Page 9 of Contractually Wed

Her shoulders rounded, even as she gave him a two-fingered salute. “Of course you do.”

Standing in the empty lounge, Apollo stared after the elevator doors, twin pulses of excitement and unease knotting in his stomach. More emotion than he had felt in a long, long time.

CHAPTER THREE

AWEEKLATER, as he arrived at the Shetty mansion—an ugly showboat if he’d ever seen one, jutting out amidst the surrounding dense, thick woods like a sore thumb—Apollo could not believe that he had been married for two days.

Hewasactually married and it had only registered when he’d given the news to his mother. After years of begging/threatening him to marry and have a life outside of his work, she had been delighted.

Untilhe had told her that he had married the daughter of the man who had ruined her husband, who had broken their family in ways they hadn’t healed from.

But Mama was too gracious to voice her dislike. His sisters had jumped on the call and complained that he had deprived them of a celebration. It had been months since he’d returned to Greece, so he promised to bring his wife home and let his sisters throw them a grand reception.

His wife, Jia.

He couldn’t help testing the fit and shape of those words on his lips, couldn’t help the flare of intense satisfaction of such a complex woman bearing his name.

He wondered if the novelty of her numerous edges and contours would be enough to keep his interest aflame for an entire lifetime. Like showing up at the Manhattan city hall for their civil wedding in a lacy white silk tank top without a bra and skinny black jeans and fuchsia-colored stiletto heels.

With tiny diamond studs at her ears and dark red lipstick her only adornment. The thick, wavy strands of her gold-burnished brown hair had been hanging loose to her waist.

She had looked sensational and stunning and sensual enough that men turned to stare as she walked toward him. He had spied a thin, fragile gold chain when she’d neared him, a single, tiny sapphire pendant shimmering against her golden-brown skin. And as she played with it, turning it round and round while they signed the forms, Apollo knew that it was a talisman.

She had so bravely caught his interest away from her sister, achieved her goal, openly admitting to being attracted to him, laid down conditions for this marriage, and yet, she was nervous and alone and so...painfully young.

The whole time until the registrar announced they were married and they walked into the October sunshine, she had been waiting for someone. When he inquired, she made a show of looking like she didn’t care. Then she admitted that Rina had said she might come.

Tenderness and something more twisted through Apollo, emotions he didn’t want to feel, especially for his new bride. He still wasn’t sure of her motives, and he didn’t want to forget she was her father’s daughter.

She was an important acquisition. And he did need her healthy and functioning for the next part of his plan to come to fruition. Feeling uncharacteristically indulgent, he’d asked her where she wanted to have their wedding breakfast. And she, of the infinite surprises, had demanded a pretzel from a street cart.

Contrary to his expectations, he’d enjoyed the salty, buttery pretzel, chased by a grape soda and then, her lips stained purple from the sugary drink, the tip of her nose pink in the cold, she’d asked him if he intended to kiss her again, with noisy New Yorkers flowing around them without breaking stride.

Apollo had broken his natural distaste for PDA and kissed her. She had tasted like salt and sugar and everything in between. It was a miracle he had been able to break away from her, instead of dragging her up to his penthouse and ravishing her to his heart’s content.

He was absolutely going to enjoy the passion simmering between them but he wouldn’t let it control him, couldn’t let his fascination with her distract him from almost two decades’ worth of planning.

And now, two days later—more than enough time for her to have broken the news to her family—her silence was beginning to weigh on him. He was breaking his promise to her that he’d let her spend another month on this side of the pond, but after three unanswered calls to her cellphone, after she’d promised him to be available, and this strange unease in his gut, he’d had enough.

It was time to collect his asset.

He got out of his chauffeured car to find the illustrious Shetty family sitting out on the lawn, looking as if they were posing for a photoshoot featuring one of America’s richest families.

Except Jia.

Something about the picture bothered Apollo and it had been the same every time. Either Jia usually ran around taking care of logistics or stood outside the circle the other three formed.

Rina got to her feet as Apollo neared them, as did her father, though a bit slower. Her brother, Vik, lounged in his chair, his legs spread out far and wide—all useless posturing. Apollo had instantly disliked him at the first meeting six months ago. Now, knowing that he had willingly passed off Jia’s hard work and talent as his own, his assessment was spot-on.

“Where is she?”

Rina paled at his tone while Jay’s mouth flattened. “You had no right to turn her head. My lawyer’s preparing annulment papers even as we speak and if I were you—”

“But I would never be you, Jay,” Apollo bit out softly. “I would never steal intellectual property from a man I called friend and benefit from it while his family struggled. Apparently, stealing IP and passing it on as one’s own is a family trait.”

A paleness emerged beneath his skin. Hurriedly, Jay threw out an arm to stop his son, who’d shot to his feet.

“I could have you both in prison in an hour for IP theft. But Jia, probably the smartest of you lot, made a deal with me. As for an annulment, there will be no cause for that after today.”

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