Marriage Of Convenience

Chapter 9

Sebastian Hernandez

The palace was filled with the most influential people in the world. Politicians, Businessmen, World class CEO's, Leaders of various countries who have an alliance with us. The media called the wedding 'The biggest wedding of the century", "The most romantic and luxurious union known to the mankind"

But most of them knew what this was.

A obligation.

A duty.

A trade.

Standing in front of these people I wonder how many of them had to go through this bullshit. How many successfully got out of their facades of marriages.

I force down a frown threatening to appear on my face. What the fuck is taking her so long?

My thoughts must have shown on my face because Riccardo smirks. "You've been here for just five minutes brother. Impatient much?"

I scoff and focus back on the other end of the aisle as the music starts playing.

Everyone turn their heads to stare at the bride. My bride. A collective gasps were taken as Clara slowly lifts her head and connects her eyes with mine.

Her dress swirled around her like a cloud as she walked down the aisle. Her blue eyes stood out as always but it was the way the bodice of the upper half of her dress moulded her breasts, waist and exposed her shoulders and cleavage that had me barely stifling a growl.

My eyes drop to her cleavage involuntarily and my eyes zero on the L' Incomparable. Even at her wearing my mothers jewelry couldn't have stopped my thoughts on how the bottom diamond touched the valley between her breasts. Or how soft and smooth her skin looked highlighting the necklace itself.

She was beautiful. Angelic even with that smile that looked so genuine it was hard to believe that in-fact she was forced into this.

Just as she reached me her eyes shut and she barely contained a wince as she turned and looked at her father. Tension filled my body when I dragged my eyes down to her hand which was turning red under the pressure Carlos applied. Red filled my vision as I took a step towards them.

I fucking warned him about not harming her and yet he dares to not only hurt her on our wedding day but also in front of me.

My murderous thoughts must be visible on my face because Vittorio places a hand on my shoulder, being the force that holds me back. The movement must have caught Carlos attention as he lifts his head and slightly pales at the look in my eyes.

I don't bother to cover my glare as I calculate ways to take him down. My father would be a pain in the ass but I could take out the gun in my trousers and shoot him right here or maybe I would ask Riccardo to kidnap this asshole and put him in the basement so that Vittorio can have his fun. Then I would enter the blood-soaked room and start with removing his hand out first, then his tongue-

My thoughts come to a screeching halt as a soft hand touches my forearm. I move my eyes to focus on Clara who gives me a tentative smile and slips hear hand into mine which was closed in a fist. I immediately relax it and pull her into my side forcing her father to let go of her hand.

Her lips part in a gasp as she stares at me in a way I don't comprehend. But that doesn't matter because up close she is even prettier than before, if that is  even possible.

She looks so fucking innocent and seductive at the same time. Aphrodite. That's what they called her and here she stands in front of me in her full glory, luring me in. Making it difficult to look away from those hypnotizing blue eyes.

The sound of the pastor clearing his throat breaks my trance and I turn my head to glare at him.

He swallows visibly and Riccardo smirks at me with his usual eat shitting grin on his face. My eyes move to my other brother who stares off at someone behind Clara.

I want to see who bought out that look in his eyes but it was as if my vision doesn't go beyond anyone or anything that is not my wife.

Alarm bells ring inside my head at the new found attraction that is obsessive, possessing and all too uncomfortable.

But the moment the ceremony starts and the pastors ramblings become distant murmurs, I stare at Clara and wonder how she really feels behind the mask of happy smiles and the look of something so soft I can't decipher.

That look gets under my nerves as I asses her. Her nervousness can be understood by the way her hand trembles in mine. But it is the only thing that gives her away.

She is strong.

I will give her that. But I wonder how will she handle what is about to come. The only thing I know about the future is that it is going to be a shitstorm. And even that would be underplaying it.

Dragging her into this would be unfair. She didn't ask for anything that is about to come. None of us did.

But I am going to protect her in a way no one ever did for us. No one ever did for her.

Because the moment I put my ring on her finger, she was bounded to me in a way that was more than just an arranged marriage. She is my responsibility now.

My wife.

Mine.

A small pressure on my hand brings me back to the present. Her eyes are wide as she tilts her head subtly towards the pastor.

"Do you Sebastian Hernandez take Clara Diaz to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until you are parted by death?"

Making sure my voice comes off in my usual gruff tone I speak with out any expression on my face. "I do." Clara's smiles blossoms and my heart stops at the sight even knowing that it is all just an act.

"Do you Sebastian Hernandez take Clara Diaz to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until you are parted by death?" I narrow my eyes as unwanted thoughts enter my mind.

She could say no.

She could have a admirer who will stop her and would be dead the very next second-

"I do." Her immediate response eases my nerves and I tighten my palm around hers.

As I stare at her I wonder if developed some sort of selective hearing because the next thing I hear is- "You may now kiss your bride."

I don't miss a beat as I cup her cheek and bend down to put my mouth on hers.

The moment my lips touch hers, I realize that I am completely and utterly fucked.

All thoughts fly out of my mind as I slip my tongue into her mouth. Groaning at the taste of her I pull my body flush against hers. She tries to match me stroke for stroke but I am hungry. Ravenous even.

For her.

I tried so hard to forget the imprint of these lips on my cheek. And now the very lips that have been tormenting me are right in front of me.

Against me.

I don't care if this is not a PG-13. I can't stop kissing her. Branding her as mine. Savouring her taste.

I hear hoots and cat calls from everyone around us but for the first time in my life I am distracted.

My head is clear.

No other thoughts of future or past are weighing down on me.

And that's how I realised that I can't afford that.

Afford this. Her. Losing my mind.

But before I can pull away, I hear a pop and my wife jerks against me.

Her body goes slack in my arms and once I pull away all I see is red.