Read Online The Convenient Wife (A BWWM Steamy Marriage of Convenience Romance) by Imani King - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Imani King
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really have taken her that long
to put some clothes on? All we had to do was sign some papers, say “I do,” and
then go out for a nice dinner to celebrate my genius. But first, I’d actually
need my bride.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” rang
Gigi’s lovely voice from just behind me. I let out a sigh of relief before
turning around, maybe even say something scolding for making me wait.
“Well I’ve been here for almost
twenty—” My words stuck in my throat as I laid my eyes on her. I blinked, the
light of the sun outside shining through the doors and giving her an aura that
was almost angelic.
She wore a white dress with a sleek
silhouette, the fabric glowing radiantly as she made her way toward me. I felt
so strange watching her, her footsteps falling in slow motion as the soft curls
of her hair bounced with every stride. My heart hammered in my chest, blood
rushing to my cheeks just as she came to a halt a few feet away.
“Sorry,” she said with a little
laugh as she looked down at herself. “It took me forever to find this dress.”
“It was worth it,” I breathed. Then
I cleared my throat. “I mean it looks beautiful on you.” What in the hell was
going on?
“Thank you,” Gigi said, her cheeks
darkening just slightly. “I figured I might as well do it up right. It’s not
every day you get fake married…”
Her smile disappeared and her eyes
lost some of their spark. Gigi cast her gaze downward before heaving a sigh.
I felt compelled to sweep her into
my arms. Instead, I fiddled with my cufflinks as I asked her, “What’s wrong?”
She gave the barest of shrugs. “Every
girl dreams of having their white wedding, I guess—that moment where they stand
in front of all their friends and family in a gorgeous white gown, holding a
bouquet of flowers. This isn’t exactly the way I pictured it.”
I felt a pit open in the bottom of
my stomach, my shoulders slumping as I watched what little excitement Gigi had
walked in with fade away. I felt so guilty, turning what she pictured her
wedding to be like into a quick ceremony at the courthouse for some shady paper
marriage.
“We can wait,” I said, cautiously
putting a hand on her shoulder. “We can do something bigger—I mean it. Money’s
no object.”
She let out a laugh, not a harsh
laugh, or even a happy laugh—a sad laugh. Gigi looked up at me and gave me a
faint smile of gratitude as she reached up and squeezed my hand.
“No, it’s all right, really,” she
said, shaking her head. “I think the more we drag this mess out, the more we
might come to start having second thoughts—or worse, your family might get
involved. This is a business arrangement for now. If things work out, we can
renew our vows the right way.”
I gave her a brief nod and a quick
smile, but despite her reassurances, my guilt didn’t fade a single bit. It
wasn’t something I was used to feeling, let alone regret, but seeing her there
in that wedding dress made me realize how little she was getting out of all
this. I felt like a monster for asking her to do this. Sure, I was intrigued by
her… Maybe I had some feelings… But was it enough? What would I do once I had
my inheritance in hand?
“I appreciate that you offered,
Dorian,” she said after an awkward moment of silence. “It means a lot more than
I thought it would.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” I
said, offering what I hoped would be a consoling hug, my arms open.
Gigi’s smile brightened a bit as she
wrapped her arms around me for the first time. Her body felt warm against mine,
her curves fitting perfectly into my arms as I enveloped her. A small sense of
comfort fell over me before we broke away from one another, our faces
considerably brighter. Or at least, that’s what I thought I saw in her
expression. I hoped I wasn’t imagining things.
“Shall we?” Gigi asked,
to put some clothes on? All we had to do was sign some papers, say “I do,” and
then go out for a nice dinner to celebrate my genius. But first, I’d actually
need my bride.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” rang
Gigi’s lovely voice from just behind me. I let out a sigh of relief before
turning around, maybe even say something scolding for making me wait.
“Well I’ve been here for almost
twenty—” My words stuck in my throat as I laid my eyes on her. I blinked, the
light of the sun outside shining through the doors and giving her an aura that
was almost angelic.
She wore a white dress with a sleek
silhouette, the fabric glowing radiantly as she made her way toward me. I felt
so strange watching her, her footsteps falling in slow motion as the soft curls
of her hair bounced with every stride. My heart hammered in my chest, blood
rushing to my cheeks just as she came to a halt a few feet away.
“Sorry,” she said with a little
laugh as she looked down at herself. “It took me forever to find this dress.”
“It was worth it,” I breathed. Then
I cleared my throat. “I mean it looks beautiful on you.” What in the hell was
going on?
“Thank you,” Gigi said, her cheeks
darkening just slightly. “I figured I might as well do it up right. It’s not
every day you get fake married…”
Her smile disappeared and her eyes
lost some of their spark. Gigi cast her gaze downward before heaving a sigh.
I felt compelled to sweep her into
my arms. Instead, I fiddled with my cufflinks as I asked her, “What’s wrong?”
She gave the barest of shrugs. “Every
girl dreams of having their white wedding, I guess—that moment where they stand
in front of all their friends and family in a gorgeous white gown, holding a
bouquet of flowers. This isn’t exactly the way I pictured it.”
I felt a pit open in the bottom of
my stomach, my shoulders slumping as I watched what little excitement Gigi had
walked in with fade away. I felt so guilty, turning what she pictured her
wedding to be like into a quick ceremony at the courthouse for some shady paper
marriage.
“We can wait,” I said, cautiously
putting a hand on her shoulder. “We can do something bigger—I mean it. Money’s
no object.”
She let out a laugh, not a harsh
laugh, or even a happy laugh—a sad laugh. Gigi looked up at me and gave me a
faint smile of gratitude as she reached up and squeezed my hand.
“No, it’s all right, really,” she
said, shaking her head. “I think the more we drag this mess out, the more we
might come to start having second thoughts—or worse, your family might get
involved. This is a business arrangement for now. If things work out, we can
renew our vows the right way.”
I gave her a brief nod and a quick
smile, but despite her reassurances, my guilt didn’t fade a single bit. It
wasn’t something I was used to feeling, let alone regret, but seeing her there
in that wedding dress made me realize how little she was getting out of all
this. I felt like a monster for asking her to do this. Sure, I was intrigued by
her… Maybe I had some feelings… But was it enough? What would I do once I had
my inheritance in hand?
“I appreciate that you offered,
Dorian,” she said after an awkward moment of silence. “It means a lot more than
I thought it would.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” I
said, offering what I hoped would be a consoling hug, my arms open.
Gigi’s smile brightened a bit as she
wrapped her arms around me for the first time. Her body felt warm against mine,
her curves fitting perfectly into my arms as I enveloped her. A small sense of
comfort fell over me before we broke away from one another, our faces
considerably brighter. Or at least, that’s what I thought I saw in her
expression. I hoped I wasn’t imagining things.
“Shall we?” Gigi asked,
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