Billionaire's Contracted Wife

Chapter 4: Stolen Kisses

The phantom gleams as it rests smoothly before me, the purr of the engine cutting off. Logan leaned back against the car, taking the last few puffs from his cigarette, and put his phone away, concealing an undercurrent of tension.  

He was wearing a Tom Ford black tuxedo with a pair of polished dress shoes, and his hair was swept back off his forehead in a messy slick back quiff. It wasn’t fair how sexy this man was, but there was a coldness inside him that most likely stemmed from having him wait down here for over an hour. 

I draw my long white fur coat to conceal my body, lifting my chin in defiance as I look up at Logan. Our eyes locked; there was a sudden softness in his gaze and not his typical brooding stare as they were a minute ago. 

"Well, you, princess, should have a speech for me," he says with a sneer on his face as he uses his fingers to flick his finished cigarette away, before opening the car door for me.

Why is it when he called me princess, it sounded more like an insult than a compliment? 

"Hm, let me think about that..." I narrowed my eyebrows, pretending to ponder over it. "No, I'm not sorry," I smile radiantly, all traces of my earlier malice returning in an instant. I brush his shoulder, ignoring his disconcerting presence as I attempt to step in the vehicle when I feel a secure grip around my upper arm, and he pulls me back towards him.

"You are really testing my patience, and it's starting to make me think I was wrong about you. You see, when you agreed to our business deal, I thought you were a very clever girl, but I assure you testing my patience is a very stupid move," 

I narrow my eyes, taking in his obvious threat, considering my options in my head. I could say nothing, nod my head respectively, and spend the rest of my life playing the perfect battered wife to this horrible man, or I can be Celeste Royce, I can be Queen. 

It wasn't a difficult decision. "Well, then it's fortunate for me I could not possibly care less what you think of me," I say, yanking my arm out of Logan's hold before stepping inside the black vehicle.

We rode in silence. I hated it because it made me anxious and gave me time to think of what was waiting once we arrived. I was planning a liberation; I wouldn't normally do and entirely out of line, but I guarantee it will draw plenty of media attention. And, I’m in the mood for a little showing tonight. 

"Look, I know I said some horrible things earlier," His husky voice caught me off guard. 

I exhaled slowly as I continued gawking outside my side window. "You mean openly admitting to calling me a w***e?"  

"What's your point?"  

I instantly turned my head to his, feeling my Harry Winston drop-diamond earrings swinging from my lobes, as our eyes met. "What's yours?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I have been very generous in allowing you to dictate the company under your terms. I thought I was clear before, but it appears you enjoy defying me," he scoffs, furrowing his eyebrows at me dangerously.

I continued to glare at him, upset not only by his pathetic attempt at an apology but by his pompous attitude and condescending tone. I seriously neglected to consider how difficult it is going to be to swallow my pride. 

"I know you requested a meeting with Mr. Vanderbilt behind my back," 

"Yes, to discuss the future of Royce Enterprises, can you blame me if I'm worried about the uncertainty of the company?" I ask, focusing on the feel of my Judith Leiber clutch in my hands to distract myself.

His jaw hardens. "Well, I had him fired just for you, princess," he says as if he couldn't care less. 

"How could you possibly do something so foolish? If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me, I was the one who arranged the meeting! Leave the business and the people I care about out of it!"   

"I warned you not to cross me! Maybe now you'll see who truly holds the authority here," he says in a low and threatening voice.  

I felt the color draining from my face. 

"If you think I'm going to sit back and watch you destroy my company to the ground, then you're absurd," I seethe, tightening my jaw. 

He scoffed. "Careful, Celeste, you overestimate your power in this relationship." He says, clenching his teeth. 

"And you underestimate the power I have in my company." I fire back. "I understand that it may be difficult for your ego to accept this, but you need me just as much as I need you,"

He furrowed his eyebrows in anger as he suddenly took my left hand in his. I gasp, expecting him to hurt me somehow, but instead, he pulls a small blue box out from his coat pocket. How did he know Tiffany's were my favorite jeweler? My heart suddenly raced inside my chest and an awed breath escaped my lips before I had the chance to stop it as he opened the cyan box to reveal the most beautiful custom oval-cut diamond ring I have ever seen.

"It's imperative that tonight runs smoothly to warrant that our engagement resonates more believable to my investors and, I would hate to resort to punishing you if this plan fails, do you understand that?" He asks in a terrifying tone. 

"Yes,"

He removes the diamond from the box and gently places it on my ring finger.

“Good,”

Sadness washes over me at the thought of being forced to marry Logan. If I marry him, I will be bound to him for life, and every little mistake I make will have severe consequences. And I can kiss my freedom, my goodbye.

After several minutes, the car came to a final halt, and the chauffeur informed us that we had arrived.

Logan stepped out of the car first, gallantly offering me his hand. I glanced up at him through my long lashes, but once I gazed into his piercing blue eyes, it was hard to look away. I snap myself out of his trance, slowly shifting in my seat. I ignored his hand and helped myself out of the car.

Logan dropped his arm in annoyance, moving swiftly behind me, placing his hand on my back, and leaned down to my ear. 

"Behave yourself, Celeste," he warns in a low growl. 

The small hairs on the back of my neck rose as his lips brushed against my skin and the way he said my name clenched my insides. 

Cameras flashed as the paparazzi tried to get a word in with us since my presence naturally drew great attention. As we reached the top of the steps, a young man steps forward and offers his hand to take my coat, and I gratefully obliged with a menacing grin on my pink lips. 

All of a sudden, the press goes crazy. 

I stood there in a sexy sheer white gown that had a beaded lace overlay with diamond encrusted straps and complimented my thin hourglass body perfectly. It was low cut, showing a hint of my ample and perfectly shaped breasts without being too slutty; however, it was enough cleavage to infuriate my father when he sees the pictures in tomorrow's headlines. My long dark hair was in an elegant low bun to show off the contours of my alluring back and my flawless fair complexion was composed of a subtle smokey cat eye and a satin-finish nude pink lip. 

To put it bluntly, I looked stunning. Sometimes the effect was a little too powerful, especially after that one time I was asked to leave a party for attracting too much attention. 

Logan furiously turned around from the commotion surrounding my presence and faced me. His gaze swept over the revealing gown that adorned my body. Confusion and anger lit his expression, I've never seen him so upset, and I could sense where his eyes were focusing at any time, and right now, his gaze was on my cleavage. I felt my body tremble in response. 

He squeezed my waist tightly, and lowered his head to rasp something quietly into my ear, "What the hell are you wearing?" He demands. Keeping our conversation as private as possible. 

"A dress." I quip with a smirk in my eye. 

His eyes burned into my skin as we just stood there, staring at each other. He growled, opening his mouth to say something, but I placed a finger on his lips, silencing him, "Save it, we have an audience," I say, as the excessive amount of flashes and people screaming things I can't comprehend continues. 

Logan releases a frustrated breath, rubbing the nape of his neck before placing his hand on my lower back for the cameras. Different questions averted all from a different direction, and I say we did an excellent job answering their probingly intrusive questions.

I could feel all heads turning through every stride we took as we entered the hall. The classical music blasted from the speakers in the Sackler Wing of the Met as every one of Manhattan's elite gathered together enjoying themselves. Some were dancing; others had limited conversation, mostly consisting of old society matrons out for publicity, hoping to be overheard gossiping about their latest triumphs and charity projects. 

Logan grabbed a glass of champagne off the tray of a nearby waiter and handed it to me. His movement was so fluid and flawless; the waiter didn't even realize he was now down a glass. 

"Don't tell me the playboy billionaire doesn't drink?" I scoff, raising a perfectly arched brow at him, accepting the drink.

"I'm not in the mood," he mutters, still upset.

I opened my mouth to say something when a deep familiar voice interrupted me. "Ah, Logan Lockwood. You've outdone yourself!" Finn Stark greets, giving Logan a rough manly handshake.

"My pleasure, I can always rely on your family's discretion to choose the most deserving charities," Logan replies pompously.

"Your generosity will not be forgotten," Finn smiled at him before his eyes landed on mine. "Celeste, it's a pleasure as always," he says, in an incredibly husky voice, and reaches out his hand for mine.

I attempted to shake his hand, but Logan refused to let go of my right hand, and with the glass of champagne now in my left hand, it prevented me from accepting Finn's hand. Here I thought the drink was a kind gesture, but, of course, Logan had a dark incentive.

And, I refuse to let him win.

"It's quite the party you've thrown here, Mr. Stark," I say in a seductive tone, bringing the rim of my glass to my lips.

Finn casually settles his arm down and watches my movements with eagle sharp eyes. "Yes, even if the night ends in defeat, at least we'll have a good party," he says, pressing his lips into a grin.

"Don't talk like that. I have faith you will be the best congressman this district has ever seen," I say, holding the glass over my chest as his gaze briefly fell to my breasts before gazing into my eyes again. 

As if to emphasize his anger, Logan squeezes my hand harshly. 

"Thank you, Celeste," he acknowledges with a small nod before his eyes meet Logan's over my shoulder, "I should probably get going, I have a lot of people I need to see, enjoy yourselves. Oh and congratulations on the engagement," 

Logan smiles blandly at him, before reaching for me in an instant. I gasped at the shock of his touch, my skin burning where his hands rested on my body. I could feel an irresistible pull towards him, a pull I couldn't explain even if I wanted to.

"Do you enjoy the attention from other men so much that you insist on defying me?" He scoffs cruelly.  

My eyes widened. "Don't speak to me like that," I fought back. 

"I can speak to you however I want. I own you, Celeste, and the quicker you accept it, the better it will be for you," he states in a threatening voice. 

It wasn't easy challenging him here, in front of all these people. To have to be so calm. As if it doesn't hurt, seeing the judgment in his ice blue eyes, knowing what lies behind them. And once again, he won by having me relinquish control so easily. 

His features took up a more amused look from my silence and he was about to goad me further when a loud squeal interrupted him. Thank God.

”Celeste!" Sabina greets me in her high-pitched voice. 

“This discussion isn't over," he promises before pulling back slightly. 

"Oh, Sabina, it's so good to see you," I greet, more than happy to finally rip my hand away from Logan's to hug her. She pulled away as her eyes instantly wandered to my right, where Logan stood.

I clear my throat, motioning towards him. "Sabina, this is Logan Lockwood, my f-fiance," I introduce painfully. 

Sabina was a stunning and high-caliber woman. Out of my entire friend group, she is the most sexually promiscuous. With her exotic looks and high cheekbones, it was all too simple. Still, aside from that, she is extremely loyal and will never, under any circumstance, ever cause a scene, which is why I didn't hesitate to introduce her to Logan.

She takes a few careful steps forward, her dark brown eyes glaring daggers at him. "A pleasure," she says as though it's the filthiest insult she can muster, holding her hand out. 

Logan takes her hand with a bitter expression, making it clear his apparent dislike towards her. "Charmed," he says with a tight-lipped grimace as he reluctantly returns the handshake.

He pulls back, clenching his jaw. "I would love to talk more with you, but I have a lot of important people I would much rather attend to," he excused himself rudely, before walking away. 

I rolled my eyes, taking a sip out of my glass as I turned to face Sabina. 

"I'm sorry, but you can't be serious about this! I know he’s ridiculously hot but he’s an ass!" She scoffs, strolling her fingers through her pin-straight black hair. 

I am about to argue when she continues, "Celeste, I know it's not my place either but are you sure you feel right about all of this? You shouldn't be obligated to do something you don't want to do."

"Don't worry about me. I will be fine, honestly. I wouldn't agree to it if I thought I couldn't handle it," I smile a little more genuinely, trying desperately to make her believe me. 

"I am quite aware that you can handle it, but why are you talking like you have forgotten everything he's done? Do you really think you could forgive him for what he did to you?" 

"Look, I don't expect you to understand," 

"You're right, I don't," She narrows her eyes at me, raising her head high. "What exactly are you planning to tell Raphael when he sees this gorgeous rock on your finger?" Before taking my hand in hers, she gushes to examine the large diamond on my ring finger when I notice Raphael enter the hall. 

I feel my heartbeat quicken in my chest. "Please talk about something else, I beg you," I plead behind gritted teeth, yanking my hand back.

She furrowed her eyebrows at me in confusion, looking casually over her left shoulder to see him slowly making his way towards us. "Oh, here we go," she drawls, taking a sip out of her glass of champagne.

"How is it that the two most beautiful girls in the room are standing here all alone with no man to entertain them?" He greets with a smirk playing on his perfect lips.

"None of them were up to par so consider yourself lucky, you handsome bastard," Sabina grins, giving him a swishing kiss on his cheek. Raphael looked extremely hot tonight. He was wearing a sophisticated, well-cut sleek black suit, and his dark hair was slick back, which accentuated his visible cheekbones and sharp jawlines.

"It's a shame Leora couldn't make it. I don't even remember the last time when we were all together, just hanging out," she says, pouting her lips. 

"Well, you can blame this one for that," he grins, circling his hand around my waist, to embrace me with a kiss on my cheek. I feel the heat rush to my face, and I place one hand on his chest, "I was expecting to see your mystery man on your arm." 

"He went to greet some people," I say, casually placing my left hand behind my back. 

"I see. Without you?" He inquires, furrowing his eyebrows at me.

"Well, I don't intend to be attached by the hip with the inglorious bastard all night,"  

Raphael laughs. "It's nice to see you still have that bite,” he said when I suddenly felt a dark presence behind me. 

I knew who it was just by Raphael's unwavering gaze over my shoulder. I turned around on my heel and saw Logan glaring at him. The look on his face was deadly, almost as if he wanted to attack him. 

"Mr. Lockwood, what can I do for you?" I ask hesitantly.

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, raising his head to make eye contact with me. "I wonder if I could have you for a moment," he says, completely ignoring Raphael's presence. However, the thread of confrontation in his words didn't go unnoticed. 

"Certainly," I say, as my teeth bared in a smile.

Logan takes my arm and moves me into the middle of the dance floor and places his hands on my waist. I look up at him warily, holding my champagne glass in one hand, the other resting over his muscular bicep, not quite touching him. 

"What the hell are you doing?" I hissed. 

In response, he grabs my hand in his and begins to lead me in a simple waltz. He closed the space between us, steadying himself as I held my breath, tingling in anticipation over the proximity of our lingering bodies.

"Have you not told him about us?" His voice was low, and his arm traveled lower on my bare back, pulling me closer to his body. The cocky asshole knew how good he smelt.

I attempt to pull away, but his hold around my waist tightens in response. I can't risk any higher resistance without causing a scene. "What do you want from me?" I ask with no emotion in my tone. "What more could you possibly get from me, you utterly self-righteous asshole?" I say, through gritted teeth, as he lets out a wry scoff.

"You know the importance of business," he growls, his voice like steel.

"I know that you sacrifice your happiness and that of everyone around you in the name of it," I say, piercing my eyes into his. 

He scoffed. "You don't know what you're talking about."  

"Don't I?" I stare at him, his icy blue eyes penetrating, refusing to respond.

His eyes moved from me to scan the room, and a scowl formed on his face. I followed his gaze and noticed a few faces were looking in my direction, all mostly men.

A muscle tightened in his jaw, and it seemed as though he was fighting to control himself. "What is it about that bastard that you like so much?" He asks in a deadly tone, moving in closer. 

"He's a better man than you," I responded in an attempt to hurt him.

He slowed our pace, lowering his head to mine, "You should be nicer to me. It won't be long before you become my wife, and I will have access to absolutely every bit of your body,”

I swallowed the bile in my throat, trying to conceal the fact that he was undoing me, but the heat rushing to my face betrayed me. 

He suddenly grabbed my hand and spun me around so that my back fused against his chest. "Does he know how willing you were to give yourself to me that night?" 

I felt the heat curl down my spine as he brings my hand that he was holding up to my bare chest and gently strokes my cleavage. His words caused a rush of desire to pool down my legs. I couldn't even think straight.

"Let me go, Logan,"

I felt him smirk against my ear, "Let's be clear on one thing, princess. The fact that I haven't devoured you yet is a credit to what little self-control I have left. Once that's gone, you’re mine," 

"Let me go. Now!" 

Suddenly, we stopped moving. I fiercely turned around from his intoxicating body as I met his gaze. I tried to push him away, but he gripped me like a vice, brushing my skin in anger. Our eyes clashed; his sharp blue eyes were dark and deadly, raging against my green ones in a silent battle. I open my mouth to yell at him, but without warning, he crashes his lips to mine. A new divine sensation sunk in me, and my limbs feel weak. His scent and touch were consuming my mind and body, making me all weak and needy inside. He ravaged my mouth with kisses and continued for as long as I could stand. 

My eyes instantly flutter closed as the champagne glass slips from my fingers, landing with a muted crash on the floor. I thread my hands behind his neck, pressing my body more securely against his to deepen the kiss. The sensation of his tongue invading my mouth never felt so good. My knees went weak instantly, and my entire body felt like it was going up in flames.

Wait. 

He traces my spine with his fingertips.

Stop!

I pushed him away from me as a string of emotions flooded my mind. I struggled to regain my breath as I looked into his eyes. He stiffens his posture, clenching his jaw as his gaze fixed on something over my shoulder. Oh no.

My heart tears in my chest, and I quickly turn around to see Raphael, realizing he witnessed the entire scene. His penetrating gaze seemed to see straight through me, and I suddenly felt like I was going to break down right there and then. I couldn't handle him looking at me like that.

He ripped his gaze from mine and stormed out, disappearing into the crowd. My vision blurs as a fine haze of anger and humiliation settles around me. The son of a b***h used me! I slowly turned around to face the devil in front of me as the blood boiled inside me.

He looked at me with no emotions on his face. "You left me no other option, Celeste,” 

I reached my hand back and slapped him hard across the cheek. His face jerked to the side with the impact from my hand as the sound echoed in the room.

I felt tears well in my eyes, “Goodbye, Logan,” I whispered in disdain, turning away from him. 

The cameras followed me out, reporters shouting questions, asking for statements. They blockade me with questions, demanding to know the story behind the display.

So much for not causing a scene.