Pretty Prize

by Goode, Ella

  My husband looks so sexy leaning back in a chair. A few buttons of his shirt undone, a small dusting of a five o'clock shadow along his jaw. My body begins to heat the more I stare at him thinking about what that beard would feel like against my skin, between my thighs. My whole body starts to tingle. I fantasize about climbing up onto those thick thighs and riding him. It was so good the first time. I bet it would be even better now. I feel my cheeks pinken from my thoughts. Hunter clears his throat, bringing my eyes up to his.

  I was staring at his thighs. I lick my lips, feeling bold. If I want it I should take it. It’s not like the man is going to tell me no. All the salespeople are off looking for things for me to try on. I drop the pants I have in my hand, walking toward him. I’m still in one of the soft dresses. It seems I’ve found a favorite color by looking at the stuff I’ve picked out. There are multiple things in different hues of yellow that bring a smile to my face. It reflects how I feel in this moment. I used to take what was given to me regardless of how tattered it was. Now I am overjoyed to have beautiful things to call my own.

  Hunter sits up a little straighter as I close the space between us. I drop down into his lap, straddling him the same way as we were on the plane.

  “Why are you doing this?” I ask. I enjoy playing with Hunter but I find it more rewarding when I tease him. I don’t want to play games.

  “I want you to have whatever you want.” I bite my lip thinking over his words. I hate that I always have to try to read deeper into his motives. “As long as it keeps you safe,” he adds. “That sweater could hurt you.” I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles from me.

  “I don’t want the sweater,” I tell him before leaning down and brushing my nose against his. “You smell good,” I sigh before pressing my mouth against his. This time he lets me lead. I take the kiss, licking the seam of his mouth. His lips part for me as I lazily kiss my husband. Thinking of him as my husband has me moaning into his mouth. His fingers dig into my hair as we both get lost in the kiss.

  “Oh, sorry.” I jerk back at the sound of a woman’s voice. I see one of the sales ladies’ backside as she half runs from where we are. Hunter already snipped at one who almost walked in when I was changing.

  “I couldn't even let you kiss me,” he says, drawing my attention away from where the woman took off. “I have no control when it comes to you. I just want to take and take and take.” I want to do the same but of him. He plays with the ends of my hair.

  “This is nice.” I wiggle against him. We both know I’m not talking about sex. I feel close to him right now. A closeness I’ve never had with anyone before. The thought of losing it is terrifying.

  “Sweetheart?” Hunter’s hold tightens on my thighs. My heart begins to flutter at the term of endearment. It sounds almost foreign from his lips. “What’s the matter? You’ve gone pale.”

  “Promise me you’ll always hold true to your word.”

  He stiffens for a moment, his eyes searching my face.

  “He won’t take you from me.” Hunter’s voice is low, almost deadly, sending a yummy chill across my skin. “No one will.” He pulls me closer to him. “I’ll give you more than my word, my precious wife. I’ll give you it all.”

  Chapter 15

  Hunter

  After enriching half the stores on Via Dei Condotti, I take my wife to dinner. She's exchanged her slightly rumpled yellow dress for a gorgeous white silk frock with large hand-painted red and pink flowers. The top has two long strips that the store clerk tied under Rose's chin, drawing attention to her perfect skin. Light pink sapphire ovals dangle from her delicate ears and a matching fourteen carat white diamond bracelet with matching pink sapphires glitters on her wrist. The entire ensemble is finished with pink crocodile shoes and a purse. Despite being hardly bigger than my hand, the purse cost more than the shoes and the dress, but she looks at it like it's an ancient treasure dragged up from the bottom of the sea. Before we left, I ordered five more in every color I could think of.

  Seated by a bank of windows overlooking the Rome skyline, I find myself unwilling to look away from Rose. The low light of the room creates interesting shadows that play across her cheekbones and shadow part of her face as she peers down at the menu. It doesn't surprise me that she can read Italian. She's very smart—too smart to be kept inside a beautiful cage. Her job applications were all very ordinary, though. A business analyst position at one company. A research position at another. None of these jobs seemed appropriate for a woman like Rose, but, then again, what do I really know about my wife? I knew the simple answers because I went digging. I want to know all of that but those things are only surface. I don’t know what she wants deep inside of her or how she dreams her life to be. These are all of the little things that I want her to share with me of her own accord.

  Guilt makes my chest tight. I place my menu on the table and take a long gulp of my five-hundred-dollar-a-bottle red wine.

  "What will you have?"

  She sticks a finger in the side of her mouth. "I can't decide. I like scallops but I also think this steak looks good. Have you eaten here before?"

  I have but I don't remember it. It was a dinner meeting and I was too focused on gloating over my acquisition of a villa overlooking the Sea of Capri to recall whether anything I put in my mouth had any flavor.

  "Yes. It was all good." For the price I paid, I assume it was.

  "Hmm. I guess I'll order the scallops then. I can get steak anywhere.”

  I give the order in Italian, requesting two steaks to be brought out in addition to the scallops.

  Rose watches me, bemused.

  “I’m hungry,” I say.

  “Did you order that for me?”

  “And if I did?”

  “That’s nice of you.”

  There’s an odd note to her voice, as if she doesn’t expect kindness, particularly from me. Her assumptions are grating, mostly because she’s right. No. Was right. I don’t feel that way toward her now and haven’t since I met her. Before she was an object I wanted to own and now…now I want her to say that she wants me in return.

  Those feelings make me damn uncomfortable and like a cornered animal, I strike out. “Shall I treat you poorly? Trot you around the richest parts of Rome in rags your brother bought you? Make you sing on the street for a few coins so you can buy yourself pizza from a street vendor?”

  She colors the same pink as the print of her dress and snaps back, “What should I expect from a man who does business with my brother? You bought me and now you’re treating me nice? Shouldn’t I be concerned?”

  “I can’t believe you’re sitting in a ten thousand dollar outfit asking if I’m going to mistreat you.”

  Her hands fly to the bow at her neck and tug it loose. “If you’re going to count every penny that you spend on me, I’d rather wear the rags my brother bought. At least he never showed up at my door with a receipt.”

  She pushes back out of her seat and bolts away—not even toward the bathroom but the exit. The waiter arrives at that precise moment with dome-covered plates. I throw a few hundred Euros on the table and run after her.

  The hallway outside the top floor restaurant is empty. The lights over the elevator bank indicate that one of the cars is heading to the first floor.

  Fuck.

  I forgo the elevators and run for the stairs. I take them three, four, even five at a time, using the railing to propel me down to the lobby. I burst through the stair access door but she’s not in the entry.

  I grab the first bellhop and ask where the beautiful dark-haired lady wearing the rose flowered dress is. He points to the doors leading out. I press another wad of Euros in his hand and dash outside, where I find some asshole in a tux looming over her, his dirty hands on her shoulders. A horrified expression covers her face.

  Instinct kicks in. This is my woman. I grab the man by the shoulder and my fist flies before rational thought can take control. He rocks backward, totters and then falls to the ground.


  Rose screeches behind me. I bundle her up and shove her into the first cab. She gazes at me with wide eyes.

  “I’m sorry! I can’t… I can’t see another man lay his hands on you. I don’t want to own you, Rose. I don’t want you to feel imprisoned, but I want you.” I cup her shoulders. “I’ve wanted you from the first time I saw you.” The guilt tying me up inside draws tighter. I push the words out. “I’ve wanted you more than I’ve wanted revenge. Yeah, your brother is an asshole, but I targeted him because you existed. I’ve only ever wanted you and I know you hate that, but I can’t help it. I have to have you, Rose. I have to because you’re the only thing in this world that makes me get up in the morning. If I don’t have you…” I trail off because I can’t even put those words into the universe. “I need you, Rose. I need you. Don’t leave me.”

  Chapter 16

  Rose

  My mouth opens as I try to think of something to say, Hunter’s words having shocked me into silence. My mind can’t catch up to the present. Five minutes ago I was trying to escape him and now all I want to do is be closer to him. His harsh words in the restaurant sliced through me more than anyone else's ever have. I never care what my brother has to say. His words never hurt me. I simply let those roll off me but Hunter’s have power. I’ve given him that by caring. His opinion matters to me whether I intended it to or not.

  His words in the restaurant stung, but the ones he spoke just now made my heart flutter. Thinking back to the conversation we had in the store, when he basically told me he’d give me everything, it all tumbles together now. Don’t leave me, he all but pleaded. I didn't want to leave him but I was running scared. I knew mentally I could survive whatever he could throw my way but my heart is another story. I’d never be able to withstand it if he crushed that. The thought nearly brings me to tears. I’ve done well safeguarding it but Hunter has pushed through those walls.

  “Say something.” It’s not a demand this time. It’s a plea. He looks anxious as he awaits my response. His fingers reach over to caress my face but I remain silent. My eyes take in every part of his face. He really is handsome. He doesn’t need money and I’m sure he doesn’t need to buy a wife either. What stands out more than anything, though, is the look of fear written in his eyes. I’m sure mine look the same.

  My silence has him gently sliding me into his lap, where he holds me close to him. I lay my head on his shoulder. His mouth angles down toward mine while his arms provide me with the comfort I seek. His lips brush mine, begging for acceptance.

  “I’m sorry. I need you,” he whispers. “Please forgive me.” His lips caress mine again. “I’m trying. I swear.” My mouth gently moves against his, wanting to relieve some of his pain. He groans at my acceptance of his affection. Hunter tries to deepen the kiss but I pull back, needing to express my feelings for him before we can move forward. He begins to speak but I lift my two fingers, pressing them to his mouth to silence him. I need to say this. I think we both need it.

  “I need you to stay quiet while I talk, Hunter.” I try and give him a stern look. He nods his head slightly and presses a kiss to my fingertips, which are still on his mouth. “I have so many questions that I want to know the answers to. You don’t have to answer them all today but I need a promise that you will at some point tell me everything.”

  He nods in agreement.

  “There are some that I need answers to now.” I trace his beautiful lips. I drop my fingers and press a soft kiss to his lips, encouraging him to open up to me. My eyes lift to his again, hoping he’ll let me in.

  “All you have to do is ask. I don’t think I could stop myself from answering you if I wanted to.” His eyes stay pinned on mine as he speaks. I visibly relax in his hold, realizing that he is going to give me what I want. He was right. I haven't been asking questions. He hasn't once said no to me since I became his wife. Anything I have asked has been answered. His demeanor has been less than favorable at times but he’s always responded if I asked a direct question.

  “Do you want to share things with me? I’m not one to pry, Hunter. If it’s not the direction you want to go, I won’t force you. We can go on with the deal as it is and I’ll know where I stand.”

  His face grows angry and an audible growl leaves his chest. “You mean marriage. You are not a deal to me, sweet Rose, and it makes me angry when you refer to yourself as anything but my wife.” My mouth turns up a little at his visible anger, which in turn has his doing the same.

  My heart is beating at an unsteady rate with Hunter’s last declaration. I only asked the question because I needed to know that he truly wants to share the information with me. I don’t want it to be something he feels obligated to do because I am upset. Hunter looks as though his mind is working overtime. I rephrase my question in hopes that it will do the trick.

  “I want you to share things with me because you want to and not because I’m your wife.”

  He steals a tiny kiss from me. “If this is what will please you then I’ll do it. I want to do whatever makes you happy. If me opening up and laying it all out for you is what it takes to put that pretty smile on your face, then that’s what I’ll do.” There he goes again. This man really does have a way with words. His words work their way right into my core, causing me to lose my breath for a second. The urge to forgo this whole line of questioning is strong, but I know I need answers in order for us not to get stuck in anger. Why play a game if we could have more? Or, as he said, everything.

  “Is your revenge against me? Am I merely a casualty of your plan?”

  His eyes grow sad, causing me to lift my fingers to his face in an effort to comfort him. I’m used to so much anger behind his eyes that this causes a different ache inside of me. One that is for him.

  “It was against your family,” he answers. “Then I saw you and I told myself I’d use you in my plan.” I swallow, not sure how I feel about that. I had plans to use Hunter right back but then something changed. “It was a lie. I just wanted you. I told myself I needed you for a part of my plan. I see now that I was only lying to myself. You, I want for myself.”

  My heart gives a flutter, thinking that he’d merely seen me and wanted me so badly. I know I’m probably starved for attention and enjoying this more than I should, but I don’t care. How many times did I not get what I wanted? Screw it. I am going to enjoy the twisted way Hunter wants me because I can. As much as I didn’t want to be the pretty prize on his arm I will be happy if I know he truly cares for me.

  “But you want me to want you too?” I ask.

  He nods, his jaw tight. I don’t think Hunter is used to not getting what he wants with a snap of a finger. This isn’t something you could buy.

  “I wasn’t supposed to care.” He lets out a humorless laugh. “I was lying to myself about that too.”

  “You didn’t need to know everything about me.” But he did know. Down to how I order my steak. “But you wanted to.” He nods again. I think it’s really dawning on both of us. I smirk. He learned these things in order to care for me the best way he knew how. He’s shown me affection in tiny glimpses without realizing it. His intentions may not have been pure to begin with but I know his need to have me is no longer based on revenge. He has subconsciously learned to care for me and make me happy before he realized he was doing it.

  “Don’t make me out to be a good guy. I’m like your brother.”

  The smirk drops from my lips. “Don’t say that!” I snip at him. Getting mad on Hunter’s behalf. He is nothing like my brother. My brother gives no shits about how I feel. Hunter, I’m seeing, cares about everything when it comes to me. He’s having as hard of a time understanding his feelings as I am with my own. Maybe that’s why it’s been so difficult to get a read on him, because even he doesn’t know how he feels.

  “What makes me so different?” He’s truly asking.

  “You feel for me,” I say simply. He cares about how I feel about things. He has a need to make me happy. He wants to
be by my side. “In fact I think you might be in love with me.” The shock in his eyes amuses me. Love hasn’t occurred to him. He thought it was all lust and revenge and obsession and maybe it was a mixture of all of those, but deep down, I think it might be love.

  It has to be, otherwise I’ll be trapped again. I refuse to be someone’s pawn, but I can be a partner. The only way that will happen is if he opens his heart and sees that there’s love inside.

  Chapter 17

  Hunter

  What is love even? I’ve been pondering this thought for two weeks. Is it how my breath catches when her lips curve into a gentle smile? Is it the way that I’m anxious whenever she’s not by my side, even if it’s to go to the bathroom? Is it the relief I feel whenever she returns?

  Is that love?

  I’ve been rolling the word around my tongue, testing its flavor. It feels foreign and ill-fitting like someone else’s suit coat that’s too tight around the shoulders. I’m not a man made for love. I’m a man molded by revenge. But I have revenge now. I own Rose. I own her brother. I have the power to erase the Vandermeer name from existence. Yet, there’s no satisfaction there. Something is missing. Even when I’m deep inside of her, when I’m seated to the hilt, when the broad head of my dick pushes against her womb, even then there’s something missing.

  It’s the love thing. It’s her love that she’s keeping from me because I don’t know how to love her back.

  No matter how many orgasms I wring from her, no matter how many times I get her to sob my name, she still holds something back. There’s a part of her I can’t reach and it’s driving me mad.

  “You look upset. Is the deal a bad one?” Rose asks. She’s settled into the corner of the sofa in the large library of the Tuscany villa we’re staying in. It’s early evening but her aunt has already retired for the night. Nora Weatherly is an astute woman and tries to give Rose and me a good amount of alone time.