Curvy Fake Wife for the Player

31. Alex

Chapter 31

Alex

T urns out a wedding reception isn’t much fun without a bride. I couldn’t say how long I stayed at the reception after Sasha left, only that it felt like a fucking eternity had passed without her. I was miserable and worse I was doing a shit job of looking anything but miserable.

“Where’s the happy bride?” Dante stood towering over me, his body casted a long shadow that matched my mood perfectly.

“She’s gone,” I grunted. “Heard Jack’s words apparently and convicted me without a trial.”

Dante grunted which I suppose meant he was on my side. He grabbed two flutes filled with champagne and sat. “What was she supposed to think? You didn’t correct Jack at all.”

“I didn’t think she was spying on me. How could I?” What was she even doing outside the groom’s suite in the first place?

“Maybe she came to tell you something and what she heard made it unnecessary.”

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. You can’t say some ominous shit like that and not back it up. What does that mean?”

He shrugged. “Lucy said she got the feeling that Sasha’s feelings for you were real, but my wife doesn’t know everything.”

Shit. Those words ricocheted through me with the force of a bullet. Could that really be true, that Sasha’s feelings for me had grown during our time together? Had she come to tell me she wanted our marriage to be real in all ways? “Fuck.”

“I’m guessing that’s news to you?”

I nodded. “She didn’t say anything.”

“Why would she? You made it clear that this was nothing more than a business arrangement. You kept up your end of the bargain and so did she. Right?”

I nodded. Yeah, she’d only asked for a few charitable donations, one of which solely benefitted me. She’d been nothing but good and kind, sexy and sweet, and I fucked it up. All of it. “Why wouldn’t she say anything?”

Dante shrugged. “Why would she? That’s not what you want. Is it?”

Was it? “I want her.” That was the only thing I knew. I wanted Sasha and I would do whatever it took to make her mine. “I need to get out of here.”

Dante, grumpy bastard that he was, flashed an uncharacteristic grin as he stood. “I’ll make your excuses,” he offered. “Don’t fuck it up.”

“Thanks man, your confidence in me is overwhelming. Seriously.”

“It’s just a bit of friendly advice. It’s time to go big or get off the pot.”

I frowned and a laugh escaped. “You might want to work on your pep talk, Dante.”

“It wasn’t a pep talk. It was a get off your ass and go get your woman talk. Go,” he growled and shooed me towards the door.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I loosened my bowtie and strolled towards the ballroom exit, ready to claim my bride. My woman.

For real, this time.

For keeps.

“Sasha!” The minute I stepped inside the penthouse my heart stopped. It was silent inside. Too silent for a woman who was always humming or talking to herself or listening to music. “Sasha?” I rushed down the hall towards her suite, frowning when I found it empty. Just to ease my mind, I opened the door to Dixie’s room, which was of course empty since she was with Henrietta for the evening. “Sasha!”

I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of nothingness. Complete and total silence. My heart raced but I stepped back and went inside her suite, opening the closet and bathroom doors to check for myself that she hadn’t completely abandoned me. Us. Her clothes still hung in the closet and lie folded in the drawers, her beauty and skincare items dotted her private bathroom.

She didn’t leave me.

I rushed around the rest of the house, even to my office and the gym, place she never used even though I told her she was welcome to them. She wasn’t in the kitchen either, which left one last place.

I took the stairs to the roof two at a time, going as fast as I could in my desperation to see her. “Sasha.” There she was, still in that beautiful white wedding dress, sitting with her legs folded in front of her, a burgundy linen napkin tucked into the top as she ate a taco and washed it down with champagne. “You’re still here.”

She looked up at me with a blank expression on her face, the evidence of her tears were still present and I felt like an asshole. “Of course, I am. We’re married. For the next two years anyway. What are you doing here?”

I shrugged, daring to move closer. “I live here.”

“Right.” She turned back to the taco, savoring the last two bites before she reached for the bottle of champagne and took several big gulps. Sasha unwrapped another taco and ate it slowly, sipping more champagne between bites.

She’s here, I reminded myself. She didn’t leave which was good. It was perfect, exactly what I wanted. Then why the fuck was I still so nervous? Because she matters, my brain answered the completely rhetorical question. “Sasha, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head while she chewed. “Don’t be.” She shook her head again and swallowed. “The apartment is a good idea. As long as you’re discreet then this won’t have been for nothing.” She didn’t look at me but the thready nature of her voice told me she didn’t mean what she was saying.

“Bullshit.”

Her brows furrowed but still her blue gaze remained firmly fixed on the new taco in her hand. “Excuse me?”

“I said bullshit. You don’t think the apartment is a good idea. In fact, I’d say you think it’s a terrible idea.”

Sasha shrugged. “Luckily for me, it doesn’t matter what I think about it.”

I dropped down on my haunches and plucked the taco and then the champagne from her hands, holding them in mine. “What if I wanted it to matter what you think?”

She sighed, trying to pull her hands free of mine but I held her tighter. “It doesn’t. I heard everything and I apologize. I shouldn’t have gotten upset. I had no right.”

Dammit, I was losing her. “I wish you hadn’t heard Jack saying all that shit,” I told her, rubbing my thumbs against the soft flesh pulsing inside her wrist. “More than that, I wish I’d told Jack to shut the fuck up and for that Sasha, I’m sorrier than you know.”

She tried to pull away again, growling low in her throat when I refused to release her. “You are who are you, Alex. Your life is yours to live as you see fit but I think it’ll be easier for both of us if we just keep things platonic when we’re not in public.”

“No, that’s not what I want. Not at all. Will that be easier for you, because it sure as shit won’t be easier for me.”

This time she yanked her arms free with enough force she fell against the back of the sofa, before scrambling to her feet and putting some distance between us. “Yes Alex, it will be easier for me. This, what we’re doing, it’s madness. It’s confusing and I’m the only one going to get hurt, so yes it will be easier.”

I stood and removed the tuxedo jacket, flinging it absently on the chair behind me. “You’re so sure you’ll be the one hurt.” Her words pierced my heart and I realized that I hadn’t done a good job at all of telling or showing her how I felt about her.

“Yes. I am because it’s already started and it’s my own fault.” She shook her head and turned away from me. “It’s not your fault, Alex. It’s mine. I’m not cut out for this, sleeping with you and living with you and then pretending we’re in a relationship. I can’t do it.”

“Neither can I, Sasha.”

She turned, a question in her glistening blue gaze that she quickly covered with a blank expression and a nod. “Good. Then we’re in agreement.”

“No, we’re not.” I closed the distance between us and laid my hands on her shoulders, sliding them up her slender neck until my fingers were tangled in her curls. “I don’t want to pretend, Sasha. Not anymore. Not with you.”

She winced at my words and stepped back. “I understand,” she said softly and looked away. “And Dixie? Will you still need me to be her nanny?”

My jaw clenched. “Are you listening to me at all?”

Her brows knitted in confusion but she said nothing.

“I’m standing here telling you that I don’t want to keep pretending our relationship is real and you’re worried about your job?” I shook my head. “This is un-fucking-believable, Sash. I’m trying to tell you how I feel about you, that I’m stupidly in love with you and you’re talking about nanny shit.” It was my turn to pace.

“You said you didn’t want to pretend anymore, Alex. That sounds to me like you want to end the contract.”

I stopped and turned to face her. Sasha was the picture of utter confusion. “You have no idea, do you?”

A tear slipped free and she folded her arms, notching her chin in the air defiantly. “I’ll hold up my end of the bargain, Alex. I’ll look after Dixie and pretend to be madly in love with you outside the penthouse, but I can’t keep doing…the rest.”

“Because you wouldn’t have to pretend?” I took a step forward and her eyes widened.

“What?”

I advanced another step. “You can’t keep sleeping with me because you feel something for me. Don’t you?”

Arms folded, she glared at me as if she hated me. But she didn’t deny it.

“Say it,” I urged.

“No.”

I took another step forward until just a foot separated us. “Say it, Sasha. Tell me that’s the reason. Go on.”

She pushed my chest, a move that sent her back a step. With a frustrated growl, she pushed me again, harder the second time around. “Fine, you want me to answer? Yes, okay! Yes, the reason I can’t keep pretending is because I’m not pretending. I fell in love with you, which is the dumbest possible thing I could have done. I know who you are and what you want, most importantly what you don’t want, but it happened anyway. So yes Alex, I’m in love with you and that’s why we can’t keep sleeping together. Or spending time together. Unless it’s for your public image.” Her chest heaved and just before she turned away from me, I spotted the telltale moisture in her eyes.

“Was that so hard?”

“Fuck you,” she spat out in a soft, watery voice.

I laughed because my heart was full, because hearing that I wasn’t alone in this made everything from this moment forward easier. “Sasha.”

“Don’t Alex. I don’t want or need you to say anything. You asked a question and I gave you an answer. No further conversation is needed.”

“Oh, but it is. You see, the reason I didn’t shut Jack up when he was talking shit this morning before the wedding was because I couldn’t.” She moved to step away and I tugged her back to me. “His words shouldn’t have pissed me off the way they did but the fact that they did made me come to an important realization. I’m in love with my wife.”

“Alex,” she pleaded and took a step back.

“Seriously. I should have been laughing along with Jack, smiling and planning for my secret life on the side. But his words brought me no pleasure. All I could think about was why would I want some puck bunny when my wife is so beautiful and sensual and lovely.” I cupped her jaw and when she leaned into my touch, relief soared through me. “This is all new to me, being in love.”

Her lips curved into a reluctant smile. “You’ve never been in love before?”

I shook my head. “Never. I mean not with anyone but myself.” A bashful smile crossed myself. “No woman has been you, Sash. You’re not impressed by my name or my money and you make me work for every smile, every laugh. I have to be me when I’m with you and, that’s some heady shit. Being with a woman who just wants me? I didn’t think such a woman existed. Until you.”

“Alex,” she whispered and held my face in her small hands. “I feel the same. Being with you makes me feel like I’m enough. I’m good enough and pretty enough, sexy enough.”

“Enough?” I shook my head. “Oh no, sweetheart you are more than enough. In fact, I’m pretty sure that you deserve better than the likes of me, but I love you and I’ll work every day to be worthy of the beautiful gift of your love.”

“You already are, Alex. I promise.” Her smile grew and she pushed up on her tiptoes, brushing a soft kiss across my lips. “Don’t let anyone tell you aren’t worthy. You’re Alex Witter,” she purred. “And you’re mine.”

I hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush against mine. “Good because I love you, Sasha. So fucking much.”

She smiled and her head fell back as laughter spilled from her luscious lips. “The feeling is completely mutual.” And then because I could, because Sasha was mine, I lowered my head and captured her lips, kissing her slowly at first because I needed to take my time, to savor the taste of her combined with champagne and salsa.

She purred again and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer. Her tongue flicked inside my mouth and I deepened the kiss, devouring every dark corner of her warm mouth until her fingertips dug into my shoulders. The sound of the growl she emitted was so fucking hot, it was too much.

I pulled back with a smile. “Say it again.”

“I love you Alex Witter.”

Hearing those words from her lips made me feel full, like I had more love in my heart for her than I could contain. “I love you, Sasha Witter.”

“So, we’re doing this for real?”

I nodded. “Oh yeah babe, we are doing this. I’m gonna take you downstairs to our bedroom and fuck you until my name is the only word you remember. But first there’s one wedding tradition you denied me by leaving early.”

“Feeding each other cake?” She giggled.

“We can save that for tomorrow,” I growled.

“Bouquet toss?”

“Fuck that, I’m sending it to Jack’s office first thing in the morning.”

That pulled another laugh from Sasha. “What, then?”

“Removing the garter.” I wiggled my brows and guided her to the sofa. “Did I tell you how stunning you look in this dress?” It was big and puffy and white, showing off every inch of her delicious curves.

Sasha shook her head as my hands slid up her legs, under the skirts of her dress. “It’s nice to hear,” she whispered.

“I’ll make sure to tell you how gorgeous I find you every day of our life together.” I lifted the skirts and dove underneath, taking my time touching her silky smooth legs.

“Alex,” she moaned when my knuckles brushed across her panties. “The garter is lower.”

“Is it here,” I asked and hooked her panties to the side, using my tongue to part her pussy lips.

“Oh,” she moaned again. “Yes, Alex.”

She was wet and delicious, tasting like salted caramel on my tongue as I lapped at her juices and sucked her clit. I wasn’t sure I’d ever have her like this again but now, knowing she was mine completely? I took my time.

“Oh fuck, Alex, babe! Yes!” She jerked her hips and when my tongue slipped inside her wetness, she pulsed around me and rolled her lips. “Alex, please.”

I hooked one finger deep inside of her and curled my tongue around her clit. Seconds later a powerful orgasm shot out of her, making her legs quiver and shake as she rode out her orgasm.

With a satisfied smile, I fixed her panties and kissed my way down her legs, stopping only to tug down the garter belt. When I appeared with her belt in my mouth, the look of love she shot me stole my breath. “Who knew you were such a traditionalist?”

“Not me,” I answered with a smile. “But there is one more to go.”

Sasha frowned when I stood and offered her my hand. “The wedding night?”

“Fuck yeah,” I growled. “But first I have to carry my bride across the threshold.” She squealed and then laughed when I scooped her in my arms.

“Put me down, Alex! Your season starts soon.”

“Hey,” I frowned. “That’s my sexy, curvy wife you’re talking about.”

Her expression softened. “Alex,” she grinned and nipped my earlobe. “If you keep saying sweet things like that, I won’t be responsible for what happens next.” Her tongue traced the shell of my ear and my legs moved faster and faster, desperate to get her naked and beneath me.

“I love you more than I thought I would ever love another person,” I told her honestly. “And it was our sweet Dixie who brought us together.”

Her nostrils flared and heat flashed in her eyes, and the moment we were inside my bedroom, she stripped me down and dropped to her knees.

The sight of my wife taking me in her mouth while she wore her wedding dress? Forever burned into my mind.

And the perfect way to start forever together.