Possessive Vows

Chapter 5

When they arrived home, Alex opened the door for her, but said nothing.She stepped inside and muttered, “Well. That’s that, I guess.”

But just before she disappeared down the hall, she heard his voice behind her.

“Mrs. Kaiser,” he murmured, almost to himself,and though she couldn’t see his face, she thought she heard the faintest trace of a smile in his voice.

Lila closed the door to the guest room behind her and leaned against it, her heart pounding.The ring felt heavy on her finger. She twisted it absentmindedly, watching the gold catch the light from the chandelier overhead.

Mrs. Kaiser. She almost laughed.

A few days ago she’d been scraping tips into her apron at the diner,enduring the abuses from some rude customers and arguing with the landlord over late rent. Now she was married to a man who signed checks big enough to buy the whole building,a man she barely knew,a man who terrified her.

She exhaled slowly and crossed to the bed where Jamie sat cross-legged, still in his pajamas, munching on a cookie one of the staff had brought him.

“You okay, kiddo?” she asked softly, sitting beside him.He nodded around a mouthful of crumbs. “This place is awesome,” he said after swallowing. “The lady downstairs said there’s a movie room and a pool. Can we go tomorrow?”

She managed a smile and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “We’ll see.”

What she didn’t say was that she didn’t know what tomorrow held anymore.Things were different now.

Later that evening, she ventured out of the room to find Alex.The penthouse was quiet, but light glowed from the massive office at the end of the hall.She hovered in the doorway, knocking softly.

He didn’t look up from the papers spread across his desk. “Come in,” he said, his voice cool as ever.She stepped inside, hugging her arms around herself.

“You didn’t have to set up a whole… ceremony,” she said after a moment.He glanced at her then, one brow arched. “Would you rather I’d dragged you to Vegas?”

She ignored the dry humor and pressed on. “I just… don’t understand why you care what it looks like. You said this was just… for appearances,so why make it feel real?”

His gaze settled on her for a long moment before he answered.

“Because appearances are everything,” he said quietly. “If people believe it’s real, they won’t question it. They won’t test you,or me.”

She frowned, uneasy. “And you,” he added after a pause, his voice dropping, “are not very good at pretending yet.”

That stung more than she expected.She squared her shoulders. “I’ll figure it out,” she said flatly.

“I’m counting on it.”

He finally set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, studying her. The silence stretched long enough that she began to fidget under his gaze.

“What?” she asked, irritated.

“Nothing,” he said, though there was a faint curve at the corner of his mouth. “Just… wondering how long it will take you to stop looking at me like i’m the villain in your story.” She blinked at that, caught off guard.

“You are,” she blurted. The corner of his mouth lifted higher. “Perhaps. But villains keep you alive, Lila.”Her name in his mouth made her stomach twist.Before she could respond, he stood abruptly, adjusting his cuffs.

“Come with me,” he said.

She hesitated.

“Why?”

“Because,” he said over his shoulder as he left the room, “you’re my wife now,and it’s time you learned the rules around here”

He led her to a private elevator she hadn’t noticed before, which opened directly into a large walk-in closet lined with designer gowns and tailored suits.

“This is yours now,” he said simply, motioning around the room.She blinked at the racks of glittering dresses,she could not believe what she was looking at,and to think they were all hers?. Her fingers trailed over soft silk and lace.

“You’ll have events to attend,” he continued. “Fundraisers. Galas. Dinners. You’ll have to look the part.”

Lila let out a dry laugh. “Oh, so i’m just… your shiny new accessory?”

Alex’s gaze flicked to hers,in a sharp way.

“You’re more than that,” he said, his voice quiet but certain. “You just don’t know it yet.”

His words sent a strange chill through her.He stepped closer then, so close she could feel the heat of him, his hand reaching out to tilt her chin up until she was forced to meet his eyes.

“You’ll walk beside me,” he murmured. “Not behind. Never behind. Do you understand?”

Her breath caught at the intensity in his stare.She swallowed hard and nodded like she was under a spell.

“Good.”

He dropped his hand, leaving her skin tingling where he’d touched her, and stepped back.

“Tomorrow night, we’ll attend the first event,” he said briskly, his professional mask back in place. “Until then… get some rest.” But as he turned to leave, she couldn’t stop herself from asking

“Why me?”

He paused, his hand resting on the doorframe. “You threw a bottle,” he said after a moment, a faint hint of something,amusement? admiration? in his voice.And then he was gone.

That night, Lila lay awake again, staring at the ceiling of the guest room, her fingers toying with the ring still on her hand.She couldn't make out anything from everything that had been going on.Everything about this felt wrong.

And yet… a small, traitorous part of her couldn’t forget the way he’d looked at her in the closet. Like she was already more than she believed herself to be,she almost smiled,but held back,like she reminded herself that she shouldn't.

Mrs. Kaiser. She thought to herself. It still didn’t sound real,but it was,and tomorrow, the world would see it too.

Although it was late into the night,she managed to catch some sleep.