THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE: HE MARRIED THE WRONG SISTER

Chapter 4

ALINA POV

The drive to the courthouse was suffocating.

I sat in the back in the wedding dress, feeling the silk and lace like chains around my body. When we arrived, I was practically dragged inside.

Nikolai Ashford was already there.

My husband to be.

He stood tall in a sharp black suit. His dark eyes were cold, his jaw tight, and the faint scent of his perfume entered my nostrils.

He smiled as soon as he saw me taking my right as he led me inside the courthouse without a word.

Everything after that happened so fast.

The magistrates began quickly, reading the marriage contract that stripped me off my name and my agency. The vows were completed. Although, I barely managed to choke out mine.

After we were done, we were taken to his mansion. We showered separately and changed into our nighties. Dinner was quiet but his eyes were fixed on me the whole time.

After dinner, Nikolai reached out and gently took my right hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. A glass of alcohol rested in his other hand. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment,” he smiled. “Tell me about you,” he continued. “Not something I already know but something I don't know. What makes you happy? What do you dream about when no one is watching?”

He looked slightly tipsy.

I hesitated for a second, then smiled shyly. “I love quiet mornings, traveling, painting, and creating a home that feels safe.”

“And I love… peace,” I concluded.

He stared at me for a moment before leaning closer with a smile. “It's late already wifey. Shall we go inside?”

He lifted my hand and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my knuckles before pulling me up with him.

As soon as we got to the bedroom, he hand slid to my waist pulling me closer before planting a soft kiss on my neck.

My fingers trembled. “Nikolai, please... you look tired. Let's just... let's sleep.”

He didn't listen.

He stepped closer pulling me gently against the wall. His hands slammed into the wall on both sides of my head, pinning me against the wall. “I've been waiting too long to let you go tonight,” he said softly, pulling a strand of my hair backward.

He grabbed the front of my dress and yanked it away softly, tearing the soft silk with a loud ripping sound. I gasped and quickly tried to cover myself, but you held my wrist and pinned them above my head.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, his voice shaking a little. He rested his face against the side of my neck, breathing slowly on my skin. A shiver went through me, not from fear, but from a confusing, intense feeling deep inside me.

He moved in a rushed and unsteady way, like he didn't know what he was doing but couldn't stop. He pushed me back onto the bed, my dress spreading out around his. His hands were everywhere, on my thighs, my waist, my breast, taking control of the moment.

He stripped away what was left of my dress until I was naked beneath him.

“Nikolai, wait …” but my voice got stuck as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his broad chest.

He paused, taking a deep look at me, his eyes unfocused but still intense. He moved closer, his weight heavy on me. He held my wrists above my head with one hand, his grip very strong, while his other hand moved over me roughly, like he was in control.

When he leaned closer, his mouth brushed against my neck, sending a sudden shiver through me. My body reacted without thinking, pressing slightly against him as the feeling of his skin against mine was both rough and overwhelming.

A slight moan escaped my lips.

He entered me with a powerful, deep thrust, and I gasped, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist to pull him even deeper.

I arched my back and held onto his arms tightly. Despite the horror of the day, my body betrayed me, responding to the raw primality of his touch. I let out a low moan as I closed my eyes.

He began to move again, faster now, his pace relentless and punishing. The bed groaned beneath us, as I wrapped my legs around his waist, my fingers clawing at his shoulders, marking his skin with red crescents. My heart hammered against my ribs, matching the frantic rhythm of his thrusts, until the world narrowed down to the sound of our joint breathing and the scent of sweat and sin.

We both released at the exact same time, and the intense energy suddenly turned into a deep, quiet stillness. We collapsed into each other's arms, our bodies shaking as the excitement started to fade. For a few moments, we didn't move at all, we just held each other tightly, waiting for our hearts to slow down. The room became so silent that the only sound we could hear was the sound of the both of us catching our breath together.

“Aria...” he groaned into my neck.

The heat in my blood turned to ice instantly. He was still on top of me, his weight heavy, and his eyes already closing.

I lay beneath him, my skin still warm. His breathing became slow and heavy, as he fell into a deep, drunken sleep almost immediately.

I pushed his heavy weight off my body. My body aches, exhausted and sore from everything that had just happened. I sat up and held a torn piece of my dress to cover myself, staring at him as he slept.

I turned my head slightly, watching the rise and fall of his broad chest. My thoughts began to race as I imagined the moment he would wake up, when the alcohol would wear off and he would finally remember everything clearly.

I moved closer to the bed, my heart beating fast.

When he wakes up, would I be afraid? Would I lead for mercy or try to explain what brought me here?

I sighed.

I closed my eyes trying to rest for a while, but I couldn't sleep properly. I kept on imagining the moment he would wake up and realize he was fooled.