My Brother-in-law, My Ruin

002: Soaked

Leah’s heels clicked on the marble floor; her heart sprinted in her chest. She wanted to escape. Find a bathroom and splash water on her face. It must be a dream. Brandon meant to say his brother’s friend and not his brother because if Sebastian was Brandon's brother, then she is doomed. She found a bathroom and splashed her face with water.

A few minutes later, she was out, but all the guests had dispersed. And the servants? It was as if they’d disappeared into thin air. She exhaled loudly, pressing her thumb on her nape.

The unsettling smile of Sebastian at the party replayed in her head, and her body trembled slightly, shaking it off her head. He was gone now. The party was over. The next time she meets him, she is going to pay the money for kissing him before he causes a scandal.

The smell of cigarette hit her nose. When she turned, Brandon sat, leg crossed. A bottle of whisky on the table. A cigarette in one hand and a glass of something dark in the other hand. He swirled the glass and puffed out smoke that thought it was best to fly her way and choke her.

His voice was raspy, distant and dismissive. “My room is down the hall. Yours is upstairs.”

“Separate rooms?” The words left Leah’s mouth before she could stop them.

“I don’t consider our marriage a real one.” He said casually, then sipped from his glass before leaning against the couch.

“You will play the role of a wife in public. Do what’s necessary but indoors?” He paused, his eyes sizing her up. “My life will remain the same. I will continue to live as a bachelor.”

Leah swallowed. So this was it. A performance.

Her lips parted, but the appearance of a tall blonde woman whose heavy scent Leah first noticed snatched the words away from her mouth. She brushed past Leah without acknowledging her presence, wrapping her arms around Brandon’s neck before kissing him so deep and long, the sound felt like thorns in Leah’s ear.

Leah’s throat squeezed, but she kept a straight face. She didn’t look away. She watched until Brandon pulled away, lips glossed and breathless.

“Leah, this is Cassandra…” Brandon's voice was cruel. “She will be around frequently… So get used to it.”

Leah didn’t say a word, but the way she turned around, refusing to blink, enduring a burning sensation in her eyes, spoke louder than words. The mansion was huge, but it felt like a cage. Too small. Suffocating.

With blurry eyes, she pushed the first door open, and like a glass hitting the floor, warm tears streamed down her cheeks. No. She wiped them with her fingers. She wasn’t going to cry because of him. She’d cried enough. Why waste her tears on a man like Brandon who didn’t even have the decency to respect their wedding night even if the marriage meant nothing to him?

She stood by the window, eyes closed and inhaling loudly. When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure blending into the shadows. Her heart raced in her chest. She remained there for minutes and finally decided to drop the curtains before going to bed.

Morning came so fast, but the previous night was a torture. It was her reality but still felt like a dream. She stared at the wedding band on her finger and sighed internally. If it were up to her, she wouldn’t be sitting at the table waiting for breakfast to be served. She would prefer to spend the day in her room, but the Ashtons? They’re traditionalists. Respecting cultures that have been passed down for centuries.

Leah rolled her eyes at the thought and swung her head sideways at the sounds of shoes echoing. She already knew who it was; she just hoped they weren’t having breakfast with his mistress.

Brandon pulled a chair next to her and sat down. None of them acknowledged each other’s presence. The air was thick but not as thick as the presence of an unusual intruder. One that Leah didn’t expect.

Her hands trembled, almost unnoticeably. Her grip on the cutlery tightened. Her heart hammered in her chest as her gaze followed every step he took. His grey t-shirt clung to his body, revealing his toned athletic muscles. His hair was damp, strands plastered on his face.

She swallowed slowly, afraid any sound she made could give away the wrong idea. She dragged her eyes away, away from him, before Brandon could notice she was ogling at his brother, except Brandon was too busy on his phone to even notice.

If breakfast was awkward in the first place, then it was suffocating at this point.

Leah kept her gaze on her plate. Hand cutting her meal slower than usual. She was afraid to breathe. Afraid she would make a mistake. Say something wrong, and worst of all, his fresh shower scent flooded her head, denying her the benefit of keeping a clear mind.

If he was there to cause trouble, then she was just going to pretend she didn’t know him at all. Oh no… Her cheeks flushed at the memory of his lips on hers. It was as if she was back at the nightclub. Her hand stilled for a moment, and she immediately grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down. Streaks of water dripped down the corner of her mouth, and she raised her head up to see a hairy hand offering a napkin.

She reluctantly reached for it, and her breath hitched in her throat when his finger brushed against hers; the feeling was familiar, her spine straightened in response. She took it and dabbed her lips with it, cursing silently at the thoughts that flooded her mind while avoiding his gaze.

“You’re my brother’s brand new bride.” His baritone voice broke the silence like shattered glass. Leah shifted in her chair, and she did her best to remain calm as if she wasn’t burning by his presence and words.

Should she say something? Smile at him or remain quiet and pretend like she was enjoying the meal? But wouldn’t that be considered rude?

Her lips parted. “I…” The words didn’t leave her mouth when his next choice of words sent her heart into her mouth.

“Didn’t know Brandon had such a sweet taste.”

“Father’s taste, Sebastian.” Brandon replied curtly, his voice void of warmth.

Leah picked up vegetables with her fork and put them in her mouth. They were the only thing she could eat. She hated them, and in normal circumstances, she would ignore them and eat more of the meat, but how could she cut the meat or chew when Sebastian’s gaze lingered on her moving lips like she was going to dive over and kiss her breathless?

Leah’s heart returned to her chest when Sebastian finished his meal and left. Brandon was still hooked to his phone while sipping tea. She left the table like she came, hungry and disturbed.

“Your face looked like you were burning at breakfast, Rabbit.”

Leah’s legs stilled. Her eyes shut, the hair on her skin rising tall on its feet. She felt heat seeping into her body, tingles travelling through every inch of her When she opened her eyes, he was standing close. Too close to give the wrong idea.

Her fingers trembled by her side, and she clenched them, nails digging into her palms.

Her voice faltered. “What are you doing?” She whispered, and she hated herself for it. She was supposed to look him in the eyes and ask him with a firm voice.

He took another step forward, and she took a step back. Leather and Tobacco wrap around her, making escape impossible. She was supposed to stay away from him as far as an arm's length, but she didn’t. She was enjoying the tension, the fear, perhaps.

“Was it the kiss?” His voice was velvet, making Leah’s thighs clench. His eyes were cold as steel yet smoldering with something forbidden …. the kind of eyes you only let haunt you if you’re willing to be ruined.

“I quite enjoyed it, Leah. Your soft cherry lips on mine… it felt like…”

“Stop,” she whispered, her voice cracking, the memories of that night replaying in her head. She bit her lip, shutting it out.

He leaned over, his breath fanning her ear. “I wonder what it would feel like to have your lips on mine again. Rabbit” He whispers, loud enough for only her to hear. Blood thundered in her ears, and her knees almost buckled; her jaw clenched.

Leah gulped loudly. She shut her eyes and took a step back before storming away. The door shut behind her, heart hammering against her rib cage, face burning like she’d been heated up.

Her fingers slid between her legs, and God have mercy on her… She was soaked.