༺RAYNE༻ “You came,” Damien breathes, taking my hand and kissing the back. “Welcome.” My insides squirm when his lips touch the back of my hand, his hot breath fanning my skin. A breathy gasp rips out of my lips and I gulp as I stare at the man. He lifts his head up to meet my gaze and smiles again. It's not a full, warm smile. It's something in between a smile and a smirk but it's enthralling and mysterious. It's the kind that makes you wonder what he's thinking, what he's capable of. But it really does look good on him. And so does his all-black outfit—black suit, black shirt and black tie. They complement his wet raven hair and his inked skin. My eyes linger on the tattoos on the back of his hands and the ones on his neck. They give him an air of edgy, dangerous refinement. I can tell he’s not the typical suit-and-tie type of guy but he has a dark, magnetic charm that probably makes him an eye candy for the women of New York. I clear my throat and smile a little as he lets go
༺RAYNE༻ What the fuck was Genevieve doing here? And why does Liam look like that? Did the two of them—? My nose scrunches up in disgust and I march to where Liam is. He's standing straight, his muscles and abs shiny with sweat and his hair, wet and ruffled. His expression remains blank through and through like he wasn't doing anything wrong. “What's this?!” My voice is shockingly louder than I expected it to be. “What was Genevieve doing here? Why was she coming out of the house by this time, Liam? And why are you—?” I pause and take in one hell of a deep breath to calm my nerves. It's crazy how I'm getting worked up over this. I wonder why it's affecting me so much. I don't understand why I'm acting like I just caught him cheating on me. I guess it's because it's Genevieve of all people. I never liked her since I caught her trying to kiss Liam at the party Lucas threw for us. She was making a move on him despite knowing that he was engaged to someone else, to me. And that the pa
༺RAYNE༻ “I'm about to show you how I think with my dick.” Liam soughs, pinning my hands above my head and pressing them into the bed. What? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is he going to do what I think he is? He roughly tears my legs apart with one grip, pushing my mini dress upwards. My dress rips at the sides, giving him the leverage to spread my thighs farther apart. He presses his groin against my mound and dips his head close to my face. “Stop!” I shriek and struggle beneath his huge, sturdy frame. Fuck! This man is so strong! “You've been running your mouth too much lately. It's not cute anymore,” he sneers, breathing heavily against my face. “It's time I taught you a lesson. Perhaps a good fuck is the right punishment for you.” He draws in a loud breath and drops his head lower. “But it wouldn't be much of a punishment now, would it? Since you've been dying to have me fuck you for a long time now.” That was before. He's crazy if he thinks I still want that afte
༺RAYNE༻Liam and I stare at each other, both of us unsure how to respond. It had never occurred to us that we would have to go on a honeymoon after we're married. Liam didn't think it was even necessary for our charade hence he would've planned something like that for us.Lucas seems to pick up on our hesitation. “What’s the matter? Do you have some other pressing matters that need your attention? You both don't look excited.”“No, no, we are excited,” Liam coos, snaking his arm around my waist and drawing me closer to him. “Aren't we, babe?”My breasts clamp against his chest, my nipples protruding through the soft cotton of Liam's T-shirt. I fake a sweet smile and place my hand on Liam's chest.“Yes, yes, we're very excited,” I agree with a firm nod. “It’s just...we hadn’t planned on...”My voice falters when Liam gives me a look that demands I stop talking. He's worried I might say something that would throw Lucas off or make him suspect us.Lucas grunts and shakes his head. “Kids
༺RAYNE༻“Bonjour, Paris!”After an almost 13-hour flight, we touch down in Paris. Our car pulls up to the hotel Lucas booked for us. I’m gazing at the place in awe. I have to admit, it’s pretty darn impressive. I’m not exactly doing cartwheels of excitement but I can appreciate the beauty and elegance of this place.Who knew the City of Love could be so swanky?Liam reaches for my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze as soon as we step out of the car. The gesture is all for show obviously. We’re supposed to look like a perfect couple after all. This man doesn’t slack when it comes to playing his part.“Monsieur and Madame Everhart,” a doorman greets us with a respectful bow. “Welcome to Paris. It is an honour to have you stay with us.”Liam just nods while I mouth a ‘thank you’ to him. We’re ushered into the lobby, where everything is just as fancy as the exterior suggested. A very large chandelier hangs from the ceiling like a crystal spider, illuminated with very bright light.It’s th
༺RAYNE༻ It's Day 2 of our honeymoon. So far there's been nothing spectacular or eventful. All Liam and I did yesterday was sleep, eat and sleep. Well, I did more of the sleeping. I slept so much I think I've set a new record while Liam was probably setting a record for most hours spent staring at a screen. He almost never got off his phone or left his laptop. Even if we're not a real couple and we won't be doing all of those sappy romantic things like sunset dinners, couples massages or lovey-dovey walks along the Seine, it'd be really nice to enjoy our stay in Paris. I might never come back here again. My memories of this place shouldn't be only of hotel room walls and Liam's screen time. I want to experience the beauty of Paris, even if it's just for a few days. I want to make real memories here even if this honeymoon is nothing but crap. My voice is sharp when I say to Liam out of the blue, “I want to see the Eiffel Tower.” No response. He's so fixated on his laptop, tapping
༺RAYNE༻ “Damien?” Liam utters his name like a curse, his voice rumbling with a low growl. He snatches the card from my grasp and reads it again and again as if doing so would change the words or make them less true. His eyes narrow into slits, his jaw tightens, and his face darkens with each passing second. It's like he's trying to will the message away, but it's there, staring him in the face. “What the fuck is this, Rayne?” He raises the card to my face, the muscles and veins straining in his arms like they're about to rip out. “Why the fuck is that son of a bitch sending you lingerie and love notes?” I flinch at the intensity of his anger and step back. I'm just as shocked as he is. How the hell would I know why Damien sent me lingerie? I never thought he could do something like this. Sure, our date that night was fun and all. But that was all it was. Plain fun. Damien didn't give me any reason to believe or suspect that he was into me or that he had any romantic feelings for
༺RAYNE༻A flash of surprise flickers in Liam's dark, fierce eyes but it's quickly replaced by a piercing glare that cuts right through me. I watch as his fists clench even tighter, his knuckles turning white.I’ve crossed a line, one that I can’t uncross. His jaw is set so tight I can see a muscle throbbing in his temple. He slowly takes a step forward while I subconsciously move backward.“What did you just say?” His question comes out in a dangerously low pitch tone that's more unsettling than his loud shouts.I step back again and stumble, my breathing shallow, my eyes fixed on his. I raise my palms in a defensive gesture as I shrink.Liam repeats, slightly raising his voice, “What. Did. You. Say?”“I... I...”Why are you scared to speak now, Rayne? Go on, tell him. Tell him. What's the worst that could happen? What's he going to do? Yell and blow a gasket. There's nothing more he could do. My subconscious whispers to me, trying to reason and coax me into telling Liam what I really