Chapter 82: Enjoy Our Married Life
Rosie
I was married.
I was married against my will, with my eyes wide open.
I didn’t even notice how and when we left the church, but all I knew was that now I was standing inside a beautiful luxury condo with my new husband. A husband I had somehow gained from a day’s work.
Mia had been taken ahead of us by one of Jude’s men, and according to what I’d been told, she was already safely asleep in one of the guest rooms. That was a massive relief. She was okay, and she was safe. It was entirely because of her that I had agreed to this madness in the first place.
“How are you feeling, dear wifey?”
I blinked, realizing Jude had stepped right into my personal space, and he placed one palm on my forehead and the other on his own like he was checking my temperature. “You aren’t sick, are you?” His voice came out innocent, but I could see a glint in his amber eyes like he knew what he was doing.
Motherfucker!
“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, shoving his hand away while stepping back. He was crowding my personal space, and with every inhale, his manly cologne was assaulting my nostrils.
He smells good. A point for that.
“Ouch. Wifey,” his voice pulled me out of my head, and I stared at him blankly while he made a mock-hurt expression. “You hurt my feelings.”
Jude mumbled, rubbing his palm with a chuckle as he shrugged off his suit jacket. He tossed it onto a chair, leaving him in a white shirt. He rolled up his sleeves, unbuttoning the top two buttons, and I caught a glimpse of his hard, toned chest.
I forced my eyes away before he caught me ogling him, and that would be embarrassing. “Divorce me,” I gritted out, refusing to fall down the rabbit hole of staring at him again.
He was a walking temptation, and physically, he was my type, which made this entire situation ten times worse. Type as in a well-defined chest, sharp jawline, smooth skin with no blemishes, an annoying dimple, short black hair, and amber eyes.
He raised a brow, walking over to what I assumed to be a private bar. He poured a glass of liquid and offered it to me. I didn’t take it, eyeing him with deep suspicion, and I also wanted to be clear-headed for anything. He smirked, setting the glass down on the table before raising his own to his lips.
“I can’t divorce you, sweetheart,” Jude said smoothly, taking a slow sip. “After all, you’re my lover, and we have a child together.”
Anger flared through me, and I marched right up to him, grabbing the front of his collar. He was so much taller than me that the stance felt awkward, but I refused to let it deter me. “We both know this entire thing is a lie!” I hissed between clenched teeth. My voice came out strained.
“A lie?” He tilted his head, smiling down at me again. His smile was infuriating to the core as he raised a hand, gently brushing a stray strand of hair away from my face.
I recoiled a bit when I felt a jolt from where his skin touched. “I said, don’t touch me!”
He raised his hands in mock surrender. “But you’re the one doing the touching, love.” He tutted, gesturing with his eyes down to my fists, which were still tightly clutching his collar.
I hissed, dropping my hands instantly to my sides. “Just give me a divorce,” I pleaded, letting out a tired sigh.
He scrunched his nose like he didn’t understand me. “That would be impossible.”
My eyes widened at his response. “How? Why? You don’t even know me!”
“I know you well enough to marry you,” he responded, mirth in his voice as he pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward me. “First, we’ve given the media a spectacular show.”
I gulped as I read the viral, breaking headlines:
GOALIE JUDE WINTER’S SECRET LOVER CRASHES HIS WEDDING!
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE WINTERS FAMILY?
WHO IS THE MYSTERY BRIDE?
My face drained of color. I was sure my face was ashen white just realizing what I’d done. The massive fallout of my handiwork. And I hadn’t realized the fallout would be this massive as I stared at him, trying to read him, but all I got was that damn smile.
I was even expecting him to explode with rage because I had just ruined his life and career. But he just kept smiling, taking another step closer.
Fear began to creep in as I took a step back. What would he do now? Would he strangle me? Or... a shiver ran down my spine.
“Secondly,” Jude continued, raising his middle and index finger in a slow count, his voice dropping an octave as he advanced on me, “divorcing you right now would mean admitting to the world that I’m a big piece of trash who abandoned his family twice. I still have a reputation and endorsements to protect despite the show we gave at the altar, my dear wife.”
“Our wedding isn’t even real...” I whispered, my back hitting the edge of the sofa behind me.
He leaned in, a daunting smile on his lips. “Our wedding is very real, sweetheart. We said our vows in the presence of God, in front of a priest and a room full of witnesses. And lastly...” He paused. “Divorce isn’t an option in my book. I’ve made a vow: I marry once, I marry forever.”
He took one final step, and I lost my balance, falling backward onto the plush cushions of the couch.
Jude grinned, effectively cornering me. He leaned down as his cologne assaulted me again, placing his hands on either side of my head. His amber eyes locked onto my blue ones. I let out a tiny squeak as he wound a lock of my hair around his finger gently.
“Let’s do our best to enjoy our married life, wifey,” he murmured as he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the lock of my hair in his hand, then turned abruptly and walked away, leaving me alone with a pounding heart, flushed skin, and ringing ears.
What the heck was that?!
***
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