Page 94 of Malicious Wedding

I wave down a staff member lingering at the end of the hall. She comes over, looking abashed. “Yes, Mrs. Crowley?”

I consider correcting her, but figure she’ll just apologize for the better part of an hour and still call me by that name anyway. “Do you know where Carson is?”

Her eyes flit to my fake apartment. “He, uh—”

“Thank you,” I say, turning away. I won’t make the poor girl admit she knows about the creepiness that is my bizarro-apartment. I walk over, hesitate for only a second before stepping inside.

Carson’s sitting on my couch. My actual old couch. In some upside-down world version of my apartment, which is still insane to look at, like I’ve stepped through a portal back in time. He glances over, taking a break from looking at his phone.

“You’re here,” he says simply.

“I’m here.”

His eyes stray down to my hands and he sits up straighter. “You’re wearing it.”

I cover the ring with my other hand. “Don’t get excited.”

“You’re wearing my ring.” He slowly stands, phone tossed aside.

Shit, I’m already losing control.

“Carson.” I back up, hands raised. “Listen for a second.”

“You are my wife and you are wearing my ring.” He advances on me like a hungry wolf.

Ah, crap. I didn’t think this one through.

“Just stop for a second.” He pins me up against the wall next to the mirror I used to check my hair in every day before leaving for Smoke.Weird. His lips brush against my throat and he releases a low snarl. I barely manage to hold him back. “Carson! Listen to me!”

“I’m listening, but it won’t last long. Talk fast.”

My heart’s racing as excitement tears into my chest. His want, his pure lust is addictive. “You can’t ever lie to me again.”

“I swear.”

“Even lies by omission. You’ll tell me everything.”

“Always.”

“And choice, I need choice. Which you’ll respect, even if you don’t like it.”

“Even when I don’t like it,” he echoes, kissing my neck. “Can I fuck you now?”

“Carson.” I put my hands on his chest and his heart is racing. “You are mine as much as I am yours. Do you understand?”

“I can work with that.”

“You are beyond frustrating.”

His thumb grazes my low lip. “I swear to you, Ashlyn, my wife, I will give you everything. All my truth, all my ugly reality, and you will always have a choice in what happens. I will not force anything on you. I will not do anything without your permission. All my broken tangles are yours to unwind, if that’s what you want. Leave me shattered, if that’s what you need. None of it matters, so long as I have you. I’m sorry it took me this long to understand.”

“Trial basis. Me and you.”

He inclines his head. “Trial basis.”

I bite my lower lip then slowly nod. “Okay,” I say.

“Okay, what?”

---