I don’t know what it is he does to me. Like I said, I hate him, but then there are these moments where he surprises me. Like now.
His other hand comes to my chin and lifts my head up, turning me to face him. For a second, I think that he’s angry, pissed off that I’m sat here looking as miserable as sin at my own wedding, but it’s not anger that I see, it’s something else I can’t quite put my finger on. And then he surprises me in a way I never thought possible as he moves closer, and his lips connect softly with mine.
I’m momentarily stunned by the action.
We’ve never kissed before, not like this. Sure, he’s placed a kiss on my cheek, and we had a brief connect of lips at the altar after saying our vows, but this is different. This is more, and I have no idea what to do with that. My body seems to answer for me as my eyes close and my lips decide to enjoy whatever this is.
The way he moves his lips against mine––so soft and gentle––is making me want to put aside all of my previous thoughts about him. I’m too vulnerable right now to push him away. It’s a very stark realisation that he is the closest person to me. He’s one of the only people I’ve seen in months. He’s the person I talk to daily, no matter how much I try to avoid it. He’s the one I eat dinner with every evening, the one I hold hands with when required, and he’s also the one that sleeps in the room across from me every night…
Fucking hell. His house is huge. Massive. Ridiculously oversized, but I can’t help but be astounded by the sheer size and beauty of this place.
I’ve never set foot in somewhere so plush. The interior designer must have had a field day when they did this place, because I can’t imagine for one minute that Nate chose the décor or the thick carpet that your feet sink into. He just doesn’t seem the type––given that he is too busy offing people in his daily life.
Even the woodwork of the banister has intricate detail as it leads upstairs to more large rooms. Nate is giving me the grand tour, and when we come to a stop outside of two doors––one on the left and one on the right––I hope to God that one of them is a bedroom for me because there is no way that I am sharing a bed with him, wife or not.
He opens the door to the left and gestures for me to walk in. When I enter, I see a king-size bed with gorgeous bedding adorning it, and then two more doors––one opposite the bed and another to my left.
“That door leads to your walk-in closet and the other to your ensuite bathroom,” Nate says as he points to each in turn.
“This is my room?” I question, because I don’t fully believe that he is going to give me this amount of space, even though I’ve been hoping for it.
“Yes.”
“So, this is my safe space?”
“Kat, this whole fucking house is your safe space,” he tells me, and my eyes lock with his.
“Safe space or prison?” I question, one eyebrow raised.
He chuckles and the sound does nothing to dampen the fact that despite what he is making me do, I still wouldn’t mind fucking him.
“You know, you’re getting a pretty good deal here. I could make you sleep in my bed; I could make you conform to all my wishes, but with time, I know you’ll get there on your own,” he says, and I scoff.
“Oh please, you’re living in a dream world,” I retort, because as much as I may want to fuck him, I’ll never do it.
“Never hurts to dream and then work like fuck to get what you want,” he says, his easy demeanour changing in an instant.
“Hmm. I guess when you have the means to threaten others to get what you want, it’s easier, huh?” I say, because I can’t help but bite back at him.
I don’t fail to miss the clench of his jaw at my words.
He takes a step closer to me, and another, until he’s leaning down slightly so that we’re eye level. “If it helps people to see what they truly can become, then yes.”
I suck in a sharp breath.
Is he talking about me?
Before I can respond, he straightens himself back up and says, “My room is the one across the hall,” before he waltzes out and disappears down the hallway.
I turn in a circle, my eyes roaming over every bit of the room again.
So, this is my life.
Plush surroundings and a husband-to-be that confuses me at every turn.
Great.
He never made me sleep in the same bed as him, giving me my own room to help me feel like I had a safe space. That was the first glimpse at a softer side that I saw from him.
