The idea of speaking with a professional dancer lightened her mood considerably.
“I’ll call now to set that up.” Heskel stepped away.
The door to the office opened a moment later. Axel came out with a man who could have been thirty or fifty. He had more salt than pepper in his closely shorn hair, but he didn’t have a wrinkle on his dark brown complexion.
“Joy. My lawyer, Gerard.”
“Hello.” She found a smile and rose to move to Axel’s side. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“My wife, Joy.” There was a note of something in his voice—pride, maybe? Whatever it was, it felt at odds with the anxiety she felt in being his wife, leaving her flustered and blushing.
The way he casually set his hand on her lower back sent unexpected warmth shooting into her limbs, but she did her best to play her part, shaking hands with Gerard.
He warmly invited them to dine with him and his wife as soon as possible.
“I’d love to meet her, thank you,” Joy said sincerely.
“I’ll have my assistant set it up, but please excuse me.” Gerard nodded wryly at Axel. “I have a mountain of work ahead of me.”
They walked him to the door. The second it closed behind him, Joy stepped away from Axel’s touch.
His brows went up in question.
She only hurried back to the table, thinking that if she was staying and playing the part of his wife, she needed a better grasp of what he expected of her. She might react to him, but he seemed very take-it-or-leave-it about her.
Heskel was setting out Axel’s plate while wearing his earpiece, speaking German to someone. His tone held a distinct,I have to goflavor as he hurried to end his call with, “Bis später.”
“Klaus?” Axel guessed as he held Joy’s chair. “Take a few days at home with him since I won’t be working. We’ll be in Paris.” He nodded at Joy as he took his seat.
“Paris? We just got here.” This man refused to let her get her feet under her, didn’t he?
“You need clothes. Our wedding announcement has gone out?” He glanced at Heskel, who looked up from texting to nod a confirmation. “Invitations will start coming in. I instructed Gerard to sue Otto for breach of contract. He agreed that Otto is likely to attack our marriage, so we need to show people it’s real.”
But it’s not.She didn’t say it aloud, but Axel’s gaze was waiting to snag her own when she flashed a look at him. He held the eye contact in an implacable way that had her throat flexing in reaction.
By marrying me, you took control…
She absolutely needed to do that, but how?
“My work phone was confiscated before I left the building,” Heskel said. “I’m sure people are trying to reach you. Would you like me to do anything about that?”
“No. Let Otto answer for my absence. If he doesn’t see the light and retire before we return from Paris, I will open my own firm. Vorstoben’s clients will turn to me out of frustration. If anyone reaches you in the next few days,” he added as he dug into his breakfast, “let them know I’ll be in touch after I return from my honeymoon.”
Joy choked on her bite of parfait.Honeymoon?
* * *
As a courtesy to Mira, Axel hadn’t taken a lover in two years. Celibacy hadn’t always been comfortable, but sex wasn’t something he had ever felt he needed.
Not like he did today.
And when it came to sex, he was all for edging. To a point. Now that he knew how responsive Joy was, how she melted and sounded when she shattered, he wanted more. Needed more.
“He will attack your marriage any way he can,” Gerard had warned him during their meeting. “How strong is it?”
“We’ve known each other three days. What do you think?” Axel had asked dryly.
Otto’s potential attack wasn’t why Axel wanted to bind Joy to him physically, though. Nor was it his lengthy dry spell, though that was definitely a factor. They were married. Why shouldn’t they have sex if they both wanted it?
