The following few hours passed quickly. Nicholas called his attorney right away to schedule an emergency meeting. Afterward, he showed me the best sights in the city all the while riding in the back of his car.
We made a quick stop at his attorney’s office, where I met Benson and promptly agreed to hand over my life after the contract changes were made.
As we left the office together, I had to fight to keep the panic attack at bay.
I was rich in the blink of an eye. I had consented to marry a man I hardly knew, have sex with him, and to some extent submit to his authority.
I had to remind myself that I had not agreed to the proposal simply because I was desperate to belong. I was not out of my mind. And as the thought gripped me, I got closer and closer to backing away… to pushing Nicholas away.
As we got back into the car, Nicholas wound his fingers with mine, nearly skipping and whistling.
He slid into the seat next to me, and I couldn’t help but note, “You’re terribly cheerful.”
He drew me close and buried his head in my neck.
He whispered in my ear, “I most certainly am, my Willow.”
‘Willow. His.’
I wanted to respond that I wasn’t just another piece of art in his collection, but his hands and mouth quickly calmed my indignation.
As he kissed and nibbled below my ear, it was simple to forget about everything else. The world seemed to dissolve around me. I cocked my head to the side to allow him more access and groaned as I felt his fingers creep up my thigh.
I excitedly grabbed his hair as his lips pushed against mine. I was practically hooked on the pleasure that was pumping through my body. I had never experienced anything like it before. I frew him closer so that I could revel in it.
This. I had accepted because of this magnetic, all-pervasive pull between us.
In between his kisses, he whispered, “I want you so fucking badly.”
He seemed to share my feelings.
I wanted to climb him like a tree, but I could only hum in agreement.
I felt a rush of adrenaline in my body when he sighed softly against my lips. Being so intensely desired, yearned for, and craved felt empowering. To be aware that I was taking up as much of his mind as he was mine. In order To get his hand further up my leg, I turned and twisted. Those slender fingers were perilously close to where I wanted them.
When the car came to a stop, I sighed and clung to Nicholas so that he wouldn’t pull away.
“Let’s go, baby. We’re here.”
I didn’t care that I didn’t know where this place was.
He pried my hands away from his face and smoothed my skirt back in its place. I almost cried out in protest.
He laughed. “I promise to finish what I started. Soon.” He helped me out of the car after giving me one last kiss.
To my surprise, we were standing in front of a jewelry store. It was better to say it was a store for engagement rings.
“What are we doing here?” I already knew why he brought me there. I was just wondering if it were real or not.
“Because you need a ring to adorn your lovely finger and let the world know you are taken.” He pulled me to the front door.
I was startled by the fancy arrangement of rings in the window display.
It was real. It was so thrilling yet horrifying that Nicholas stopped to look at me. He noticed my hesitation and a brief look of worry flashed in his eyes. As much as I hated seeing him feeling that way, I couldn’t help but be nervous.
“Is something wrong, Willow?”
I sucked in a deep breath, solidifying my resolve to go through with it. I had agreed to marrying him. Why should I back away now? It was amazing how easy physical intimacy came to me. But when it came to more official nuptial behaviors , it was another story altogether.
“I am fine. Just not a huge jewellery fan. I by no means wear any jewelry.” I grinned at him and squeezed his hand.
He smiled and held me tightly by the waist. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t wear any jewelry, usually. But this piece of jewelry is different.”
Inside, I finally understood how people buttered up people in positions of power. The ass-kissing Nicholas Rowe enjoyed was beyond the norm. He was a well-known person in this city, so I tried to convince myself that I shouldn’t be shocked by it. Men looked at him with jealousy, ladies stared like they were looking at a limited edition dress, and people stopped to watch him walk by. Before I realized I was in no place to judge, I controlled the urge to roll my eyes several times. Once under his spell, I was pretty easy to control and mold to his needs.
The manager recognised Nicholas immediately and ushered us away to the VIP lounge. There, other staff members handed us flutes of champagne and arrived with an array of unique diamong rings nestled in velvet black ring boxes. I apprehensively sipped on my glass, letting the sparkly and sweet liquid soothe my anxiety. Nicholas placed his hand over my bouncing knee, absorbing my anxious energy, helping ground me.
Nicholas didn’t even look at some of the rings for more than a split second. He sent them back, leaving a few that he thought were decent enough to put on my finger.
He placed the monstrous rock on my finger and inquired, “Do you like this one?”
I took another sip and tried to ignore the price of the ring. For most people, it was more than a year of their salary.
“It’s alright.”
He shook his head. “Alright? I don’t want to give you something alright… I want you to love something and choose it for yourself.”