Completing Beauty: Books 1-3

by Stella Andrews

  As the music plays and we walk down the aisle, I am grateful for the veil covering my face. I can’t look at anyone, they aren’t here for me, anyway. They are here for him; we are all here - for him.

  Then I see the man himself, standing and watching me approach. Something happens inside me that makes my breath hitch as I see the intense look drawing me to his side. As future husbands go, many would say I hit the jackpot. Who wouldn’t want this man? He has it all. Good looks, more money than we can ever spend, and social standing and acceptance in a world that should run the other way. He is dark and menacing and is watching me with a promise in his eyes. I shiver inside. A business arrangement, he said—those eyes say otherwise.

  As we reach him mom nods and I turn and hand Angel my flowers. I see the pain in her eyes and try to hold it together as she takes her place beside the man who always loved her unconditionally. I almost weep as I see the look they share and watch as his hand clasp hers tightly. Why didn’t he want me when she left all those years ago? I thought he would fall in love with me with that same intensity. It’s why I agreed to act as his fiancée for five long years. But he always wanted her, and when she returned, I was surplus to requirements.

  Then I take my place beside the only man who has ever wanted me, and that’s just my luck. He doesn’t really want me; he wants the trophy wife I portrayed for the last five years. Now he wants the same, and I am doomed to an emotionless future with a stranger.

  As the priest begins the ceremony, I don’t even hear the words and just go through the motions of a service that will chain me to the man beside me. The hymns are sung and I’m sure I mouth the words but don’t register what they are.

  When I speak, it’s softly and as expected, like any bride who can’t wait to marry her one true love, but it’s all an act. Then, as he slips the biggest diamond I have ever seen on my finger, I feel the weight of it pinning me down and preventing my escape. Then I hear the words that turn the lock on my cell. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

  It’s only then I snap out of it and turn to face the man who now controls me. He steps forward and raises the veil, and the eyes that stare at me contain a storm that threatens to destroy me. His arm encircles my waist and pulls me close and his other hand reaches around the back of my head and locks me in position as his mouth descends to mine.

  The first touch of his lips is soft and gentle, and I can smell his not unpleasant aftershave. Then he forces my lips apart and as his tongue enters my mouth, he takes mine and twists it with his, kissing me deeply, passionately and with an ownership that brands me his forever. He pulls me hard against his body and there is no room to breathe.

  I’m drowning.

  He possesses me before the whole congregation, and I have no choice but to comply. There is silence all around us as he kisses me long and hard. No quick peck for him, this is full on and surely should have finished by now. I feel the heat tearing through my body as he carries on as if he is in need of this to survive.

  I feel breathless, giddy and possessed and have never kissed a man like this before in my life.

  Then he pulls away and his arm remains around my waist, giving me the support I need right now because my legs are trembling so much. He fixes me to his side with an iron grip as he starts the slow walk to the back of the church. He doesn’t make eye contact with any of the congregation, and I feel the flush creeping over my entire body. This is so intense. He is intense and I almost can’t breathe as I am propelled to the door and then swallowed up in a sea of black suits.

  They crowd around us and let no one in. We move as a pack through the open doorway and we move at a pace. I am almost carried down the stairs into the waiting car with none of the photo opportunities couples usually enjoy.

  Then the door is slammed and the car is on the move almost as quickly as he fastens the seatbelt around me.

  He turns and his eyes glitter dangerously.

  “You’re mine now.”

  Chapter 5

  Tobias

  Mine, how good that sounds. As I settle back in my seat, I congratulate myself on a plan that has come together better than expected. Seeing Anastasia walk toward me like a goddess was all the reassurance I needed. I knew it would be her. When I saw her for the first time, I knew it would be her. Now she’s my wife I can breathe a sigh of relief because once again, I have got exactly what I want—her.

  She is quiet and I can tell she’s in shock. I feel her nerves fill the car, it’s all around us. I’m used to that. People are nervous of me, and rightly so.

  Leaning forward, I reach for the bottle of champagne that sits neatly stowed in the compartment opposite and fill a champagne flute and hand it to my quivering bride. She takes it silently, and then I fill another and raise my glass to hers. “To us.”

  She looks at me with an acceptance that annoys me a little and whispers, “To us.”

  Then she knocks the liquid back in one move and leans back in her seat and closes her eyes.

  I take a moment to stare at her gorgeous face without her knowing. Those lips that I couldn’t wait a minute more to taste, tempt me once again. They are full and soft and tasted so good and I fight back the urge to have my fill again. I know I took too long when I kissed her in church. I couldn’t help myself; it was all I thought of through the whole ceremony. There is something so incredibly edible about Anastasia Johnson, and for some reason I am rethinking the terms of our contract already.

  Reaching out, I make to touch those lips, desperate to feel them once again, but then my hand drops. We made a deal; I can’t scare her off and must practice patience.

  Suddenly, her eyes snap open and I find myself staring into two pools of crystal colored water and she says in a stronger voice, “Is there any more of that?”

  She holds out her glass and I fill it with a wry, “What’s this, darling, are you searching for a little courage inside the bottle?”

  “Do I need some?”

  I say nothing because she won’t like the answer I give. Yes, she will need courage and lots of it because I have a particular future mapped out for my delectable new wife and it’s completely different to the one she thinks is coming.

  Leaning back, I take a swig of the finest champagne and say abruptly, “I would like to remind you of the terms of our contract. You will act as my loving wife in public and that begins now at the reception. You will go through the motions of being the perfect blushing bride and then, when it ends, I will allow you to settle into your new home.”

  She says nothing, just nods and stares blankly ahead, and I wish I knew what was running through her mind.

  Leaning back, I reach for my phone and scroll through the various messages, leaving most of them unanswered. Many are from business associates congratulating me on my wedding; I will not reply. I very rarely do. I have Sergio to do that for me. Sergio Bellini is my assistant and does most of my work for me. He is the acceptable face of my business and my front man, so to speak. He takes all the crap and keeps it from my door, and I rely on him to keep me sane in a word where sanity is just a word in a dictionary that applies to other people. My world is insane and I’m tired of it.

  It’s why I’m changing it slowly by buying up legitimate companies and turning things around. I’m tired of the filth I deal with on a daily basis and I’m tired of the backstabbing, plotting and destruction that follows my shadier business practices.

  “What happens next?”

  Her voice is soft and yet with a strength to it that makes me smile.

  “I told you, we attend our wedding reception. Then they will leave and we get on with our lives.”

  “Will I be free to see my family?”

  “Of course, you’re not in prison, Anastasia.”

  She nods and bites her bottom lip and I feel my cock twitch. In fact, my cock hasn’t stopped twitching since I saw her standing before me in that fucking dress. I wanted nothing more than to bend her over and sink my twi
tching cock inside her as she panted my name.

  Shaking my head, I try to distract myself from this weird schoolboy crush I seem to have developed on this intriguing lady.

  “You said I had my own room, where will it be?”

  She won’t give up and I sigh, “Enough with this conversation, it’s irrelevant. As soon as we deal with our guests, you can settle in.”

  I cut the conversation because I no longer want to make her a promise I know I can’t keep because I’ve decided that there is no way in hell she is sleeping anywhere but with me—she will just have to deal with that because I’m a man who always gets what he wants and she will be mine before the night is out.

  Once again, my cock twitches as it senses an evening of pure unadulterated pleasure and I smile to myself. I have a wife now and I intend on using her in every sense of the word.

  Luckily, we reach our destination and the car sweeps through the gates of my fortress where we have invited a few select guests back to celebrate with us. Mainly important business associates and Anastasia’s family and a marquee has been set up in the garden to keep them out of the house. The house itself is on lockdown until the last one of them leaves because nobody sees inside my home except those that live there.

  We move as always in convoy and in the car ahead of us is Sophia, who had the misfortune to travel with Mrs. Johnson. The sooner I send that vile creature packing, the better because I saw the way she treated Anastasia and it stirred the anger within me. Even from the distance, I saw her pull her away from the window and the beast inside me growled. That’s the last time anyone touches my wife but me. I will not tolerate it and anyone who lays their hand on this woman beside me in the future will suffer the darkest consequences.

  The car following us holds her sister and Sebastian Stone, the asshole who called Anastasia his fiancée for five years before me. He never wanted her, just Angelica, and it was Anastasia’s father, Harvey Johnson, who engineered the whole fake relationship thing to split them up. His business partner was Sebastian’s father and needed urgent lifesaving medical treatment. The bastard told him that he would pay on one condition. His son would marry the wrong daughter. It amuses me to think of the lengths he took to destroy his daughters. He wanted Angelica to harden up and take control of his business, and that didn’t include Sebastian Stone. It backfired big time because Angelica ran away and returned five years later when he was dead, taking her rightful place at the head of the company I own shares in. Now that company is worth billions and Angelica and Sebastian run it together and I reap the rewards in dividends. If she wants to sell, it can only be to family, which is why I’m sitting here. I’m family now, and if anyone is taking over a billion-dollar company, it’s me.

  However, they all think that was the reason I married Anastasia; it wasn’t. To be honest, I have other companies, I don’t need this one. Mirabelle Johnson saw this arrangement as a safety net should her eldest daughter try to sell up and leave them with nothing. She thinks she controls Anastasia; she doesn’t - I do.

  As the car comes to an abrupt stop, I turn to my wife and say sarcastically, “Honey, we’re home.”

  Chapter 6

  Anastasia

  From the moment Tobias Moretti kissed me, I have been battling something deep inside that was sparked into life as soon as his lips touched mine. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s thrown me completely—I liked it.

  Now, in a confined space beside the man I just committed my life to, it all feels a little surreal and I’m struggling to make sense of it all. I was grateful for his strong arm holding me up because any strength I had deserted me the moment his lips touched mine.

  When he offered me the champagne, I couldn’t drink it fast enough and I could tell it surprised him.

  In fact, the whole car journey was pure torture because I was so close to him. I almost couldn’t breathe because he was everywhere and every one of my senses was on high alert - to him.

  When I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me, I wanted to snap them shut again because what I saw in those eyes spelled danger in every way.

  The moment we passed through the huge gates of my new home, I felt as if the prison door slammed shut behind me. I almost couldn’t appreciate the impeccable grounds of a home that has everything a person could wish for. Beautiful landscaped gardens flashed past and the driveway alone took us ten minutes to navigate. It’s like entering a small kingdom - his kingdom and I can’t breathe as what I’ve agreed to suffocates me. All I can think of is running to my new room and locking this world out. I need to be alone to organize my crazy thoughts because Tobias Moretti is suddenly much more than just my husband, he’s the enemy.

  I swallow hard and my heart beats faster as the car stops in a massive courtyard.

  The door opens and he takes my hand and as I fight the urge to snatch it away, he says in a deep, controlling voice, “Come, we will greet our guests.”

  As I step into the light, I gasp at the mansion that stands before me. Made of the whitest stone, it stands proudly in the sunshine, glittering like the finest jewel in an impressive setting. I have never seen such a property in my life, and my heart settles a little. I could lose myself in here; I may never have to see him except in company. Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all.

  Once again, he pulls me close to his side but here we don’t have the same close protection that followed us at the church which settles my heart—a little.

  Tobias walks at quite a pace and I struggle to keep up in the impossibly high heels he chose for me. We head through a side gate that sits beside the huge property and down some steps toward a grassed area where I see the largest marquee I’ve ever seen waiting for us, nestling in the impressive landscaped gardens of what can only be described as a palace.

  Tobias’s men follow us, and I wonder if this will always be the case. Suddenly, I stumble and feel a sharp pain as my ankle twists and I gasp. Tobias stops and looks down with concern, “What?”

  “My ankle; I think I twisted it.”

  He looks concerned and pulls me over to a nearby bench and then kneels before me. Then I feel his hand lift the silk folds that surround me and he takes my ankle carefully and lays it across his knee. My eyes water as he gently probes the skin and says irritably, “It’s just a sprain, nothing broken.”

  Looking over his shoulder, he snaps, “Arrange an ice pack and bring it to the marquee.”

  One of his men turns and speaks into a headset he’s wearing and Tobias says abruptly, “Here, let me help you.”

  Before I know what’s happening, he sweeps me in his arms and stands holding me like a baby. I feel a little panicked because being so close to him is somewhat unnerving and I squeak, “Its fine, I’m sure I can walk.”

  “Nonsense.” He grins wickedly. “I will take great pleasure in delivering you personally.”

  It feels a little awkward as I nestle in his arms, but strangely, I’m enjoying the experience. He tightens his grip and I sink further into his chest and I can smell the scent of a man mingled with that intoxicating aftershave. I squirm inside because I feel a sudden heat traveling through my body that I’m not used to. It’s as if my body has come alive and it responds by edging nearer to his and I can’t stop it—it’s as if it has a will of its own and he laughs softly. “Stop struggling, little bird, just enjoy the ride.”

  His voice is husky and he whispers the words seductively into my ear so nobody else hears. Just being so close to him is unnerving, and I feel my heart flutter inside like a trapped bird wanting to fly.

  I swear he slows down because it feels ages before we reach the opening to the marquee and as he sweeps inside, I gasp in delight at the fairy tale before me.

  He whispers, “Do you like it? I wanted it fit for a queen—my queen.”

  I just stare in wonder at the magical setting he has created. It’s like a fairy tale palace with chandeliers sparkling from the silken fabric that hangs from the ceiling. Beautiful flower arrangements are simp
ly everywhere, made up of the deepest red roses and the whitest lilies. The scent is almost overpowering and the lighting soft and seductive. I see several large tables filling the space, draped in starched white tablecloths on which stand crystal glasses and impressive place settings. Silver cutlery sparkles beside the finest china and burning candles nestle inside impressive arrangements and I say with delight, “I love it.”

  I look around me in wonder and he laughs softly. “Then I am happy.” He sets me down gently and I gingerly test my ankle by standing on it and wince with the pain. Looking concerned, he snaps, “Where’s that fucking ice pack and bring two Tylenol?”

  A man scurries off and I say in surprise, “Are you always so rude?”

  He just nods. “Yes.”

  His arm once again encircles my waist and he holds me to his side as we stand at the entrance to fairydom and I find that all the pressure has been taken off my ankle as he holds me up. Then I see the guests trailing down the steps toward us and Tobias says huskily, “Just play your part and then you can sit and rest that ankle.”

  The first person to reach us is an incredibly beautiful woman. She looks amazing with her long dark hair that gleams in the sunlight and swings around her shoulders. She is wearing a deep red silk dress that clings to a shapely body and the jewels that sparkle at her throat look expensive. I watch as she kisses Tobias and whispers something in his ear and he looks irritated. Then she looks at me and I am struck by how beautiful her eyes are, they are the deepest green and flash with an energy that takes my breath away.

  Tobias says gently, “This is my sister, Sophia.”

  I stare at her with interest because now he has made the connection, I can see it’s obvious. They share devastating good looks and a manner than tells people not to mess with them. I feel a little nervous and she leans in and kisses me on both cheeks and whispers, “Welcome to the family, Anastasia. Remember, my door is always open.”