SWNOVELS The Secret Fiancée: Chapter 23
My heart races as Raya and I dance in Zane and Celeste’s rose garden to the song Dion composed for us. She looks so ethereal, I almost want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her for even a second.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asks, her cheeks beautifully rosy. Our steps are so perfectly in sync, and the way we’re gliding across the rose garden reminds me of the way we danced in my penthouse.
“Just looking at my wife,” I murmur, my fingers brushing against the parts of her back that are exposed in that stunning wedding outfit she’s wearing. “You’re just so beautiful, Raya.”
The look in her eyes keeps me enchanted, and my eyes drop to her lips for a moment. The way she kissed me made it nearly impossible to pull back, and I’m already counting down the seconds until I’m alone with her.
My hands move to her hips, and I grin, one brow raised. Raya giggles and nods, knowing exactly what I’m asking. She gasps when I lift her up the way I did in King of Hearts, raising her up above my head as I twirl her around slowly, entirely under her spell.
She laughs, and fuck, that’s the first time I’ve seen her laugh since that night in my penthouse. She’s looked so reserved ever since, and I didn’t even realize how much I’d missed this part of her.
I tilt her down slowly, carefully, until I’ve got my arms wrapped around the back of her knees as best as I can, her body pressed against mine. She looks down at me, her gorgeous brown eyes twinkling as I continue to turn with her in my arms.
“Raya,” I murmur as I slowly lower her to the floor, my hand wrapping into her hair. She tilts her face up, a soft sigh escaping her lips when I lean in, my mouth hovering over hers. My heart fucking soars when she rises to her tiptoes and kisses me, her arms wrapping around my neck.
I groan when she pulls away, her breathing erratic as I cup her face, my thumb brushing over her lips. Fuck. I can’t believe this beautiful woman is my wife. “Dance with me somewhere more private, my little fairy.” My tone is pleading, desperation bleeding into my voice.
Raya gives me the smallest nod, and I breathe a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across my face as my fingers entwine with hers. I feel my family’s eyes on us, laughter and teasing ringing through the air as we make our way out of Zane and Celeste’s observatory, but thankfully, her parents are nowhere to be seen. Somehow, the idea of stealing their daughter away from them for what is essentially our wedding night feels sinful.
I shrug out of my suit jacket and wrap it around Raya moments before we walk out, shielding her from the evening breeze. “I love seeing you in my jacket,” I murmur without thinking. “You look far better in it than I ever did.” I grab the lapels and pull her close, my eyes roaming over her.
She grins and tilts her head in that way I find so adorable — that way that tells me she thinks I’m just being flirtatious. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” she says, her cheeks perfectly rosy. “You look really good in this tux.”
“Do I?” I ask, grinning as I step closer to her, my body brushing against hers. Her expression is so disarmed, and it’s fucking exhilarating. I haven’t seen her look at me that way since the day we met.
Raya parts her lips to respond, only for headlights to catch our attention. I step away from her when my grandmother’s limousine stops in front of us, and the door opens. I sigh as I glance at my wife. “I guess that’s our ride,” I murmur, apprehension seeping into me as I help Raya into the car.
My eyes widen in surprise when I join my wife and find both of her parents sitting opposite her, right next to my grandmother, all three of their expressions unreadable. “Well,” I murmur. “I suppose I should’ve seen this coming.” I knew my grandmother would do this to us, but I hadn’t expected her parents to be here too. I guess that explains why they weren’t in the rose garden just now.
Raya’s dad stares at me with an unyielding expression, and I have no doubt a lesser man would’ve cowered before him. I merely smile politely and take Raya’s hand in mine, which only seems to aggravate him further when I meant for it to be reassuring.
“Congratulations, both of you,” Grandma says as the car begins to move. The drive from Zane and Celeste’s house to mine is only about ten minutes, but for those ten minutes, my grandmother has the upper hand. Or so she thinks, anyway.
I draw circles across the back of Raya’s hand with my thumb, and she squeezes in return. I glance over at her to find her looking nervous, and I turn back to my grandmother with a raised brow.
“For starters, please allow me to give you your new identification documents, and your new Windsor Bank credit card,” Grandma says, handing Raya an envelope. I smirk when I spot the name Raya Indira Windsor on it. It sounds so fucking good.
“The card is linked to my personal assets, and it doesn’t have a limit,” I tell her, my voice soft.
Her gaze cuts to mine, and she raises a brow. “What if I bankrupt you? I might just go out and buy every Lewis Motors car there is,” she says, making everyone in the car laugh.
“Buy two,” I retort, loving the idea of spoiling her. “It still wouldn’t dent my bank balance.”
Grandma shakes her head indulgently and hands her a black suede jewelry box. “While the card is from Lex, this is from me,” she says, a sweet smile on her face. “I’ve given each of my granddaughters-in-law a unique, priceless jewelry set handcrafted by Laurier, and this one is for you. Lexington told me that yellow is your favorite color, so your set contains yellow sapphire and diamonds. It’s a little old-fashioned but wearing it will convey my approval to the world.”
“T-Thank you,” Raya stammers, caught off guard. So far, every interaction she’s had with my grandmother has been formal and related to the paperwork we had to complete before our wedding, so I suppose tonight is the first time she’s truly been made to feel like family.
“As I’m sure you’re both aware, this marriage comes with several rules, and we all want to make sure you’re aware of them,” Raya’s mom says, her tone gentle, placating. My wife’s shoulders straighten, and she sits up a little.
Grandma throws her a smile before turning to look at me pointedly. “I’ll keep this brief, since we’ll arrive at your house momentarily.”
I nod in gratitude, already well aware of what she’s about to say. “Lex and Raya, your marriage must last a minimum of three years.”
I nod, and so does Raya. This isn’t the first time either of us is hearing about the rules — we both signed paperwork detailing every last term and condition, after all. “Throughout that time, you must both live on the Windsor Estate, and you must share a bed.”
Raya’s dad tenses, and her mother places her hand on his knee. He glances at his wife, and the look in her eyes seems to put him at ease. I can see why Raya wants that, but I don’t think she realizes just how rare that kind of bond is.
“You cannot be apart for more than three consecutive days at a time, and no more than twelve days a year. While this is a business deal, it is our hope that your marriage is a successful one, and these rules are meant to help you give your marriage an honest chance. As such, infidelity of any kind will not be tolerated. Should you breach any of these terms, the merger will fall through, and you’ll lose your inheritance, Lex.”
Raya and I both nod. “There’s more,” Raya’s dad says. “While your main residence will be at the Windsor Estate, I would like you both to come home every weekend. I may have consented to this marriage, but I have to make sure my little girl is doing okay. I want to see how you treat her firsthand, and if you ever do anything I don’t like—”
“—we’d just really love to see you on weekends,” Raya’s mother interrupts, smiling tightly. “You’ll come home every weekend. We understand that you may have social obligations, but even when that’s the case, we’d like you to spend the night at home. In return, you’ll be exempt from having to attend any other family events for the first three months, to give you a chance to focus on your marriage.”
“Understood,” I say, trying my hardest to smile sincerely. I can’t fault them for looking after their daughter’s wellbeing, however inconvenient their requests might be.
Raya’s dad looks surprised, like he didn’t think I’d have agreed to his request. His shoulders sag a little, and I can’t tell if he’s relieved or annoyed I agreed so easily. His expression turns into genuine worry when the car comes to a stop in front of my home, and he reaches for his daughter, taking her free hand in his. He searches her face, and even I can read the quiet message, the reassurance in his eyes. I have no doubt he’d have attempted to take my wife home with him if she hadn’t smiled at him and leaned in to kiss his cheek before doing the same to her mother.
Raya looks at me and tightens her grip on my hand, and I nod before helping her out of the car, bending down to lift her into my arms moments later.
“What are you doing?” she asks, gasping and glancing back at the car behind us.
I grin at her as I take a step forward. “What I’m supposed to, my little fairy. I’m carrying my wife over the threshold, into our home.”