Married To A Duke

Forbidden

Amelie

I was pacing in the bedroom thinking about the oddest dinner I just had, when there was a soft knock on my bedroom door. “Come in.” I called out, stopping in the middle of the room with my hands folded across my chest and eyes glaring at the door.

The door opened and it wasn’t Jesse as I was expecting. “Hi, there.” Zurich said.

My shoulders relaxed as I looked at him. “Hey…” My eyes dropped down to his hands and on the bags he was carrying with him. “What do you have there?” I questioned.

“A few things for you to get ready.” He replied easily, coming inside. “Call for me, if you need anything else.” He said as he put the bags down on the bed.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked as he looked at me.

“If it’s about Summer, then like I have said before, I’m sorry, Amelie, I can’t answer.” He replied as if reading my mind. But what else would he think because all the other times when I had asked him about my best friend he had told me the same thing.

“Fair enough.” I sat down on the bed and asked, “Then tell me something about him?” I felt his eyes on me, but didn’t look up. Suddenly thinking that I was giving my thoughts away, I busied myself looking into the bags. “Actually, I never had any close interaction with him. All I knew was from what Summer shared, and now… suddenly I’m here…” I met his eyes and said, “I feel like I’m walking on a thin ice. I know he runs the city. And I know he’s my best friend’s husband. But sometimes when he orders me about, which I guess he can as I'm in his house… I don’t want to obey him. And he had already warned me. Do you think he’d go through the punishment he had threatened me with?” I didn't say how a part of me wants to find out what kind of punishment he was talking about, because I knew he was forbidden and that part that was attracted to him was making me insane.

It took Zurich a long minute to answer and at first I thought he wouldn’t, but finally he said, “I could tell you only one thing, Amelie, it wouldn’t matter to him if you are Summer’s best friend or not. And even when sometimes he comes off amused and unthreatening, he wouldn’t hesitate to get back at you however he sees fit. He’s dangerous to his core. He is a wolf. And not just by his last name.”

“Then isn’t he supposed to focus on his wife, they mate for life. Don’t they? And looking at him now, whenever I say Summer’s name I don’t see the love in his eyes. Why is that?” I questioned.

This time he didn’t answer as he said, “The makeup artist would be here in short time.”

I watched as he turned around ready to go, I hurried after him as I called out, "Wait!" He stopped. “Where is you brother, Zurich? Mac is his name, right? Where is he?”

When he turned around to look at me, there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “You know what, I was mistaken. You are more than a shy and beautiful woman I thought you to be. And now I understand why you three are friends.” With that he was gone, leaving me to think about what he said. There was some kind of message hidden in that praise, I thought. But then the second time the door opened and someone else stole my attention.

My eyebrows arched up high on my forehead as a man about my height walked in with a girl trailing behind him. Of course. Because that’s what I needed.

Raphael

“Oh my… what happened to you!?” I heard the shock filled question just as I neared her bedroom door.

“Nothing.” She replied. “You don’t have to help with—”

“Of course, I do, darling.” A pause. “Do you need help? We could help you sneak out of here?”

I waited for her response and she didn’t disappoint. “No. He had nothing to do with this.” There was indignation, like the man didn’t insult Gabriel but her. And for her Gabriel was me.

I pushed the door open without knocking first. Three heads turned in my direction but my eyes caught hers. Browns, the iridescent color of them reminded me of handmade bourbon and after so long, I craved it again as I looked into her eyes.

“What are you doing here?!” She hissed and I finally looked away from her face to where her hands were behind her back, probably holding the dress. And involuntarily, my eyes lingered on her breasts, the pale mounds peeking out of the dress that barely left anything to imagination as I could see she wasn’t wearing any bra, only two small triangles were hiding her from everyone’s gaze. It was the dress I had imagined her to be in. The long, slim fit of it complemented her height. And the red made her look like a siren, with the split that ran up her thigh almost indecently. For a moment, I wanted to order her to change into something else but then I also wanted her to be on my arm looking like that. “Get out.” I said, my voice thicker than usual. I watched as her brows lowered and then her shocked eyes came to me when the other two people started to leave and she realised she was going to be alone with me. Once again in a state of undress. This could become my favorite habit.

“Wh— I need their help.” She rushed out. “I am not ready, yet. Please, wait outside.”

I ignored her rambling as I walked closer to her. Just a feet away, I stopped. She has stopped talking and now she stood rigid with her eyes staring back at me and her lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line. “Turn around.” I ordered. Those brown eyes widened even more if that was even possible. “I’ll help you.”

“No. You can’t.” She said, her words seemed to be more for herself than me.

“I don’t have much time, Miss Sinclair. It’d be better if you stop throwing tantrums every time I tell you to do something.”

I watched as her jaw clenched and those plump lips, now painted red matching her dress, pursed. I motioned with my finger for her to turn around and surprisingly this time she did, presenting me with her bare back. Her back was healed now, the faint lines now pink against her pale skin and some were fading black. Few of them would leave marks but I doubted they’d do anything to diminish her beauty, instead I believe it’d only show the world how brave she was.

I swiped her hair to one shoulder which were curled into perfection and unable to help myself I let the back of my knuckles graze down her spine as I grasped hold of the zipper at her lower back. Her back stiffened and a sharp exhale was her only response to my touch. I tugged at the zipper, carefully inching it up. When it was done, I stood there for a second in a silence. But she was quick to break it, as she took a step away from me and said, “Thank you.”

She didn’t look at me as she sidestepped me and I watched her tugging on her heels. The golden stilettoes made her almost as tall as me, and it’d be so easy to grab her by the waist and—

“Did you talk to Summer today? How’s she?”

My eyes went to her face but she wasn’t looking at me, in fact she was looking everywhere but me. And I had another realisation, that whenever I get close to her, or whenever the energy between us crackled, she always brought Summer up. Hmm. Of course, because I was supposed to be in love with my wife as Gabriel. I never hated this game before, but now I was starting to. Nevertheless, it was quite addicting to play with forbidden.

“Fine.”

She looked up at my single word answer, her eyes staring at me as if she wanted to take a look at my mind. Finally, she stood up and came to stand in front of me. “I am starting to think, if the man standing in front of me is the same one she talked about.” I didn’t say anything and she wasn’t waiting for a response as she continued, “If I remember correctly, she’s now what… six months pregnant and instead of being with her, you are here.”

“Your point, Miss Sinclair.”

“I don’t know. Is it just a façade you’re putting for the world…” She trailed off. And for a moment I thought she had caught on, but then her next words had me relaxing. “Or, Are you really just a cold hearted bastard as everyone says and you just don’t care about her?”

I closed the remaining distance between us, her fruity perfume surrounding me. Oranges. Sweet and tangy. “Or, may be you’re just making excuses for yourself?” Her nostrils flared at that. Caught you, did I? “Because, as much you’re trying to hide it, I can see the desire peeking out in your eyes, Miss Sinclair.” I took a curl between my fingers. “Why don’t you try to hide it more effectively before you talk about Summer? We don’t want to think that you’re coming on to her husband, do we?”

I could see it happen even before she lifted her hand to slap me. I grabbed her delicate wrist, my fingers overlapping each other as I twisted her hand behind her back. I said, “Fortunately for you, I am here to save you from your father, Miss Sinclair. But do not forget that your best friend is not here to save you from me.” There was a warning in my words. As much as I was different from my brother, there was a part of me that would surpass his when it comes to darkness.

Her brèasts heaved as she glared at me. Her wrist twisting in my hold as she tried to free herself. “Unhand me.” She said through clenched teeth.

I leaned down. She froze, like a rabbit facing a wolf. Once again those brown eyes swam with muted desire and bright with anger. She was furious, even the make up on her face couldn’t hide the flush of her anger. Instead of taking her lips as I wanted to do, I said, “Apologize.”

“You are insane.” She retorted.

I snaked another arm around her waist and she quickly rushed out, “I am sorry…. P-please…” Her hands pushed at me feebly as she tried to get away.

Finally I let go.

She took several steps away from me. Her hands fluttering before she curled them into fists. “Give me your hand.” As if startled her head jerked up in my direction at my words. I arched a brow as I held out my hand, waiting.

I was right to name her a tempest. One moment she was raging like a storm and in another she'd settle calmly as if she wasn't on the verge of destroying everything in her path. Hesitantly, she slid her palm into mine. I slipped my free hand into my pants pocket and pulled out what I had tucked there before coming to her. Her eyes watched as I unfolded the silk gloves.

 Transfixed, she didn’t say anything as one by one I pulled the gloves down her hands. And then the final two items.

“What the—” She trailed off as I slid out a small folded knife from my pocket.

I carefully tucked it near her pinky finger as I pulled at the strings on her wrist, safely hiding it in her glove. “Just in case. I know you can take care of yourself and it’s something to do just that if need be.”

This time when her eyes met mine, there was something different about them. She looked at me like I had solved a puzzle no one ever had before. “Thank you.” A rare smile was bestowed upon me and for a moment I was lost to see her lips pulled into a real smile. It looked like she hasn’t smiled in a while and what a travesty it was. She looked beautiful with that smile on her face.

“Here.” I said, my gruff voice breaking the moment.

When her eyes fell on the second item I was holding, she shook her head, saying, “No.” She pulled her hand away from me. “I can’t take that.”

I looked at the diamond studded watch I was holding for her. “Why not?”

She shook her head again. “It… it isn’t right.” Her eyes fluttered. Her brows wrinkled. And a frustrated expression crossed her face. “You have to stop. I can’t…” I stayed silent as she fought whatever battle was going inside her mind. “This is not right. You can’t give me this… I’m not the one who should receive gifts from you.”

Of course.

“Who said it was a gift?” She stopped. Her troubled eyes coming to me. “Its an ornament I had Zurich bought for you, along with the dress.”

“Then why didn’t he bring it when he brought the other things.” She was a quick one, wasn’t she? How long would it take for her to be able to catch on to the truth I was hiding? Zurich would take that bet.

“You are annoying with so many questions.” I said instead.

“And, you are high handed and…”

“Yes?”

“Insufferable.”

I nodded. “If you’re done then I’d like to go before tomorrow.” I said, holding out my hand.

She shoved her hand in mine and looked away as I placed the watch around her wrist and clasped it. “There.” Her eyes went to the watch. And when they came back to meet mine, the word escaped before I could stop it. “Perfect.”

To Be Continued...