Total pages in book: 230
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
The night before, he’d gotten on his knees in front of Day and by the time she was finished with him, he was begging for her. He’d been on the ground, kissing her feet. At the time, it had felt like the perfect thing to do. He’d wanted to please her more than anything. He’d been happy and relaxed in the moment and he’d come like he’d never come before. He’d settled down with her and wondered what it would be like to have her use a paddle on his ass. Would it send sparks through his system? He’d loved it when Day gripped his cock and brought him to just the right side of pain. Could they explore more?
What would the world say about the pervert king who let his wife rule him? His father would be ashamed and he would be a laughingstock.
He had to stop this slow descent. He had to find a way to not want what he wanted. It was perverted. He was the man and she was the woman, and if they played those games, he should be the one on top.
Tonight, he would put their relationship on a proper footing.
Why did the thought make him infinitely sad? It was his wedding night. He cared about his bride. He wasn’t sure it was love. Certainly it was lust and possessiveness and a deep and abiding friendship.
Was he falling in love with Day? Was that making him weak?
“I’ve been hoping to catch you alone.”
He stopped, a chill rushing through his system as the familiar voice snaked along his skin. He felt a hand at his back and then he was staring down into big, blue eyes and pouty red lips. “Tasha, I’m surprised to see you here since you weren’t invited.”
A faint sheen of tears made those eyes a crystal blue. “I had to talk to you. I came as the guest of one of the ambassadors.”
“You shouldn’t have been able to get through security.”
She shrugged. “I used my legal name. That should tell you how important this is to me, Kashmir. I made a terrible mistake, but you made a bigger one. How could you have married her? She isn’t even pretty.”
Day was gorgeous, but he wasn’t about to argue with her. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’ve got a wife to do that.”
Tasha frowned. “Yes, I’ve been looking into your wife. I’ve managed to dig up some facts about her that might shock you. Kash, please let me talk to you. That woman is using you. She doesn’t love you.”
Oh, but when he was on his knees in front of her and Day was smiling down at him, it felt like he’d imagined love would. In those stolen hours when they locked the rest of the world out, he was a different person entirely. Settled, happy.
And then she would sleep and he would deal with the storm of regret and guilt.
He glanced around but Weston wasn’t in the ballroom. He was probably in the control room, looking out over the palace, trying to catch any threats that would come their way. He hadn’t caught the real threat. Apparently, all a woman had to do was find some ambassador and she could waltz right in.
Still, the last thing he needed was a huge scene with Tasha. Despite her aggressiveness, she was quite fragile and needed to be handled with kid gloves. On more than one occasion she’d threatened to harm herself if Kash wouldn’t do what she wanted him to.
He would let her say what she felt like she needed to say, and then calmly explain that he wasn’t going to leave his wife and she should go back to London and her boyfriend. He could do all of this quietly and solve the problem before anyone realized there was one. He glanced around, looking for the photographers. When he realized they were busy shooting Day, he decided to make his move.
“Come on. I’m not going to do this in public. We’ll talk in private.” He began to walk toward the west doors. There was a sitting room that would serve as a good place to deal with the situation. He should have taken her calls and gently explained that he wasn’t unhappy about the marriage. He’d been a coward not to talk to her, and now he had to find a way to make her understand.
She hurried to keep up with him and suddenly he felt her hand reach for his. She tangled their fingers together and held on tight.
Yes, he had to deal with this and quickly.
Murdoch’s brows rose above his eyes as Kash approached the door he was guarding. “Problems, boss? You know I can handle any unwanted guests.”
He felt Tasha’s hand start to shake. She’d always needed someone to protect her. He had to get her to understand that it couldn’t be him anymore. “I can handle her. Please make sure no reporters follow us out.”