Chapter 32

32

Knox

Her lips part; her breath hitches. I know she's aroused by my words. Good. I'd rather she be turned on, than upset. And I know she was distressed by my earlier words. I push aside the regret that coils in my chest. There was a moment in the car earlier when I almost kissed her. And if I had, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from pulling her across my lap and spanking her, then taking her right there in the car… And then… I'd be lost.

I needed to pull back. I needed to remind myself of all the reasons why I shouldn't consummate my marriage with my wife. My. Wife. Fuck. Every time I think of her in that vein, I want to thump my chest and declare to the word that she's mine. Then, I want to show her how I'll use her as the object of all my depraved fantasies when I fuck her every hole. How I'll tie her down and take her again and again, until she's so full of endorphins, that every time the high wears off, she'll want more.

And I'll give it to her. I'll soothe her fevered skin, and take care of her bruised behind, and ensure she's well rested before I fuck her again. I'll treat her like the princess she is. I'll ensure she never wants for anything. I'll…lose my heart to her. That's what'll happen. I'll make myself vulnerable to her. And somehow, that doesn't bother me anymore. The thought makes me reel.

I release her and take a step back, and she blinks in surprise. I see the question on her face, but before she can voice it, the door to Arthur's home opens. A member of his staff leads us into his study. I step inside and take in the people gathered there. Arthur's seated in an armchair, and Connor's in the chair next to him. They're in the midst of speaking with their heads bowed toward each other. Brody's seated on the couch opposite them, looking at his phone. Ryot's standing at the window, with his back to the room. He's the one who senses our presence and turns.

His gaze moves from me to my wife, then back to me, but there's no change in expression. He also doesn't seem inclined to let the others know of our presence. I sigh. He may have decided to be here, but he seems intent on ignoring everyone's presence.

Next to me, my wife shifts her weight from foot to foot. I put an arm around her, and she stills. I lead her into the room. Arthur and Connor look up at the same time. Arthur looks between us, and his mouth tightens. It's Connor who jumps up and walks over to us.

"Congratulations!" He grips my shoulder, before turning to my wife. "How did he convince you to marry him?"

Clearly, Arthur updated the troops on our nuptials. I am not surprised my grandfather knows about my wedding. He has eyes on all of us, as he's told us many times. His way of protecting his family, or so he claims More like, he's a nosy bastard and needs to know everything.

My wife aims a dazzling smile at Connor. "He can be persuasive and charming, when he puts his mind to it."

Connor laughs, then bends and kisses her cheek.

A surge of possessiveness has me pulling her closer to my side.

Connor seems taken aback, then a sly smile curls his lips. He straightens and nods at me. "You did good."

Brody, having pocketed his phone, is the next to move toward us. "If you'd told us in advance, we'd have been there to help you celebrate the happy occasion." He holds out his hand, and I take it. "Not that I blame you for dodging the song and dance ceremony that Arthur would have insisted on." He lowers his voice. "Fair warning: Gramps isn't in a good mood." He turns to my wife, but I step in between them, so he can't touch her or kiss her cheek. Not that he's a threat, but it seems now that she's mine, I can't bear the thought of any other man—not even my own brothers—being close to her.

"What are you doing?" She tugs at her hand, but I don't release it.

Brody raises his eyebrow at me, but instead of calling me out on my proprietorial gesture he steps aside to reveal Arthur, who leans back in his chair and watches us approach.

I come to a stop in front of him, with my wife's hand clasped in mine.

He doesn't speak; the silence stretches. But damn if I'm going to break it. The old man needs me more than I need him. For a few more seconds, neither of us speaks. Behind me, one of my brothers clears his throat. From his position by the window Ryot watches the proceedings with a dispassionate eye. If Nathan or my uncle Quentin were here, they'd say something to defuse the tension, but both are traveling.

I hold my grandfather's gaze. His bushy eyebrows are drawn down. His expression is one of anger. But gone are the days when he could quell me with that look. Another few more seconds stretch out; then, just as things begin to get even more uncomfortable, my wife steps forward.

"Hello, Grandad. Or would you prefer I call you Arthur?" She bends and kisses his cheek, then straightens. "I know our wedding must come as a surprise, but I hope you'll understand that we were in love and decided to get married. And Knox here… Well, you know how he is once he makes up his mind." She chuckles and gives him a conspiratorial look, as if they're both in on some secret. "He couldn't wait. Once he realized I love him as much as he loves me"—she looks up at me with an adoring smile—"it felt best that we show our commitment to each other without waiting any longer."

I'm captured by the happiness in her eyes. I'm enthralled by the devotion in her features. I'm drawn to her in a way I've never been to anyone else before. My heart stutters in my chest. Without breaking the connection, I address my grandfather, "I hope you'll forgive us not inviting you to the wedding, but we really just wanted something intimate. Something without the press or anyone else, really, and as my wife said, we just wanted to get married right away." I take her left hand in mine, then bring it up to kiss my ring on her finger.

"You gave her your grandmother's ring?" Arthur's voice holds a trace of surprise.

I admit, I kissed the ring to draw his attention to it. If that's manipulative, well, it's for a worthy cause. "I did."

My wife's eyes round with shock. There's a question in them—one I'm not sure I can answer myself. I tear my gaze from hers and respond to my grandfather, "She's my wife. I want her to have it."

Arthur's brow furrows. The anger gives way to confusion. "Why did you agree to the alliance with the Whittingtons if you were in love with someone else?"

"I took me a while to acknowledge that the only woman I wanted to be my wife is June."

His gaze narrows. "Could have saved us all a lot of bother if you'd figured that out earlier."

I shrug. "What can I say?" I allow my expression to soften. "Sometimes, it's the threat of losing someone that makes you realize how much you need them. Thankfully, I realized I couldn't live without her before it was too late."

"You've put me in a pickle of a situation with the Whittingtons." Arthur leans back in his chair. "Toren Whittington is not going to be happy with this."

"It's not as if his sister wanted to go through with it either," I point out before adding, "Just between us, I think she has feelings for someone else."

"Hmm"—Arthur firms his lips, then nods toward June—"you love her?"

"I do."

My wife draws in a sharp breath. I sense the surprise emanating from her, combined with bewilderment. I'm sure she wants to ask me about it but instead, she stays quiet.

He turns to her. "Do you love him?"

My muscles bunch. The seconds tick by, then she nods before saying softly, "I do."

These declarations feel more significant than the ones we made a few hours ago at our wedding ceremony. My heart begins to race. My pulse rate spikes. A bead of sweat trickles down my spine, and I have to call on my reserves of strength to stay still and not give away my discomfort. How did my life turn upside down this way? The marriage was supposed to be a way to bind her to me, to ensure that I fulfill my grandfather's condition that I be married in order to stay on as CEO within the Davenport Group, and more importantly, secure the house in Cumbria. But already, it feels as real to me as my past as a Royal Marine. It feels as important as the oath I took to protect my country. It feels like my life has changed in a way I can't even begin to fathom.

I tighten my fingers around my wife's and nod at my grandfather. "I apologize you weren't invited to the wedding, but I'm sure, you're more concerned with the results than how I got there."

His jaw hardens, then to my surprise, he barks out a laugh. "Touché, young man. I'm glad to see you grew a pair and went after what you wanted." He looks between me and my wife. "In fact, to show my approval, I have a wedding gift for the two of you."