Page 36 of Stolen Matrimony

“Oh shit,” Ezra mumbled behind us with a chuckle.

“It’s okay.” Carson spoke up, stepping to his sister and staring up at her. His voice was small.

“Carson.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble Cash. Please,” he begged.

Confliction passed through her eyes. “You have your phone?”

He nodded. Her eyes bounced between everyone. “Nothing better happen to my brother. He’s the only thing in this world I care about and there’s no length I won’t go to protect him.” Her words and tone were deadly.

“Careful, girl. I don’t take threats well,” Dad snarled in Spanish.

“It wasn’t a threat,” Cashlynn told him unblinkingly.

While I loved that my wife refused to back down, I didn’t have the patience for this shit right now.

“Enough. Nothing is gonna happen to your brother. We’re going to have the night to ourselves and he’s gonna go with my parents.”

Her honey orbs found mine, small nostrils slightly flared.

Finally, the tension was broken. Carson assured his sister he would be fine. It took a couple of minutes but she finally agreed for him to go.

CHAPTER 14

CASHLYNN

Iignored the way my heart hammered in my chest and my hands shook as I dried my body. Goosebumps covered my skin. I stared at myself in the mirror, running my eyes down my naked frame. Today I had officially become Cashlynn Tavarez.

Tavarez.

I huffed. It hit me that I was now a Tavarez. I bit the inside of my cheek and gripped my towel tighter. My muscles were rigid and my stomach was queasy. As soon as we got to his house outside of the city, I ignored Nazai and went straight to the same bathroom he’d first caught me in, which I learned was the master bath. Knowing what Nazai expected of me once I left the bathroom caused me to bite the inside of my cheek harder. A copper taste fell on my tongue.

I eyed the collar around my neck. It seemed to have become a part of me to the point I didn’t even feel it on me anymore. It was the constant reminder that I had signed my soul over to the devil.

Standing straight I pushed a heavy breath out of my nose. I wrapped my towel around my body, cursing myself for not bringing my duffle bag with my clothes inside.

Realizing I couldn’t stay in the bathroom all night, I finally pushed out another deep breath and turned to leave. When I stepped into the bedroom, Nazai was sitting on the edge of the bed with his phone to his ear. My brain suddenly stopped working as I watched his mouth move but couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying. His orbs penetrated me, causing my skin to grow hot. He scanned me over, his eyes growing darker.

I swallowed hard and pressed my lips together tightly. He was shirtless, giving a full display of his tattoo covered chest and torso. His pecs were cut to perfection—broad and defined. My stomach rolled and a balloon of tension expanded in my chest.

Nazai hung the phone up, reaching over and setting it on the table before he stood. My eyes dropped to the towel wrapped around his waist. His long, muscular legs showcasing from under it. My throat constricted laying eyes on the noticeable outline of a bulge under the thin fabric. Nazai made a sound, causing my eyes to snap up and my cheeks to flood with heat. A crooked grin was on his face.

Rolling my eyes, I swallowed hard and went to where my bag was on the end of the bed.

My body stilled when he got behind me and pressed up against me. He reached over and grabbed my wrist just as I was picking the bag up.

“You don’t need anything in there right now.” Straightening my spine, I snatched away from him and spun around, glaring at him.

“Don’t touch me!”

He smirked. “You’remy wifenow. I can touch you whenever I want.” To prove his point he reached out and brushed his hands from my collarbone over to my arms.

“No you can’t,” I gritted, pulling out of his touch and ignoring the goosebumps that formed and the way my skin hummed with awareness.

Nazai narrowed his eyes and reached out again. He gripped my arm and yanked me closer to him. “The more you fight me, the more I want to break you.” His voice came out in a low, husky timbre, sending a ripple through my belly.

My breathing sped up and I willed my face to stay still. The last thing I wanted was for Nazai to think he affected me in any way.