Page 35 of Corrupt Vows

She freezes with her arm outstretched before swinging her gaze to mine.

“Why?” she asks.

I shrug, giving her the silent version ofit just is.

“You’re crazy,” she says.

“For you? Yes. You’re mine. Wear my marks and show everyone who you belong to.”

Her cheeks and chest flush, but she drops her arm, twists her face into an unimpressed mask, and turns around.

“Fine. Let’s go,” she says.

I smirk and offer her my arm. When she hesitates, I tap my pocket. Her flush deepens at the reminder of her stolen panties.

She slips her arm into mine and follows me into the hall and down the stairs without a fuss.

With the party in full swing, we barely make it to the ballroom’s double doors before guests intercept us.

I dismiss them after curt greetings and usher my soon-to-be fiancée to the refreshment table. At first, she refuses a plate, but when I threaten to fill one and make her eat everything, she sighs and takes one. She doesn’t put nearly enough on it, so I grab a second and mirror her selections, with a few extras.

I tuck her against my side and lead her to our table before settling her into her seat.

Even with her emotions tucked away, signs of her exhaustion sneak through her façade. I drop my arm across the back of her chair and slide her water glass toward her. She gives me an evil side glare before taking a sip.

Unable to resist, I lean down and whisper in her ear.

“Every. Drop.”

She chokes and spits water onto the table before covering her mouth with her hand and launching into a coughing fit.

I sit back and rub her shoulder until she finishes and turns to glare at me. A thrill runs down my spine.

I can’t wait to see how she retaliates. She’ll keep me on my toes, for sure.

When she pushes her food around on her plate instead of eating, I pick up my fork, spear a piece of fruit off my plate, and hold it to her lips. Her swollen lips. My cock twitches in my trousers.

After a moment of hesitation, she accepts the bite.

“Good girl,” I murmur in her ear.

She flushes and chews a lot longer than necessary before swallowing.

I pour her a second glass of water. She ignores it. Needing her well hydrated for what I plan to do to her tonight, I pick up the glass and hold it to her lips. She startles and quirks a brow at me.

I quirk right back and shift my hand lower on her arm so my thumb nudges the swell of her breast, daring her to challenge me.

She drinks the entire glass. I pour another but let her drink it at her own pace as I feed her off my plate.

The tactic works. She eats almost triple what she originally selected.

My victory rings hollow when Serenity glances at her parents. They’ve dictated her every move from across the room ever since we entered through the double doors. Fed up with the tension in my bride-to-be’s body, I gesture to Matteo Vivaldi, letting him know we’re ready to make the announcement.

He stands and gets everyone’s attention. After an annoyingly flamboyant greeting and thanks to the masses, he strides over and reaches for the back of Serenity’s chair.

I rise and tug her onto her feet.

The wooden smile on her face infuriates me, even though I understand why she feels the need to wear it. I tap the pocket with her panties. Her eyes sharpen and the far-off expression on her face slips away. She all but vibrates with nervous energy as I reach into the pocket beside the one with her panties and extract the small velvet box.

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