Between Commitment and Betrayal: An Arranged Marriage Romance
Between Commitment and Betrayal: Chapter 24

“YOU’RE LOSING YOUR FUCKING HEAD.” Dom grabbed my arm and steered me away from Piper and everyone else. I only looked over my shoulder to catch Everly’s ass swaying as she walked out with Wes close behind. I swear she was even walking with more sex appeal tonight because my dick was in full control now.

I ripped my arm out of Dom’s. “I’m going home.”

“Why? So you can ease your mind when she shows up right away?” he asked. It wasn’t to irritate me, either, because his brows were raised, and I could tell he was genuinely concerned.

“That fucker has my girl in his car like he’s going to get laid tonight,” I snarled as I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted her.

Me: You better go straight home, Everly.

Everly: I’m an adult. Don’t treat me like a child.

Me: I’m treating you like my wife. And if your boyfriend puts his hands on you, he better know I’m breaking them.

Everly: Are you serious? Read that text back to yourself and let me know if you want to continue this conversation.

Me: I’m on my way home and when I get there, you better be there too.

Everly: I won’t.

Me: Then I’m coming to replace you, and that fuckboy is fucked.

“Feel good about yourself right now?” Dom chuckled as I glanced up at him. “Rage texting her will get you nowhere.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about what gets me somewhere with a woman.”

“I know Evie’s quiet, but she’s smart as fuck. I also know that the news about her history is going to hit soon. Did Piper inform you?”

“Inform me of what?”

“Evie’s been in the media before, Declan.” He pulled at the back of his neck, massaging it while finishing what he had to say. “I’d recommend you ask her and figure out how you want to handle the news going forward. It’s going to be vicious.”

The news about the will was enough. “So another shitstorm is headed my way?”

“You’re the bachelor of the century, man. It makes sense now why Carl wanted you to marry her. Maybe he knew it would blow up in her face at some point. Just ask her and stop fucking around. This is serious.”

I didn’t even say goodbye to anyone. Dom’s warning sobered me up. The night air was pungent with summer humidity and foreboding of what was to come. I skirted around those who were enjoying being on the beach and got home faster than I was sure Wes could have drove.

I parked in my large garage where five other vehicles sat. All black. All luxury. All of them Everly refused to touch.

Instead, the stubborn woman would rather jog to work when she was mad at me.

And had her damn boyfriend drive her home. As if on cue, I heard the rumble of his car pulling up. At the press of a button, I disabled her ability to open it. Instead, I strode to the side of the gate to unlock the pedestrian door.

“Declan”—her window rolled down—“the gate’s not working.”

“Oh, it is,” I countered before pointing to Wes, “he’s just not allowed on the premise.”

Fury danced in the blue of her eyes before she responded, “Well, how fucking childish of you.”

Her words were potent and visceral, like they’d been let loose from deep in her gut. I leaned against the stone pillar, considering how much she’d had to drink before I responded with, “Say good night, Everly.”

Wes may have been trying to convince her he could hold his own, but the man was nothing without a group of men behind him. He was a pussy of a quarterback, used to hiding behind his O-line, and when the opponent’s defense got through his linemen, he bitched out half the time. I’d never seen a man throw more interceptions than he had just to get out of being tackled. Even now, he didn’t get out of the car to open her door or confront me. He murmured something to her and then kissed her temple.

It was bold enough to boil my blood though, bold enough to know that after tonight, he’d never have his mouth on her again.

I’d make sure of that.

She slid from his car and made her way past me as Wes’s driver turned down my street. Just as she tried to skirt around my body, she stumbled, and I knew the alcohol in her was showing its effects much more than it had thirty minutes ago.

“What did you drink at the bar?”

“None of your business.” Her chin was up as she tried to shake my hand from her elbow.

I smiled. “Not happening, Drop. I let go of your arm, I’m throwing you over my shoulder again.”

“Go right ahead and try.” She turned toward me, squaring up in challenge, and I rolled my eyes as I bent to put my shoulder into her waist. She thought I wouldn’t pick her up again, that I’d back down, she was dead wrong.

Yet, as I bent to scoop her up, she swung around my neck, wrapped her thighs around me, and yanked me down to the ground. Our backs hit the grass on the side of my brick driveway with a thud.

“Fuck, Everly.”

She flipped over on top of me and then smiled down, victorious, while the dark cloudy sky served as her backdrop. “I told you the next time you manhandled me I’d lay you out. Want to try again?”

Her eyes were narrowed and sparkling, the only things shining as the sky rumbled like it might rain down on us again as she panted on top of me. My cock hardened between her legs as she sat, and when she rolled her hips, I knew the game. She wanted to play, and I couldn’t deny her.

I flipped her over this time, and we rolled in grass. I took hold of her wrists, but she maneuvered her arm with exactly the right momentum to hit me where she knew my grip was weakest. I grabbed her waist, and she twisted so her legs had me in a choke hold.

Round and round we went, like gladiators. Except I was twice her size, more sober, and my stamina was better than hers, even though she’d probably never admit it.

Her last attempt was futile, but she did get a good head start on getting away. When she leapt up and turned to run toward the guesthouse, I caught her foot, and she was so damn small, it was easy to yank her back. She yelped and fought me the whole way, but I overpowered her swiftly, my adrenaline going now with the need to control her, have her, consume her.

I pinned her again, trapping her wrists in the grass above her head, and she was too tired to fight it. “Use your safe word, Everly. Tap out.”

She shook her head slowly. “What if I don’t want to?” Her voice was soft as she stared up at me. “I should, but I won’t. So, take what you want, Dec. You want your wife out here in the middle of the night? Take me.”

I growled, ready to let go and get up, but she whimpered and bit her lip as she pressed her pussy against me. “You’re drunk, Everly.”

“Yes, and I’m soaking wet for you. I’ve been imagining your cock fucking me since the moment you got me off with Wes sitting next to me.”

Bold. Everly with alcohol was a dangerous combination for me. “Oh, now you like us playing in secret all of a sudden?”

She rolled her hips into me again, and my dick practically throbbed. “My stepsister and her friend want you even while you’re doing vile things to me under the table.”

I leaned in, one hand still holding her wrists and the other skating down her body. A better man would have stopped, not knowing what stipulations were ahead, but knowing we needed to have our emotions in check. Still, I couldn’t.

Would I let her go if whatever was coming our way at that meeting was catastrophic? Or would giving her up destroy me anyway?

The last question twisted in my gut as I stared down at her, those waves of hair sprawled out around her face, framing it in the dimmed light from our home.

Our home.

And she hadn’t even slept in my bed with me yet.

“Declan,” she whined, her blue eyes had a fire of need in them as she writhed against me. “Please, I need this.”

I growled, unbuttoned my pants, and pulled my cock out, not willing to deny her begging. “You get one, Drop. Rub against my cock.”

She twisted and rolled against me, locking her legs on my hips, and I pinched her clit while keeping her wrists above her. I wouldn’t fuck her tonight, but I couldn’t deprive her this fantasy either.

“Maybe I should restrain you more often, have you beg to get fucked.”

“Oh …” She wasn’t capable of engaging in the conversation anymore. She bucked her hips up and down on me while I tried my best not to take over and take her roughly the way I wanted to. “You feel so good. Please.”

I shifted just enough that when I leaned down to suck on her neck and push my hips forward, my cock entered her just right. She gasped as I groaned at how tight she was, her sex gripping me like it missed me.

She didn’t hesitate to try to catch her orgasm as her eyes squeezed shut while the rain broke from the clouds to drop on her smooth skin. Her hips moved her up and down on me as she worked herself up and up. I watched the whole time in awe, trying to stay as rigid as possible rather than moving with her. If I did, I’d fuck her all night long in the wet grass outside the house.

Instead, her breathing increased even as she fought to get out of my grip. Her hips bucked faster when I moved one thumb back and forth fast over her clit. “That’s it. Keep going, baby.”

“Declan,” She whined and her I saw her jaw set, felt the anger behind her words as she said, “Are you kidding me? Fucking move.”

I chuckled and shook my head no as I leaned in to tell her, “No. You want it? Then, shut the fuck up and take my cock like the good girl you are, baby. Take it exactly how you want it.”

She let out a frustrated little growl as she tried to free her wrist from my one-handed grasp again and couldn’t. I pinched her clit then just as she squeezed her legs tight around me, shoving my cock further into her. I did it again and again and again to her exact pace of riding me, her movements becoming more and more erratic until she cried out, arching her back and pushing her tits to my chest as I mashed my teeth together, trying to stay in control even while she came against my cock.

I catalogued her every movement and the way her eyes weren’t on fire anymore but instead had embers of pleasure and satiation burning there when she opened them. “Damn, you’re stunning when your pussy coats my dick with how wet you are, Everly.”

“Fuck me right now, Declan. I’m begging you,” she pleaded, but she her eyes were hooded, her body almost limp.

“You need to sleep off the alcohol, Drop.” I didn’t wait for her to disagree. I pulled out fast, knowing I couldn’t withstand another second in her or I’d fold. Then I kissed her forehead when she protested, sticking her lip out like she was pouting. “I promise I’ll fuck you so good tomorrow, you’ll beg me to stop if you want.”

She didn’t answer but I saw the small smirk across her lush lips as I scooped her up to walk her straight into my house.

Only once had she been in here. Only once with Anastasia and Melinda tearing her down. This time would be different. This time, I’d close out the world for a blissful moment before I asked her if she’d be ready to barrel through the rest of this marriage with me, if she could commit even without knowing the stipulation.

I undressed her before I laid her down in my bed, and she didn’t help at all, practically already asleep by the time I got myself undressed too. I stripped down too, pulled her close, and willed my cock to try not to fuck her during the night.