༺RAYNE༻Liam didn't come back. I waited and waited for him, way more than the 10 minutes he told me to wait. Every passing minute was torture, felt like an eternity and my anxiety spiked with every milisecond.Even when the shouts had died down and there wasn't a single gunshot to be heard, I was still suffocated with dread. The silence only freaked me out more. I was losing my mind, imagining only the worst.But I did what I was told. I wouldn't want to jeopardize Liam's plans, whatever it was. Or make him have one more thing to worry about, like I wasn't already a liability. And I certainly didn't want to go against his wishes, even if my sanity depended on it.So I called 'Raider'.It was a gravelly, deep voice that answered. I told him about the shootout, Liam's instructions and how he hadn't returned yet. All he said was “Okay” and then he hung up. He didn't bother asking about my location or if I was safe, which only added to my anxiety.Help arrived in less than 20 minutes, whi
༺RAYNE༻ "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Henry Campbell and Rayne Sullivan in holy matrimony," the priest booms throughout the church hall, a small smile planted on his lips. This is it! I clutch my bouquet, my eyes locked on Henry's eyes as he gently reaches for my hand. I'm finally getting married to the man of my dreams! What could possibly go wrong? "And now, before we proceed, I must ask, is there anyone here who thinks these two should not be wed? Speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest continues, looking around the room. Oh, the formalities! I want to laugh. Like anyone would actually burst in through those doors right now and object to our wedding. Stuff like that only happens in— "Whoa, hold up, people!" A loud voice cuts through my train of thoughts and I turn back, along with every single person in the church to see a dark-skinned woman stomping in. "This whole damn wedding ain't happening on my watch!" She yells again, coming over t
༺RAYNE༻ I freeze on my seat, my entire body goes stiff. But my heart lurches and a wave of heat washes through me. I find myself leaning further into the kiss and breathing in the delicious scent of the stranger. He smells so good, so tasteful and so perfect. His lips, my God, his lips are heavenly, warm and delightful. This is so wrong. Why do I feel good about being kissed by a strange man? He pulls away from me and I want to whimper from disappointment. The man locks gazes with me as if he's searching for something in my eyes. His mouth parts slightly open, letting a ragged gasp escape and caress my face. I shudder at the touch of his hot breath and feel my legs weaken. He's gorgeous—I want to say out loud. Dreamy grey eyes, beautiful, soft yet masculine features and lips that call my name without uttering a word. His powerful scent, his aura, everything about him is drawing me in. It's either that or the cocktail is taking a toll on me. "I've missed you, my little vixen,
༺RAYNE༻ The dark, fierce look in his eyes becomes more intense and my body trembles. I've never been naked in front of any man other than Henry. And oddly, I've never felt this good at the thought of getting fucked before. He lowers his head to the centre of my thighs and roughly spreads them apart. When his hot breath grazes my sleek folds, I want to melt. I part my legs wider, giving him all the access he needs to do his dirty work on me. Henry rarely ever went down on me. He claimed it's too disgusting yet he pressured me to suck him off a lot. My hot British jerk starts caressing my mound, running his fingers over my fleshy smoothness. I had shaved thoroughly for my wedding night and even went as far as waxing my bikini line, hoping to impress Henry. I never thought I'd be letting another man have it let alone a total stranger. This is thrilling and I'm so turned on right now. I forget for a while that I'm doing this for revenge. How can I not when he's touching me like he
༺RAYNE༻ It’s been a week since my life came crashing down. I’m broke, homeless and devastated. But at least I’ve got a roof over my head. Even if it’s a cheap dirty motel that could definitely pass off as a brothel. Thanks to the money that man had given me, I was able to pay for accommodation, get a few clothes and food. And now, I’m at the brink of being kicked out of the motel. I’ve also run out of my medication. I never would’ve thought my life would ever come down to this. I’ll never forgive you, Henry! The only fortunate thing about my miserable life right now is that I still have a job. I started working as an assistant secretary at Everhart Investments a few months before my wedding. It’s among the largest investment banks in the world. And like a fool, I deposited all the money I made into my and Henry’s joint account for our wedding. I trusted him blindly. Now look where it has gotten me. I’m back at work. I have to get my life together although, I’m not sure how
༺RAYNE༻ My eyes open groggily to find a man in a white coat standing next to me. I take in my surroundings. I inhale a deep breath when it dawns on me that I'm in a hospital. How did I get here? “Hello, Miss Sullivan,” the doctor speaks, observing me. “How long have I been out?” I mumble. “Just a few hours,” he responds. “It appears you have severe diabetes, type 1 diabetes to be exact. Your blood sugar levels were critically low but we got it under control. It seems you've been neglecting your treatment and it took a toll on your body.” I've been expecting this to happen but I dreaded it. I've got no money for my insulin injections and other medications. “How did I get here?” “A man brought you in this morning. He goes by the name Liam Everhart. He covered all of your expenses and paid for your follow-up treatment and medications. He's quite concerned about your health.” The mention of Liam's name takes me by surprise. He really paid for all of this? Why would he? H
༺RAYNE༻ I blink once, my mouth parting wide open. I blink again, my eyes roaming over Mr Everhart’s face. And in that instant, I burst into a loud, hearty laugh. Heaven knows I haven’t laughed this hard in ages. “Oh, Mr Everhart, I didn’t realize you had a sense of humour,” I say, shaking my head as my laugh fades into a low chuckle. Mr Everhart glares at me, one of his eyebrows wrinkled. “Excuse me?” My chuckle wears off into a half smile. “I’m sorry… It’s just… What you said is very funny.” His lips twist into a frown and his jaw tightens. He stares me down like a man assessing some secondhand goods, wondering whether they’re worth the price on them. The stern look on his face makes me buckle up. I clear my throat and adjust my sitting position, moving slightly away from him. He doesn’t tear his gaze from me and it’s making me really uncomfortable now. “What do you take me for? A clown? A stand-up comedian?” he snarls. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I
༺RAYNE༻ I’m temporarily lost for words and I’m certain my face must’ve twisted in shock like a clown in a kid’s birthday party. My jaw slackens and my eyes probably look like they’re ready to pop out of their sockets. “$10 million?!” I say in a squeak, my mouth instantly watering. Mr Everhart nods. I snatch the papers I’d tossed and begin skimming through them like a hawk. And then I see it written in bold—$10,000,000. How on earth did I skip this? That’s such a ridiculously large amount. I can’t believe he’s willing to throw it away just like that. This marriage must really mean that much to him. He must be desperate or crazy—or both. But why me? Mr Everhart carries on, still calm as ever. “And that’s not even counting the other perks that come with being my wife. Lifetime health insurance, a generous monthly stipend,” he pauses and then adds, “basically anything you want. All you have to do is be my wife for one year.” My heart starts beating like a marching band. I bite my l