Until You're Mine (25 page)

I would rather regret the things

I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.

~Lucille Ball

This felt so very wrong yet…yet so very, very right. The sharp burning pain when he first eased inside was unbearable. I almost screamed for him to pull out but I breathed through it, and once my body accepted his, I wanted more. And the more he moved, the more the pain dissolved into intense pleasure. His hands were soft and soothing, a contradiction to the hard cock currently invading my body.

“You look so fuckin beautiful with me inside you,” With every thrust, my body became more pliant, accepting.

His fingers reached around to rub my clit, and I moved my hips against him, seeking more. “What do I wanna hear baby?”

He was close. I could hear it in his strained gravelly voice.

“Archer,” His name was a desperate plea from my lips as he seated himself deep inside of me one final time. My name and several other incoherent words wrapped around a harsh moan and we came together, falling into a tangled heap desperately searching for air and sense.

After a long shower, where he made slow passionate love to me, we were finally in bed wrapped in each other’s arms.

I raised my sleepy eyes to his. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

Archer pulled me closer, tucking the sheet around us to ensure I was covered. “I plan on sleepin’ in, then I’m gonna fuck my girl once maybe twice before we head to the lawyer’s office and then…”

“Uh, we?”

“Yes, we,” he said confidently.

Sitting up, I placed my hand on his chest. “Why do I need to go?”

“I told you why,”

“Archer, I really don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m here to support you, and I will no matter what, but I don’t think I should go with you. Seems like there will be plenty of tension between you two without me adding to it.”

“I need you there.”

My hand moved up to cover his heart. It pounded against his chest wildly and the fear in his eyes stabbed at my heart. “Why do you need me there?”

“To remind me why I’m doing this, to remind me why you mean everything and she means nothing. I need you there. I can’t do this without you.”

He needed me. How could I say no to that? “Ok, I’ll go.”

“Good,” he kissed the top of my head. “Now sleep.”

Stretching my arms over my head, I fought for more sleep. My body felt deliciously sore and used. Smiling, I reached for him only to find cold sheets. I focused in on a glowing…
six forty two
. My head fell back and I pulled his pillow over to snuggle in my arms.  

Archer
. 

I dozed, inhaling his comforting scent while memories of the night before swamped my mind. From the words he spoke in passion, to the adoring hands that displayed his love and affection, I was completely his. I fell back asleep with a content grin.

Smoothing his cold fingers across my naked skin, my nipples hardened beneath the covers. His covetous hands roamed every inch of my torso until the warmth of my body heated his cool deliberate touch. I squeezed my thighs together and scooted closer, his crotch cradling my ass. Remembering the things he did there last night sent heat crawling across my skin. “Rise and shine beautiful,” he breathed into my ear.

My thighs clenched and I squirmed against the hardness pressing into my backside. “Keep that up and you’ll find me buried there before you’ve had a chance to eat breakfast.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” I flipped over to face him. “I thought we were sleeping in.”

“You did,”

Twisting my head, I looked over my shoulder...
ten seventeen
.

“I woke up earlier and you weren’t here,” I pouted.  His face was freshly shaven and his peppermint breath tickled my lips.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he tried to give me a kiss but I turned away.

“I need to uh…brush my teeth.” I said, trying not to breath in his face. Archer grabbed both sides of my neck, holding me firmly in place. “If I love you at your best, then I’m gonna love you at your worst.” It was a deep, hard, earth shattering kiss. His forceful tongue tangled with mine and I wondered if he were trying to lick my soul.

“Mine,” he mumbled against my lips then kissed my forehead.

“Move that sweet ass baby, it’s D-Day.” He got up from the bed. “Breakfast is on the way up. You have time to shower if you want.”

Rising up on my elbows, I stared at my bossy man. “D-Day?”

“Death of my past.” He leaned down, cupping my cheeks with both hands. His intense green eyes pierced into mine.  “Dawning of my future,”

“Who are you?” I breathed, confounded by his romantic words. 

“Yours,” he whispered, leaving me with a soft kiss.

The thirty minute ride to the lawyer’s office only added to my anxiety. I was restless and I continued to question everything, from my emotions, to what I had on today. I hadn’t packed anything dressy or professional looking, so I just threw on my gauzy white skirt and a clean tank top. Thankfully, I’d brought along a cute cardigan. Archer was dressed in a suit for crying out loud.

“Why are you so nervous?” I gaped at him.

Was he serious?

“Oh, I don’t know. It’s not every day you go to a divorce hearing with your boyfriend.”

“Fiancé’,” he corrected.

“Excuse me?”

Did he say what I think he just said?

“If asked, you’re my fiancé’. It was the only way they’d let you in the hearing.”

I studied his face for a moment, not a trace of amusement. “You’re serious?”

“Deadly,”

“Wow, ok so I’m your fiancé. Who doesn’t have a ring by the way,” I teased, wiggling my fingers.

“Ah yes, almost forgot.”

My heart raced as he reached into the breast pocket of his coat, producing a small black box. “It’s just a loaner and too fuckin’ small if you ask me, but it’s all I could get on such short notice.” he said, lifting the lid.

The stunning solitaire diamond surrounded by other tiny sparkling stones mocked me. I clutched my chest. The pain that I felt was unexpected. He wanted me to
pretend
to be his fiancé’?

What was he trying to prove? Better yet,
who
was he trying to prove
what
to?

“Let me get this straight. You want me to pretend to be your fiancé?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

I plucked the ring from the box and slid it onto the ring finger of my left hand.

“The answer is no by the way.”

Archer’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “No?”

“I won’t marry you,”

“Well, here’s the thing sweetheart. I didn’t ask.”

“You know, you can be the sweetest, most romantic guy sometimes, but other times you’re a real asshole.”

“Awe baby, don’t be mad. I promise to make it up to you when we leave,” Archer squeezed my thigh. “Also, when I do ask you to marry me, it will not be in the backseat of a car.”

I dangled my fake ring in his face. “What makes you think I’d say yes after this bullshit?”

“Because you’re mine, and because you love me, and because I fuckin’ love you. That enough?”

Yes.

Asshole
.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared out the window. I didn’t say another word until we stepped off the elevator.

Archer’s hand tightened around mine as he led me down the hall. He’d been quiet the remainder of the ride as well, no doubt contemplating this entire fucked up situation. We were greeted and escorted to a large conference room by a petite blonde woman named Brandi. Upon entering, Archer shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with several other men and women. After he introduced me, we took our seats. There was a young woman in the corner of the room with an iPad and a laptop, and several more gentlemen sitting on the opposite side of the table.

“You need all of these people just to sign divorce papers?” I whispered harshly. This was absurd.

“Lawyers, accountants, assistants. Yeah, it’s all necessary bullshit. Plus, there are few things left to settle,”

“You have an assistant?”

He smiled. “Yes, and three accountants,”

“Why so many?”

“It’s a lot of shit to keep up with” Leaning in closer, he pointed to a young man at the end of the long table. “That’s my assistant, Matthew. Why the hell are you smiling?” 

“I expected a female.”

“No offense, sweetheart, but I don’t want any distractions when it comes to my money and my business. All females are a distraction in any shape, form, or fashion.”

“You’ve thought this through.”

“Thoroughly,” His heated eyes burned through mine. “I should’ve taken you this morning. Then maybe I wouldn’t be hard as a rock underneath this fuckin’ table right now,”

I could feel his mood shift immediately, and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Before I turned my attention to the person entering the room, I watched Archer erect the wall he’d torn down for me.

She wore a stylish red dress with gold zippers at the shoulders and sky high nude heels. For some reason, that alone pissed me off.  Red was Archer’s favorite color. She had to have known that. She seemed well put together. Perfect even. Her appearance made me feel a little insecure.

Ugh!

I hated feeling like that. I would not be intimidated by this woman. Archer was mine and I was his. Fuck this bitch. She took her seat directly in front of him.

“Hello, Archer.” Her menacing voice and the way she glared at him…like she owned him, made my skin crawl. I had the sudden urge to claw her eyes out.

Stop looking at him!

As if she could hear my wicked thoughts, her eyes shifted to mine. “And you are?”

The man to her right cleared his throat. “Let’s begin shall we?”

She held up one manicured finger, closing her eyes in irritation. “I’m the one paying you so we begin when I say,” Opening her eyes, she looked at Archer.  “I would like to know who this woman is and why she’s here.”

Archer reached for my shaking hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the ring on my finger. “She’s my fiancé. And for the record, I’m paying him so
I
decide when we begin. And I say let’s get this shit over with.”

“Wow, you mean you actually found someone to marry your broke ass?”

My mouth fell open with a gasp and I fixed it to retaliate, but Archer squeezed my hand and shook his head. He knew exactly what she was doing.

Her eyes swung back to mine and a malicious grin tarnished her pretty face. She was pretty alright, up until she opened that god awful mouth. “He’ll be poor when he leaves here today. Will you want him then?”

“Absolutely,” I answered immediately. Lifting my chin, I reassuringly squeezed Archer’s hand beneath the table.

He dropped  his impassive face long enough to give me a smile then turned to stone as he looked back at her. “Happy? Now can we get on with it?” His patience was thinning.  I could hear it in his voice.

For the next hour and a half, I sat and listened as three years of marriage and a shit load of money were dumped onto the table. From what I gathered, Archer had already sold his homes in Colorado, Vegas, New York, and Texas. The amount awarded to her from those sales was staggering. Because the island had been inherited from his grandparents, Archer had sold it to Holden for just $1, but he agreed to pay her for half of what it sold for. She was seething mad about that. He’d also sold his half of The Red Door to Sugar, and agreed to pay her half the sale of it as well, which wasn’t very much. No way could she ever spend that much money in a lifetime. When it was all said and done, aside from his house, the bar back home, and his last name, she walked away with everything.