Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Aislinn’s gaze slanted to the old cross on the nightstand. I’d taken it off to avoid water damage. “What does it mean to you?”
My heart clenched. Aislinn was my wife, but she hadn’t gained my trust yet. The cross had been my grandmother’s, and she’d given it to me on her deathbed. “What it means to every good Catholic.”
She narrowed her eyes, catching the lie. She was clever. I had a feeling she’d catch glimpses behind my mask quickly if I wasn’t careful. Father had dropped every mask before mother. It was what I strived for, but I was a realist. The chances of Aislinn becoming my confidante were close to zero. Most marriages were lucky to reach a level of mutual tolerance.
“For many, it’s a raft keeping them afloat in rough sea. It gives them answers to scary questions. Gives them a purpose.”
“I have purpose, and if I want questions answered, I have ways to get answers,” I drawled. Aislinn was trying to break the ice between us, but I wouldn’t spill my guts to her because of a ring and a shared night. She had her secrets, and I had mine. She’d have to tell hers first before I’d consider revealing a few of mine.
A low murmur filtered through the murkiness of sleep, followed by a caress down my arm over my hip and back up again.
“Sweet Aislinn.”
The words triggered a memory but I couldn’t grasp it. I rolled over on my back, still drunk with. A warm hand slid along my arm. “Time to wake up, Aislinn.”
I opened my eyes and shied away as Lorcan Devaney’s tall form took shape beside me. “You?”
“Me. Your husband, dear wife.”
The truth started to sink in. I lifted my hand wearing his ring then let it drop to the blankets. It was a beautiful piece but evoked only contempt within me. I looked around, and the events from yesterday filtered into my mind. I didn’t have much to drink, maybe a glass or two of Guinness, but my mind had been eager to erase the wedding.
I sat up with the sheet wrapped around me. After our intimate encounters, it may seem ridiculous, but I felt better with this barrier between Lorcan and me. My eyes flitted to the bathtub and our conversation about faithfulness. I hadn’t really taken into consideration that Lorcan would be faithful to me, that he’d honor our bond.
This was a part of Lorcan I liked, which in turn made me almost wish he hadn’t revealed this tidbit of information about himself. I preferred disliking him. My only hope was that he’d turn out to be a cheater.
Now that the wedding was over, the need to make progress with my search for Imogen arose like a flashflood. In the last two weeks, I’d hardly gathered any information. No matter who I talked to, their answers were not helpful.
“Will you help me search for Imogen today?” I asked. I swung my legs out of bed, turning my back on Lorcan. His intense scrutiny made me nervous and also a little hot.
“On our first day as a married couple?”
I glimpsed over my shoulder at him. “You promised to help me.”
Lorcan got up with a shockingly erect cock, and his expression hardened. “And I will, but not today. I think you need to show me that you’re taking this marriage seriously first.”
I pushed up to my feet, allowing the cover to slide to the floor revealing my naked body.
I walked over to the bathtub and considered taking another bath to soothe the soreness between my legs. Lorcan stopped a few steps from me, unabashedly naked and rock-hard. I had a feeling I knew how he wanted me to show that I took this marriage seriously. He didn’t want to chat or reveal anything personal, which had become very clear during our conversation last night. Even if his face didn’t show it openly, he distrusted me like the rest of the Irish people in this community.
“What do you want?” I asked haughtily.
He smirked. “What is it you can give me? Not your undying love, I’m sure.”
Love?. Our bond was rotten to the core. Love couldn’t grow on poisoned ground.
“Just tell me.”
“I want an offer, Sweet Aislinn. I have all day, even weeks or months. There’s no rush.”
But I didn’t have as much time. Imogen probably didn’t have that much time. What if Lorcan was distracting me on purpose? What if he was trying to derail me from a hot trail that was cooling down every passing day.
“You want me.”
“I have you.”
I gritted my teeth and walked closer to him. Lorcan’s cock seemed to grow even bigger as we spoke, though I didn’t know how that was possible.
Angry tears stung my eyes. “Stop playing. You order people around all the time. Just tell me what you want me to do.”