Page 36 of Fair Trade (New York Monarchs #2)

thirty-two

Two weeks have passed, and we have slipped into our new normal.

Nick wakes up way before I do to touch base with his team in London while I try to soak up every second I can in our insanely comfortable bed.

Delilah has remained a permanent fixture between us as we sleep, although I have nudged her lower toward our feet throughout the night because the girl does love to make a tangled mess of the sheets.

I’ve fended off questions from my staff with the well-practiced answers Nick and I have come up with.

Even used the same lines to placate our friends.

When they pried for more, Nick simply added that I couldn’t live another day not married to the man who gave me the best sex of my life, which had Daisy fake dry-heaving and the rest of the gang backing off.

Except Isabella. I swear she could see right through it all, but she went along with it.

But we’ve held off the press long enough, and tonight we are on our way to our first public outing as husband and wife.

We knew we’d be under a microscope tonight, so Nick suggested we make our grand reveal at a charity for the local children’s hospital, hoping that the extra eyeballs on us would bring extra attention to the cause.

I’m fidgeting in my seat as our driver pulls up in front of the hotel hosting the event.

Nick slips his warm, comforting hand in mine and squeezes lightly. “You’re going to do great. We’ll be there two hours, tops. Then I’ll have you back home in time to watch your TV shows.”

I smile at the memory of Nick walking behind the couch as I watched an episode of Southern Charm .

After he quit acting like he wasn’t watching intently as the cast fought while watching a polo race, Nick asked if I’d ever been to Charleston and if I’d like to visit sometime soon. “Don’t you mean our shows, dear?”

He rolls his eyes but doesn’t hide the faint smile playing on his lips.

“You’re a gateway drug, Angel. Next, I’ll be buying the network’s stock.”

I’m too busy laughing to realize we’ve stopped and that there are already cameras aimed at the tinted windows of our vehicle. The nerves come back in full force, but they are no match for my new husband.

“Stay here. I’ll exit first, wave to the cameras, and try to get the initial barrage of flashes out of the way.

Place your clutch by the opening of the slit in your dress to make sure no one sees anything they’re not supposed to as you step out.

” His words turn more growly as he speaks.

“Have I mentioned how fucking beautiful you look tonight?”

I look down at my red satin dress and smile. “You have. You also said I looked sexy and downright sinful, and you swore you’ll be responsible for the deaths of the men who dare look my way tonight. Did I miss anything?” I smirk.

“Yeah, the part where I said I wasn’t joking,” he grumbles as he steps out of the car to the sound of my laughter.

He’s at my door in a flash, opening it an inch, mouthing, “You ready?”

When I nod, my focus is solely on him and not the media zoo surrounding us.

He opens my door wide but steps in before a camera can catch a glimpse, giving me a second to adjust myself in my strapless dress, then take his offered hand and step out of the vehicle. When I come up to my full height, the top of my head hitting below Nick’s chin, I hear the crowd go wild.

Nick keeps a firm hold of my hand as we make our way to the red carpet.

People shout our names as we take our spot, lean into one another, and finally pose for the cameras.

The flashes are disorienting, and if it weren’t for the string of inappropriate jokes Nick whispers in my ear, I don’t think I could keep the smile on my face.

“Luisa Stonehaven, over here to your right!” a photographer shouts.

“Hmm, you hear that, Luisa Stonehaven?” Nick says with more satisfaction than any man in a fake marriage should possess.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the way that sounded.

And although I know this marriage isn’t real, it is for all the women who have followed my journey and look up to me.

It might seem silly to think, much less shout, but I want my name to really fit me.

To fit the woman I’ve created and hope to continue to become.

So I let the world know. “Actually, it’s Luisa álvarez-Stonehaven.

” Nick looks down with an amused look on his face, and I shrug. “I’m hyphenating.”

He nearly blinds me with his smile before he turns and faces the flashing lights. “You heard the lady. She’s an álvarez-Stonehaven, so address her as such.” He teases the crowd before he whispers in my ear. “It suits you quite nicely, if I do say so myself.”

I pinch him discreetly under his suit jacket, and he does the same to my hip.

My smile is no longer forced.

“Now?” he questions quietly.

My stomach clenches. We planned this. A kiss on the red carpet. The official seal of our deal for the masses.

I was fine with it in theory, but now, having him so close to my lips, I fear this kiss won’t feel very fake for me.

“Mm-hmm,” I hum, keeping my smile in place for the cameras.

Nick’s eyes sweep my face. “You sure? We don’t have to if you’re—”

My hand slides up his chest, trailing up until my fingers reach his neck. “Oh, c’mon. Don’t tell me the devil is afraid of a little—”

His lips meet mine in a bruising kiss. The noise around us reaches a new high, but I can’t make out a single sound over the pounding in my chest and the moan on his lips.

I don’t know where I find the mental capacity to pull back and playfully tap him on the chest for getting carried away in public. He catches on quickly and fakes wiping the edges of his mouth like the cat that got the cream.

“Good save, wife. We might have landed on the front pages tomorrow for a completely different reason if you hadn’t kept me on a tight leash,” he says, low enough for only me to hear.

I ignore him and wave at the cameras one more time before I give Nick’s hand three quick squeezes. He recognizes our signal immediately and offers one last smile before we walk off the carpet and into a much quieter reception area.

I release a deep breath. “Step one, complete. Now all that’s left to do is schmooze and avoid truffles at all costs.” I accept a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and turn back to Nick.

The heat in his eyes is burning up every inch of my skin as he slowly takes his fill.

“Lucifer,” I warn lightly.

“No, you see, I think you’ve got this all wrong.

Because you, in that dress, with that… that fucking slit that goes so high and would make it so easy to slip my hand in and—” He stops abruptly and releases a frustrated groan.

“God dammit, woman. Why is every inch of your body meant to test and tease me?”

I take a small sip of the delicious bubbly as I move in closer to him.

When I rest my free hand on his chest, he grits his teeth. “Rules. Give them to me now. What am I allowed to do tonight? Can I kiss you?”

“Yes, when we—”

“Thank fuck.” His hands smoothly slide along my hips until he’s pinned my body against his and his mouth is firmly on mine. He takes full advantage of my surprised gasp and slips his tongue past my lips, demanding more.

I moan softly and join his fight for dominance.

Fuck, my husband can kiss.

His hand lowers to my ass and he gives it a hard squeeze, and I find myself lifting my hips in response, looking for friction to help with the sudden ache between my legs.

Somewhere in the back of my muddled brain, I remember that we’re in public, and the headline printed about us tomorrow morning shouldn’t include the term dry-humping.

I move to pull back, but a hand lands at the nape of my neck, keeping me in place. I smile against his lips.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

His mouth has turned feral, and his hard length pressed against my core informs me that I’m going to have to be the one who saves us from tearing our clothes off.

I swipe my tongue along his full bottom lip once before I lean in and bite it. Hard.

“Ouch, bloody hell. What was that for?” His finger wipes along his lip and comes back with a tiny speck of blood. It was barely a scratch.

I shrug as I wipe around the edges of my lipstick.

“Eat the rich, they say.” His jaw drops and he releases a dry laugh.

“And what I was going to say before you pounced on me is that, yes, we can kiss when we’re in front of other people.

But it should be more appropriate, like a simple peck.

Not something they’d have to pay a monthly subscription fee to see.

” My head nods at the clear hard-on in his dress pants, and he curses.

I hand him my glass of champagne. “Here, cool off. And maybe you should go to the bathroom before someone—”

“Yeah.” He shakes his head, as if his good sense has arrived. “Meet me by our table. Let me… wait this out for a bit.”

“Sounds like a plan, Mr. Stonehaven.”

“Yeah, yeah. Tease all you want.” He goes to walk past me but stops when we’re shoulder to shoulder. “But you try and bite me like that again, and you better watch that ass, Mrs. álvarez-Stonehaven . Because I’m coming for you, rules be damned.”

I feel like my cheeks are brighter than my dress as I move among the elegantly clad crowd.

I spot air kisses and exaggerated laughter as I focus on finding my table.

I’m glad that no one tries to stop me on my quest, given I’ve caught more than a few waves and nods in my direction. It seems like some may be biding their time until I have my groom on my arm in order to approach and congratulate us.

But that’s fine, because this part of the night doesn’t stress me out as much.

I’ve gone to more than my fair share of events since I became the GM of the most popular team in the country. Most of them weren’t connected to the sports world, so I don’t feel intimidated by the glamour and hoopla of it all.

If anything, it feels like being a spectator stepping onto the set of Gossip Girl . None of this is real, but it’s fun to watch.

I think I’ve spotted our table when a man steps into my line of vision. I want to scowl because I really want to sit and give my wobbling knees a break after that scorching kiss, but I came here to play nice, so I plaster on a pleasant smile as the older gentleman reaches for my hand.

Suddenly, I realize there is something familiar about him. Like my brain is yelling, trying to tell me who he is before I have to ask.

Is he a part of the board? A member of the Monarchs organization?

No, that’s not ringing any bells.

I don’t want to seem rude, so I place my hand in his when I say, “Luisa álvarez… Stonehaven.” I almost trip up. “Nice to meet you.”

I’m surprised when he takes my hand and brings it up to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine.” He places a smarmy kiss on my hand, and I force myself to keep the smile on my face, promising myself I’ll wash my hands as soon as this interaction is over.

The atmosphere changes suddenly.

Voices around us seem to come to a halt.

I can feel him before he utters a single word. But I wasn’t prepared for the pure venom that comes out of Nick’s mouth. “Get your fucking hands off my wife.”

The man’s eyes gleam with a level of evil I thought was only reserved for horror movies. I’m no longer concerned about prying eyes and pull my hand back as Nick’s arm wraps around my waist and he tugs me back to stand slightly behind him.

I can see Nick’s chest heaving beneath his expensive suit, and I place a tentative hand on his back, not understanding what’s caused his visceral reaction.

I don’t have to wonder for long, since the man before me answers that question with one simple sentence.

“Aw, c’mon, son. I was just saying hello to my new daughter-in-law.”