It was my wedding day. Oh, God . . .
Only, not really. I wouldn't consider this my wedding day. Someday I'd have a real one and it would be the polar opposite of this. "Can't. I have to get back to work," Grayson said, not looking at me.
All right, then. "Dinner tonight maybe? We should at least celebrate the windfall we're about to get." I gave him a small smile that felt more hopeful than intended.
"Kira . . ." He sighed, running one hand through his hair as if my conversation and then asking him to go to dinner was a grave annoyance. Did he think this meant I suddenly expected a relationship with him now that I was his wife, had received an obligatory kiss, and wore a bauble he'd found lying around some dusty corner of his house? Anger, and a hurt I didn't want to admit to, burned within me.
"Never mind," I said. "I just remembered I have plans anyway."
He looked at me as if he knew very well I was lying. "Maybe another time, okay? I'm having an issue with a piece of equipment. Taking these few hours today has already put me behind."
I had just thrown the sanctity of marriage off a cliff, and he could barely manage to be cordial? I didn't expect his thanks, but I also didn't expect to feel like I was an inconvenience to his day. I swallowed back my disappointment because it was obviously wasted on the arrogant dragon. "Of course. I understand," I lied.
When we pulled up to his home, I hopped out, calling, "I should have the check within a week or so. I'll drop by with your share." I wouldn't look back. I looked back. Grayson was standing at the side of his truck with his hands in his pockets watching me walk away. As I began walking through the brush to my cottage, I raised my chin and flipped my hair. And then felt a sharp branch as it jabbed my thigh, tearing a large rip in my dress. I jumped slightly and let out a small yelp. Damn. I raised my chin higher and kept walking. I heard his low chuckle from far behind me and resisted the urge to turn around, run back, and claw his reptilian eyes out. Instead, I slammed the door to my cottage when I got inside, but the old door didn't fit exactly right on the hinges and gave a very unsatisfying click as it weakly met the doorframe.
This was the most pitiful wedding day that had ever existed. What did you expect? You did this.
I removed the opal ring, which was really nothing more than a prop, and set it on the windowsill. I also removed the pin Charlotte had given me so I wouldn't forget to return it. Then I sat down on my bed, toying absently with the torn piece of material on my dress, finally giving in to the tears I'd felt burning behind my eyes all morning.
**********
Exhausted and emotionally drained after the events of the day, and because I hadn't slept well the previous night as I’d tossed and turned and re-evaluated my decision, I took a long nap. My dreams were filled first with a vast landscape of ice. I wandered aimlessly, crying out with the cold, shivering violently as I tried in vain to warm myself. Suddenly, I was in the midst of cascading fire, caught in a waterfall of lava, my body liquid, my skin raging with a heat that felt deliciously erotic. Flames consumed me, and yet somehow, I wasn't being burned. I woke up moaning, my breasts tingling, wet and throbbing between my legs. I collapsed back on my pillows. I'd never had a sexual dream quite that intense before. I guessed it went to show how long it'd been. My hands went to my aching breasts as I heard a car door slam outside. I sat up quickly, running to the window. Not my father—there was no way for him to have found out about my marriage. Right? Or did he have minions in every court system in the country? I would hardly doubt it if he did. No, no, I reassured myself. Despite his intrusion in my life, he had bigger fish to fry than me. Still, adrenaline flooded my system and my heart leapt with panic, cooling my heated blood at least a few degrees. I smoothed my hands over my torn and wrinkled dress, taking a deep, calming breath. He couldn't do anything to me anyway. I'd tell him I was married—that was that and to leave me alone.
I walked the few strides through the brush and when I came out on the driveway, I saw a blonde woman talking to Grayson in front of a small red sports car. They both turned, obviously having heard me, and so I didn't turn back as I had first intended upon spotting them. Instead, I walked to where they stood. As she watched me approach, the woman had a look on her face as if she'd just tasted something sour, and Grayson's eyes were narrowed.
I held out my hand when I got to them. "Hi, I'm Kira," I said.
The woman looked down at my hand as if I was offering her a dead fish, but finally grasped the tips of my fingers and shook it weakly. Okay.
"I'm Jade. I stopped by to see if I could cook dinner for Grayson tonight." She looked sweetly at him, batting her false eyelashes. A heavy aroma of artificial peaches hung on her, but I couldn't deny she was pretty. If you liked that type. Which Grayson obviously did. I glanced at him and found him looking me over with an expression that seemed intense and . . . angry? His mood swings would eventually give me whiplash.