But it was more than just sex with Jericho. There were actual feelings involved, despite her best efforts. He was the perfect gentleman, even though he was a notorious bad boy. She saw with her own eyes just what he was capable of doing if he felt he needed to. He did that within a couple of weeks of knowing her – he killed someone because they were going to hurt her. He hadn’t even warned him, hadn’t even fought him. It was one shot in the head with such accurate precision…
Annie was confident in his feelings as well. He claimed it was love at first sight when he saw her in his office during that fateful meeting that Bruce had all but forced her to come to. One look, and he was done for. He had even dropped hints of marrying her, which was crazy but also extremely romantic and highly illogical. Jericho was a wealthy bachelor – marrying her could risk his business and his wealth and his reputation.
But he seemed intent on taking that risk.
He told her he loved her and didn’t balk when she didn’t say it back. He looked for every reason to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her. It made her feel desired, sexy, and she had never really felt that way about herself before.
And what about her? She had changed drastically in the month since she had known him. She was less judgmental, more open-minded, more forgiving. She started to justify Jericho’s behavior and focus on the amazing qualities he had instead of thinking too much about his negative qualities. He had won her over before she even knew what he had been doing, before she even had a chance. And she wasn’t as upset about it as she could be.
Currently, she was staring at herself in a full-length mirror, ready to walk down the aisle. They had only started dating a month ago. Was she insane? Probably. But at least she knew she was acting completely idiotic. However, just because she recognized it did not prevent her from stopping herself from actually taking the plunge. He had paid for everything, of course: the last-minute venue at a gorgeous meadow just outside the city overlooking the lake, her wedding dress, their honeymoon. He told her to invite whoever she wanted, but she preferred that it would be just the two of them, like a local elopement.
She wore a simple white wedding dress, with thick straps that barely covered all of her shoulders. The neck was scooped and because the sleeves were just over her shoulders, nearly all of her collarbone and a classy hint of cleavage showed. The dress tightened at the waist and flared out at the hips. She had never been a fan of frilly dresses but this one puffed out a bit because, well, every wedding dress should puff. It was her one chance to truly feel like a princess, especially considering she was getting married to the Prince of Seattle. Her hair was down, parted down the middle, with a simple wreath of pink and white flowers over her head. To be honest, she looked like a modern hippie, which she didn’t have a problem with. Her makeup was light – pink lips, mascara, eye shadow, light blush. No eyeliner because she didn’t feel it was needed. Jericho had offered to have a makeup artist and hair stylist come out and do it so she didn’t have to worry about it, but Annie gently refused. She actually wanted to do this herself.
A gentle knock on the door indicated that it was time. She sucked in a breath. Her heart started to race. She turned to the small sink in the small room and grabbed her bouquet of white and pink roses. Her feet weren’t sore. She opted for beaded flats rather than high heels, which seemed to fit the innocence of her look more than the heels would have.
Once she had her bouquet, she opened the door and met the photographer.
“We’re ready in the field,” he told her in a low voice. He was from New York and his accent, while subtle, was still somewhat prevalent. “Jericho and the pastor are waiting. I’m to lead you to the exit and then set up. Jericho instructed me to photograph everything. We’re also filming. Do you have any questions?”
Annie could barely speak, let alone figure out if she had any questions. Instead, she shrugged and plastered a smile on her face. “I’m ready,” she told him. It amazed her that she wasn’t lying. Every bone in her body was ready for this. As crazy as it sounded, as crazy as it was, she was going to marry Jericho and she had absolutely no regrets about it.
The door opened. She took a breath.
In all honesty, the wedding ceremony wasn’t much to remember. She was glad Jericho had it recorded so they would have a copy of it for the rest of their lives. Everything happened so fast and it was hard to really stay in the moment. There were a couple of parts, however, that really stuck out in her mind. The biggest thing was the way he looked when he first saw her. She was glad the photographer snapped a picture of that because she wanted to remember that look for the rest of her life. He looked at her like she was an angel, a goddess, something to be worshiped and adored, something to treasure above anything else.
He looked deliriously handsome in his own tuxedo. Annie had no idea how he managed to find one that fit him so well in such a short amount of time. Then again, there were perks of being Jericho, she supposed. His hair was slicked back. Even his black shoes were shiny and new. Everything about him was in place. He looked flawless. He looked exactly the way she expected him to look.
When she reached him, she realized she hadn’t even thought about the fact that her father wasn’t there to walk her down the aisle. Instead of feeling guilty, she felt elated. That Jericho could distract her enough where she wasn’t saddened by her parents’ loss during her big day. Granted, they would probably question her sanity for getting married so young and with a near-stranger, but eventually, they would come around. She knew they would. Bruce, on the other hand, might be more upset.
Actually, she hadn’t spoken to Bruce since Jericho had cut him a check for five grand that night at the club, when Jericho had brought her pasta and Bruce had picked money over his sister. Even so, she still wished he was here. She still missed him.
This is stupid, she thought. Maybe I should call him. Maybe he should have been the one to walk me down the aisle.
But would he have come at all? Would he be supportive? Or would he just be happy that she was marrying the wealthiest guy in Seattle? She hated that she was so bitter but she couldn’t help it. It was hard to trust Bruce now. She wanted to but… It was hard. He hadn’t even reached out, just to see if she was okay. Surely he knew they were together, her and Jericho. Was he upset about that? Did he support it? Had he asked Jericho for more money now that Jericho and she were together, like he had some kind of right to do something like that in the first place?
Still. She wanted him here. Even if he was upset. Even if he didn’t support her.
The second thing that really got to her was the exchange of rings. There was electricity running between them. When he took her hand in his, sparks flew. She didn’t get the chance to purchase a ring for him herself. Instead, he opened a credit card for her and she purchased a simple black ring, promising to pay him back immediately.
Again, practical. Not exactly romantic.
But that was okay. Every relationship was different and she could appreciate that their relationship was much more off-kilter than ones she was typically used to.
Honestly? That was… okay. She was more okay with it than she thought she would be, but that was the power of Jericho. He had this innate ability to make people fall in love with him. He made her fall in love with him in a couple of weeks. She hadn’t really loved someone – even someone who ticked all her boxes – that quickly ever.
Was she crazy? Or was Jericho different? Was he the one she was meant to be with?
It didn’t matter. She had made her choice.
The wedding was just over a half hour but felt like it was over in the blink of an eye. The pastor recited from Proverbs, a couple of verses from the Bible. Rings were exchanged.
And vows?
They didn’t write vows. They both decided against it. There was nothing more that needed to be said between them. He could read her eyes clearly and she could read his. If they did want to say something, that could be done later, when it was just the two of them.
&
nbsp; The pastor asked for any naysayers but nobody spoke. Jericho and Annie wouldn’t have listened either way.
Then, for their first kiss, Jericho cupped the back of her head – it was her favorite feeling, the utter control and desire she felt when he did that made her tingle all over – tilted it back, and placed his mouth on hers. There was no tongue but their mouths were open and the kiss was intimate.
When they broke apart, both smiled.
“I am honored to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Steel,” he said.
Steel, Annie thought. She hadn’t realized his last name was Steel since everyone referred to him as just Jericho. Annie Steel. I like it. It has a nice ring to it.
They took more pictures together and proceeded to kiss some more as well. When that was finished, the limo took them back to their home in the woods. They had an early flight in the morning to Hawaii, where they were going to honeymoon together for two weeks.
But, for now, they would focus on their wedding night.
There was no reception. No gifts awaited them at their home. Somehow, despite the media frenzy Jericho caused, nobody knew just yet that he had actually gotten married. This made Annie happy to no end. Nobody knew her, of course. Once the world did find out, she would be surprised if anyone cared to learn her name. It was more about the fact that Jericho was married than who he was married to. Either way, it felt nice to have him all to herself for now. Their marriage, a secret.
When they got back to their room, there was a familiar beat up pickup truck sitting in the driveway. Annie’s brows shot up to the sky. What was Bruce doing here? He wasn’t in the car, which meant he had to be inside. Even though she occupied the house, Annie never made him give her his key back. She always thought that maybe he would drop by and things would return to normal. As normal as they could be, after everything they had been through.
But she hadn’t been expecting him at all. And as Jericho helped her out of the car, she felt her heart start to race. She was nervous, more nervous than when she got married. Which didn’t make any sense. Why would she care about seeing Bruce again?
Because this time was different, a voice in her head pointed out. She wasn’t just his sister anymore. She was Jericho’s wife.
“You okay?” Jericho asked as he helped her out of the car. He kept his fingers laced with hers even after closing the door.
“It’s Bruce’s car,” she said, nodding her head at the truck.
“Yeah,” Jericho agreed. “I called him.”
“You what?” Annie asked, snapping her head in his direction, eyes wide.
“Listen, it’s none of my business, whatever it is that’s happening between the two of you, but this is our big day,” he said. “I don’t have family – except for you now. But you, you’re lucky enough to have your brother. And I wanted him to be here for you because he can be. And when I told him, he wanted to be at our wedding but he was respectful enough to give us our space. So I invited him to our place for dinner before we enjoy our night together. I’m certain I was rather presumptuous and you can hate me all you want but I know how much you miss him and I just thought-“
Jericho wasn’t able to finish that sentence because Annie had leaped into his arms and thrown her arms around her neck.
“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers. “I have an idea,” he murmured before giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “Come on. I’m sure he’s been waiting a while.”
“What kind of food did you get?” she asked as he put her back on the ground and they made their way to the door.
“I think he said something about Chinese,” Jericho told her. “He insisted on paying for it himself.”
“Chinese,” Annie said with a grin. “My favorite.”
Jericho unlocked the door and headed to the kitchen and dining room. There was Bruce, in an eighties-styled powder-blue tuxedo, his messy brown hair as slicked back as it was ever going to be. He immediately came to a standing position and his eyes rested on Annie.
“Wow,” he said, looking her up and down. “Mom and Dad would have been so proud of you, Annie.”
Annie felt her eyes fill up with unshed tears. “Do you really think so?” she asked. She hated how emotional she was. She wasn’t the type to get emotional over anything, certainly not about being married. But this was different. Her brother was here and staring at him now, she almost regretted the fact that he wasn’t at their wedding.
But that was between you and Jericho, a voice in her head pointed out. You got to keep that moment between the two of you.
Plus, he was here now. Because of Jericho.
Bruce stepped toward her tentatively, unsure if he should approach her or not. She smiled and stepped to him, erasing the distance between them. He threw his arms around her and enveloped her in his warmth. He rested his chin on hers and she could somehow feel him smiling against her. It was only at that moment when the tears started to fall freely to the point where even she couldn’t hold them back. And, quite honestly, she wasn’t ashamed. He was her brother and she missed him dearly. It felt like forever since the last time they spoke together and she was so relieved to hold him in her arms again, feel his closeness. He was all she had. Well, him and now Jericho.
She pulled apart and gave Jericho an awed look.
“Yeah,” Bruce said. “Jericho called me and basically told me that you guys were getting married. Granted, it might be a little rushed but I think to each his own, right? You guys do you. And it’s clear you both really care for one another so if it works, it works. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to be there with you but I also get that you have to do what’s best for you. You guys are married now and that means Brucey comes second, which is fine. As long it’s to a guy who deserves you. And I’m happy to say, Jericho does.”
Annie shot him a look of disbelief. How the heck did Bruce know anything about Jericho? Besides the fact that he worked for the guy, Bruce and Jericho didn’t actually talk, did they?
“Look, maybe I don’t know him the way you do,” Bruce told Annie, immediately recognizing the look on her face. He shot a smile at Jericho. “I’m sorry. We’re talking about you like you’re not here. That’s rude.”
Jericho waved away his concern. “It just makes me happy to see the two of you talking,” he said, and Annie could hear the sincerity in his voice. She thought she fell even more in love with him right there.
“How’s the cabin?” she said, turning to see the Chinese food set out with three plates. Bruce, of course, had chopsticks next to his plate while Annie had a plastic fork. He had tried so often to teach her how to use chopsticks but to no avail. It never worked. Next to Jericho’s plate there was a set of chopsticks and a plastic fork, leaving it up to his new brother-in-law to decide.
“It’s great,” Bruce said, plopping down in his seat. “You should really see it, Annie. You’d love it. Actually, both of you would. You should stay there sometime in the future. Completely free, of course. Maybe you could review me on TripMaster or something.”
“So,” Annie said, reaching across the table and grabbing the carton with kung pao chicken. She poured a generous amount on her plate before grabbing the fried rice and then the chow mein noodles. “You actually got the fireplace installed?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, running his fingers through his hair and taking some of Annie’s kung pao chicken before she could smack him out of the way with her plastic fork. “It’s perfect, Annie. I’m serious.”
“Perfect doesn’t tell me how it looks,” Annie drawled before she quirked her brow.
“It’s one of those things you have to experience in person,” he told her. “So.” He shifted his eyes between the couple and smirked. “How was the wedding?”
Annie didn’t need an excuse to start talking about the wedding. She grinned and launched into a detailed explanation. Every now and then, Jericho would add a piece
of information but was happy just to let Annie take over. She hadn’t even called her friends and told them. They didn’t even know she was married.
After another couple of hours of talking, catching up, and reading canned fortunes from the fortune cookies, Bruce excused himself so he could give the newlyweds the privacy they deserved on their wedding night. Annie pulled Jericho into a tight hug after he shut the door.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “You have no idea what that meant to me.”
“I have an idea,” he murmured with a smile before pulling her into a long, passionate kiss. She truly believed she had kissed his lips a thousand times and somehow, he still sent shockwaves to the tips of her toes and awoke butterflies from cocoons in her stomach. “Let’s really take advantage of the fact that right now, there’s just you and me in the world. We have all the time we want to do whatever it is you want. And right now, I want nothing more than to explore your body with my mouth.”
Annie swallowed but she felt her lips curl up. She threw her arms around his neck and brought him in closer for a deep kiss. His tongue immediately demanded entrance, like this was their first kiss and he was exploring her for the first time. His fingers buried themselves in her hair so he could completely control the positioning of her head. His grip, while gentle, was firm, as though he wanted her to know that he was the one that was in control, not her, and it would be beneficial if she understood and respected this.
He swooped her up in his arms and slowly headed up the stairs. He was familiar with the layout of the house now and didn’t have to look to see where he was going, whether he was getting a midnight snack in the dark or he was walking the stairs. His eyes were on her and not his feet. The stairs were even and he could place his foot on each one without having to worry about under or overstepping.
A Corruption Dark & Deadly (A Dark & Deadly Series Book 3) Page 15
