“What the f*ck! You can’t order me around. I refuse to go to LA with you,” spat out Skylar, her whole body trembling with fury. He might have tricked her into coming here, but she wouldn’t dance to his tunes. “I can and I will. I won't leave you alone here to sleep around with every Mike you meet. So just do what I say or I will have to use force. Don’t mess with me, Skylar!” “What did you say? You’re the one who’s messing with me. I will sleep with a million Mikes if that’s what it takes to keep you away from me.” Christian clenched his teeth as wild fury coursed through his body. “Do you think it will keep me away from you? No, you’re very much mistaken. I will punish those million Mikes for taking what’s mine. That’s not all. I will punish you the most. So don’t even think about it in your wildest dreams. I know there’s no boyfriend. It’s all a hoax.” Skylar gaped at the man. How did he know? Did her grandparents give her away? “Whatever! I’ll get into a contract marriage with

Skylar lay still, acutely aware of his gaze upon her. She could feel every nerve in her body pick up the sexual undercurrent that pulsated out of him. It was impossible to sleep under the circumstances. After ten minutes, she gave up and got up to go but her glance fell on Christian’s face. His eyes were closed, and it seemed he was indeed sleeping! She noticed the dark circles under his eyes, as if he had been overworking himself for the last couple of days. His lips were parted and his thick, curled lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones, leaving her under a spell. It was a sin to be so good-looking! Was she committing a grave mistake by agreeing to have a contract marriage with him? Although she didn’t wish to acknowledge it, there was an undeniable attraction building up between them with every passing minute. She didn’t want to succumb to the temptation. The man was a mystery! Why was he hell-bent on marrying her when there was no dearth of women willing to die to be his wife? D

His words left her dumbfounded, just as he had expected. He grabbed her hand, taking advantage of her momentary confusion. They looked like a couple in love as they strolled towards the beach, hand in hand. “Everyone is staring at us, Christian. Can you leave my hand?” She tried to extricate her hand from his hold but he gripped it further, refusing to let go. “No. Let them stare. They might be jealous of you!” Skylar turned to see the amused glint in his eyes. “Why would they be jealous of me?” “Maybe because you’re the only one who’s getting to marry me!” Skylar scoffed at his enormous ego! As if she was marrying him willingly! Wasn’t he the one who was forcing her to marry him? “You’re the one who’s lucky that I agreed to marry you. If it wasn’t for our parents’ last wish, I would never have gone ahead with this.”“Then we should be indebted to our parents, right?” he chuckled as she wrenched her hand free of his hold and walked on. “On the contrary, I’m shocked by their deci

Christian tipped her head back to allow his tongue to dominate the wild and punishing kiss. He swirled his tongue against hers, devouring every recess hungrily. It wasn’t just any passionate kiss. It was branding. He wanted to punish her for fighting him since the time they met. He wanted her to know who she belonged to. The savage kiss took her by surprise, leaving her dizzy and disturbed. All the fight left her body, and she swayed as if intoxicated by the deep, thrusting pulls of his tongue. Circling his bare shoulders to keep herself from falling, she couldn’t help but dig her fingers into their enormous strength. A gasp escaped her when he punishingly bit her lower lip, soothing the sting with his warm tongue. Instead of feeling annoyed by the punishing kiss, a shock of pleasure coursed through her traitorous body, leaving her craving for more. It was her first kiss, and it robbed her of her senses. Should she be happy with her reaction to his advances?Christian’s breath caugh

“In your dreams! You might have gotten away with a surprise engagement but not a surprise wedding!” She carried her food back to the table but this time she didn’t sit with Christian. The empty seat beside Lillian attracted her and she occupied it immediately. Christian sat down diagonally opposite her but his eyes were more on her than on his food. “Hello, dear! Has Christian told you about me? I’m his favorite aunt Theresa from Connecticut. I’m so happy to see him settle down. When he was young, he hated the idea of marriage. I couldn’t imagine he would settle down with a girl of his parents' choice.”“People change as they grow, Aunt Theresa. I’m sure Christian has too. He was never averse to the concept of marriage. He just wanted to marry the person he liked!” said Lillian. Skylar gaped at her as the interesting piece of news seeped into her brain. So did Christian like someone?“Had he chosen someone at such a young age?” chuckled Aunt Theresa with disbelief. “Age is just a nu