Claiming His Wife Read online

"Keep your frat house humor to yourself. I have already told you want I want," she demanded. She was beginning to get annoyed. It felt like they were going around in circles.

  "I won’t," he returned lightly.

  A rush of anger evaporated her good sense and she raised her hand to smack him. His eyes widened with astonishment. She brought her hand back down to her sides. She could feel the anger swell her chest, so she closed her eyes and counted to ten while taking deep steady breaths. She couldn’t afford to lose her calm at this point. She couldn’t afford to give him the upper hand. Her future was more important than her moment’s anger.

  She opened her eyes and focused her dispassionate glare at him.

  They faced each other across the cool expanse and waited for one to yield.

  "I see that more than your need to be free, has awoken. I can’t remember you being this fiery," he commented in a voice that didn’t even begin to hide the amusement he felt.

  "I have you to thank for that."

  "You look even more radiant when you’re angry. I like it."

  "You've got me confused with someone who cares about your opinion,” she huffed. “I am completely unaffected by what you say or do."

  "Care to test out those words?” The husky tone seized more than her voice, as he caught her hands and trapped her body against the wall.

  “Let me go,” she bit out. He brushed his fingers gently down her face as if trying to draw a portrait of her in his mind. Kalilah squirmed. Each touch seemed to chip away at the wall she had built between them. He paused, his finger above her lip and all she could think about was kissing him.

  “So soon? And here I thought you weren’t affected by what I said." He then leaned in until the words were whispered into her ear. “Or did.” The feel of his breath against her skin set her nerves on fire and activated her sleeping limbs. He gently brought her palms up against the wall and over her head and them placed his larger palms over hers. She stiffened for a moment but relaxed her palms underneath his. No words were said. He gazed down at her intensely and she knew that look. She felt nineteen again. She had seen this look many times right before he claimed her lips. And damn! It still affected her. She needed to get away from him and his strength and his cologne that brought up memories she wanted buried. She began to struggle against him. Her movements did the opposite of what they were meant to. Her body rubbed against his and instead of wanting an escape, she wanted to feel more of him. She wanted him to kiss her. She felt his manhood spring to life against her thigh.

  "Kalilah, you really shouldn't…" he warned, his voice sounding strained, wavering, then breaking the temporary spell she was under.

  "Let me go," her tone panicked.

  "But I love your current disposition," he returned.

  "Crowded?" Her voice sounded breathy.

  "No, under my control." He must have realized the moment the words left his mouth that they were the exact wrong words to say, because he leaned away from her a bit.

  “Let go of me this minute!" Her voice was icy and dismissive. He took his time releasing her from his hold and then walked around to his desk and sat in his chair. Kalilah tried to ignore his presence as she fiddled with the button on her floral blouse.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” he said.

  She disregarded him and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. Under my control. Not anymore. She was grateful for those words; they had jolted her back to reality. God knows that one more second with her body besieged by Finn’s against the wall and she would’ve given in to the intense lust she felt. It terrified her that she had never gotten to this height of intimacy with Jonathan, and yet here she was all over Finn. She groaned internally; this wasn't how she planned this meeting to go. So much for making progress. What a waste of time! She should’ve known better than to show up at her ex-husband’s office and expect things to go as smoothly as she planned. She let out a slow breath and tugged at the hem of her floral blouse once more before marching to the door. She had to escape and regroup before she made a fool of herself.

  "I'll give you what you want." Those words stopped her in her tracks.

  She whirled her head toward him, her dark eyes widened, mouth agape as if she’d lost her hearing. She searched his face for any hint of amusement. His stony mask gave nothing away. Did he finally accept things were over? Hope bubbled in her chest.

  “On one condition only,” he added and that’s all it took to shatter her hope in its entirety.

  She glared at him speculatively.

  "Look, I don't know what game you're playing, but I'll not be a party to it. I'm asking for what I know you surely want as well. We both need to move on with our lives.”

  He winced at her declaration, and this time she didn’t get any satisfaction from his torment. She had no idea why he was hesitant to get the annulment. She doubted he ever loved her. Theirs wasn’t a story with a happy ending. He probably wanted to stay married for his stake in the company. Her heart sank at the thought. She didn’t know why the belief that he only wanted to stay married for the sake of finally becoming CEO of company wounded her heart.

  The silence thickened between them until she broke eye contact and turned away.

  “Please wait." Despite her annoyance she found herself turning to look at him. That position suited him. Lord of all, at the very peak of his ambitions. God, why did he have to be so handsome? "My only condition is that you allow me to date you for three months. If you still feel the same way about this marriage,” he explained calmly, his unwavering stare fixed on her, “By the end of that time frame, then I'll sign whatever papers you want me to.”

  Regardless of the physical and emotional distance between them, her body trembled as she felt the temperature rise an extra ten degrees. Overwhelmed she blinked to ward off any unwelcome thoughts in her mind.

  She realized she was still staring blankly at him when she noticed his arched brow. Finding it hard to look away, she felt like her body was held captive under his intense scrutiny. She had forgotten how his eyes could pin her like a laser and saw right through her soul. Fucking power moves.

  “Is this a joke? Are you playing some kind of game with me?”

  “Who, me?” He asked with amplified innocence. “Never.”

  “Why three months?” She found the timeline a bit strange.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Strange. Very strange.

  “So why go through all this? I am confident that I will not change my mind. A few dinners here and there won’t change the way I feel and my abhorrence towards you.”

  “You sure about that?” His tone was cocky now.

  “Yes. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Finn, I won’t ever forgive or forget your deception.” Her chest tightened, tears threatened, but she was not going to break down in front of him. That would be a sign of weakness. She truly felt like they were meant to be once upon a time. But all he wanted was a place in her father’s company.

  "Give me a chance to disprove everything you think you know about me. If by the end of the three months your mind hasn’t wavered about me, I'll give you your annulment without a fight." He added quickly.

  An uncomplicated annulment was a dream she didn’t dare have. It seemed too easy to ascertain. Finn seemed too confident in his position.

  “If you decline my offer and move forward with your immediate plans, I will oppose this annulment at every turn. Since you’ve been gone, I’ve acquired way more assets, and your name is on everything I’ve acquired. I will have my lawyer bury yours in paperwork for the next several years over the division of property.”

  The coldness in his voice caused a shiver to her spine and she knew he meant every word. Between both of their assets they could be stuck in court forever since they didn’t have a prenup to begin with. She had refused to sign the documents her father had presented to Finn and herself. One of her final acts of rebellion against her father. She studied for a moment longer as her mind b
attled between emotions and thinking over possible loopholes in his plan. She knew too much to trust him. Men like him and men like her father should never be underestimated. She would agree with his deal and in three months, she was certain things would be over and done with. She figured the months would roll by fast. She finally gave him a slow nod then turned around to leave.

  “I need verbal confirmation, Kalilah.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  "I accept the offer, Finn, but just so you know, I'll never change my mind. Not about this.” She jerked the door and without a backward glance stepped through it.

  "Not if I can help it." he returned under his breath and she heard him clear across the hall. His cockiness riled her up and strengthened her resolve to play his game and win.

  She couldn’t resist having the final word.

  "Game on," she yelled confidently. She would teach him a valuable lesson indeed. If he thought that his power games would work on her, he was in for a rude awakening. Kalilah almost strutted out of the building with a kind of elegance she didn't feel. She inclined her head briefly as she passed by the administrative assistant and again to the receptionist at the lobby desk on the ground floor. The doorman wished her a good day and she rewarded him with a half-smile before heading toward the car where her driver Owen patiently waited for her.

  CHAPTER 3

  THE MOMENT KALILAH CLEARED THE DOOR, Finn took a few slow breaths to regroup and refocus. She was the only person that could blow his focus to pieces, and five years had not dulled her potency. He missed her. He was shocked and proud of the assertiveness he’d seen her display today. She was now a woman willing to meet her battles head on. He admired that and it turned him on to no end. He loosened his tie and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  When she had cocked her hip in the face of his mockery, clenched her fists and demanded her freedom, he almost couldn’t hear her words over the roar of blood in his ears. A fierce arousal that had threatened to undo him had fired his loins. She wasn’t even aware of how much power she had over him. He would do anything for her; he had given her the break she had coldly requested years ago.

  “I need you to leave my apartment now.” Her tone had held no emotion. Her eyes had glistened with tears, her dark skin dull. He had tried to cut in but she had continued. “I don’t want to hear anything else you may have to say right now. You’ve hurt me enough, and I need this time away from you. Being around you hurts my very soul. Please leave.”

  He had left her apartment then and promised to give her all the time she needed until she felt ready to listen to him. He had vowed to wait for her, for as long as she needed to sort through her emotions. Every well-laid plan he had ever made in his life, for himself, for their marriage, came tumbling down like King’s Landing. And it hurt, dammit, it hurt immensely – but her absence hurt more. Her refusal to speak with him or believe him had hurt him so much. She returned every gift he had sent and refused to even speak to him on the three occasions he showed up in Seattle. The only time she showed was to tell him that she needed more time. He decided to pull back and give her some space. The truth was, he’d taken the coward’s way out. He wanted to flee the keen disappointment he saw in her eyes every time he visited her. He finally resigned himself to waiting until she was ready to hear him out.

  Letting her go all those years ago had been the worst decision he’d ever made. He’d poured the rest of his soul into the company he’d gotten from her sacrifice; their sacrifice. Over the last few years he became a workaholic, gradually taking on more and more responsibility in the business. Assisting everyone he could within the company, so he could learn how everything worked. He even assisted his father-in-law with some of the duties he had as CEO. He loved the challenge because now he knew the business like the back of his hand. Thankfully, his hard work had paid off, because now he was the chief operating officer, and their profits were higher than ever. People assumed he was given the position because of his relationship with Kalilah, but he earned this position. He knew the job of the janitor up to the CEO. The goal was to eventually take over for his father-in-law after he retired. Unfortunately, placing his full attention on work came with its disadvantages. There was nothing for him to look forward to except closing huge deals.

  The years following Kalilah’s departure were filled with dreadful weekdays and equally bleak weekends. Now she was back, and her return opened a floodgate of emotions that were almost forgotten. He had hoped that her return would be different; a gentle reunion of sorts where they would talk through everything that had happened in the past, but he could not have been any further from the truth.

  “I promise you, Finn, nothing will ever come between us. You’re everything to me.” She would tell him this every time they parted back then. Her eyes held so much hope. He had taken her proclamation seriously because he felt the same way about her. Those promises had dissipated, along with the girl who shared those declarations. For the past five years he had loved her, and for five years he had counted on her youthful promises of unconditional love to bridge the gap when she was ready to fully listen to him and settle down with him. He now realized that was naïve of him to rely on her promises. She was no longer a girl. She was now a woman, and unfortunately, not his woman. He had waited too long; here she was, irate, beautiful, all grown up and wanting nothing he had to offer except his acquiescence to an annulment.

  His heart was doomed; he knew it from the moment she walked into his office. The resentment he had felt toward her long ago for not giving him a chance to explain his side of the story had dissipated. When he pinned her against the wall, her floral scent gripped his senses, and it took all the self-control he’d learned over the years not to give in to the primitive urges surging through him. He wanted one taste of her plump lips. She was so close, yet so far away; she looked so alluring, and the challenge she presented aroused him more if that was possible. When she started bucking under him, he had to clench his teeth to keep in the groan that her unintentionally provocative actions drew from him.

  He had released his wildcat before she thwarted his advances further. He wondered how things might have turned out had she believed in him and his love for her. They probably would have had a child or two by now. Would their kids have her curly hair? A smile curved his lips at the thought, but it was short-lived when another thought came to mind. The sacrifices he had made both physically and emotionally; contrary to what he was sure others in her position might believe, he hadn’t looked at another woman ever in the years since Lilah left. He’d had a few dates to social events, and even though some of the women were willing and open to a one-night stand, his pledge to his wife and the need to see it through regardless of the distance prevented him from ever being unfaithful. After a five-year drought, he was ready to swim in the river of her most coveted heat.

  His blood heated with anger at the thought of her replacing him. Who was this man? What did he do for a living? Was he American? Questions roamed his mind, questions he needed answered, but there was no use. It would be naïve to dismiss this other man, even though she couldn’t admit to being in love with him. He was certain that the man, whatever his name was, was a threat to their reconciliation for the simple fact that she returned to town only for the dissolution of their union. The urge to find this man and kick the shit out of him was high, but that wouldn’t go over well with Kalilah. Besides, he may not even know about her marriage.

  He quickly shook off that bitter thought. Kalilah was honest to a fault, and she would have told this man about her marriage. Actually, citing how much she had changed, it was a genuine possibility that this jerk didn’t even know what he’d gotten himself into. Suddenly, he had this unsettling image of a stranger exploring his wife’s body and doing things that he had yet to do with her. What were his intentions, he wondered – perhaps he knew of her huge trust fund and wanted to sink his hooks into it (not that Kalilah wasn’t capable of enticing a man who was fully invested in who she was as a
person). At his uncomfortable thoughts, his heart felt like it was being ripped out of his chest. He didn’t want to lose her, not now and definitely not for a second time.

  He swiveled his office chair to face the tall windows overlooking downtown Montréal. People could also assume that he had married her for money and position.

  He had met his father-in-law, Richard, when he interned at the company eight years ago, after gaining his master’s degree in business from McGill University. He was twenty-six at the time, fresh out of university with something to prove to the world. He got to work early and left late, and he wasn’t shy about asking questions either. After all, how could he learn if he never asked any questions? He interned there a full three months before meeting Richard Anderson, CEO of Anderson Property Group.

  When he first met Richard, he’d boldly asked him in the lobby of the offices why a business of such good standing wasn’t offering franchise services, as it would improve valuations and thereby boost growth and improve profits. Richard regarded him intently for a long time that day, until finally he invited him to his office and picked his brain about the other ideas he thought would be good for the company.

  Finn had made suggestions about their website and how it could be improved to offer people a virtual experience of real estate. Thanks to Finn and his never-ending questions the company also now offered franchise opportunities and protection services for home buyers and sellers. Richard had hired him on the spot and invited him to dinner with his family. That was the first time he’d met Kalilah. She’d peeked at him throughout dinner under the cover of her thick lashes. He’d ignored it. She’d looked no older than sixteen, and he wasn’t trying to go to jail. In addition to that, he’d only just landed his first job, and messing with the boss’s daughter was not a good idea. His interest piqued, however, when she mentioned her upcoming graduation from CEGEP. He had asked her age then and found out that she had just turned nineteen.

  He was immediately put off by the age difference between them. He considered her a child, but he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. After that first dinner, he frequented the Anderson mansion numerous times for dinner and other soirees. During those months, he got to know Kalilah more, and he realized that even though she appeared younger than her age, she was no child. She was mature, intelligent, and sexy. Everything about her deepened his attraction. She knew what she wanted out of life and had a passion for helping others and trying out new adventures. She was devoted to everything that she did, including loving him. She would listen to him vent his frustrations about everything happening at work, and in return he would listen to her vent her frustrations about school and her parents. They made a wonderful team, and she quickly became his best friend. The best friend he was in love with.