Hateful Games: (An arranged marriage billionaire romance) (Arranged Games Book 2)

I’m attacked by two miniature-sized furry balls with wagging tails and wet tongues.

“Rose!”

The old pug digs his tiny paws in my leg, jumping and trying to climb me while the skinny and scary one starts to bite my shoe as if it’s his last meal. Bending, I push one off, only for the other to latch onto my arm and lick my hand.

“Jesus Christ!”

“Woof! Woof!” barks the Chihuahua.

Exasperated when I fail in getting them off, I stand and shout louder, “Rose!”

I should’ve known my wife would come armed with a small army. I’m left speechless and impressed yet again. And that’s before I see a sixty-pound gray and muscular angry pit bull round the corner. Behind him my beautiful wife glides into the room, still clad in her wedding dress that I slowly want to peel off her body.

It’d be a shame to ruin it by ripping it off.

“Yes?” she serenely asks, taking in the scene.

“Call off your dogs, Rose.”

She tilts her head. “They seem to like you.”

To show how much, the Chihuahua starts to hump my leg. My nose wrinkles in disgust while he goes to town. I can’t seem to shake him off because then he switches to biting my shoe.

I don’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed. It’s definitely the latter. A tiny male dog has apparently labelled me as his girlfriend.

Didn’t know in mere seconds my life could stoop so low.

The pug, on the other hand, scurries away to Rosalie who scoops her up in her arms, uncaring the little dog is ruining the dress. I’m even more perplexed when a blinding and adorable smile splits across her lips.

Adorable and Rose don’t belong in the same vocabulary.

Or so I thought.

“Come here, Maggie,” she coos some more unintelligible worlds, kissing her all over her wrinkly face. “I loove you so much.”

I scowl at how easily that little furball gets her affection. Maneuvering my leg away from the horny devil on my feet, I take a step forward and an angry growl pierces the air. My gaze snaps toward an alert pit bull.

Rosalie glances at him before fixing me with a sly smirk. “I bet my commitment is starting to look like a real impossibility, isn’t it, hubby?”

My jaw grinds. Another growl is aimed my way and before I can do anything, tiny legs wrap around my ankle once more. “For fuck’s sake. I’m this close to kicking him, Rose.”

“Hurt my babies and I swear no stupid paper is keeping me from divorcing your ass after I whop it.”

The pit bull ignores that blatant threat and instead rubs his nose affectionately against her leg. Like he’s all in for the plan.

Bending, I lift the puppy by his tag in the air. Big mistake. He immediately starts to bark nonstop, bleeding my eardrums. I drop him back to the ground and he’s back at my leg. He gives me a side-eye when I scowl at him.

“Who the hell even brought them here?” This isn’t how I imagined my first night with her. Hell, this is straight out of my worst nightmare. I don’t mind pets. But who needs three freaking dogs? All different than the last but equally infuriating.

“Uncle Raghu.”

“Who?”

Anger and hurt flashes in her eyes. “One you rejected to be my bodyguard, who would actually protect me with his life.”

“How close are you two?” I question. I remember him asking me around two months back about wanting to work for me, mainly on Rosalie’s security detail. But the last man I would hire is the one who has worked for more than twenty years for Mihir, her father. I would never hire a person I didn’t trust, especially around my wife.

Though, now I’m wondering differently.

“None of your business.” Softening her features, she calls, “Fire, come here.”

The little shit instantly listens and trots toward her. I watch all three of her dogs stare up at her adoringly. My chest burns with a rare emotion that I dare not name.

“What’s the angry one’s name?”

“Bunny.”

“You’re kidding me?” I chuckle. “Your Bunny looks like he eats other bunnies for fun.”

“If you don’t want to be one of those bunnies, then don’t touch him,” she taunts. “He hates anyone touching him.”

“Why?”

“He’s a rescue.”

I glance at him, seeing him wary of me and still glaring with his lips pulled back over his sharp teeth. “What happened to his previous owners?”

“He killed them.”

My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline before I mask my slipup. Then another thought pops in my head and I causally ask, “Where exactly will Maggie, Fire, and Bunny be sleeping, wife?”

“The bed, obviously.”

“You mean our bed.”

“Technically, the hotel’s bed.”

“Not a chance.” I eye Bunny, who seems to be hating me by the second. We sleep in the same room and I will not see the sun tomorrow, considering his history. If it’s even true. “They’ll sleep right here. On second thought, tie all of them up.”

Rosalie’s chin lifts defiantly. “No.”

“Rose.” My tone is low.

“You, on the other hand, are most welcome to sleep right here on the couch.” Turning around, she disappears into the bedroom. Her little army in tow.

Running my finger through my hair, I count to five to pray for some patience I’ll need to deal with them. Kicking the pampered heathens out is out of the question.

It was written all over Rosalie’s face she’s just as attached to them as they are to her. And if I want to stay in my wife’s good graces, which is essential to my life, I better come up with a way to tolerate them fast.

Shrugging off my suit jacket, I make my way inside. A squeaking noise greets me, making me frown. I stop short to see the mini dogs all perched on the bed comfortably while the huge one jumps up and down on the comforter.

There goes the security deposit.

Too bad, everyone will think it was the couple who broke the bed.

While Bunny is distracted, I inch toward the ajar bathroom door and step inside. Rosalie startles when I slam it shut and twist the lock. Leaning my shoulder against it, I cross my arms.

“Get out,” she orders. “It’s occupied.”

“I’m your husband, you can change in front of me.”

“You’re either delusion or hard of hearing,” she mocks with a hand on her hip. “When I said I’m not sleeping with you, it included you never seeing me naked.”

“It’s called fucking, dear wife.” Lazily dragging my gaze down her slim figure, I travel them back up to meet her eyes and drawl, “And I don’t mind fucking you with your clothes on. I’ll just slide your panties to the side and thrust my cock in. There’s always the option of ripping them off. Or you could save us time by not wearing any at all. Whichever makes you happy.”

“You never touching me will make me happy.”

“Sorry. Not an option.”

“Get that otolaryngologist’s appointment.”

Even as she insults me and throws daggers with her eyes, her body is telling a different story. Rosy cheeks, flushed skin, and her fingers twisting in her skirt. Her supple breasts look seconds away from bursting out of the neckline. The top half of her dress is cinched so tight that I can easily fit her tiny waist in my palms.

She couldn’t possibly be comfortable breathing in it.

I slowly notice little things that she unpinned her hair from its intricate bun, letting it fall down in silly and curled rivulets. The lack of makeup, even though her lips are still dark pink. While the back of her dress looks like she was in the middle of untying the lace.

Leaving my perch, I close the gap.

She sucks in a sharp breath when I spin her around. Her hands dropping to the vanity as she stares at our reflection in the mirror above the marble sink. Gaze widening, she rasps, “What are you doing?”

“Helping you out of this suffocating dress.” I raise my hand toward the thin lace when she captures my wrist.

“I can do it myself.”

“Were you able to get into it by yourself?” I raise one eyebrow amusedly.

“I had help.” Her gaze turns sheepish. “To save time.”

“Of course.” My tone is sarcastic. “Now I’m helping you.”

“What the hell do you know about women’s fashion?”

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“Are you moonlighting as a stylist, now?”

“I would rather you don’t pass out from lack of oxygen,” I say before pursing my lips. “It won’t make a good headline that my wife was carried to the ER on her wedding night. I think giving them one is good enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your precious Bunny is breaking the bed as we speak.”

She shrugs innocently. “He loves jumping. I think it helps with his anxiety. The first time I tried to stop him, he got so scared and I lost all the progress I made with him.”

I narrow my eyes as she pulls out a trick from Stalling 101 and distracts me from my task. So, I stop her. “Rose.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re not fooling me.” Once again, I take hold of the string holding the knot when she stops me yet again.

“Miya can help,” she scrambles for an excuse. “I’ll call her.”

“No one touches you but me,” I darkly command, capturing her chin. “She’s preoccupied anyways.”

Subtle curiosity flashes in her dark eyes. “How did you even get rid of her?”

“You don’t quit, do you?”

She blinks innocently, acting as if she has no clue what I’m saying, and I scoff. Without waiting, I tug at the thin lace until it unknots.

“Nova.” Her low voice sounds a little scared.

“Stop being a stubborn little thing, Rose.”

“I’m not getting nake—”

Grabbing her throat, I shush her with a deep kiss. She gasps in utter shock and tries shoving me away. But one lick of my tongue across her lips, I taste her soft moan. The moment her body goes pliant as I devour her mouth and feed on her sweet flavor, I kiss her gently.

Inching my free hand toward the vanity, I grab the small scissors I saw and in one go cut through the zig-zag lace. Rosa’s hands fly to her chest when it loosens, close to falling and baring her tits I’m desperate to glimpse.

Her eyes are heavy-lidded while we’re both breathing hard.

“I warned you how I’ll shut you up if you argue with me.”

“Next time, I swear I’ll bite your tongue off.”

“I’m all for rough play, Rose.”

“Ugh… you’re so…”

“Shameless?” I repeat her earlier taunt with a smirk. I bop her cute nose with my finger. “I already told you the answer to that, wife.”

She shoves me with one hand while holding her torn dress with the other arm. I step back just to see what she’ll do next. And I’m not surprised when she strides toward the door to flee.

I follow and cage her against it with my front to her back. Running my finger up her naked back, I part her dress until goosebumps rise on every inch I explore. She shudders violently when I uncurl my hand near the twin dip in her ass and caress teasingly.

Bringing my mouth to her ear, I demand, “Did I say you can leave?”

“I don’t need your permission,” comes her sharp response.

“In the bedroom, I make the rules.”

“You can make them,” she says, twisting her head sideways. “Doesn’t mean I’ll follow.”

“Then I’ll discipline you until you learn.”

A telling shiver courses down her spine but her mouth lies, “I’ll never bow to you.”

“Let go of your dress, Rose.”

“Stop touching me, Nova.”

“I’ll know your tempting body inside and out,” I vow in a guttural tone. “Tonight, I only want to see every lush curve I own. Every inch of you that belongs to me. Until you do, I’m not letting you go.”

Spinning her around, I circle her throat that never fails to make her submit. Her pupils dilate while her lips part as she breathes in oxygen. As though she’s suddenly short of it.

I press on her pounding pulse. “Now.”

She drops her arms. The sparkling dress a puddle at our feet. My already rock-hard cock throbs beneath my fly at the first sight of her naked tits. I run my tongue over my teeth as I commit the shape of her suck-worthy breasts, the color of her dark brown nipples against a naturally tanned skin, to my heart.

Her waist is a work of art, even as her piercing steals my sole focus.

My gaze stops between the juncture of her thighs, hiding my soon-to-be favorite part of her luscious body beneath a black thong with a damp spot in the center.

I want to claim her pussy as much as I want my next breath.

I’m already going through withdrawals.

“You’re perfect, Rose,” I rasp, meeting her bold and prideful gaze. She isn’t the least bit bothered by her semi-naked state and her sexy confidence is like a drug.

“If you’re done having your fill, let go.”

“You’re naïve if you think I’ll ever completely have my fill of you.” Tilting her head back, I suck her bottom lip before she has a chance to protest and growl, “I have an insatiable appetite. And you’re my only meal.”

“Then be prepared to starve to death.”

Chuckling, I step back.

Giving me a haughty look, she brushes past me to grab a sexy nightgown she brought with her, which I hadn’t noticed. My eyes are glued to her firm backside as it sways. The thong a useless barrier and enticing me to spank the ass cheeks.

It’s when she covers it with a sexy little lacy number that my attention is pulled back to her face as she looks over her shoulder. Flicking her red mane down her back, she turns toward me. Again, the baby doll is pointless because I can make out her nipples poking against the soft material.

The hem grazing the tops of her thighs, making her legs look like a mile long.

“Your clothes are contradicting your words, Rose.”

It will take gargantuan restraint to not have her writhing beneath me. I don’t think I can survive the night without exploring the treat that is my wife.

It’s disconcerting how seamlessly I’ve accepted her as mine. The moment she uttered ‘I do’, I was a goner. For a second, I forgot all about my nefarious plans. The need to avenge. The pain of my childhood.

I didn’t see her as my enemy.

I saw her as my future.

Maybe I’ve descended into insanity.

“It’s either this or be naked, thanks to my best friends,” she grudgingly replies, pulling me from my conflicting thoughts. “And no, I’m not asking for your preference.”

I hide my smile, knowing it will only piss her off.

Striding to stand before me, she orders, “Move aside.”

“Where are your manners?” I tease while loosening the knot of my tie and yanking it off.

“Where are yours?”

“Wrong answer.”

Taking ahold of her wrists, I pick her up around the waist and carry her to the vanity. She yelps when I cross her arms behind her back and use my silk tie to bind them against the sink. She fruitlessly tugs and huffs in disappointment when it doesn’t budge. Her hair falls in her eyes when she whips her gaze up to mine, glaring furiously.

“Untie me right now, Nova.”

“No, this is better.”

“Seriously! What is your obsession with cuffing me?”

“You’re always running from me,” I answer, running my hand over my jaw. “I don’t like it.”

“You cannot possibly go from cruelly ignoring my existence to gluing me to your side and kissing me whenever you please.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have gone and seduced my close friend.”

“We aren’t fucking committed to each other. Our marriage is just another form of transaction done by our fathers to better their careers.”

I lean in her face, resting my fists on each side of her hips. “What is your plan then? When you feel horny and needy, you’re going to go look for another man? Should I expect a sock on the door when I come home and not disturb you while you fuck some random guy?”

“In public, I’ll be your doting wife, but behind closed doors, you do not exist to me. This isn’t a real marriage, Nova. I have no intention of making it one.”

I seethe in silent rage. My blood boiling as she vehemently discards any fantasy that I could conjure of us together.

What did I expect?

Why the fuck do I even care?

She’s saying the exact words I should be warning her with. Every single time I’ve been alone with her, the push and pull I’ve felt at having her close, especially the powerful way she fucks with my head, my rational instincts.

It all flashes like a train wreck in my mind.

I realize with sudden clarity that I’m falling into old habits. Down the same rabbit hole

I’m allowing her to consume and dictate my actions.

Until she becomes my sole focus.

If I continue to let it happen, it’ll disrupt my greater purpose. The reason I accepted her hand in marriage. Not when I can finally taste the victory so close.

But it’s easier said than done.

“You didn’t answer my question.” My tone is low and barely restrained.

She blinks in confusion when I don’t react to her decision. Determination flares in those dark orbs and she smugly replies, “My needs have never been your concern nor will they ever be, no matter what tricks you pull to make it so. But just so you know, I haven’t been a saint all these years and neither have you.”

“So, you wouldn’t care if I fucked someone else?” Real or not, I have no intention of letting another man in her vicinity. Or me touching another woman when I have her.

“We wouldn’t be the first couple living a lie in our world, Nova.” Her voice is devoid of emotion.

She doesn’t have a clue how big of a lie we’re living. I don’t reveal it. Because ultimately, nothing remains buried for too long.

What may seem like the truth, could be nothing but a smokescreen.

“Understood.” I straighten and lift her so she’s sitting on the counter. I’m still not in the mood to untie her. Her expression turns flat when she realizes it too. But her pride doesn’t allow her to beg again.

It certifies my belief that I already knew deep down.

My Rose is my match.

Even if it’s made in hell.