Dove*When I step into the penthouse, the aroma of spices hits my sinuses. I smile when I hear Miles curse from the kitchen. I shake my head and drop my handbag by the front door. What is this man up to?I pad along the floorboards until I reach the kitchen where I find Miles hovering over the stovetop with his back to me. Deciding I want to enjoy this moment of my husband cooking me dinner, I lean against the wall and fold my arms over my chest. He’s still wearing a black button-down from work but he has the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing the thick veins lining his forearms.God, I hope he has a few buttons undone. It drives me crazy when he wears his shirt like that.His hair is a mess atop his head, likely from the stress of trying to cook dinner before I got home. Talking to Dylan downstairs just now gave him some extra time to finish up, but it seems something is going wrong if he’s cursing loud enough for me to hear across the penthouse. “Is everything
*Dove*After a long day of work, I couldn’t be more excited to get home to my husband to see what he plans on doing with me tonight. The tips of my fingers are tingling with excitement as I grip the steering wheel tight, getting lost in thought about what tonight could potentially lead to. I’m glad I was able to sit down with Amy and Sabrina to let them know everything in my life is back on track. I needed it, and if it weren’t for their support, I would’ve been a mess waiting for Miles to reach out to me after he stormed out of the penthouse. I couldn’t thank my best friends enough. However, I’m still a little on edge after the odd interaction I had with Dylan this afternoon. He is not one to back down or give in easily, so the fact that he willingly walked away when I told him I wasn’t able to talk to him is a little concerning. I couldn’t read his features because they were stoic, so I wasn’t able to try and get an understanding of what could be going through his mind.
*Dove*Walking into work this morning, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Last night with Miles went well. After he ate me out until my brain felt like it was going to explode and then proceeded to remind me just how much he loves me by fucking me until I almost blacked out, we lay in bed and discussed what happened further.He apologized repeatedly for overreacting, and I had to reassure him every time that I forgave him. We all make mistakes, and Miles is the type of person who chooses to run from his problems instead of facing them head-on. It’s something he has agreed to work on, which I’m grateful for. The last thing I want is another misunderstanding like that.When we woke up this morning, he had cooked me breakfast in bed with the promise of repeating what we did the night before. It was safe to say my cheeks were red the entire morning. I’ll never not blush when it comes to my husband and his way with words. I’m just grateful that we sorted eve
*Dove*By the time the taxi drops me back at the penthouse and I say goodbye to Amy and Sabrina, I’m brimming with anger. I can’t believe Miles would go to a bar with his assistant after ignoring me for twenty-four hours, then spot me across the room, and still make no move to come and talk to me. Granted, discussing such a topic at a bar might not be the most appropriate location, but still.I had to hold Amy back from walking across the room and giving my husband a piece of her mind. As much as I love her for wanting to stick up for me, this is a battle I have to fight on my own. I kick my shoes off by the front door and march toward the kitchen, not even bothering to turn on the lights—the city skyline provides enough light. I need something to help with the anger burning in my chest, so I think pouring wine into the largest glass I can find will do the trick. Once my glass is full, I walk to the couch and plop down. Taking a large gulp, I watch water droplets race down th
*Dove*I feel like a zombie walking into the office this morning. My shoulders are tense, my brain is foggy, and I think I’m wearing mismatched socks. I barely got any sleep last night after Miles stormed out of the penthouse after his little blow-up. Over what? I’m still trying to figure that one out.His overreaction to the conversation I had with my mom yesterday is still a mystery to me. Why the hell would he think I was planning to leave him after a simple warning? My mom never said the words, “Leave him.” She just wants me to be careful, and while I understand her concerns, it’s not enough for me to leave my husband for fear that he might one day hurt me. Miles isn’t like that.I tried to call and text him multiple times throughout the night. At first, the phone would ring out, but eventually, it just went straight to voicemail, as if my calling him to find out if he was okay was annoying him. I was upset to begin with because he had left me alone without providing any i
*Miles*The front door to the quiet apartment swings open violently from the force of my pushing it. The doorknob collides with the wall behind it, but I’m too angry to care whether it put a dent in the plaster or not. The apartment is illuminated by the lights of New York City’s skyline streaming in through the open windows I didn’t bother to close the last time I was here.I can’t even remember how long ago that was. Slamming the door closed behind me, I don’t bother switching on the main light in the living room. Instead, I stalk across the large space with my hands balled into fists at my side. I need a fucking drink so bad. The anger brimming beneath the surface is desperate for the rich liquid to relax it. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same. When I open the door to the liquor cabinet, I’m pleased to see the expensive bottle of whiskey I bought when I first bought the place where I left it, catching dust. Wrapping my hand around the neck, I pull it
*Dove*My hands grip the steering wheel tightly as I drive along the highway. The headlights from the oncoming cars blind me momentarily, but I barely notice them because I feel as though I’m on autopilot, just going through the motions. Since leaving the hospital twenty minutes ago, my mom’s words have been replaying in my mind over and over again, like a broken down record that won’t stop fucking spinning.I understand her concerns when it comes to Miles, especially because he is a powerful man with lots of money and our marriage is still only new. But I trust him with my life. I couldn’t fathom him doing to me what my father did to my mom. My father did a shitty thing leaving me and my mom when we needed him most, but Miles isn’t anything like him. He’s caring, loving, attentive, and above all, so fucking kind. My mom has nothing to worry about because I’m not worried. When I’m with Miles, I feel like the only girl in the world, especially when he looks at me like I’m
*Dove*The drive to the hospital from my work takes a little longer with the after-work rush hour traffic. New York City is a pain in the ass to drive in. The honking from taxis was excessive and the amount of pedestrians I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting because they walked out in front of me was too much to keep count of. Everyone just always seems to be in a rush to get somewhere. I don’t share that mentality, however. I’m more than happy to take my time because I know I’ll get to my destination eventually. I wished everyone in this damn city thought the same way.Driving through the packed parking garages next to the hospital, I manage to snag a space, bringing my car to a park. I heave a deep breath and look down at my watch. I have time for a quick visit with my mom before I head home to have dinner with my husband.I decided that after the bombshell Dylan dropped on me today about the photos that were taken the night of my assault, I knew I had to see my m