THE DEVIL'S DEAL

CHAPTER FOUR | THE DEVIL’S DEAL

DAHLIA HAYES

The ray of sunlight slipping into my room disrupted my sleep. I groaned, turning over and yelling for Jason to close the blinds but got no response. That was strange, he had never been up earlier than me in the two years we’d been together.

My hands moved on their own, tapping the bed to feel him, but the only thing I found was the realization that this bed was way bigger than mine.

“What the hell?” I murmured.

My eyes snapped open instantly, which was a mistake. Excruciating pain hit me like a hammer. My head felt heavy, as if it were about to explode. I held it tight, groaning as I scanned the room.

My eyes landed on my clothes scattered across the floor, and suddenly, the memories of last night came rushing back.

I gagged, nauseous and disgusted. Even after the heartbreak, I still thought about him first thing this morning.

And Alec King? I’d met him only yesterday, and I had practically thrown myself at him.

“Oh my goodness. Kill me right now,” I mumbled, pressing a palm to my face.

“Lia, is that you? Are you awake?” Alec’s voice came from the bathroom, sending a jolt of panic through me.

I didn’t want him to see me. I needed to leave this place and pretend that nothing had happened. I wanted everything to be in the past.

I tiptoed to where my clothes were, grabbed them, and hurried across the room toward the door. I knew he was already on his way out, so I couldn’t waste time trying to dress.

There was only one problem with my escape plan: the doors were locked. Again.

What was it with him and locking doors?

“Where do you think you’re going, wife?”

A startled yelp escaped my mouth when I heard his voice. I hadn’t even noticed him come out of the bathroom.

“Wife?” I turned around sharply. “What the hell do you mean by wife? I’m not your wife.”

He chuckled, his broad shoulders vibrating with laughter. My gaze trailed a droplet of water sliding down his chest to his stomach and then to the towel hanging low on his waist. For whatever reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

It looked too loose. Too close to his… too exposed for my wild imagination.

“You could just ask me to take it off, you know. After all, a wife is entitled to every part of her husband’s body.” His hand moved toward the towel, and just when I thought he wouldn’t dare, he let it fall.

I turned quickly, shrieking as heat rose to my cheeks, and somewhere else I didn’t want to admit.

“Could you just open the door so I can leave? I don’t want to see you naked. That’s sexual harassment.”

“That’s rich coming from someone standing in only her panties and bra,” he fired back.

In my rush to leave, I’d completely forgotten that I was holding my clothes instead of wearing them.

I hastily put them on, but while buttoning my shirt, I noticed a diamond ring gleaming on my finger.

A scream tore from my throat as I tried to pull it off. “Why is this with me? Don’t tell me I stole it while drunk!”

I felt his presence behind me before I turned. And no, he wasn’t intimidating because of his size. It was his beauty that scared me. The longer I looked into his eyes, the more I felt drawn to him. He had that mesmerizing look that could hypnotize anyone.

“No,” he said casually. “That’s your wedding ring. We got married last night.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t remember? You chose the ring yourself. You said you wanted something ten times more expensive and bigger than Rachel’s engagement ring. You wanted your marriage to speak volumes before your presence did.”

His words triggered flashes of drunk memories, and if I could, I would have dug my own grave right there.

Not only had I agreed to marry him last night, I had also chosen the most expensive ring available and thrown myself at him shamelessly, begging him to consummate our marriage immediately. Of course, he had resisted, promising to do it only when I wasn’t drunk.

Basically, I had harassed him—multiple times.

I couldn’t look at him anymore. My gaze dropped to the ground. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean any of the things I said or did yesterday. It was the alcohol.”

He only nodded, his eyes fixed on me. I could feel his gaze burning into my skin, even though I avoided his eyes.

“Everything?” he asked. “You didn’t mean anything at all?”

Maybe I did mean some of it. After all, drunk words were sober thoughts. But I was never going to admit that. Ever.

I cleared my throat, forcing a professional tone. “I’m sure you’ll understand that this marriage is null. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to make a decision last night. I suggest we get a divorce before the end of today.”

He was silent for a while, and curiosity got the better of me. When I finally looked up, my breath caught at the emotions swimming in his eyes. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t.

He stepped closer, and I instinctively moved back until my back hit the door. He didn’t stop. He leaned in, so close that I could smell the faint musk of his cologne.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked.

“Yes—yes—of course.”

“You’re sure you don’t want revenge on the ones who hurt you? You don’t want to fix your career, clear your name, and come out stronger than ever?” His hands grazed from my shoulders to my collarbone, stopping at my neck.

My skin burned at his touch, and heat pooled in my stomach. Every nerve screamed for him.

“Are you sure you want to go back to your old boring life? No partying. No alcohol. No fun. No passion. Just a pretty face buried in paperwork and case files all day long. Only this time, all that’s left for you is picking up the pieces your ex-boyfriend and his mistress left behind.”

His fingers slid gently around my throat, not in a threatening way, but in a way that made my thighs press together instinctively.

“Are you sure you want to walk away from the chance to own my body as your husband, while I worship yours as my wife? For just one year. Nothing more.”

His face moved impossibly close, and his lips hovered an inch from mine. One more move and our mouths would meet.

Instinctively, I closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss that never came.

Instead, I heard the soft click of the door unlocking.

“If it’s a divorce you truly want,” his voice dropped to a low murmur, “then I’d advise you to leave now. Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure you won’t walk out of this room without your body throbbing for me. This is the only chance I’m giving you to walk away, Dahlia.”