Chapter Three: Salty

Adrian Muaas Knox

The startling deep redness of her gaze was one he never anticipated.  To say he hated their intensity would be an understatement: Ruby was nothing like he expected or wanted her to be.

She had been in his car, in his space and around his men, so where in the hell did she get the courage to test him?

“You sure you are okay?”

His Beta Leon asked from across him for the third time since they had settled in the set-up tents.

It was night now, but the ceremony was still in full swing—loud music, dancing and all.

“Fine.”

He stated briefly before lifting his favourite whisky to his lips.

“So…did you meet her?”

He knew who his beta was referring to, but he wasn’t in the mood to discuss her.

“You think I want to waste my breath describing a Clive?”

“Technically, a ‘Knox’ once you get married.”

“No. She will keep her name.”

He wanted to add that he didn’t need her soiling his, but those are not words an engaged man should utter about his partner.

“Brr, are you going to be this cold during your marriage?”

At his Beta’s question, Ruby’s voice rang in his ears.

‘The Alpha will never have to worry about that.’

For some reason, her words irritated more than soothed him.

He hated the confidence she said them in, which, paired with the intense redness of her gaze, made him feel as if she were looking down on him.

It made him, for a moment, want her to fall in love with him--or at least profess her love to him so that he could reject her. He wasn’t a sadist, but he would love to see her cry.

Again, for the nth time, his mind took him to the curves of her breasts that seemed to spill from her gown, the touch of deep crimson on her lips and her scent—Christ, her scent, of crisp, fresh and sweet watermelon.

He wanted to devour her.

He could not deny that she was attractive, but she was also a Clive.

“We have our agreements.”

He responded finally when his thoughts collected themselves.

“Well, she caught the bouquet, in case you missed it; she looked pretty happy too. Are you sure the agreements aren’t one-sided?”

Leon added before refilling his glass.

Adrian had not missed it—he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her since they arrived, not because she was mesmerising but because he wanted an opportunity to take her confidence down a notch.

Her smile and laughter as she caught the bouquet made him want to walk to her and tell her not to forget that their marriage was only a contract one, but by the time he saw her again, she no longer held the flowers in her hand.

“Oh, there she is.”

His Beta uttered, and he did not know why he turned in the direction he gestured.

He didn’t see her.

“I think she’s headed to the exit. You should escort her home as her fiancé.”

“She’s fine.”

“Of course, she’s fine, but she’s friends with the Queen and if you want stable connections in your new position….”

His Beta drawled as if the ending to his sentence were obvious.

“Ugh! Fine…fine.”

He had dismissed his security, so weaving through the crowd towards the exit was easy.

His hand reached for Ruby’s arm when he finally arrived where she stood awaiting her driver in the night’s cold; the second he touched her cold skin, her eyes flew to him on high alert as if she were about to flee from him.

“Oh…you.”

“‘You’?”

He repeated before his nose lifted to inhale her scent that was corrupted by that of whisky and nicotine.

“Have you been smoking?”

“What? No.”

A lie, he understood instantly when she lowered her nose to sniff her flesh.

His grip on her hand tightened.

“I don’t want a wife who smokes.”

He uttered through gritted teeth.

There were only cars around them, but most of them were tinted. He didn’t want anyone eavesdropping.

Her gaze lifted slowly to his before she smiled—the same condescending smile she held in the car.

“And I don’t want to have to address my husband by his title—especially in public, but here we are. Now let go of me, Alpha. My car is here.”

A sleek black car pulled up next to them as she uttered the words.

“I will drop you home.”

“Hard pass.”

“I am not asking, Ruby.”

His hand tightened on her flesh when she began to fight his hold, but when she winced, he lessened his grip, opting instead to pull her to his arms—a mistake, he realised when her delicious scent flooded his nostrils.

Her curves felt delicious against his hard body. He almost reached for the small of her back to press her firmer against him, but her visible stiffening reminded him of their relationship.  

“Let me take you home.”

His voice was far raspier than he anticipated. It didn’t help that his gaze was held in place by the red stain of her lipstick that remained unnaturally perfect on her plump lips despite the liveliness of the ceremony; come to think of it, not even a strand of hair was out of place. Aside from the smell of nicotine, she maintained herself too perfectly.

“If you are trying to score brownie points with the King and Queen, they are watching fireworks, deeply in love and away from here. So, let me go, or I will scream, and if I do resort to the latter threat, I promise you, the rumour of your assault will diminish every charitable act you perform as Alpha.”

A smile that held only malice formed on her lips as she continued.

“Do you want to be known as the Alpha that almost raped his wife? Hell, I can scream murder too. Whose words do you think they will believe?”

Fury hummed in his veins.

“You are threatening me?”

He tried his best to school his expression, but when her vindictive chuckle followed his question, he felt his face contort to mirror his rage.

“Aww…is the big bad Alpha scared?”

His free hand gave into temptation and flew to her waist to press her body harder against his. Without his conscious control, his fingers dug into her flesh and seconds later, the sound of his nails tearing through her bodice sounded followed closely by a gasp that neared a moan.

He stilled.

He meant to pull her close and berate her in a low tone so that no one could eavesdrop, yet why? Why did he want to swallow the moan she uttered?

No! She is a Clive.

"You have a peculiar second name, ‘Mallory’, right? Do you know its meaning?"

Her condescending smile fell, and he felt his heart flutter.

“Unlucky or unfortunate. What must a parent feel to regard their child’s existence as unfortunate? Was it the red eyes? Even an idiot can tell a green-eyed father, and a brown-eyed mother cannot sire a red-eyed child. Your only redeeming quality is your hair, and... isn’t black too common?"

His hand let go of her elbow to catch her free hand that moved fast toward him, no doubt planning to slap him.

“Watch yourself. If-”

His words halted when he took in the downward tilted corners of her crimson stain lips and their slight wobble, but it was the daggers her red eyes shot that increased the beating of his heart.

Again, he was not a sadist. It was beyond him why his cock stiffened against his pants.

Her exaggerated breathing from her anger made her chest press harder against his when she inhaled; the sweetness of watermelon, for some reason, hung at the tip of his tongue—would she taste the way she smelled?

Suddenly, all he could think about was crushing his lips against hers, forcing her mouth open, and sliding his tongue inside to taste her sweetness.

Her eyes moved to his lips, and he felt victorious. Eagerness replaced the earlier fury as he lowered slowly to her height.

She must have lifted her frame to his because the distance closed too suddenly, but just as his lips almost crashed into hers, she dropped to her usual height and turned her face away, leaving him gazing at her unscarred cheek and marvelling at the length of her lashes.

“Excuse me! A little help here?”

She uttered loudly to someone behind him, and her earlier threats rang in his mind.

His hold on her dropped instantly, and before he could turn to look at the person she was addressing, she pushed him and dashed to the car that had arrived.

By the time he realised that there had been no one else but them in the space, the car she had entered left the driveway.

Adrian’s trembling hand reached his lips.

How dare she? How dare she speak to him as if he were beneath her, make threats and then deny him her taste?

The scent of watermelon lingered on his fingers; he tried his best to resist the urge, but his tongue licked against one of the finger’s tips; it tasted salty.

“You will regret this, Ruby.”