“Oh, goodness. What a klutz. I’m so sorry, darling. You know me, I can be so clumsy at times.”
She glances around the room, looking for all the world like the mortified wife, but I’m on to her.
“And yet when it comes to your games, you have the precision of a surgeon.”
“You are funny.” She grabs a napkin and starts dabbing at the stain on my crotch with the finesse of a sumo wrestler. “You mean sports, love. Although, I do suppose the only physical exercise you get is turning the pages of your books.”
I stifle a groan and grab her wrist so she doesn’t push my balls back to where they were before they dropped.
I stand. “I think I shall excuse myself to change.”
Esmerelda narrows her eyes, but then her plump, red lips pull into another saccharine smile. “Of course, darling. Let me come and help you.”
“No!” I all but bark before toning it down. “I mean, I don’t want to drag you away from the festivities. Stay with your friends.” I look pointedly at her lady-in-waiting, Minerva, I think her name is. She looks like she could use me as a spear if she wanted to. And right now, it looks like she wants to.
“Don’t be silly.” Esmerelda stands. “What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t attend to my husband? After all, this was my fault.”
“A mere accident, love.” I nearly choke on the word because there is absolutely nothing to love about this woman.
Esmerelda takes a step closer, and I will my feet not to take a step back. She places a hand on my chest and closes the gap. “Now, you wouldn’t deny your wife the opportunity to please you, would you?” She shoots the guests around us an exaggerated grin. Ruby, my cousin who has just joined us at the table with her partner, blushes as bright red as her name, and her husband grins knowingly. Fucker, I’ve never liked him.
I snake a hand around her hip and tug her none-too-gently against me. “Now that you mention it, I would love to get you alone.”
Minerva looks feral. “What about the guests? Won’t it be rude?”
She clearly does not trust Esmerelda to be left alone with me.
“Our guests won’t even know we’re gone,” Esmerelda says coyly, running her hand up my neck to my cheek.
“Quite, ” Ruby says. “Besides, you need to start working on one of these. We need an heir.” She rubs her large baby bump.
Esmerelda stiffens for a fraction of a second, then relaxes. “Quite. So if you’ll excuse us?”
We don’t move, facing off for a few moments, then Esmerelda slides her arm into mine and tugs gently. “Min, if anyone asks, please let the guests know I’ve left with my husband to take care of him.” To everyone within hearing distance, this sounds like innuendo, but I think I might have to watch my back.
Esmerelda’s two watchdogs move into position as we leave the ballroom. Her bodyguards are dressed in similar attire as Minerva, posing as bridesmaids. The moment we leave the room, Esmerelda extracts herself from me as if she’s on fire and takes a step back. “What size are you?”
I blink a few times. Is she asking about my… She must see the shock on my face because she scoffs. “Pants size, darling. I have no interest in any of your other measurements.”
Heat creeps up the back of my neck. Frustrated with myself, I snap my size at her, and she holds her hand out to one of her female bodyguards. “Can I have my phone a sec?”
Just like when she smiled at her father, I’m slapped with the effect of seeing Esmerelda’s warmth. I’m more than a little surprised that any form of warmth can come from this woman.
She hits her screen and starts speaking almost immediately. “Tony, honey, would you mind terribly if I borrow a pair of pants from you for my husband? I’m sure he’s smaller than you are, but we can make it work.” She smirks at me when she sayssmaller, and my wolf snarls. Eyes snap to mine, and I wonder if maybe that was me snarling and not my wolf.
I tell myself I’m pissed at her obvious dig at me. After all, who is she to make any judgment about me when she has no clue regarding anything about me, and never will. But I didn’t expect anything else from a vain, conceited brat like her. However, if I’m honest with myself, my hackles are up becausethe familiarity in her tone makes me wonder if she’s fucked him. I make a mental note to check if she has fucked her bodyguard. If she has, I’ll be sure to have him replaced. I will not be made a fool of. This marriage may be a joke, but I won’t have my name dragged through the mud. She can fuck anyone she wishes from now on, as long as she does so with discretion. But if I can find out about her past, anyone can, and I won’t be made a fool of. And I won’t risk exile because she’s too careless to be discreet.
When we arrive at the suite, Esmerelda’s guards hug her, and they engage in a whispered conversation about how they don’t trust me. Esmerelda reassures them that she has no qualms about being able to protect herself. This whole conversation is for my benefit, since we’re all wolves and have better hearing than most. They all look at me, then Esmerelda hugs her guards and closes the door. Alone together for the first time since this whole nightmare began.
My wife in name only moves over to the window and hugs her waist, her body rigid. I am about to approach her to suggest a truce, if only for the evening, but a loud banging on the door makes me pause. Esmerelda’s whole body relaxes, and she turns and starts to make her way over to the door. I hold up a hand, indicating for her to stop. An unknown emotion rushes through me at the fact that she is obviously relieved not to be alone with me anymore. And it pisses me off that she thinks I’m a danger to her when violence is her creed, not mine.
She ignores my request and continues to move toward the door.
I grab her arm tightly and glare at her. “You have no idea who’s at the door. Let me check first.”
She rolls her eyes. “I have guards at the door. If it isn’t Tony, they wouldn’t let anyone past.”
“We don’t know that.”
