"Not another word Sophia. I really don't care about what's going on but, no one gets to insult my bride. I'm only letting you off because of mom."
"but Alexander she..." I already knew it was about her dress. Jimmie did a damn fine job ruining it.
"Meet Charles for your dress." I finished coolly.
Sophia glared at Jimmie like she had just snatched one of her toys. She and I grew up together and we're usually mistaken for siblings. She wasn't a bad person but spoiled– thanks to my mom.
My marriage to Jimmie didn't sit well with her and I knew She and Jimmie were going to have anything but a good relationship.
As for Ashley, I never liked her. She was a bad influence on Sophia and only befriended her in order to get close to me. She had no right to speak down on Jimmie after all her sexual advances at me.
An insult to Jimmie was directly at me and I wasn't going to tolerate that.
"But Alex..." Sophia tried again.
"Enough Sophia" I said, firmly trying to address her when Jimmie snapped again.
"Next time you want to insult royalty, wear a raincoat." She blurted, her gaze hard and voice cutting like glass.
Her utterance caught me off guard and definitely agitated Sophia the more. I had to act quickly before claws came out.
"You are such an ingrate. You wouldn't even be if not because of my brother!" Sophia scoffed.
"Sophia!" I barked, gripping her arm.
"We will deal with this later."
"And you– Come with me. " I said as I turned to Jimmie and dragged her out ignoring her last shriek.
"Drenched bitch!"
She always made sure to have the last word.
We barely got to the car when she yanked herself from my grip.
"I was handling the situation very well. You didn't have to butt in." she snapped furiously.
"Your presence always makes everything feel so– exposed."
Her outward sentence really stung.
"Do you have a problem with thanking people, Hazel?" I asked tightly.
"No."
"I just have a problem with you."
Damn!!!
This marriage was gonna be one hell of a rollercoaster.
"That's not very good hazel. We are already a couple."
"The last time I checked, I didn't opt for this...."
She didn't finish because my temper got the best of me as I grabbed her both hands and placed them above her head, pinning her against the tiled wall. She trembled immediately, making me regret my actions.
My regrets however dissolved into amusement.
"Did you just bite your lips Hazel?"
"Ohh, you wish!" She was quick to defend herself.
Typical Jimmie.
"You have to rein in that feisty problem of yours."
"Or what??" she replied, raising her small frame to meet my eye level.
"You can't do sh*t, Mr. Royales."
Ohh, little hazel eyes.
I narrowed mine as I smirked at her. She was teasing me and looked so impossibly beautiful doing it.
"Cute."
"Are we making threats now Hazel?" I asked intently.
"Let go of me Mr. Royales!" she retorted.
"Fine. But if you don't deal with that temper of yours, I'm gonna punish you for it."
"Getting entangled with you is already a punishment." she snapped, rolling her eyes.
"Mmmm....." the words slipped as I slowly turned speechless.
I stared at her like I was trying to read her while, slowly grazing my left thumb on her right cheek and taking it down to her neckline as goosebumps reflexively kissed her light skin from my touch.
Her reaction made the craving I had been trying to suppress all night, rise heavily. I couldn't decipher if I was scared of my desires but, I was certain I wanted her.
Suddenly, her wrist watch beeped–loud and urgent. Her heart rate was spiking.
"You can't even endure a touch from my thumb?" I teased.
She couldn't answer. Instead, she just stared at me helplessly. I could sense that she was fighting a battle within herself.
"I like this side of you, Hazel."
"Well, there is no other side to me than this, Mr. Royales." she finally found her voice.
That sounds like the Jimmie I know.
"And just so you know, I'm not like the other ladies who cower like chickens in your presence.."
Her threats sounded so hilarious and I couldn't help but smirk.
"Rascal!" she muttered under my breath.
"I nearly wet my pants Hazel." I said making a sarcastic face.
"Pretty lips are not supposed to utter such scary words, are they?" I asked calmly.
" Well, mine does."
" Now can you let go of me?"
"And if I don't?"
Her eyes locked in mine.
"You know. You are really self-absorbed and obnoxious. You think the world revolves around you right?" she seethed,
Slowly leaning in on her with my voice dangerously low...
"The world doesn't revolve around me..."
" But tonight, you orbit around my world like you were born to."
"What?"
"Let me take you to our galaxy hazel." I concluded as her lips parted in shock.