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That's what he called me.
Let’s not forget I’ve been demoted from princess toduchess, either.
Standard, I suppose, for him to think of me like that when I've given him nothing else to go off. I'm skittish and rude, and I want nothing to do with him, seeing as the man irks me to no end. How else am I supposed to act toward him?
God, the wedding had been so beautiful. Lavish and opulent. Until it wasn't.
Not to mention we're now on a flight to our surprise honeymoon, which his father planned for us, to their familial villa in Italy. Maksim is dead asleep in the solitary bedroom towards the back of the plane and usually, I would be, too. But my... flight blanket isn't on his family jet. Parker isn't here, either, not even Niko.
Just me... and my husband.
I’m in hell.
I stare out of the window at the black abyss below us. Not a twinkle of light as we fly over the Atlantic – just a light grey cloud every now and then. My eyes feel heavy after today's events, but I can't allow myself to sleep. I don't have any of my medications.
When I said it was a surprise, I meant his father didn't tell a single fucking soul and we both had to pretend to be fucking happy about it. Nothing is packed. We left our three hundred guests behind, and our car, driven by his father's second, wouldn't allow either of us to stop at either home to retrieve anything.
I can feel the weight of this like it's sitting on my chest, slowly crushing me from the inside out.
I tap my fingers to my thumb,four, three, two, one, one, two, three, four.
Tears prickle the back of my eyes, and all I want to do is scream in the hottest shower ever felt by womankind. But it's in the bedroom, and my husband is in there. Not to mention, he'll hear me. Everyone will.
I bend my legs, bringing my knees to my chest, draping my arms over them, and rest my head on my forearms.
It was either this... or marrying Kane.
And I already know whathe'scapable of.
Maksim is just a big, rude ogre. The lesser of two evils.
My mind drifts to the bed where Maksim is currently sleeping in. There was a large duvet over it, and it looked rather heavy... I snort.
I'd rather jump out of this perfectly good airplane than disturb him.
I laugh silently so the tears don't accidentally leak out.
God, I'm exhausted.
This is what delirium must be like.
I look up to tell Parker, because he seems to like my dark humor, but... he's not there. That feels so fucking bleak. My thoughts drift to earlier. To what he said in the dressing room. Not only had he called me baby, but he promised to take me away when the year was over. Once Maksim gets his money...plusinterest, there really isn't a reason for me to stick around.
I groan inwardly.
Parker's lips had been so soft. Better than I had ever imagined.
I was so taken aback by his kiss, I forgot I was panicking. Never. Never in a thousand years had I thought my feelings for him would be reciprocated, and now... well now I'mmarried.
I can't help the tear that slips free.
And then Ilaugh.
What a fucking cluster fuck.
For four fuckingyearsI've been in love with that man. God, the first day he'd been assigned to me it felt like someone had splashed a bucket of ice water on my face. I felt his cold stare like a shock to my system, down to my clit, and then to my toes and back up. My silent protector rejected every single one of my advances, and the only time I could get him to react in any way toward me was by being a prissy brat, or by letting him find me in the most compromising positions. I felt a thrilleverytime. But soon, I noticed he was watching, letting me fuck, letting me ride, and only pulling me off either right before I came or right after.
His glare on mine was unblinking and unwavering. The best was when he watched me being devoured. I could keep my eyes on his andpretend it was Savage’s tongue fucking me. I swear, one time, he licked his lips almost so inconspicuously, I thought it had been a fragment of my imagination, I came so hard I saw two of him. But after today, I know it wasn't. Somewhere along the line, his tone towards me softened, and his stare wasn't as harsh. While he's still a moody bastard, he’d somehow becomemymoody bastard – even though he wasn’t mine, technically.