“You promised that once before and didn’t keep it,” she answers quietly, and her voice sounds strangely emotionless, which makes my insides twist in knots.
Guilty.I’m guilty, and I can’t sugarcoat it because she’s right.
I push the door to our apartment open and wave Eric away, who was on his way to us. I give my father, who is with him, a warning look.
Not now.
Once inside, I lock the door, because no one is getting in or out tonight.
Carefully, I set Amelia down in our bedroom, where I have never spent a night. She immediately turns her back to me and curls up, and my chest tightens.
But when I see her body begin to shake, I don’t hesitate. I lie down behind her, and pull her into my arms. My heart skips a beat when, instead of moving away, she turns to me, buries her head in my chest, and starts to cry.
My heart breaks at that moment for my beautiful little wife who I abandoned so horribly because my ego was bigger than my reason at that moment.
I wrap one arm around her and pull her closer, stroking her curls soothingly with the other hand. I’m just lying there, letting her cry even though every sob cuts deep into my heart.
Because I’m to blame.
Because I don’t want this for her.
“Why?” she asks so quietly, and the sadness in her voice presses on my chest heavily.
“I… Damien told me. About him and my brother. And… and that you knew. I… shit. My ego was hurt, I felt betrayed, and well…”
I push her a little away to look at her. The sight makes my chest ache again. Her eyes are swollen and red from crying, and she looks at me so hurt and hopeless I have to swallow hard, wanting to press her close again.
“Nothing happened between me and Sarah. I was way too drunk and had no interest in her at all,” I continue quietly, sinking into her blue eyes.
Shit, she will be the death of me.
“I… you can do whatever you want, Nicolas… we… we are not together.”
The airaround us feeling more pressured? as she looks at me, her gaze flicking briefly to my lips and back.
Fuck.
Drawn like a magnet, I lean down. Closer and closer.
“Is that so, Goldilocks? As far as I know, we have been married for an hour,” I hum directly at her lips, run my hand over her neck to the beating pulse at her throat, and gently stroke it with my thumb. “So, I don’t think Icando whateverI want and with whomever I want, hmm?” My lips brush hers briefly and lightly, but it sends a thousand little electric shocks through my body.
Amelia closes her eyes briefly and draws a shaky breath before opening them again. Andholy shit, the raw desire burning in her eyes takes my breath away.
“We will both regret this,” she whispers, then time stands still because Amelia closes the tiny gap between our lips and kisses me.
And my brain shuts off.
I want him. I need him. Now.
I don’t think as I press my lips to his. As I let in his tongue and he kisses me like he wants to devour me.
My whole body tingles, and when he slides his hand to the back of my neck and pulls me even closer, my skin prickles where he touches me.
I don’t know how, but suddenly I’m sitting on his lap, and his free hand glides down my back to the zipper of my dress. As he slowly opens it, his fingers brushing my bare skin, I shudder.
“Off,” he murmurs against my lips, and I raise my arms so he can pull the fabric over my head.
His gaze burns into mine as he takes me in, his eyes trailing over every inch of my body like a caress; I can almost feel it. His eyes flash when he sees I’m not wearing a bra, and goosebumps ripple over my body as his fingertips gently trace up my spine.
