Page 454 of Hell Hath No Fury
Pearl
Holy moly, I was married. To a man I barely knew. But what a man he was.
Georgia doesn’t require blood tests to get married, so thirty dollars and a trip to the Dublin courthouse later, Duke and I were officially man and wife. No family to interfere, no friends butting in, just a man that I barely knew and yet trusted completely. For our wedding night, Duke booked us a beautiful hotel suite in Savannah, and I had all my belongings packed in the brand-new Samsonite suitcase Nana had bought me for my birthday. She’d said she wanted me to travel and explore the world, and I felt a pang of guilt because I was pretty sure it didn’t mean marry a man I’d met four-and-half days ago, but I glanced at Duke and all my worries disappeared.
“Are you sure this place isn’t too expensive?” I asked.
Duke chuckled. “I may be the black sheep of the family, and my father may be pissed at me, but I’m not cut off or anything,” he said.
Until that moment, I honestly hadn’t thought about whether or not Duke had money, but I suppose it was nice not having to worry about that. The state of my “virtue” was another matter.
“You okay?” Duke asked, clearly sensing my fear.
I nodded. “Just a little nervous.”
Although, not as nervous as I’d been an hour ago. Duke had made us sit in the hotel bar and plied me with alcohol to calm me. I wasn’t a big drinker, but he’d introduced me to a BrandyAlexander, and I’d decided I was in love. With him and the deliciousness that had been poured into the glass. I’d had two before Duke cut me off and took me to our room.
“I’m gonna take care of you, sweetheart. Don’t be nervous.”
I licked my lips. “Okay.”
“You know how this all works?”
“Ididstudy animal husbandry.” I blushed and lowered my eyes. “And I’ve seen horses breed.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re beautiful.”
“Because I’ve seen horses breed?” I asked.
He chuckled, sliding my floppy hat off my head and throwing it on the bed.
“No hats on the bed!” I exclaimed.
“What?”
“It’s bad luck.”
“Oh, boy. My wife is a superstitious Bible thumper,” Duke teased.
“Hey, you’re stuck with me forever.”
“Gladly.”
He stroked my cheek then unbuttoned my dress, slipping it over my shoulders and letting it pool on the floor. I shivered as I stood before him in my underwear and knee-high boots, and crossed my arms over my breasts, but he frowned and tugged them down.
“Don’t ever hide yourself from me,” he ordered gently. “You are beautiful. More beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen, and I’m gonna show you how much I appreciate you in a minute, but for now, don’t hide yourself.”
I bit my lip and nodded. “Okay.”
He slid my bra straps down my arms and my nipples hardened as he unsnapped it and dropped it on top of my dress.
“Duke?” I whispered.
“Yeah, baby?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Show me your eyes, Pearl.”
