4

ALEXANDER

David stood there with a smug grin that made my blood simmer as he looked at Elara like she was a new car he had just bought with my money.

He had no idea that the woman standing next to him had already been claimed. Not by a ring, but by the memory of my hands on her skin.

I kept my eyes on Elara.

She was pale. The emerald material of her dress shifted with every shallow breath she took. She looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

Her hand was still in mine, cold and trembling. I didn't let go even as I could feel her pulse jumping against my thumb, fast—too fast.

"She’s a knockout, right, Dad?" David asked, his voice high-pitched. "The cameras love her. A stable, beautiful wife. That’s what the trust fund clause asked for.”

I didn't look at him. I couldn't. If I looked at my son right now, I might actually break his jaw in front of his fiancée.

The thought of him touching her—the thought of his hands on the woman I had spent the last four nights dreaming about made an ugly feeling coil in my gut.

"Leave us, David," I said.

David’s grin faltered. "What? Dad, we just got here. We should go back to the party, celebrate—"

"I said leave," I repeated. I turned my head just enough to catch his gaze. "I want to speak to your fiancée. Alone."

David opened his mouth to argue, but he caught the look in my eyes.

He’d seen it before—usually right before I cut off his allowance and threw him out of my fucking house.

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"Right. Sure. Business talk. I'll... I'll go get a drink. Don't scare her off, okay?" He reached out to pat Elara’s shoulder, a possessive gesture that made her flinch.

I tightened my grip on her hand.

David laughed nervously and backed away, the mahogany doors clicking shut behind him.

She immediately tried to yank her hand back.

I let her go, but only so I could step into her space. She backed up, her heels clicking against the hardwood, until the edge of my massive desk hit the small of her back.

"You don’t have a lot to say for a woman who was so vocal four nights ago," I said.

She looked up at me, her bluish-green eyes wide with terror. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Thorne."

"Mr. Thorne," I repeated and leaned forward, planting a hand on the desk on either side of her, pinning her in place. I could smell her now. Jasmine and vanilla. It was the same scent that I couldn’t get out of my head for days. "The mask is off, Elara. Don't lie to me. I hate liars more than I hate failures."

"It was a mistake," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I didn't know who you were. If I had known—"

"If you had known, what? Wouldn't you have knelt for me? You wouldn't have asked me to make you forget the man who treated you like you were average?" I leaned closer, my face inches from hers. I could see the tiny flecks of gold in her eyes. "Because you did forget him. For those hours, he didn't exist. Only I did."

She turned her head away, her throat working as she swallowed. "I’m engaged to your son."

I laughed. "You’re engaged to a boy who is using you as a ticket to a bank account. David doesn't love you, Elara. He doesn't even see you. He sees a way to stay rich without working."

"You don't know that," she hissed, though her voice lacked conviction.

"I know my son. And I know you." I let my gaze travel down her body, lingering on the curves the emerald dress highlighted. "I know how your skin feels when it’s flushed. I know the sound you make when you're pushed to your limit. I know that when I had you against the wall at The Sanctum, you weren't thinking about David. Not after the way you looked at me when I had my hands on you."

Her head snapped back toward me, her face flushing a deep, angry red. "You have no right to speak to me like this."

"I have every right. I own the ground you’re standing on, Elara. I own the ring David put on your finger, a ring he bought with a loan I’ll eventually have to pay off." I reached out, my fingers grazing the line of her jaw.

She closed her eyes, a single tear escaping. I reached out, my thumb catching the moisture on her cheek.

"You told me you were broken," I murmured. "You told me you were dull. Who told you that, Elara? Was it him?"

She didn't answer, but the way she flinched told me everything.

My son was a fool. He had the most beautiful woman in Vegas in his arms and he had spent his time making her feel small.

It was a crime I couldn't forgive.

"He’s a child playing at being a man," I said. "And you... You are a queen being treated like a servant. I watched you tonight. I watched the way you looked at him with fear, not love. You’re terrified of this marriage."

"I have to do this," she whispered. "I have no choice."

I stood up straight, finally giving her some air, though I didn't move away. I watched her chest rise and fall rapidly.

She was beautiful even in her panic.

I had decided the moment she walked into this room and I realized the girl from the club was my son’s fiancée that I was going to make a very wrong decision.

"David is a fool," I said coldly. "A liability. He’s a gambler and a loser, and I won't let him drag this family into the dirt."

Elara’s eyes widened. "But... he said if we got married..."

"He lied. Or he assumed. It doesn't matter. What matters is that if you marry him, you’ll be marrying a man with nothing but debts and enemies. He won't protect you. He’ll sell you the moment things get difficult."

I leaned back against my chair, watching her. She looked like she was about to faint. The "safety" she thought she was buying for her parents was evaporating in front of her.

"I have a different proposal," I said.

She gripped the edge of the desk. "What proposal?"

"A contract marriage. One year. You stay in this house. You play the part of my wife. You show up to the events, you stand by my side, and you give this empire the image it needs."

She stared at me, her mouth parting in shock. "You... you want to marry me? To spite David?"

"Partly," I admitted. I wasn't going to lie to her. "But mostly because I want you. I’ve spent twenty years building this city, and I’ve never seen anything I wanted to keep more than you."

"I can't," she breathed. "It’s insane. You’re his father."

"And he’s a boy who doesn't deserve you. I’m offering you ten million dollars, Elara. Cash. At the end of the year, you walk away. Your parents' house will be paid for. Your business will be funded and you will never have to worry about money again."

She shook her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. "Why? Why would you do this?"

"Because I know what you are," I said, stepping back toward her. I took her chin in my hand, forcing her to look at me. "You’re trying to save everyone. But who is going to save you?"

She didn't answer.

"I’m the only one who can give you what you need," I whispered. "Security. Power. And the kind of nights David is too weak to give you."

I felt her shudder. I knew she was thinking about the club. I knew she was thinking about the way I had commanded her and the way she had obeyed.

"One year," I said. "That’s all I’m asking for."

She looked toward the door, where David was likely leaning against a wall, waiting for his future to be handed to him. Then she looked back at me. I could see the desperation in her eyes, the way she was weighing the cost of her submission against the safety of her family.

"And David?" she asked.

"David will be handled. He’ll be out of your life and won't be able to touch you."

I waited. I knew how this would go.

I knew the moment the light changed in her eyes that she had made her choice.

"Fine," she whispered.

I didn't smile, but a sense of satisfaction settled in my chest. I reached out, my fingers grazing her throat.

"Good choice, Elara," I said. "You won't marry him. You'll marry me."

I felt her breath hitch against my skin. She was mine now. And I would make sure I worshipped her.

And God help anyone who tried to take her back.