Bought Bride Read online

  The red dress he’d asked her to wear hadn’t helped hide her. If anything, she stood out as most of the women wore black or deep blue gowns. She wore the only red gown, and her hair was gathered at her nape with a huge flower clip that kept it in place.

  Her makeup was modest, only trying to enhance her beauty. She’d scoffed at the woman who said that.

  Still, she looked the part, and she loved having Rafe’s arm around her. That day in the office where he’d touched her ass, she’d felt so out of sorts with his hands on her. Now, she relished his arm on her hip, back, or ass. When he took her hand, it made all the doubts simply evaporate.

  She spotted his mother and took a sip of the wine she’d been given, being sure not to drink too much.

  The men moved away, and she offered them a smile.

  “You’re doing great,” Rafe said, kissing her head and whispering the words so that only she could hear.

  “Really, because I feel like everyone is looking at me and laughing. Like they can see through all of this,” she said.

  She turned her attention to him and saw the concern in his gaze. “Don’t let them get to you.” He stroked her hip. “You’re better than this. You’re my wife.”

  “I can’t help but wonder if there are other women who wanted this position here tonight?”

  “Yes, there are, and yes, there are also some exes, but I assure you, you’re the only one I want standing here.”

  They’d been together over a month now. A month since he’d spilled coffee on her, she’d married him, and now slept in his bed. That had to be the strangest thing of all, sharing a bed with her husband. A man she’d never had sex with.

  “Here comes my mother. Be warned, she has claws.” His hand did the shape of one, and he meowed.

  She giggled and stifled the sound as she was right in front of them.

  “I see you’re bringing this farce of a marriage everywhere,” his mother said.

  “Hello, Mrs. Shawl, such a pleasure to see you here,” Ellis said.

  The other woman glared at her.

  “What the hell are you doing, Rafe? You bring trash to the boardroom, and now are insistent on doing the same to our circle of friends.”

  Ellis wasn’t even going to pretend that it didn’t hurt. She’d been called worse than trash, but with people to hear, knowing they smirked, it was hard.

  “Well, I could say that I’m following in my father’s footsteps. I mean, you were known as the whore of the Shawl household. At least my wife doesn’t spread for anyone who offers her a gold watch.”

  She tensed at the outrage in his mother’s gaze.

  “How dare you speak to me like that?” his mother said.

  “How dare you speak to my wife like that? Don’t you dare look at her. I see the way you’ve been glaring at her all evening, spreading vicious rumors about her. She’s mine, Mother, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to stop that.”

  Rafe moved them away from the woman, and without a backward glance they left the party.

  The moment they were inside the limousine, she chanced a glance at him, and saw him running fingers through his hair.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I should be the one asking you.”

  “Being called trash is not that bad,” she said.

  She rested her head back against the seat, and he turned toward her. His hand cupped her cheek, and his thumb stroked her skin. The light touch was welcome. She’d begun to crave his touch, and didn’t want it to ever stop.

  “You’re not trash, Ellis.”

  “I’ve been called fat, ugly, useless, a waste of space. I’ve been called worse than trash. Your mother is just trying to get a rise out of you.”

  He chuckled. “I’ve never called her out on her shit before. There were always rumors about her and how she cheated on my father.”

  “Will this end up badly for you?” she asked.

  “She’ll try to find a way to take the controlling shares of the company. My father always had fifty-five percent shares of the company, and the rest is split among the board members. My mother has been trying to buy out other board members, because she wants absolute control. Our shares would be split equally if I don’t prove myself with a wife and family. The problem is, my mother isn’t above using her body to get what she wants.”

  “Buying shares?”

  “Or blackmailing shares out of the other members. I own fifty-two percent of the company. As the heir of the company, I will always have majority share, but the other forty-eight percent is divided between the other members of the board.”

  “It’s giving me a headache,” she said, rubbing at her temple. “I’m awful at math.”

  “And it’s boring. Believe me, I hate it as well.” His hand moved from her cheek down to her neck, and she gasped. She really enjoyed his touch more than anything. Their nights together were her favorite time having his arm wrapped around her.

  “I’m here for you, Rafe.” She placed her hand against his chest, hoping he got some comfort from her touch.

  ****

  Time spent with Ellis began to fill Rafe’s mind with different kinds of memories, which his father had once talked about. Sure, he spent a great deal of time working, and he was aware of the PI trying to find a hole in his and Ellis’s story. When he didn’t think about that though, he watched as Ellis smiled, or sucked some syrup from her thumb, or even just sat listening to him as they built a world around each other.

  Before his father died, he’d told him about love, and how important it was for him to find it. Rafe didn’t really understand it and had put most of his rambling down to the pain of a dying man. A man who’d trusted the wrong woman, and was now dying miserably and all alone.

  Late one night, playing a game of cards with Ellis, he was distracted by the opening of her robe. The silk negligee she wore underneath was tempting him. Since she’d walked out of the bedroom they now shared, his cock had been in a permanent state of arousal. Just thinking about sharing a bed with her got him hard. Holding her in his arms was the best part of his day, but come morning, he’d always have to make sure he was the first one up so that she didn’t see what she did to him.

  Each day though, it was getting harder for him to not want her.

  Even when he worked, he found himself watching her. She’d often read, or do some studying of his company. He loved to watch her walk toward the large wall of books he always kept on hand. She’d place a hand on her hip, which only seemed to emphasize the curve, making him wish he was the one holding her.

  “You okay over there?” she asked, placing her card on top of the pile.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re thinking a lot.”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “About what?” she asked, taking a sip of her water. Her tongue peeked out, and he watched her lick up the drop, making him ache.

  “Did you have a boyfriend waiting for you back home?” He’d been so focused on getting what he wanted that he’d not even given her wants or desires a thought.

  She laughed. “No, of course not. Do you think I’d marry another guy while I had someone waiting for me back home?”

  “Have you dated anyone?” he asked.

  “What is all this about?”

  “I guess I’m just trying to figure you out.”

  “Let’s see, the last guy I dated told me that he couldn’t stand to touch me anymore because my curves were a turn-off. I’ve had two serious boyfriends, but they’ve lasted about six months each.” She shrugged. “When I met you, I’d been in a rough patch.”

  “It was kind of lucky for you to find me.”

  “If I recall, you were lucky to find me. I’ve even got the clothes to prove it.”

  “Did the dry cleaners ever get the coffee stain out of the shirt?”

  “Nope. There’s still a brown stain. Kind of scares me where you bought your coffee from. It sticks a little too well.”

  He chu
ckled as they finished their cards. Picking them up, he shuffled again and began to deal them out.

  “I need some more water.” She got up, and her scent filled every one of his senses.

  Unable to resist, he got to his feet and made his way toward the kitchen. Ellis was adding ice to her glass when he entered. She looked up at him and smiled, and it was that one simple action that spurred him forward.

  She took a step back as he advanced into the room until her ass hit the kitchen counter. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek, tilting her head back.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Ellis didn’t look frightened, and he didn’t want her to be.

  “I just need to know,” he said.

  “What?”

  Running his thumb across her lip, he watched her tongue peek out as if it couldn’t resist either, and had a little taste of him. The action made his cock harden even more.

  Without saying another word, he slammed his lips down on hers, holding her close, not wanting to let go. She released a little whimper, but threw her arms around his neck, not pushing him away.

  With his free hand, he gripped her hip and pressed his cock against her stomach. He ached all over for the need to be inside her, and only her.

  Ellis had gotten under his skin, and now there was no way back. As he squeezed her ass, she gasped, and he plundered her mouth, swallowing her moan.

  He wanted her, needed her.

  Stroking his hand up to her belt, he opened the damn robe and pushed it to the floor. The negligee only served to enhance her beauty. Sheer lace covered her breasts, and as he pulled back, he got a good look at those heavy mounds.

  She was fucking perfection. Large nipples pointed up, begging for his mouth. Kissing from her neck down over her body, he covered one of her buds, sucking it into his mouth through the fabric of her negligee. She gasped, her fingers gripping the hair at the back of his neck as he sucked hard before releasing her. Blowing his breath across her tit, he moved toward the next one, offering it the same kind of attention.

  “Rafe,” she said, whispering his name with a moan.

  “I want you, Ellis.” Running his fingers down her body, he cupped between her legs, feeling the heat against his palm. She was wet, and so fucking ready for him. Slipping a finger beneath her panties, he teased over her clit and watched as her eyes dilated. Her nipples were already rock-hard, and she couldn’t deny her need for him any more than he could. “Do you want me as well?”

  Chapter Five

  Did she want him as well?

  Ellis didn’t know if that was a trick question or not. With Rafe’s hands on her, she wanted him all right, and not because of desperation either. No, something had happened in the past few weeks, after the ball, and even before then. She’d gotten to see the real man beneath the icy exterior, and she realized that she was the only one he trusted.

  She couldn’t give him up, not now.

  “Yes, I want you,” she said.

  Within seconds he had her negligee off, and took her by the hand, leading her back toward their bedroom. He pinned her against the wall, holding her hands above her head as he claimed her mouth.

  “I’ve been thinking about you for a long fucking time, Ellis. Keep your hands up there.”

  She nodded her head, and he stepped back.

  He began to remove his clothing, which was only a sweater and a pair of running pants, nothing big. Seeing his body come into view, every single hard muscular part, she couldn’t help be a little nervous. His hardness contrasted with her softness, but the moment she saw his cock, and the way he pressed against her, there was no doubt in her mind that he wanted her.

  “Touch me,” he said.

  Lowering her hands, she placed them against his body, not once breaking eye contact as he pulled her closer with his hands on her hips.

  Heat flooded her panties as his cock pressed against her stomach.

  Going on her tiptoes, she pulled his head down and made him kiss her. He pushed her up against the wall, lifting her leg to rest over his hip as his other hand moved between her thighs, stroking her. She gasped his name, needing him to make her come.

  From his touch alone, she was so close. She couldn’t believe how wet she was, but the way he stroked her, she heard it.

  “Fuck, baby. I can’t wait to get my cock so deep inside you.” His finger teased across her entrance and slid inside, filling her up.

  She cried his name, not wanting him to stop.

  Rafe let her go, and she moaned as he sank to the floor, lifting her leg up and resting it on his shoulder. His tongue licked across her clit, and she struggled to stay upright. Staring down at him, she couldn’t believe he was licking and sucking at her pussy. His tongue moved between her folds, teasing her clit before moving down to stroke inside her.

  “Fuck, baby, you taste so good.” He spread the lips of her pussy and continued to torment her.

  She couldn’t fight him, nor did she want to.

  He was driving her closer and closer to orgasm until finally, she reached that peak, and he thrust her over the edge.

  The pleasure was intense, and unlike anything she’d ever felt before. He held her in place as he pressed kisses all over her mound before finally standing up.

  Rafe took the lead, helping her toward the bed, and when he was between her thighs, she knew that she was falling for him. It had nothing to do with sex either. No, her feelings were for a man who’d lost so much, and was trying to honor his father’s memory.

  He took possession of her mouth as his hand moved between them. She gasped as the tip of him entered her.

  In one hard thrust, he filled her to the hilt. He was long, thick, and having him inside her combined a mixture of pleasure and pain.

  “You feel so perfect. How I always imagined you’d feel.”

  “You’ve imagined me?”

  “Yes. There are times I can’t think about anything else.” He took hold of her hands, pinning them above her head. Taking control, he began to slide inside her before pulling out and doing it again.

  With each slam of his cock, she couldn’t contain her moan as he pushed her over the edge, making her desperate for more. The pleasure drove her closer to a second orgasm as he began to fuck her hard, the headboard slamming against the wall as he picked up the tempo.

  “You feel so fucking good! Such a nice, tight pussy. It’s all mine. Tell me, Ellis, who do you belong to?”

  “You. I belong to you.”

  She was his bought bride, and in some way, he’d also taken possession of her heart. She watched him, feeling her orgasm build as he found his. His cock plunged in deep as he came, filling her with his release, each pulse flooding her pussy, prolonging her own pleasure.

  When it was over, he collapsed against her and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t move, and after a few seconds, she found she was struggling to breathe.

  Rage chuckled, keeping his cock deep inside her as he moved over to give her some room. Her legs were still wrapped around him as they found comfort in one another. He cupped her face, stroking a thumb across her lip. She loved it when he did this, and didn’t want him to ever stop.

  “There won’t be anyone else,” he said.

  She smiled. “I didn’t even think about that. I’m going to have to call all of my boyfriends up and tell them I’m not available anymore,” she teased him, resting her hand against his leg. “Will this change us?”

  “No, it won’t.” His fingers traced a path down to her nipple. He circled the bud and pinched it, causing her to moan. “But it may make work just a little harder. Tell me, Ellis, have you ever had office sex?”

  She bit her lip, thinking about his very large, very wide desk, and how she’d been imagining what it would be like to be at his mercy. “No, I haven’t. You’re going to have to teach me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  ****

  Rafe lifted up Ellis’s skirt, knowing that no one was going to interrupt them. He’
d already shut and locked the door, along with warning his secretary to cancel all of his meetings. He’d intended to deal with the meetings first, and then have his wicked way with his wife. The meetings had kept on going, and he’d soon lost his patience with them.

  He didn’t want to wait another moment before being inside his woman.

  Just thinking about being inside Ellis got his already throbbing cock harder.

  Tearing her panties from her ass, he shoved them in his pocket with a smile. He loved it when he shocked her. It thrilled him in fact.

  Those were his trophy.

  Sliding a finger through her soaking pussy, he smiled, pressing a kiss to the curve of her ass.

  “You want me, baby?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you worried that someone might come in?” He stroked her clit, wanting inside her so desperately but holding himself back.

  “Will they?”

  “Ellis, you’re my wife. You carry my name, and I wouldn’t dare let anyone in this room to see what belongs to me.” And she did belong to him.

  He didn’t want anyone else to know the kind of gem he’d discovered. In the past few weeks, it was like he’d become a different person. He always imagined he’d care for his wife, but Ellis inspired so much more than that. He’d fallen for her, and he knew that was dangerous because what if she didn’t love him?

  What if she wanted out of their contract in five years?

  Rafe didn’t want to lose her, but the risk was there, and he couldn’t stand it. There would be no way he’d be able to stand someone else having what rightfully belonged to him.

  Pulling his fingers from her pussy, he released his cock and watched as her cunt opened up around the tip of his dick. The feel of her was out of this world, her tight heat sucking him inside, knowing what she wanted. He couldn’t get enough of her. She was an addiction, one he refused to give up.

  Gripping her hips, he slammed every inch of his dick inside her, and stood still for a few moments to relish each ripple, each pulse of her cunt sucking on him.

  He groaned, stroking the rounded globes of her ass. Their sounds echoed off the wall, filling his head, and it only served to arouse him more.