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I saved my mother’s life, but I gave up my own in return. I have no regrets. If given the choice, I’d do it all over again—but that doesn’t mean that I don’t mourn the dreams I’m giving up on. It doesn’t mean I don’t wonder what I might be missing out on.
I turn around in bed, my eyes falling to Alexander’s pillow. How is it possible to experience heartbreak over something I’ve never had?
The door opens and I sit up in surprise, the sheets falling to my waist. Alexander doesn’t even notice me as he walks in, his eyes on his phone.
I slip out of bed and walk toward him. He glances up and pauses, his eyes roaming over my body.
“Alexander, you’re home.”
He nods and takes a step closer to me, bridging the remaining distance between us. He brushes my hair behind my ear, an unreadable expression on his face. “You’re still awake.”
I nod. “Couldn’t sleep.”
We’ve been married for a week now, but we’ve barely spent any time together. Alexander comes home after I fall asleep, and he’s up before I am.
“How was your day?” I ask.
He frowns. “Long.”
I nod. “You look tired.”
He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “I am. My cousin, Dylan, is fucking useless. I’m always doing twice as much work as I should be doing. I’m sick and tired of cleaning up his messes.”
He pulls his tie off and inhales deeply.
“Hmm,” I say, trying to think of a way to lighten his mood. He and I will be stuck together for the rest of our lives, and we had a rocky start, to say the least. I won’t hurt to be nice, to be civil. “Tell me three good things that happened to you today?”
Alexander looks at me, his expression making me freeze.
“Elena, what is this?”
I blink, surprised. “I… what do you mean?”
“What’s with the small talk?”
I bite down on my lip, suddenly annoyed. “Just trying to cheer you up. You seem stressed.”
He shakes his head. “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t interfere with my private life? This isn’t a real marriage, Elena.”
My heart twists painfully even as my anger rises. “You had no issue with me asking that question at Inferno.”
He takes a step closer to me and buries his hand in my hair, his face close to mine. “I didn’t know who you were at Inferno. Back then you were just a pretty girl that caught my eye. I didn’t know that you’reMatthew’ssister,” he says, his voice low. “Now? Now I own you. I told you the day before you married me that you’d be selling yourself to me the way you would at Vaughn’s, didn’t I?”
I nod, my heart racing, nervous jitters running down my spine. I know what I signed up for, yet I foolishly hoped Alexander and I would be able to enjoy each other’s company the way we did at Inferno.
“It’s not your mind you were selling at Vaughn’s, Elena. It was your body. That’s all I want from you.”
He traces the straps of my nightgown with his fingers, and my heart starts to race.
“You want to cheer me up?”
I glare at him, but all that does is make him smile. Alexander pushes the straps off my shoulders and leans in as my nightgown falls to the floor, his lips brushing against mine once, twice, before he finally takes my lips. His hand wraps around my waist and he pulls me flush against him. He kisses me, taking his time, until I finally melt against him. A soft moan involuntarily escapes my lips and I rise to my tiptoes, deepening the kiss.
By the time he pulls away, we’re both breaking hard. He grabs my hands and places them against his chest, his eyes on mine.
I obey his silent order and unbutton his shirt, my arousal increasing with every button I undo. His shirt falls open and I trace his abs with my fingers, enjoying the way he tenses underneath my touch. He thinks he’s got so much power over me, but he craves my touch just as much as I do his.
Alexander smiles and lifts me into his arms, carrying me back to bed as if I weigh nothing. He places me down gently, his eyes on mine as he finishes undressing. He’s watching me, enjoying the desire I don’t bother to hide.
