SURPRISE SURPRISE

CHAPTER 6

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

HARLEY

I sat alone in the back seat of the black Escalade, the red leather cool against my skin despite the heat rising in my chest. Tears pooled hot and heavy in my eyes, threatening to spill at any second.

I turned toward the tinted glass and stared out at the cathedral steps. My mother stood there, her face blotchy and swollen from weeping. Beside her, my father spoke in low tones with Don,a conversation I couldn't hear through the heavy doors.

A few minutes later, the door clicked open. The man I had just said "I do" slid into the seat beside me, and his cologne, cedarwood, slate, and dark tobacco filled the cabin instantly.

I kept my gaze locked on the window, avoiding his eyes, though I could feel them on me, piercing and grey, studying me the way a hawk studies its prey.

Slowly, he raised his hand and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"You do not know how long I have waited for this day, princess," he murmured. His voice was calm, firm, and unsettlingly seductive.

Something in those words sparked defiance in me. I snapped my head toward him. The same devilish smirk from the altar still played on his lips.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded, forcing my voice steady even as my heart hammered beneath the corset of my gown.

His smirk deepened. He leaned in, his breath warm against my neck.

"I love how feisty you can get, baby," he whispered, lips grazing my collarbone. "It does unexplainable things to me."

He pressed a slow kiss behind my ear. A lump rose in my throat. Every nerve in my body went taut.

Before I could steady myself, his hand found my chin, tilting my face toward his an attempt at a kiss. Instinct took over. I wrenched back out of his grip.

For a fraction of a second his expression darkened, grey eyes flashing with something dangerous. But he didn't push further. He straightened and barked a single order toward the front.

"Start the car."

The engine caught, and the Escalade pulled smoothly from the curb. In the side mirror, I caught sight of two matching SUVs leading the way, and a convoy falling into rank behind us too many to count.

We drove through the night in silence, the city lights fading slowly behind us. He didn't speak again, but his eyes never left me, watching with an intensity that made my pulse flutter despite my fear.

Eventually the Escalade slowed before a massive gate marking the entrance to a private estate, walled and guarded, armed men stationed at its edge. As we stopped, several sharp-eyed guards stepped from the security booth. Carlos lowered his window and murmured a few words. They stepped back at once, and the gates swung open.

Inside, it felt like another world entirely sprawling, manicured grounds beneath sleek high-rise architecture, a secluded enclave built for the elite.

We pulled up to a sprawling villa deep within the estate. I knew it was his the moment I saw the mahogany plaque, his name etched in silver near the entrance.

When I stepped out, the sheer scale of the place stole my breath: marble pathways lit by warm, ambient light, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, lush greenery pressing in on all sides. Elegant and, somehow, dangerous.

I walked toward the grand double doors with Carlos trailing silently behind.

If the exterior had impressed me, the interior stunned me outright. The foyer soared overhead, a marble staircase sweeping upward through minimalist, ultra-modern luxury. Uniformed staff lined the halls, heads bowed as we passed.

I'd barely stopped to take it all in when two arms wrapped around me from behind, lifting my feet clean off the floor.

Panic surged through me. I twisted and struggled, but he didn't budge.

"Put me down right now!" I snapped, slamming my fists against his chest and shoulders only for pain to shoot through my hands. His body didn't yield an inch.

He didn't flinch. Grey eyes locked on mine, he carried me up the staircase and, without breaking stride, kicked open a door at the end of the hall.

He carried me inside and set me down more accurately, dropped me onto the center of a massive bed.

The instant I hit the mattress, I scrambled back, pressing my spine to the headboard. A faint, amused curl touched his mouth at my reaction.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, breath ragged, fingers gripping the satin sheets.

Carlos stepped onto the edge of the mattress, dropping one knee onto the bed. In one swift motion, he caught my ankle and dragged me toward him.

"I think you're forgetting one small detail, baby," he said, voice low with dark amusement. He leaned over me, gaze sweeping across my trembling frame. "You're my wife now. And I own every inch of you."

I met his eyes and let out a bitter laugh.

"We might be married," I said, chin lifted, "but you don't own me, Carlos."

He said nothing. His face shifted back into that cold, unreadable mask and something about it sent real fear spiking through my chest.

Before I could react, he pulled me closer, flipping me until my chest pressed flat against the mattress, back to him. One hand pinned both my wrists; the other found the laces of my corset and undid them with practiced ease.

I struggled, squirming against him, but it was useless against his grip. In seconds the laces gave way, the sleeves slipping from my shoulders and exposing my bare back to the cool air.

His fingers traced a slow line down my spine. A violent shiver ran through me. My breath caught, ragged, as a terrifying thought took root. Was he really going to take what he wanted, right here?

Then I felt his lips against my back.

I flinched, trembling beneath him. He pressed slow kisses along my spine until he felt me shaking, and stopped.

He leaned close, his voice dropping to a murmur against my ear.

"Your surprise is ready, princess."

His grip loosened at once.

The moment I was free, I scrambled up, clutching the loosened silk to my chest. My eyes swept the room in a panic and landed on a second door in the corner, one I hadn't noticed before. Carlos's gaze had already shifted toward it.

Before I could ask, he lifted me into his arms again, strode to the inner door, and kicked it open.

A sharp gasp tore from my throat at what waited inside.

He set me down, stepping back with a dark, satisfied look. "Surprise, surprise, baby."

I spun on him, chest heaving, tears finally spilling over.

"What kind of psychopath are you, Carlos?!"