35. Alex

Chapter 35

Alex

TWO WEEKS LATER

" A lmost done. You should make it with plenty of time for the bachelor auction."

I groan as Laura helps me into my tux jacket. It may not be legal, but I'm also no longer a bachelor—I'm Jaclyn's husband. I'm not sure how I got roped into this misandry as fuck auction, but I want out.

The only positive about any of this is the gala downstairs will bring me closer to my wife, if only for the evening. Unfortunately, I'll have to see her flirting with my brother. Watch him openly touch her. It doesn't help that she hasn't responded to my texts… or the blue roses I've sent daily since she returned to D.C..

"Are you almost done?" It comes out as more of a growl than I intended.

"I'm sorry, sir," Laura says carefully .

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just on edge," I sigh and ask about my aide, "Where is Abigail? She was supposed to make sure I wasn't attending, let alone being sold off like prime real estate in a buyers' market." I huff a laugh at the ridiculous fundraiser.

"She'll be here shortly. But, I assure you, you look amazing, sir." Calling me ‘sir' a second time, I pause; there's an Irish lilt in her voice. It's then that I notice a small snake tattoo behind her right ear. If the Gallaghers wanted to spy on me, they should've picked someone a little less obvious.

"Great. And what time will Finn be here?"

"Should be any minute now," she slips up. The brothers are getting sloppy.

"Grand," I reply with a faux-Irish accent, making her suck in a breath. "Yeah, tell your boss that if he wants to meet with me, I'm ready for the evening." She busies herself with hair and makeup products as if I didn't just out her, my patience wearing thin. "Any time now, Laura." She scurries off, presumably to find Abigail or the Irish brothers.

Approximately ten minutes later, the door opens, and I bark, "It's about time you showed your face," assuming it's Finn or Mickey. I didn't look to see who was entering, but I sure as fuck should've.

"Hello to you, too." Hearing her velvety voice makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and a lightness settles in my chest for the first time in weeks.

"Well, hello, Mrs. Blake." I've never swiveled in my seat so fast in my life, finding Jaclyn standing before me in a crimson lace-adorned gown that trumpets at the floor. She's a fucking vision, leaving me utterly speechless. The majority of it is skintight, showing off her incredible curves, dipping low enough between her perfect breasts that I could easily slip my hand inside to play. Fuck. The damn dress is begging me to strip it off her.

Jaclyn lightly licks her upper lip, drinking me in, but sucks in a breath and quickly schools her expression. "It's come to my attention that you'll be participating in the bachelor auction."

"Yes, I am, at your mother's request… Or was it yours? Were you planning on bidding on me?" I taunt, but an idea strikes me: I can find someone to ensure I don't go home with anyone but my wife.

"No. I think Chris put her up to it." Jaclyn glances behind her to make sure no one is listening in, and my eyes zero in on a small purple mark on her neck that isn't from me. It's poorly covered with makeup and my jaw tics. My fucking brother… As she returns her gaze to me, her eyes widen. "What?"

I stand and prowl toward her, closing the door and guiding her backward with my hand on her hip for a step until I'm pressing her against it. Bracing myself with a hand above her, my eyes never leave hers. There's no way I could ever look away. When it's the two of us, she's my fucking world. As if the sight of her wasn't enough, her citrusy shampoo is like damn catnip .

Fuck, I've missed her.

Taking my time, I slide my hand up her side from her hip, loving the feel of the intricate fabric beneath my fingertips. Her chest rises and falls with a deep breath—one I want to steal for myself. Cupping her neck, I cover the mark my brother left behind and trace my thumb along her jaw.

He touched what's mine…

Jaclyn wets her pouty lips, and my jaw clenches as I resist kissing her. Instead, my thumb caresses her bottom lip. "Open." She does as I ask, and her tongue swipes the pad of my thumb as she draws it into her mouth. The sight of her scarlet lips wrapped around it has my cock thickening in my tuxedo pants.

Pulling it from her, I use the warm wetness to swipe away the makeup covering the hickey on the side of her neck, and a growl gets stuck in my throat as it brightens. She swallows thickly as I lean in closer.

"You let him touch you."

"Yes," she whispers. "He's my husband, Alex. I have to make it work with Chris."

I pull back, and a single tear leaves the corner of her eye. As I brush it away, I notice faint bruising above her cheek, masked with makeup but still visible being this close to her. While I can forgive her for sleeping with him, I'll never in a million years forgive him for laying a hand on her .

A rumble comes from deep within me. "When did he hurt you?"

"It wasn't like that. It was an accident a few weeks ago," she rushes out. "I'm just glad the swelling went down before tonight."

"Accident?" I growl. "If he hit you?—"

"He didn't, I promise." Jaclyn places her hand on my cheek, and I cover it with mine, relaxing into her touch.

Fuck, I more than missed her. I need her .

Dragging our joined hands to my lips, I press a single kiss to her palm, and a light pink blush creeps up her neck and cheeks. "I swear he didn't hurt me. It was just an accident." I lean in to kiss her, but she braces herself against my chest, my lips a breath away from hers. "We shouldn't do this. I should go."

"Not so fast, princess." I tuck a few stray locks behind her ear that have escaped her bun. "Why haven't you replied to my texts?"

Her lip quivers. "I… I didn't know what to say."

"That you love me, too."

"I…" She opens and closes her mouth a few times, as if to admit I'm wrong— or right —and thinking better of it. Say it, Jaclyn. With swirls of pain etched in her irises, she whispers, "You should get ready for the auction."

I take a step back and make a show of adjusting my bowtie. "If you haven't noticed, I'm ready… Though it's fa lse advertising, seeing as I'm no longer single." I lift my left hand, showing off that I'm still wearing my wedding ring.

"Alex," she breathes, reminding me of how all of this started.

I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger, then, not giving a fuck about the consequences, I swipe my thumb along her full, cherry-stained bottom lip again. "The game has changed, my little wife; this isn't pretend anymore. I know you feel this between us. You're mine as much as I'm yours. I'm not going to stand by and be happy that you're on my brother's arm. Because in the end, you know it'll be you and me."

There's a knock on the door, and I quickly steal a chaste kiss from her. I'm desperate to taste the one woman I've been unable to get out of my head since I left Hawaii—since college, if I'm being honest. Licking along the seam of her lips, she eagerly opens for me, allowing my tongue to dance with hers briefly despite her initial hesitation. If time was on our side, I'd explore every inch of her, reminding her that this is all real between us. I can't stop. She tastes too fucking good.

Whiskey, cherry, a hint of bitters.

"What were you celebrating?" I ask against her lips. My chest aches to be closer to her; kissing her feels like home. "Why are you here, Jaclyn?"

"Don't do the auction." As she pulls back, she briefly tugs my bottom lip between her teeth. "I know it's selfish of me to ask, but it'll hurt too much to see you…" She doesn't need to finish her sentence—it'll hurt to see me with another woman. Hope settles in my chest; this isn't over between us.

The door knocks again, but I'm sure as hell not letting her slip through my fingers. "I'm busy," I growl at whoever is on the other side.

"Too busy for an old friend?" Finn asks, and I still.

"I'll be downstairs in a few minutes," I call to him, and as I hear his footsteps retreat, I whisper to Jaclyn, "You were worried about a web of lies and deceit? There are bigger things at play than my brother murdering a woman. We need to talk and figure out how to get you far away from all. Meet me after the gala?" Needing her more than I need to breathe, I capture her lips, roughly kissing her a second time. Her sweet hum is all the reassurance I need that she's still mine.

My mouth travels to the opposite side of her neck that my brother shamelessly branded. She sucks in a breath, likely knowing exactly what I'm doing.

"You deserve the Oval, Alex, not him."

"I don't want it. It's yours."

"Mine? No, we talked about this." She pulls back. "Alex, I?—"

"Go, my beautiful wife. We'll talk about this later." I kiss her forehead, my lips lingering. "You have the gala and, in a couple of hours, men to auction off."

"Which is supposed to include you." Jaclyn playfully pokes my chest, making me chuckle. When the soft laughter fades, her deep blue eyes dart between mine in question.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure I'm going home with you, princess."

"You know that's not possible," she sighs in defeat.

I need another taste. Not giving a flying fuck who might knock next, my lips crash into hers yet again, and I steal her moans. With each swipe of my tongue against hers, she willingly gives me this small piece of her, and I intend to fucking keep it. There's no way in hell I'm giving her up.

Not now, not ever.

When we break apart, a soft whimper escapes her, and I rest my forehead on hers. "Trust me, princess, I love you."