Marry Me, Mr. Sanders!

THE WEDDING

SAM

I'm wearing a chic white dress that's a bit see-through. It's not your typical wedding dress. It's off-shoulder and fits tightly to my body, showing the curve of my chest. I didn't hire a makeup artist because as a model, I'm used to doing my own makeup. I left my long hair loose with soft curls at the front. I didn't need a fancy wedding dress, so I settled for something simple. It's not like I'm marrying for love. If I'm unlucky, this marriage might only last three months.

I checked my appearance in the mirror again. This is why many say I'm the nation's fantasy due to my natural beauty. And if there's one person who won't even bother to glance at me, it's Knoxx—my soon-to-be "husband." He's angry with me, and he likely won't touch me on our wedding night. He's not willing to consummate our marriage, which he made clear when we met again a week ago at a restaurant. He didn't even invite me to have dinner with him.

When I went to that restaurant, I thought we'd have dinner and talk about our wedding. I was hungry when I met with him, rushing over when one of his staff messaged me, thinking we'd be eating together. When I arrived, someone greeted me and led me to a table a bit secluded from the other customers. I saw him having dinner, possibly with business partners. I could hear their loud laughter. I was getting annoyed that he still hadn't come over. My stomach had been growling for a while, and I had already finished the water in front of me.

I was about to leave when he suddenly came over. He sat in front of me and told me he altered the contract—of course, in his favor. I just nodded because my brain wasn't processing what he was saying due to hunger. I got even more irritated when he made it clear we wouldn't live as a real married couple. And as his wife, I had to stay under his control so he could monitor my every move. But the public wouldn't know about it.

My eyes narrowed as he left without even offering me water. But I didn't let him get to me, and instead of leaving, I called the waiter and ordered food. I then sent him away. I quietly ate in the corner. Luckily, the restaurant wasn't crowded, so I wasn't recognized. I didn't look in their direction as I ate, but I could see from the corner of my eye that he was glancing at me. Since then, we haven't spoken or seen each other.

I left the house and drove my new 2024 Hummer EV SUV to the hotel where our wedding was to be held. I didn't invite anyone except Lance, who said he was already at the hotel. Everyone outside the hotel stared as I stepped out of the new model vehicle. I was holding the white rose bridal bouquet my florist friend made for me. No one would have guessed it was my wedding today because I wasn't wearing a wedding dress. People probably thought I was attending someone else's wedding as a bridesmaid. Some were secretly taking pictures as I entered the hotel. I wasn't surprised—being an event stealer is second nature to me. It's not my fault I was born beautiful and sexy.

When I entered the venue, as expected, there weren't many people. Carl, Knoxx's best friend, was also there. Lance greeted me. "Why are you so late? Your groom is furious," he whispered. "I'm sorry, traffic," I lied.

"I thought you weren't coming," Lance said as he hugged me tightly, as if he were worried and warning me about what I was getting into. I patted his shoulder. "I'm okay, don't worry," I reassured him.

Carl cleared his throat. "Well, the bride's here. I guess we can start now."

I looked at Knoxx, who was staring intensely at me. I couldn't tell if his eyes held irritation or admiration. I walked up to him, but he didn't say a word. We stood side by side as the judge officiated our wedding. I didn't realize the ceremony was almost over until the judge declared us officially married and said, "You may kiss the bride." That's when I snapped back to reality.

He leaned in, and to my surprise, kissed me fiercely. It was passionate, and he didn't care that people were watching. This wasn't what I expected from him. Was this punishment for being late on our wedding day? He left my mouth agape, and I knew my face was flushed red from what he did. "Next time you wear that kind of dress, I'll rip it off and fuck you hard," he whispered to me, making my body even hotter. I didn't expect this. Just a week ago, he said he couldn't even bear to touch the tip of my finger.

"Long live the newlyweds!" Carl suddenly shouted, breaking the tension. The people in the room clapped.

"Congratulations, Mr. Sanders," the judge shook hands with Knoxx before turning to me. I forced a smile even though my knees were shaking. We weren't making eye contact, obviously avoiding each other. One by one, the guests approached me and introduced themselves.

"Oops, wait. Let's take a picture for remembrance," Carl interrupted, and everyone immediately complied. I've been to many photoshoots, but this was the tensest one I've ever experienced. The last photo was of just me and Knoxx, and Carl was clearly teasing us.

KNOXX

She was an hour late. This was the first time a woman had made me wait, and it happened at my own wedding. I was furious and wanted to cancel the wedding, but Carl kept calming me down.

"Bro, she'll come. Lance, her rumored boyfriend, is here." Lance—if he loves Samantha, why would he let her marry someone else?

The door suddenly opened, and an angel appeared. Yes, she's damn beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off her. My earlier anger turned into nervousness, but I got mad again when I saw her greet Lance, and they hugged. Carl must have noticed because he interrupted their intimate moment.

Samantha walked toward me slowly as we stared at each other. She was holding a bouquet of white roses, and she wasn't wearing a wedding dress, but she looked stunning in what she had on—it suited the shape of her body perfectly. I swallowed hard when I saw her full chest, and I wanted to cover her up from those lusting after her. To hide the rising heat inside me, we both faced the judge.

The ceremony continued without me realizing it. "You may kiss the bride," the judge said at the end. We turned to face each other, and she clearly couldn't make direct eye contact. I grabbed her waist, pulling her close to my body, and kissed her passionately. It probably lasted a minute, but she didn't kiss me back. Maybe she was shocked by my actions.

"Next time you wear that kind of dress, I'll rip it off and fuck you hard," I whispered to her, making her melt even more, though I kept my hand on her waist. I didn't know why I said that, but all I knew was I wanted to claim her. Yes, call me crazy. I already told her our boundaries, but my body wasn't cooperating, especially since I just married the sexiest woman in the country.

We hadn't spoken since then, both of us feeling things out and going with the flow of events.