Chapter 10

10

E yela

My husband was so handsome. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him for too long. He looked dapper in his white tuxedo. It looked immaculate against his caramel brown skin. A tattoo peeked out under his collar, and there was one on his hand. Curiosity had me wondering where else they would be. Karrington had thick eyebrows, balsamic brown eyes, and juicy lips. He had a square head and strong jaw, which I loved. The stubble on his jaw gave a rough edge to his otherwise polished look.

We didn’t talk much. He didn’t talk a lot actually. I noticed he would engage when people talked to him, but I never saw him actively start conversations with anyone—except me. Even then, it was just to make sure I was okay. Our families ate, danced, and drank together. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were moments Karrington looked to be elsewhere mentally. A blanket of sadness would cover his face.

I wondered if it was because of his father, his new position, having me as his wife, or all of the above. A part of me wanted to cater to his emotions but I wasn’t sure if that was my place. If we had a genuine relationship, I’d do so with no hesitation. As difficult as it was, I stayed back.

Before toasts, family and friends covered our table with white and red envelopes filled with cash. When that was over, it was time for our first dance. It felt oddly comfortable being in his arms. Being against his solid, wide frame. Karrington had the kind of height and body that made me feel safe with him. Then… it was time.

The reception was intentionally at a hotel. Tradition dictated soiled sheets were required to not only prove I was a virgin but also that we’d consummated our marriage and made it official. As much as I dreaded having sex with a stranger and giving him my virginity, Karrington made me feel comfortable. All evening, he’d kept his tone leveled and gentle when we spoke. His eyes remained soft. His touches were too. I hoped he’d be considerate in the bedroom as he’d been up until now. If not, I hoped it didn’t last long.

As we ascended in the elevator to our suite, my heart palpitated. On top of being nervous about losing my virginity, I couldn’t help but think about what happened with Cocaine. Though technically I knew I was still a virgin, a part of me wondered if Karrington would feel the same. He’d know something, or someone, had been inside of me, so I figured it was best to just come clean.

Clearing my throat, I put space between us. “Um… There’s something you should know.”

Karrington turned slightly and looked at me, causing me to avoid his eyes. “Yes?”

“The man I was seeing when I found out about the marriage… he didn’t take the news so well. We had a slight disagreement and he… he tried to have sex with me. I t-told him no and fought him off but he broke my seal with his fingers.” My breath came out shaky as my eyes watered. “I’m sorry. I tried to fight him off as best as I could, but I promise we didn’t have sex. I got him off.”

Seconds passed and he didn’t respond. Slowly, I looked in his direction. His expression was unreadable. When his arm extended, I flinched, but he used his thumb to keep my tears from sliding down.

“You’re saying someone violated you?” I nodded. “Someone you were dating?” I nodded again. His fist went into the wall, denting it immediately. I yelped and jumped back, caught off guard by the display of anger. “Who was it?”

My eyes widened as I shook my head. “I can’t tell you.”

The chuckle that he released was low and quick. He licked his lips, and a scowl covered his face.

“He assaulted you.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“He violated you.” Karrington hit the emergency button, and the elevator came to a brief stop. He closed the space between us. “He took from you what belonged to me. And you’re not going to tell me who he is?”

My head shook and hung. “No,” I whispered.

“Why not?” He used my chin to lift my head. “You’re bold enough to go against your husband. Be bold enough to look into my eyes while you do.”

My husband.

Hearing those words from him made me shiver.

My eyes fluttered as I inhaled a deep breath. “I still care about him even though he hurt me. I know if I tell you or my father you’ll kill him, and I don’t want his blood on my hands.”

The light returned to his eyes as he released my chin. “It’s cute that you’re still loyal to him, but you’re my wife, so that loyalty needs to be to me.” He pushed the button again. “It’s also cute that you thought me telling you to give me his name was a question, a choice.” His eyes cut over to me. “You don’t have to tell me who he is tonight, but you will tell me, Eyela. Do you understand?”

All I could do was nod. The doors of the elevator opened, and I released a breath of relief. He didn’t care about me being impure… He only cared about punishing the man who violated me.

There was a guard by our door, but Karrington dismissed him for the evening. I didn’t give it a second thought when he opened the door and allowed me to go in first. My movements stopped when I saw what was in the living room area of the suite. It was filled with gift boxes and bags, and that was no exaggeration. Literally every inch of the floor, the tables, couches, and recliners were covered with gifts of various sizes.

“I learned a few things about you from your mom. She told me you love jewelry and shoes and that all your clothes are couture. I have a few designers working on some things, but for now, this is just a collection of jewelry, shoes, bags, and lingerie to get you started in our new home.”

I turned to face him. “You did all of this for me?”

“We didn’t date, so I couldn’t spoil you. I want to make up for that now.”

A warm, tingly feeling consumed me. Growing up the way I did, a man’s money or gifts never swayed me, but with this… it was the intention behind it. There was no reason for Karrington to buy me anything, especially all this, but the fact that he did really impressed me.

“Thank you. I know we’ve technically just met, but your actions so far have shown me that you’re a thoughtful, considerate, intentional, giving man. I really appreciate you.”

“You’re mine now. It’s my job to give you the life you’ve grown accustomed to. I know this marriage is unconventional, but I’ll always show you that I value you.”

I thanked him again before we went into the master suite, where the romantic ambiance made my eyes water. Candles along with white and red rose petals filled the room. Slow music played lowly in the background. I was smitten, because he hadn’t just spoiled me with money but with romance and effort too. The gesture softened me toward him and made me more comfortable with the fact that I was about to give my virginity to a man I’d literally just met.

“I know they are waiting for this downstairs but there’s no rush,” Karrington assured me.

“Yeah, but I want to get it over with.”

“That’s… not the way to think about giving away something as sacred as your virginity, Eyela.”

“Yeah, well, it’s kind of hard to be excited about having sex with a stranger and knowing a room full of people are about to see the result of it.”

“I feel you. Is there anything I can do to make this more comfortable for you?” My head shook and mouth twisted to the side as I avoided his eyes. “Is there anything you don’t want me to do?”

My eyes flickered toward his as I swallowed hard. “Just be gentle.”

He gave me a soft smile and took my hand into his, using it to pull me closer. “I will. I promise.” As he cupped my cheek, Karrington licked his lips. His gaze lowered to mine. “Can I… kiss you?”

Consent.

He’d asked during the wedding and now.

Why was that so sexy?

“Mhm. Y-yes.”

Because the truth was, his lips were so soft and juicy I’d been wanting them on me again. Even with me wearing six inch heels, Karrington was still taller than me. He lowered himself and connected his lips with mine. A low hum escaped me as chills covered my arms. I’d been kissed before, but never as good as this.

It seemed natural when our hands began to explore each other’s bodies. When I felt his on my waist, ass, and neck, I sighed against his lips. It blew my mind that the hands that were so hard and brute just minutes ago in the elevator were so soft and gentle as they touched me. Maybe that was an indication of the different sides of my husband. Either way, the gentler he handled me, the safer I felt giving myself to him.

When we pulled away, his breathing was ragged. I could tell he was using restraint. Running my hand down my neck, I watched as he went to sit in the chair that was next to the bed. He adjusted himself in his pants and unbuttoned his jacket before plopping down and releasing a hard breath.

“I didn’t know virgins could kiss like that.”

A chuckle escaped me as I walked over to him. “Well that’s all I did, so I guess I got pretty good at it.” Turning in front of him, I asked, “Can you unbutton my dress?”

“Yeah. C’mere.”

My breathing hitched when he gripped my hips and sat me on his lap. I held it as he took his time unbuttoning every button that went down my spine. When he was done, his hands slid up and down my hips before briefly settling on my waist.

“Stand up,” he commanded. I did. He turned me, then lifted my foot and took off my heel. Karrington kissed my foot then lowered it and did the same with the other. Now… my breathing was ragged.

Karrington stood, and I attempted to move back to give him space, but he held me in place. With less than an inch of space between us, he told me, “If you can relax and trust me, I promise I’m going to make you feel better than you ever have in your life.”

My lips parted in desire. “Okay.”

His cocky grin made me blush as he turned me and carefully took my dress off. I heard the sharp inhale he took at the sight of me from behind. I parroted it when I felt his lips on my neck. My back. My ass. My legs. Karrington turned me and picked me up, then carried me to the bed. He took his time with me, as if we had all the time in the world. By the time he finally removed my bra and panties, my thighs were soaking wet.

I felt proud to have given him my virginity. Not only was he slow and gentle but he kept talking to me and making sure I was okay the whole time. He made me cum three times with his hands and fingers before he finally entered me. It didn’t take long for the pain to turn into pleasure. I was unable to contain the whimpers, moans, and cries that fell from my lips.

When we were done, I felt exhausted. I rolled over onto my side and tried to regulate my breathing. Karrington climbed out of bed, and I looked at him through lazy eyes. That wide, chiseled back, the tattoos. God. And don’t even get me started on his dick. I didn’t have a lot to compare it to, in fact, I had none at all… but I knew the average size was seven to nine inches, and Karrington’s curved rod was definitely longer than that.

I didn’t realize I was staring until he came and stood directly in front of me. When he made it jump, I shrieked and scooted back in the bed. We both laughed as I sat up.

“You looking at it like you want it again.”

“Can I touch it?” I asked timidly, crawling over to the edge of the bed.

“It’s yours. You can do whatever you want with it.”

My fingers gently grazed his shaft. When he moaned, I looked up at him. He looked so sexy with his bottom lip tugged between his teeth.

“You won’t sleep with anyone else?” I confirmed.

“Never.”

That made me smile. I’d been practicing sucking a dildo, but I wasn’t confident enough to try tonight, so as curious as I was, I released him. He returned to the bathroom, and when he came back, he picked me up and carried me inside. The basket on the counter that was filled with my favorite bath and body products made my eyes water. He’d thought of everything.

“I’m going to freshen up in the guest bathroom real quick and take these sheets to your father. Do you need anything before I get back?” he asked as he sat me down in the warm water.

“I’m okay. Thank you.”

Immediately, my bones liquified. This man, this night, hadn’t been anything like I’d expected. Karrington was doing things, putting forth effort, that was blowing my mind. Though the gestures were simple enough, coming from a man that had been described as aggressive, violent, and crude magnified them.

Karrington kissed my forehead then left me alone in the bathroom. I don’t know how long I stayed in the tub, but by the time I felt him rubbing a towel against my skin, the water had grown cold. He added hot water and continued to wash me before helping me out of the tub and into the shower. I was bold enough to ask him to join me, and he feasted on my sore pussy again before sliding inside and making love to me against the wall. It was a good thing we were in the shower because I didn’t just cum; I squirted too. It caught me completely off guard, and I thought something was wrong, but he assured me that was right.

After our shower, we went our separate ways. I oiled my body and slipped into a black silk gown. I wasn’t sure if he planned to sleep in the guest room, but that was confirmed when he leaned against the doorframe in boxers and said, “I’ll be in the guest room if you need anything.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks.”

Our eyes locked for a brief second before he left. I thought I’d be spending our first night married in bed with him, but as good as he was to my body, I wouldn’t dare complain.

The Next Morning

My body was so sore when I woke up. As soon as I could, I trudged to the bathroom for a hot bath. When I was done, I checked my notifications then went to the guest bedroom. Karrington was seated at the small round table by the window. He looked refreshed and relaxed in a thick cotton robe.

“How do you feel?” Karrington asked, glancing up at me quickly before returning his attention to his iPad.

“Good. A little sore.” I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the doorframe. Married or not, I didn’t want to enter his room and violate his space.

“Sorry about that.” If I was crazy, I would have sworn there was a smile in his eyes as he licked his lips.

My eyes widened and I shook my head adamantly. “O-oh. N-no. I-I mean…”

“Relax, Eyela,” he commanded gently with an even gentler laugh. “I figured you’d be sore, so I scheduled you for a massage at ten. Are you hungry?”

I nodded. “Starving.”

“I ordered room service when I heard you get up. It’ll be here soon.”

For a while, all I could do was stare at him. His head tilted, and as his eyes slowly raked across my frame, I felt just as vulnerable as I did last night. Chills covered my skin and my nipples hardened, causing me to tighten my silk robe against me.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Oh, uh, no. I’m just surprised. You’re… nice.”

“I’m not nice; I’m kind.”

“And considerate.” He didn’t respond. I squeezed the back of my neck. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I’m not surprised. It does me no good to treat you horribly, Eyela. Eventually you’ll be nurturing and raising my child. For that reason alone, I’ll always treat you well.”

My mouth twisted to the side as I exhaled a shaky breath. Mommy had prepared me for a beast of a man. One who had no regard for me or respect. One who was going to treat me like his worker and sex slave for the rest of my life. Maybe that was a bit extreme to describe the treatment she told me a lot of women received in their arranged marriages, but that’s how my brain processed her words. This was still very early, but so far, I didn’t think I’d have those issues with Karrington. It was still too early to tell, though, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“Well, I’m glad we can be partners. I’m gonna lay down until the food gets here.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

I wanted to tell him I wanted him to hold me, to talk to me, but I didn’t want to seem clingy already. I drifted back to sleep, and the feel of his lips against my cheek woke me up. We had breakfast together, and it was yet another display of him putting forth effort. He’d had all of my favorites delivered, which I appreciated. We shared a silent breakfast before getting dressed to leave. I was a little bummed when he told me we wouldn’t be leaving for our honeymoon, but I didn’t let it show. He was a busy man and he’d be even busier now that he was the boss. It would be lonely in a house I wasn’t familiar with without him, but I’d make it work somehow… even if I had to call my girls.