Page 8 of Caged Captain

His strides are much longer than mine, and I struggle to keep up. Eventually, we near the entrance, where the server from the beginning of the evening is stationed by the front door with my shoes in hand. Marco takes them and waves him off.

“I knew no one would buy that we’re a couple,” I mumble as I reach for my shoes.

Marco doesn’t give them to me; he simply drops to one knee and slides them onto my feet, reminding me again of the tainted Cinderella fairy tale crashing down around us.

“Imogine,” he says, his voice stern as he rises to his full height. “That man insulted you, and therefore, he insulted me. He’s a rude, pompous ass who is in no position to comment on anyone’s appearance, let alone the most gorgeous woman in the room. Fuck him.”

I stare up at Marco, blinking a few times as I process his words. He doesn’t give me a chance to reply, escorting me outside, down the stairs, and into another limo.

We ride in silence for a few minutes. I’m not sure what to say, what I did, or if he still wants to continue with our deal.

Finally, Marco clears his throat. “I should’ve… I mean, I didn’t think about…” He sighs and rubs a hand down his face. I’ve never seen him flustered or at a loss for words. This must be worse than I thought. “I’m sorry I put you through that.”

I tilt my head to the side, not sure I heard him correctly. “What? Isn’t that kind of the whole point of our deal?”

“Yes, but… no. Not like this. Not parading you around and subjecting you to those fuckers.”

I don’t know how to respond, so I nod slowly.

“I’m sorry,” Marco says, his dark eyes focusing on mine. It’s the first time he’s looked at me since that man came up to us. “I’ll do better.”

I open and close my mouth a few times, still not sure of what to say. What does he mean, he’ll do better?

We pull into the motel parking lot, and I shuffle toward the limo door. The driver opens it, and I slip out, looking over my shoulder at Marco. His eyes are locked on mine, a confusing mix of regret and longing shining through.

The door to the limo closes, breaking the spell. I gather up the long skirt of my ball gown and head to my room. Thankfully, my dad is already asleep. I don’t have the energy to explain why I’m in a dress that costs more than this entire motel. It’s going to take an hour just to clean off the layers of makeup and wash the gallon of hairspray out of my hair, but at least that gives me time to think about what I’ve gotten myself into.

4

MARCO

Igrip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white and then release, only to strangle the damn thing again. I’m sitting outside Imogine’s motel, waiting to pick her up for our next date. God, after the fundraiser a few nights ago, I’m not sure I’ll survive an evening at Eclipse, an exclusive nightclub for the high rollers of society.

I didn’t think I was the possessive type, but Imogine is revealing a side of me I never knew existed. She was stunning in her dress, absolutely radiant. More than a fairy tale princess, she was a fucking queen. I told myself over and over it was just for show and that taking her to the fundraiser was a necessary step for the plan to work. When we got there, however… something in me snapped.

She’smine.

“Let it go,” I growl to myself as I run a hand through my hair.

Stealing a glance in the rearview mirror, I wince at my reflection. My stubble is several days old, and the bags under my eyes speak to my sleepless nights since I dropped Imogine off here after the fundraiser.

I’ve kept myself awake, tossing and turning and trying not to picture Imogine in her elegant blue dress with her hair swept tothe side. Jesus, and those dark red lips that smirked at me every time she thought of a witty comeback.

Why am I torturing myself like this?Nothing good can come from my obsession with the curvy young woman currently pretending to be my girlfriend. I feel like I’m in a cheesy chick flick, only the stakes are life and death in this case. One slip-up, and the whole charade comes tumbling down. Last week, I would’ve considered Imogine collateral damage in that scenario. Now…

Fuck, now I can’t even entertain the thought of anyone harming her because of me. Yes, she agreed to our terms, but she can’t possibly know all the risks of being associated with a man in my position.

Before I can spiral any further, a flash of dark brown hair catches my eye. Imogine locks her door and makes her way to my car, the teal sequined dress hugging her curves and making my dick hard.

Fuck me, this is going to be a long night.

Right before Imogine is about to step off the curb, a man emerges from the shadows. Everything in me is on high alert, and I clench my jaw as I watch their interaction. I did enough homework to know this fucker is the owner of the motel. Imogine gives him a polite nod, which the dumbass takes as an invitation to crowd her space.

I’m out of my car in the next second, slamming the door and startling them both. Imogine looks over at me, relief flooding her features. That’s not the usual reaction I get, but coming from her, it gives me a deep sense of satisfaction. It also spurs me on to put this sleazy motherfucker in his place.

“Imogine,” I call out as I approach the two. I tuck her into my side, pleased when she melts against me.

I turn my head, bending slightly to press a kiss to the hollow of her neck. Breathing in her sweet honey scent, I get the urgeto bite her there and mark her as mine. Her pulse beats against my lips, and her breathing grows shallow. I nip her soft flesh, then lick away the sting before snapping my eyes to the landlord standing next to us.

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