Mad About You: A Box Set

by Pamela Ann

  Uplifted, I emerged from my bath with a newfound vivacity. My skin felt freshly renewed as I vigorously applied some oils so my skin wouldn’t have any stretch marks. I had read it in one of the magazines that the earlier, the better. Since the skin was stretching, it was best to keep hydrated at all times to ensure my skin’s elasticity wasn’t stressed for too long.

  I was in the process of untying my hair when I heard the chime of the doorbell. What time was it?

  Glancing at the nearby clock, it indicated it was barely thirty past eight in the evening. If it was my mother, I would most likely shut the door on her face because, if I didn’t, she wouldn’t leave me be until she had accomplished what she sought to do.

  “Wait a second,” I called out when the bell rung again, followed by a few taps rapped at the door.

  Pacing quickly towards the entrance, I barely got the chance to tie the knot on my robe as I yanked the door open.

  “Reiss—” I muttered, as my nose once again immediately detected the smell of alcohol on him.

  “Hello, hello, pregnant lady,” he greeted a little too enthusiastically, though his face appeared none too amused.

  My eyes didn’t directly meet his. I was too overwhelmed with how gorgeous he was, standing there, sexily brooding with his hair somewhat less pristine and his jaw starting to grow stubble. He was the epitome of a delicious trifecta. He had this air of danger about him, making my stomach coil from unfurling desire.

  Shrugging, I swung the door wider. “Why don’t you come in? Is something the matter?”

  He merely grunted as he took my invitation to come inside.

  Securing the tie on my silk robe, I tried to cover up as much as I could, feeling naked around him. I then looked away while I went to the bar and plucked out a bottle of water from the fridge, attempting to distract myself by hydrating my body.

  “You know, I can smell alcohol on you.” Placing the cap back on the bottle, I met his gaze full on.

  He stood right in the middle of the living room with a unreadable expression. His eyes radiated such intensity that my body instantly responded with my nether region throbbing for his touch. How could he affect me so? He wasn’t even touching me, for goodness sake! What was worse was the fact that, since I was pregnant, his appeal had become a hundred times more lethal.

  If he touches me, I thought with profound longing, I’ll most likely set myself on fire.

  “Your father came to see me today. He’s demanding that I marry you, his ever precious only daughter,” he stated as a matter of fact, making me snap out of my daydreaming.

  “I beg your pardon?” I shrieked, reddening from head to toe. Gone was my horniness and in came immense mortification. “My father said what?”

  Still expressionless, he carelessly said, “You heard me right the first time, Ava. There’s no need to repeat such words. It does nothing to alleviate the wretched mood I’m in.”

  “Marriage …” I muttered to myself, thinking my parents had certainly lost their damn minds. My father, whom I had yet to confront, was acting like a complete ogre. “That’s hardly an option.” Meeting his eyes once more, I nervously licked my lips. “I’m still married, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

  He snorted, placing both hands in his pockets. “If you’re planning to raise this child while you’re married to Ashton, then you and I are going to have some problems, Ava. I don’t want my child to be around him, not if I can help it.”

  Well, he certainly did have strong opinions when it came to Ashton.

  “I mean to divorce him. I do, but he isn’t willing to cooperate.” The bugger had been ignoring me for a couple of days, which had only made me wonder if my father had stepped in and taken care of it. If there was someone who could get it done, it would be him.

  “Your father would hate for his first grandchild to be a bastard. Apparently, your bloodline doesn’t take to bastards.” He threw me a pointed look before continuing, “To appease him since he threw a lot of things that he had ‘provided’ for me to start my education, I agreed to his demand.”

  “No!” I yelped. “I don’t want a marriage like that.”

  I had wanted to be his wife yet not under these circumstances. More importantly, he wasn’t in love with me. He loathed the very sight of me. What had possessed him to agree to my father’s ludicrous demands? It was pretty archaic. He definitely didn’t look pleased with my answer, however.

  Stepping closer to me with the bar still between us, he appeared calm and collected, as if he had already decided it was going to happen. “We can get married just to get your family off my back. Don’t reject it just yet. Try to listen to my reasoning before you make a decision.” He paused, making sure I understood what he was asking of me.

  I gave him a nod, telling him to go on.

  Hands intertwined, he rested them against the bar. “Once we’re married, we’ll go on as usual. We’ll both lead separate lives, even though we’d be in the same household. The main priority is the child you’re carrying, and that he or she will be legally mine. After everything is settled, you can do whatever you like—divorce or whatever you wish. You call the shots.”

  “Oh.” He meant a fake marriage. I wasn’t sure what was worse—him loathing me on sight or that he was offering me a fairytale that didn’t involve him.

  His words echoed in my head. Once we’re married, we’ll go on as usual. We’ll both lead separate lives, even though we’d be in the same household. Could I possibly live under the same roof as him, watching him from afar while he quietly carried on with mistresses?

  Nervously clearing my throat, I asked, “So, does this mean separate bedrooms? I mean, what do you expect from me as your pseudo-wife?”

  “There won’t be any sex involved. I just have to make that clear. I would try to be fair and say that you could carry on in your affairs with male consorts, but you’re pregnant, so that’s irrelevant. Also, I’d like to keep this private as much as possible. I don’t want anything to tarnish my name or my company’s brand. I’d carry on with my lifestyle and ensure that none of it would be a nuisance to you.

  “And, since we’re already discussing terms, you’re more than welcome to state yours and what you expect from the pre-nuptial agreement, spousal support, and so forth. I’m more than willing to accommodate your wishes as long as they’re reasonably in my limits. I want you to be taken care of and not want for anything when married to me.”

  What a heart-warming speech. It simply made me want to jump for joy. He had basically explained in an intricate manner that he was going to carry on with his women while I secretly kept to myself in his household, spoiled rotten and pampered like a bloody fool. And, oh, I would brilliantly get monthly stipends for being Mrs. Chambers. How smashing. Totally. Truly.

  Just pure, utter madness.

  “Listen, Reiss. Let’s pretend this conversation didn’t take place. You’re drunk, and I’m utterly exhausted. My capacity for tolerance when conversing with madness and lack of common sense has reached its limit. I beg of you, please change your mind about this.”

  “I can’t—I gave him my word.”

  “You can very well un-give it.”

  He let out a breath, shaking his head. “His lawyers and my team are already drawing up the contracts.”

  Bloody Hell.

  “No, Reiss. Don’t do this,” I begged, feeling even more unworthy to become his.

  The whole situation mocked me, making it blatantly obvious that he would never see me differently or fall for me again. It was tragic to keep being reminded of it. What’s more, each time, the blow seemed like it was brand new. My hurt kept growing. Even though I felt I should be numb to it, it would always prove me wrong.

  “It’s already done.” He breached the gap between us by rounding the side of the bar, approaching me at a speedy rate. “I’m merely here to convince you to say yes to my proposal,” he whispered quite close to my face, caging me in with his body. It was a cruel torture to be th
is close to him and know I should resist him, or I’d lose my stance on the subject.

  His hand touched my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his. “Say yes, Ava.”

  This close to him, I felt utterly powerless. My body was bound to him, and it was only a matter of time until my resistance would cease to exist. Until then, I shouldn’t give him the liberty.

  “Go home. We’ll talk tomorrow,” I pleaded. “I promise.”

  My breathing hitched when I thought he was angling his head to kiss me, but instead, his lips brushed my ear.

  “I don’t trust you…” he spoke into my ear, making me effortlessly shiver as I felt his body heat almost touching me, “so I’m not leaving this room until you’ve given me your word.” He strategically pressed his chest against mine, teasing the tips of my nipples against my silk robe, making me bite back a moan from the severe pleasure it gave me.

  “Reiss … stop,” I groaned, frustrated at his machinations. “Seducing me into marriage isn’t right.” Though I wouldn’t protest much if he did decide to follow through. I wanted him like no other. And at times like these, I was willing to settle this for the moment.

  “But it’s working, isn’t it?” he taunted, roving his magnetic gaze over my body as if he was seeing me naked. “I look at you, and you immediately respond to me. Ten years is a very long time, Ava, yet it hasn’t changed. Not. One. Little. Bit.”

  “You’re not being fair. You can’t use this against me.”

  “Oh, can’t I? But I love watching you. You’re so responsive. It makes my cock hungry just thinking of it.” And to punctuate his point, he nudged his hardness against the slit of my thigh, warming my sensitive skin with his arousal.

  My retort came out as a moan. I softly parted my lips, gravitating towards him as he started to rhythmically thrust into my thigh, inches away from my hot folds.

  “Aren’t you hungry for this, Ava?” Thick though was his yearning, his amusing laughter immediately dampened my mood. It wasn’t a cruel laugh, but it somehow sounded halfway between mockery and arrogance that I couldn’t get enough of him.

  I was convinced he was used to this—treating women like his playthings while he mastered being such a complete, callous bastard. Or maybe it was just me, and he treated his other women differently. Maybe he still made love the way he used to yet only shared his cruel side with me.

  Images of him plunging into his girlfriend played before me, creating such poisonous jealousy it completely took hold of me.

  “What if I tell you that I’ve been already fed, and I’m very much satisfied at the moment?”

  His jovial manner rapidly died. Sharp breaths hit my neck as his breathing came in short pants. He hadn’t said a word, yet I could feel his anger rolling off him in waves. I wished I could’ve said something to dispel it, but I had run out of excuses. The longer the time stretched with his silence, the more it made me nervous. His body was tensed like he was holding back something.

  I was starting to panic when I barely heard him ask me something. “Are you…?” he paused, breathing unevenly. “Are you lying to me?”

  His question confused me because he sounded as if I had wounded him. He even almost sounded like he was in pain. Why? He absolutely didn’t want me; he had declared it minutes ago when he had stated he wasn’t ever going to consummate the marriage proposal he had thrown at me. This most likely stemmed from Ashton’s deep-seated hate toward him. He was getting territorial because he felt like I had betrayed him for Ashton, which was absurd since he and I weren’t anything apart from co-parents to the baby. Subsequently, for him to act this way was completely unfounded.

  “My sex life isn’t your business. I can do as I please, so you don’t have the right to interrogate me about it.”

  He didn’t take kindly to that. In fact, he sounded like he was about to lose it, hissing like a demented man against my ear. “Don’t fuck with me, Ava.”

  The man simply had asked for it. “No,” I gritted out, emphasizing it distinctly. “I’m obviously not fucking you, Reiss. I don’t want to. Ever.”

  “You’re pregnant with my fucking baby!” he roared, utterly livid as he threw me an accusing look. “My child, Ava! It’s my child that’s growing inside you, and you let that filthy man fuck you stupid?”

  Good Heavens, he was looking at me as if I just told him I was a murderer.

  “Jesus, Reiss. You can’t truly be serious about being angry with me? I mean, I bet you slept with someone last night. Hell, maybe even today before you came here. Breathe, for fuck’s sake!”

  He growled like a bloody animal as he placed his palms on the sides of my head. “Tell me what he did to make you part your legs for him!” he demanded, hissing in my face.

  Double standard bastard to the highest order! Did he take me for an idiot? He’d been going about town with a woman on his side, clearly enjoying his bachelor life. For him to demand such crude things from me was beyond untoward.

  “Go. To. Hell!”

  “I’m already there, love,” he stated in a tone that went straight to my heart. “Or did you forget that you sent me there years ago?”

  When I had tried to make amends, he had played recklessly with my feelings, toying with my vulnerability. I understood his need for revenge, even the hate—he had the right for it. I expected it and all of his vindictiveness.

  “I’m sorry for that. I truly am.” What was done was done, and there was nothing I could do to change it. We were not teenagers any longer; we were grown adults. Had he given me the chance to show him from the start how I truly felt, things would have turned out differently, but he hadn’t opted for that. Instead, he had decided to crush my heart, acting upon revenge to make himself feel better.

  “Maybe, if you tell me what happened, it might slowly redeem you.”

  He was relentless. I knew this side of him, and he wouldn’t ever stop until he had the answer he wanted.

  Begrudgingly conceding to his request, I recalled a particular night about five days after Ashton had arrived from New York. “I was sleeping when he came in. He managed to acquire a keycard from the lobby since he told them I’m his wife.” Reiss listened, his eyes never tearing away from my face. “I can’t remember much, but I woke up naked with him between my legs, teasing me with his tongue…”

  “Go on,” he immediately insisted.

  Biting my lip, I reddened as I prepared to speak again. “I was still half asleep, so it didn’t register yet. He carried on for quite some time … until I came.”

  “And you let him fuck you,” he smoothly concluded before his fingers snapped before me. “Just like that!”

  No, it hadn’t been like that at all, but I was beyond infuriated with him for simply demanding I tell him everything when it hadn’t been so long ago that he had told me he didn’t want anything from me. From the second he had learned about the baby, he had been acting as if he hadn’t said such harsh words to me. How could he treat me like that and then carry on with his life, shagging his mistress as if he hadn’t cheated on her with me?

  “Are you not even going to respond?”

  “I wasn’t aware that it was actually a question.” Bravo. I truly despised him with a passion in this instant.

  His eyes darkened with almost no green showing in them, fury leading his logic. “You—”

  My temper colorfully matched his. I began to shake in my rage, so much so that a few strands of my hair fell out of my loose bun. “Don’t you dare say it!” I spat at him, ready to take him on. If acting like a complete brute was his way of achieving things, then I should do the same. “Insult me one more time, Reiss—I fucking dare you— and I’ll never divorce Ashton. You’ll be fighting me for parental rights from across the Atlantic Ocean.” I felt incensed and unjustifiably irrational, and I couldn’t seem to stop it from happening.

  “Have you not learned anything? You know better than to throw such provocation.” His eyes danced, anger mixed with something more potent. “I don’t abide by the r
ules. I dare because I can,” he said just as he tugged the tie off my robe in one swift movement, instantly parting the silk that had been barely covering my nipples, my nether region blatantly exposed to him. “I dare because this”—he cupped both of my breasts, squeezing them with a tinge of roughness—“this … is mine.”

  Shit. How could he simply manipulate my body into working against me? It was purely cruel, and even though it was, my moans didn’t go unnoticed.

  One hand remained while the other explored farther below, drifting down past my navel as it sought towards the crevice between my legs that were slightly parted in anticipation of his touch. Then, parting the lips of my pussy coarsely before he slid his middle finger into my entrance, he grunted my name just as it gripped his finger, greedy for more.

  “This is all mine,” he vowed with such raw emotion it became my undoing. “It’s always going to be mine.”

  I sobbed from losing control of my body and how much truth there was in his words. “You’ve made your point. Please, stop.”

  “I can’t,” he muttered in vain. “I fucking wish I could … you don’t know how much I wish I could.” His thumb found the sweet nub, rubbing it in circular motions while his finger started to fuck me. “I dream of you just like this, surrendering yourself to me like you did the first time.”

  I spiraled out of control as I opened myself to him farther, past caring about our differences. What mattered was him and what he was creating inside me. The ache inside was merely being teased, and I was desperate to have more of him.

  “Reiss, no more, please. I can’t—” I cried out from frustration. “I need you to fuck me. Please … just fuck me.”

  “I’ve never heard anything sexier from you.” The words of praise rushed out of his lips as he took care of his clothing. The sound of his pants falling onto the ground made me even wetter, anticipating the feel of him, all powerful and magnificent, pleasuring himself with my body.