Evan Price
Elena Madison arrived my home at precisely noon on Saturday. Just a day after the stunt which she pulled at my meeting. It turned out I had underestimated the princess but I still hated being taken by surprise like that and looking stupid.
She didn't arrive with a lot of belongings – which wasn't surprising at all, considering she owned very little – and my house keepers and butler quickly took charge of helping her with her few boxes while I showed her around.
Neiter of us spoke, and the silence expanded with each step which should have been comfortable for me but somehow, only made me more annoyed at her. She had been perfectly friendly to my house staffs, smiling warmly at them end even going as far as offering them fucking cooks. But when she got to me, she shut down like I was the one ruining her perfect life.
We stopped in front of a guestroom which I had the staffs redesign for her.
"This is your room." I said icily. I had set up in the farthest room from mine – we weren't even on the same floors – but it still felt too close. "The housekeeper will unpack for you later."
Her feisty blue eyes stared at me before she sighed with relief. "I guess we'll be staying in separate rooms then."
For some reason, my heart squeezed in my chest. "I didn't realize you were so eager to share a bed with me."
Her lips tinged with a red hue and she glanced down at her toes, biting her bottom lips in a way that made warmth spread across my belly. I gritted my teeth, trying to get rid of whatever foreign emotion that was.
"I never said I wanted to share a bed with you," she clarified, glaring at me. "I'm simply pointing out that we are married now. We have to maintain appearances because if word get out –"
"Word won't get out." I said, cutting her off. With the way her face reddened, I could tell that was something she didn't like – being cut off in the middle of saying something – but I didn't care. "All my household staffs have been with me for years and have prided themselves on their… discretion."
I stepped into the room, glancing around non-committal. "If they do, then I'll take care of it. And since we are on the subject," I turned around to meet her glare. "I find the need to iterate the boundaries of our relationship."
"Mr. Price, I completely understand –" she began to say, but I cut her off.
"No, I'm not sure you understand anything. Not after the stupid stunt you pulled yesterday." Her face went beet red. "In public, we'll play the part of a loving couple, But make no mistake, I will not tolerate being ridiculed. We'll attend events together;smile for cameras and pretend we're head over heels in love."
Fuck that old man for pinning this on me. Most times, I felt the need to strangle him in his sleep. But I couldn't do that. Not when he was still principal proprietor of half our family estatesand a particular business empire I so direly needed.
I took a deep breath in, reminding myself why I had agreed to stoop as low Elena's level and go ahead with this sham of a marriage.
"You will have full access to the Price's group portfolio. If you need anything – that hasn't already been provided – my assistant will provide them for you. Her number is on the nightstand, along with your wedding ring. Wear it."
The marriage announcement will run in the morning. Everyone – as suggested by my endearing grandfather – was to believe that Elena and I met during one of my vacations, fell in love and decided to get married while feelings were still hot.
Apparently, we couldn't get enough of each other.
I couldn't wait to race out of here, lock my room door and just get as far away from her as possible but my reputation was also at stake.
I didn't care whether people liked me or not – personally, I'd prefer it if no one did – but public perception was important to maintain good public image and the last thing I needed was too many questions and gossips.
"How romantic." She muttered, unconsciously fingering the pendant on her neck. It was the one accessory on her that wasn't an eyesore. They were beautiful gold, with a sprinkle of diamonds here and there and contrasted greatly with the rags she wore.
I couldn't help wondering what story was behind those. Obviously, Elena was poor. She definitely couldn't afford – I shook my head, forcing myself to concentrate.
"I'm no here to make you feel special." I replied coolly. "I'm here because my grandfather forced me." my eyes swept over her rigid body. I hated that even at this distance, I could see how flawless her skin was and how her ragged dress hugged her curves tight.
Or how her long lashes framed her beautiful blue eyes, and her long, delicate nose pointed subtly to her lush lips. My eyes dipped to her mouth.
Fuck! I hated that she affected me.
I ignored the biting need to rub my thumb across her bottom lip, seconds before I lean in and bite it in between my teeth.
"Our loving act drops the moment we cross my front door." I said, more to dissuade myself of any romantic notions between me and her, than anything else. "This is a business arrangement. Nothing else. Understood?"
Elene pressed her lip into a stubborn line.
A growl rang at the back of my throat, startling her. Reaching up, I closed my hand around her small throat.
Leaning in, my voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "UN-DER-STOOD?"
Elena's eyes widened. "Perfectly." She gritted out. Her hands flew to her neck to rub the skin as I released her and took a step back.
"Good."
I left without waiting for a response.
Even in my room – several meters away from her – I could still feel the warmth of her skin on my palm. Fuck! I cursed into the night, wishing I could hit something right about now. But I had a meeting very early in the morning and I needed to prep for it.
Even when I knew precisely what I needed to be doing, I couldn't bring myself to stop thinking about her. The way my hand had felt around her neck… aggravation rose in my chest. She was only here less than hour and she was already disrupting my otherwise perfect life.
Fuck!
I really needed to speak to my grandfather and have him review our agreement. With the way thigs were going, this was going to be a long two years. And I wasn't sure I could last that long before… I let that thought drift away and stalked out of my bedroom to my office were I attempted to review the materials for my meeting tomorrow.