Claiming His Wife (Unlikely Love) (4 page)

The waiter came, and Tony ordered two pasta dishes. He was more for Chinese food than Italian.

Tony stared at her. She glanced around the room rather than look at him.

“How have you been?” he asked.

“Fine.” He didn’t want this. To be estranged from her. He wanted to get to know her and to prove to her that he did want her. What he’d said on her wedding night had been the biggest fucking mistake of his life. At the time he’d been afraid. There was a seventeen year age gap between them.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Don’t, Opal. What are we doing?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“We use to be better than this. I don’t know why we’ve decided to change who we are.”

“I was thinking about starting work,” she said.

Tony stopped. Frozen solid. “Why?”

“I don’t like being alone anymore. I’m trapped in that house, which I know is beautiful, but I’d like to get out a little more. Maybe learn how to drive or at least do something. I’m being driven insane every day.”

He sat back in his chair. “I don’t want you working.”

“I don’t think it’s your place to tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“You’re my wife.”

“For how much longer?” she asked.

Tony turned his gaze away from her. The one thing he had done well in all of their two years of marriage was to provide for her. Make sure she had no worries. Allow her to find her independence.

“Are you saying you want to divorce me?”

“No.”

“Then what are you trying to say?”

“We don’t have to get a divorce. We haven’t had sex or anything. A simple annulment would be fine.”

The blood pounded in his head.

“Then you’d be free to go and do whatever you want.”

“I don’t want to be free,” he told her.

“You’re not making this easy for me.”

“What’s to make it easy? I don’t want a divorce, and I’ll fuck you before I allow you to go for an annulment.” Tony heard her gasp, and he cursed.
Shit
. He was losing control of his monster. The need to be in control. To claim what was his. This is what he feared most when he was around her – the lack of control to the point he could scare her away. Turning back to her, he saw the blush spreading up into her cheeks.

“I’m sorry.”

“I was trying to help you. You don’t wear a wedding ring, and you helped me back then. I’d hate to keep you in a marriage you didn’t want to be part of.”

“I don’t wear a ring because you didn’t give me one.”

Out of everything that happened that day, he refused to buy his own wedding band.

“Oh. I didn’t know I had to get you one.”

“Speaking of wedding bands. Our engagement wasn’t a conventional one, but I felt you deserved to have a ring to show off to your girlfriends.” He pulled the small blue box out of his pocket and handed it to her.

He noted the trembling in her hands and hated himself for being the one responsible for putting it there.

“It’s beautiful,” she said as soon as she opened it. “I know this is going to sound corny, but would you put it on my finger?”

Tony nodded. He took the box back and pulled out the small band. Her fingers were so delicate. Taking off her wedding ring, he placed the engagement ring on first, followed by the main one.

He kissed her fingers, grateful she was his.

“You didn’t have to get me this. I know our marriage isn’t a conventional one.”

It soon will be.

Sitting up in his chair, he glanced around the room. Where had that thought come from?

The waiter brought their food. He enjoyed watching her eat.

“I don’t want you to get a job,” he said.

“What am I expected to do with my day?”

“Whatever you want. You’re my wife, and like I said, I don’t want you working.”

“Can we at least talk about it?” she asked.

“We’re talking about it now. The answer is no.”

He saw the clenching of her jaw and couldn’t help but laugh. “You really want to skin me alive, don’t you?”

“I think you’re being unfair.”

“Think what you want to, baby. Eat up because then we’re going shopping.”

“Shopping?”

Tony signalled the waiter to fill their glasses. “Yes. I’ve got a charity ball this Friday to go to, and you’re coming with me.”

“I can pick out my own clothes.”

“I know, but this time I want to be there with you.”

Actually, he hadn’t planned to take her shopping. Sitting with her had made him open his eyes. He wanted to spend more time with her. He didn’t want the moment to end.

When she went to the ladies’ room, he phoned his assistant and told him to cancel all of his afternoon meetings.

Looking at her empty plate a deep sense of happiness overcame him. Opal wasn’t like any of the women he’d known in his life. She ate food and was kind. He wanted to be with her.

You’ll ruin her. What you want will destroy every part of who she is.

She walked out, and he ignored the warning within him. Opal brought out the good in him.

Chapter Four

She spent the rest of the day with Tony. He took her from one shop to the other for her to try on clothes. Not once did he look at another woman, even though they stumbled over each other to impress the man splashing his cash. The shopping experience was the best she’d ever been on. Usually her mother would bring clothes home, and she’d be forced to go on a diet until she fit into the small garments.

Once or twice the women made a comment about not having her size available. Tony smiled and said he’d find someone who wanted his custom. One store tried to make out she was his sister. That had been the funniest moment of her life. He’d kindly informed them to shut down his account with them as he didn’t take kindly to his wife being described as his sister.

Finally, they stopped at a more select store. She had felt like a fat whale when the women circled and assessed her. In the new store it was completely different. They escorted him to the dressing rooms where they had a private room for each customer. There were mirrors all around the room with a sofa in the middle.

“Don’t you have to wait outside or something?” she asked.

“No, darling. We’re married, and I get the opportunity to watch you get dressed.”

“None of the other stores let you in the room,” she said.

“That’s because I pay for the best. The other stores were a lot less than desired.”

The woman walked in with her arms laden with clothes. “I’ve brought several evening gowns. I don’t have your size, Mrs. Hunt, but I’m sure we can find you something more than suitable.”

Opal was thankful most of her body was covered when she tried different gowns on. Tony left part way through to answer a phone call. The lady didn’t change in her attitude.

“Thank you,” Opal said.

“What for, honey?”

“We’ve been to a lot of stores today, and you’re the first one that’s been nice to me.” Opal smiled at the woman.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re the best at what we do.”

Her gown was in place, a modest black evening gown that moulded to every lump and bump.

“You look stunning.”

“Don’t you think I look fat?” she asked the woman.

“Honey, you have curves, not fat. Curves. Some women would die for the body you’ve got.”

Tony walked into the room. She watched him stop and stare at her.

“What do you think?” she asked him.

“That’s the dress for the event. I’m feeling in a spending mood. Would you please find my wife some undergarments and more sociable clothing?”

The lady nodded her head and left.

Ignoring his presence, Opal turned back to the mirror, pulling her tummy in and trying to make her body look good.

Tony placed his hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”

“I feel fat in this,” she said.

Her nerves picked up as his hands ran all over her body. He stared at her hips and went down to where the dress ended at her knee, up and round. Her ass was squeezed before he moved up and rested his hands just beneath her breasts.

He stared at her reflection in the mirror. “I don’t think you look anything other than magnificent.”

She was falling. The way he spoke and looked at her she could imagine she was beautiful. Even with all of her weight. Someone knocked at the door interrupting the moment.

Tony answered and took the clothes out of the woman’s hands. “I can take it from here,” he said.

The door was closed and locked. They were alone. In private.

He placed the clothes on the chair, searching through them until he found something red. “Opal, I want you to do something for me.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to model these.” He lifted a red lace bra with matching French lace knickers.

A blush stained her cheeks. “Will you turn around?”

“No. I want to watch you get changed into them.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do that. We can’t do that.”

“We’re married,” he said.

In her heart she was shouting and punching the air for joy. In her head she knew otherwise.

“No. You still won’t try them on?”

She shook her head.

“How about I let you look for work.”

“That’s blackmail,” she said when she processed what he’d said.

“From what I hear it’s effective.” She frowned. “Never mind. If you try these on for me, I’ll let you look for work.”

“You can’t stop me looking if I try those on or not.”

“Do you really want to see the power I have over stopping you from looking? I could make your life a little difficult,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because I want something, and I’ll do anything until you give it to me.”

“But you said you didn’t want me in that way.”

“I’ve changed my mind. Take the underwear and try them on, Opal.”

Something had changed in him. His eyes were darker, and the way he walked was filled with a purpose. This wasn’t the happy-go-lucky Tony she knew. This was a predator intent on getting what he wanted.

He passed her the underwear. She took them and watched as he went and sat down. Red wasn’t her colour. She tried to avoid the colour because of her lighter skin tone. What did she do?

Taking a breath, she placed them on the stool. The dress had a zipper in the back, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t unzip the dress on her own.

“Could you help me?” she asked.

“Come here.” His voice sent a thrill of excitement through her.

She moved to where he sat. Tony stood and eased the zipper down. She felt his hand touch her back. The heat of him spread through her body.

“Thank you.”