Taming The Charming Director

Wedding Day

Arnav felt utterly foolish now. The restlessness that had haunted him all night long returned with an aching persistence. He had spent hours wondering whether the woman would show up again or vanish as suddenly as she came. And this morning, he had not even dared to examine the surge of quiet satisfaction and inexplicable joy that bloomed through every fiber of his being when his head butler informed him that a woman named Raellyn had arrived precisely at eight o’clock.

A faint smile curled on his lips as his eyes met Raellyn’s beautiful face. At least today, she looked more presentable than yesterday. Her hair was neatly twisted into a chignon, not a single strand out of place except for the shorter ones framing her cheeks. Her lips were adorned with the faintest shade of coral, and her large eyes, fierce and untamed the day before, were now lined delicately with eyeliner, sharpening their corners and darkening their mystery. This woman looked more suited to grace the cover of a fashion magazine than to be confined behind the scenes as a scriptwriter.

“Good morning, Raellyn,” Arnav greeted as she came to stand before him. He extended a hand toward her a gesture of courtesy, or perhaps something more but it took her a moment to reach for it.

“There’s no need for pleasantries, Arnav,” Raellyn murmured at last, reluctantly allowing her fingers to brush his, her breath escaping her lips before their skin even touched.

“I’m merely trying to be kind.”

“Suit yourself. So—”

“Wait until we’re in the dining room.”

“Why must it be—”

“Raellyn,” he said her name with firm insistence, cutting through her protest. She understood immediately. Her lips pressed together as she locked away whatever thoughts were forming in her head. Arnav enjoyed that. He liked watching her lower her pride and surrender, if only a little. That, in itself, was satisfying. And he was already growing impatient for what the night might bring.

“Let’s eat,” he declared with authority. A command, not a suggestion. She merely nodded in response, neither arguing nor questioning him.

The silence over breakfast was almost unbearable. Raellyn said nothing, her focus solely on the food before her. Which only made it worse for Arnav. He was forced to restrain the heat steadily building inside him as he watched her take bite after bite. And when she leaned slightly forward to lick a crumb from the corner of her lip, her tongue barely grazing the skin it sent a shudder through him. How could something so small affect him so deeply? Those lips held a sensual power he had already experienced firsthand.

He clenched his fists under the table, silently willing himself not to groan at the thought of that tongue against his desire. Had he ever felt this kind of yearning before? This intensity? This craving to sink so completely into a woman? Perhaps this was who he truly was beneath the surface.

The whirlwind of emotion storming through him after merely observing her for an hour was almost unbearable. Yet, every spark of boldness she showed only stirred him more deeply. Arnav felt challenged. And when he realized that Raellyn, too, was stealing glances at him her eyes full of a soft, restrained hunger his pulse quickened. She wanted him. Just as he wanted her. But Arnav was not the kind of man who gave in easily to the urgings of the heart. He had learned better. If he didn’t stay vigilant, he would fall too hard, too deep. He would begin to long for her truly long for her. And that was something he had promised himself never to do again.

She was dangerous. A woman full of unexpected turns. Naïve, perhaps considering how easily she had fallen for the charm of his married younger brother. And from that alone, Arnav concluded that Raellyn was the kind of woman who would not be faithful. She failed to get the younger brother, so now she turned her sights on him. Typical. Women were cunning, deceptive. He had learned that lesson the hard way twice. He would not be made a fool a third time.

“Sir Arnav, the marriage officiant has arrived,” a male servant interrupted, prompting a shift in Raellyn’s expression nervousness flickered for just a second in her eyes.

Arnav rose first and casually strolled over to where she sat, savoring the unease he could now clearly read in her gray irises.

“Come. He’s waiting in the library.” Raellyn said nothing. She simply pushed back her chair and stood on her own, refusing to wait for any assistance from him.

She even walked ahead of him now. Her pace slow, graceful, and dignified but Arnav didn’t mind. He enjoyed the view from behind. Every curve of her body, every sway in her movement it was all maddeningly tempting. Once again, her casual grace became his greatest torment.

He shoved both hands into his pockets, silently wondering how one handled a woman like Raellyn. He wasn’t naïve he knew she was marrying him for his wealth. But he didn’t mind that. Arnav had never truly believed in a marriage devoid of financial interest. The idea itself felt like a fantasy. A fairy tale for the weak-minded.

A sensual smirk played on his lips. Because in truth, this marriage offered him something even more valuable than wealth. It gave him Raellyn. And Arnav would make sure she never had a single moment to desire another man. Day and night, he would consume her. Ravish her. Please her. In soft sighs or frenzied cries, at dawn or in darkness he would make her his entirely.

And if, after all that, she still dared to seek love elsewhere then he would not hesitate to cast her out. He would destroy her reputation, shatter her pride, reduce her life to ash. It was cruel, yes but Arnav had been burned before. He would never allow history to repeat itself.

Raellyn paused when the servant opened the library door. Two young men were already seated inside, waiting. She glanced back at Arnav, seeking some silent affirmation.

“They’re my most trusted employees. They’ll be our witnesses,” he said.

The two men stood and nodded respectfully.

Raellyn nodded in return. Since breakfast, she had been unusually calm. Without further delay, Arnav signaled the officiant, who seemed slightly unsure of how to begin.

A moment of hesitation crept into Arnav’s thoughts. Should he stop this? Perhaps she had been right they should have taken more time, approached this slowly, cautiously. Did it make sense to rush into a marriage, even one as transactional as this, especially when she was once meant for his brother?

“What’s wrong? Having second thoughts?” she asked, a teasing glint in her voice. Arnav grinned.

“Why should I be?”

“Maybe because you’re about to marry your brother’s ex lover?”

“I’m selective, yes. But you, Raellyn, come with special circumstances.”

The officiant cleared his throat and asked them to stand and face each other. Satisfaction coursed through Arnav’s veins as Raellyn straightened, lifted her chin with defiance, and held his gaze without blinking.

The man’s voice droned on with sacred vows and solemn rites, but Arnav wasn’t listening. He answered only when prompted, mostly during the moments of commitment. His eyes, however, remained locked on her. He could see the pulse fluttering at her neck a clear betrayal of the composure she wore so perfectly. He couldn’t help but admire her poise amidst such unexpected madness.

“Sir Arnav, the ring.”

With a fluid motion, Arnav pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. His hand trembled slightly as he slid the ring onto her finger a white diamond with an emerald cut, flanked by baguette diamonds, crafted from rare gems found in Monaco. Her shock was evident. She was probably wondering how he had procured something so exquisite on such short notice.

“I take you, Raellyn, as my wife.” His fingers tightened around hers as he spoke, leaving her visibly breathless.

The officiant turned to her.

“I take you, Arnav, as my husband,” she said clearly, her gray eyes unwavering and voice full of solemnity.

The final words from the officiant rang like the toll of a bell through the intimate space of Arnav’s private library: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

And with a silent breath of gratitude, Arnav accepted the new bond they had forged. It had been startlingly easy far easier than he’d imagined. The simplest wedding of his life, and surprisingly… not so bad.

“Mrs. Arnav,” he whispered, slipping his arm around her waist to draw her close. Then he kissed her softly at first, with delicate care, mindful of the others in the room. Her lips parted willingly. What began as a formal gesture quickly deepened sweet, sensual, hungrier with each passing second. He could have lost himself in her right there, had it not been for the awkward coughs from their witnesses.

Arnav turned his gaze on the others, his eyes sharp and commanding. They got the message. One by one, they slipped out until only he and Raellyn remained.

“Are you always this calm? Or is there something you're hiding from me?” he asked, voice low, probing.

Raellyn blinked, puzzled by his interrogation.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” Arnav stepped closer, voice dropping to a whisper. “I want to unravel you. Strip away every mask. Tear down every secret until there’s nothing left hidden.” His hand moved to her throat, undoing the top button of her blouse in one swift motion. “Show me.