Page 14 of The Billionaire's Last-Minute Marriage
The rest of their vows were exchanged without a hitch. Not once in the entire ceremony did she speak other than to repeat her vows or nod her head in agreement. The entire thing had been a staid, solemn affair. Not unlike the eulogy that had been given at his father’s funeral.
Before he knew it he had slid the small platinum band onto her finger and she had repeated the action with the second, larger ring in the box. He had already been sure to instruct the celebrant not to announce their union in the typical fashion of a kiss. The idea of claiming his bride in such a primal fashion had seemed unbearably wrong considering the nature of their agreement. He’d told himself that it had absolutely nothing to do with his own surprising reaction to her eager, unpractised kisses in his office earlier. He was not about to be undone by a woman fourteen years his junior with what he’d bet was infinitely less experience than he had.
But now, looking down at the matching bands on their fingers, he felt perhaps he had been hasty in removing the tradition. For the sake of appearances, perhaps he should have put more thought into this small formal affair, despite it being solely for legal purposes. Their much larger official wedding was already being planned for next month by his events team, as was expected for a man of his status.
They both knew that this marriage was a simple arrangement of convenience, but the urge was there for him to prove the validity of their union, wasn’t it? Behind them, Mina stood, offering a rather staid applause.
He felt keenly aware of the curious eyes upon them, and perhaps that was why he stepped a little closer and encircled Pandora’s wrists with his palms. Her breath hitched, and he felt the tremor of her response like a roaring victory within him. Her eyes flickered upwards for a split second, but that was all the time he needed to prove to himself that he was not alone in feeling this attraction.
He wasn’t sure why that was so important to him in that moment, but it was. Good God it was.
He smiled with ease, leaning closer and feeling her stiffen when he pressed a single, chaste kiss against her cheek as he whispered softly into her ear. ‘A little more enthusiasm would be great,agape mou.’
CHAPTER SIX
LATERTHATEVENING, Pandora was trying to concentrate on the words that Xander was speaking to the pilot and air hostess of his private jet, but she was far too focused on the weight of the smooth cold metal that now encircled her third finger.
Glasses of champagne had already been presented to them both, along with words of congratulation before they were seated for take-off. Once the jet was airborne on its way to Osaka for their supposed honeymoon, a lavish gourmet meal was served. But Pandora was too wound up, too tense to truly enjoy any of the delicious food spread out before them. Her flute of champagne was also still mostly full, Pandora having only been able to tolerate a small sip. She strongly suspected their ‘honeymoon’ would involve meeting delegates from the Tanaka Corporation, knowing how frustrated Xander was with the team who’d supposedly been near to closing the deal but who’d failed to persuade the Tanaka family to sign on the dotted line.
‘This will all be over soon,’ Xander said, interrupting her silent brooding. She froze, not entirely sure if he was referring to their meal or their marriage. The thought almost made her laugh aloud, inappropriate as it was. But upon seeing the small furrow between his brows, she had an inkling that he wouldn’t find it quite so funny.
She remembered the darkness in his eyes as they’d stood in his office, when she’d casually promised not to jilt him as Priya had. And as she had walked down the makeshift aisle towards him earlier this evening, running slightly late, she had seen the tension in his jaw and the tightness around his eyes. She had noticed the small hiss of breath leave his lungs and his shoulders finally relax when the officiant had finally pronounced them man and wife. And when the woman had completely avoided any mention of kissing the bride...she had been disappointed. She had built herself up for that moment, for that repeat of their intimate contact. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had specifically ordered the officiant to amend the usual ceremony.
Which was madness, because she absolutely hated kissing usually. Something about the sensation of having someone’s face so close to her own, having their lips pressed against hers...it was always too much. It had only ever made her feel slightly nauseous.
But the way Xander had looked at her once they were man and wife... She had felt the strangest sensation tightening in her lower abdomen and flowing upwards throughout her body.
How he hadn’t noticed when she was sure her pupils must have dilated to the size of saucers, and her breathing had sped up... She had been so sure everyone would have heard her erratic heartbeat, almost as if something inside her were throbbing along to its own frantic rhythm, each beat shouting,Kiss me! Kiss me! Kiss me!
Of course, she wasn’t so foolish as to think he had been that eager to marry her, specifically. He had simply been eager to get married and fulfil the terms of the will before either of his brothers beat him to the punch. Any single woman would have done just as well.
She needed to remind herself that she was only a hasty replacement in his world. She had simply been the most convenient woman in his life at the time. The feeling of being tolerated by others was not unfamiliar, but it was one she had promised herself that she would never settle for in the relationships she chose for herself. But then again, she hadn’t exactly chosen Xander either. She had been attracted to him from the moment they met, yes, but she had always disliked his ruthless, driven nature. He was a workaholic, that much was for sure. He never smiled, never engaged others unless it was about work.
This wasn’t the same, she reminded herself, quickly straightening in her seat and turning her face towards her husband. ‘I’m not quite sure how to behave now,’ she said honestly. ‘I’ve only ever been around people as a member of your team, and being congratulated by them now as though I’m...important is unsettling.’
He frowned, a strange darkness entering his eyes.
‘When I first started working for my father,’ he said quietly, his voice an intimate murmur, ‘he refused to allow me to go to any of the social functions that he attended. His excuse was that my upbringing and deportment were not suitably satisfactory for a Mytikas. My younger brother Eros, on the other hand, had been raised in the bosom of high society and attended all the best schools.’
‘How cruel of him,’ Pandora breathed, a sudden surge of feeling clutching at her chest as she saw the flash of emotion in Xander’s face. The memory hurt him, she realised. But just as quickly as he had shown his vulnerability he shut it down, lifting his glass of wine to his lips and looking away from her.
‘Zeus was a cruel man. You should know this more than anyone.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m not trying to seek sympathy, Pandora. I’m just...’
He paused, his jaw ticcing. ‘I’m trying to tell you I understand what this must feel like to you. That it can be strange, entering this world. I won’t lie to you and say that it will all be smooth sailing. It can be an unforgiving place for those who were not born into it.’
‘I have more than my fair share of experience of not fitting in,’ she admitted, grateful for this moment of honesty between them. ‘It would have been better for you to have a proper society bride in all this, but once I commit to something I follow it through, however challenging it turns out to be.’ She meant the words, she realised with a little shock. Now that she was past the point of return on their bargain, she felt herself wanting not only to follow through but to do it well. To prove to herself that shecouldplay this role, even if it was only for one year.
‘I admire that.’
Their eyes met for a long moment, before she quickly glanced back down to her champagne glass. The moment was suddenly too intimate, too much for her to process.
She closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath for five seconds and releasing it slowly with control. When she opened her eyes again Xander was right there, taking the glass from her hands and placing it gently on the table.
The jet’s conditioned air was cool on her bare skin and she stood up, grabbing her wrap from where she’d abandoned it near the entry door. The space was sumptuous and sleek, decorated in white and silver with deep red marble-effect accents. It was one of the benefits of living in the clouds, she mused to herself as she took her time inspecting the fresh roses and hydrangeas that she’d picked in Xander’s rooftop garden for her makeshift bouquet.
The rooftop garden of Xander’s office where they’d been married was quite possibly the most beautiful place she had ever seen in New York. But that should not be a surprise as she knew that he seemed to gravitate towards rare and expensive items like his bespoke suits and the collector’s edition sports car he drove. He was certainly an appreciator of perfection.
She wondered what she looked like through his eyes. Did he notice her autistic traits? She knew that there was no need to inform anyone about the fact that she was on the autism spectrum. But for some reason, she’d been ready to lay it all out for him that morning in his office...before she had got distracted by kissing him, of course.
