Page 18 of Cruel Vows

Marco shakes his head. “No. The two of you are going to figure out a way to get out of this. The marriage has to be consummated on the bed.”

I glance at the bed in the corner, swallowing hard.

The last thing I want to do is have sex with Sean.

Sleeping with him in front of a creepy old man and my best friend is strange enough. It sends a shiver down my spine, making my stomach clench as Sean ushers me into the washroom.

“I want a minute alone with my wife.” Sean’s tone is firm, leaving no room for argument as he follows me into the bathroom and slams the door shut behind us.

I slip the comb the veil is attached to out of my hair and set it on the counter. “How do you feel about breaking stained glass and shimmying out of the window before that man has the chance to jerk off to us?”

Sean laughs and it stops me in my tracks.

I think it’s the first time anything I’ve said has ever made him laugh, and to my surprise, I laugh a little too. It’s hard not to when his laugh is warm and rich, making a slight fluttering sensation work its way through my body.

No, Ellie. You hate the attractive man. You don’t want to have sex with him.

Down, girl. Down.

I lean over the counter and splash a bit of cold water on my face, grateful for the waterproof makeup Skyla insisted on putting on me.

He perches on the edge of the counter. “There’s no way out of this, Ellie. You know that as well as I do.”

“How does your dad allow that shit from Marco?”

“Used to be pretty standard, from what little I know of the Andinos before I was born. Arranged marriages were typical. Watching the consummation was always part of it.”

A shiver crawls down my spine. “That’s the last thing I want to go out there and do.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t have diseases. I do get tested.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, holding back a slight smile. “Oh, so that bothers you, does it?”

“Not even a little.” Sean slides off the counter. “Nothing you say or do bothers me, Hells Ells, now, let’s go out there and put on a show. I’ll do everything I can to keep you comfortable and keep Marco from seeing too much.”

“How do I know if I can trust you?” I cross my arms over my chest, heart thundering against my ribs. “And Hells Ells better not be a new nickname. It’s horrible.”

The corner of his mouth quirks up. “It’s going to stick around. As for the trusting me, that’s on you. I don’t want to do this any more than you do, but it’s the only way we’re getting out of the cottage without a body count.”

“Killing Marco could be fun.”

“I have no doubt it would be, but Dad would see it as an attack on the family and everyone here would die.”

I swallow hard, knowing he’s right. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”

He nods and opens the door, shedding his suit as he makes his way to the bed. By the time he’s standing beside it, he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs, the hard outline of his cock pressing against the center.

A pit opens in the bottom of my stomach as I cross the room to him.

He steps between me and our spectators, his lips finding the base of my neck as his fingers work their way down the tiny buttons on the back of my dress.

The heavy material falls away from my body, leaving me in nothing but the white lace underwear set I wore beneath the gown.

Sean’s breath hitches before he sucks on my pulse, sending heat between my thighs.

This is wrong.

I shouldn’t want him, but there’s a part of me that does.

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