The Blackmail Marriage

chapter 5

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The much awaited Wedding

Jeremy Myalls arrived not long after Candice had left. "You look rather delectable." He took her hand in his and held it for a fraction too long. "Lucky Matheus."

"Shall we go?" she said, scooping up the single creamy rose the florist from downstairs had sent up prior to Jeremy's arrival. They went downstairs to where a white Mercedes was waiting. Marguerite smiled shyly at the hotel staff on the way past the front reception and slipped into the plush interior of the car, wondering if every bride felt the same trapped bird flutters of panic in her stomach as she travelled towards the destination of her wedding ceremony.

Her eyes went immediately to the tallest amongst them. Matheus was in a charcoal suit with a white shirt and silk tie, looking every inch the proud groom. He eyes clashed with his as she drew nearer, seeing the gleam of satisfaction reflected there as if he were congratulating himself on bringing about his particular form of revenge.

She gritted her teeth behind her small smile and took his hand as the celebrant drew the small crowd together to start the proceedings. Marguerite tried not to listen to the solemn words too much. She hated thinking about the false promises she was making nor did she wish to think about the way she was lying herself, albeit temporarily, to such a ruthless man as Matheus Karlsson. She kept reminding herself she was doing it to protect her brother, but as Matheus slipped the gold band on to her finger she felt a shiver of something unrecognisable go through her as if something elemental had just passed between them in that simple act.

She vaguely registered the celebrant's words for him to kiss the bride and her eyes fluttered closed as his head came lower, his breath caressing her up-titled face before his firm mouth came down to press against hers. She felt the soft stroke of his tongue, its movement in her mouth holding a sensual promise she found hard to ignore. She kept reminding herself he was doing it for the crowd's sake, but her own response had nothing whatsoever to do with the people watching and she wondered if he knew it.

"I now present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Matheus Karlsson," the celebrant announced proudly as Matheus broke the kiss. The small crowd went wild with applause and Marguerite found herself caught up in their enthusiasm, even smiling widely as several paparazzi cameras flashed in her face.

"You look beautiful." Matheus lowered his head to speak to her, his warm breath curling around her ear.

"Did I have you worried?" she asked with a spark spirit in her eyes as she looked up at him.

His gaze slipped to where the neck of her dress hinted at the soft curves of her breasts, lingering there for a moment before returning to her face.

"That dress would be wasted covering a window," he smiled a lazy half-smile. "And Im beginning to think it's a terrible waste covering your body as well."

She wasnt sure how to answer him. A part of her wished she had the sophistication to laugh off his flirtation comment, recognising it as the sort of the thing men say to women all the time, but another perverse little part of her wished he'd meant it sincerely.

"Come." He took her arm in his and led her to where the photographer is waiting. "We have some official photographs to do before the champagne begins to flow."

Marguerite walked alongside him, very conscious of the hard length of his thigh against hers as he held her close. She forced to smile to her lips as the photographer clicked his way through a series of shots, doing her best to look the part of the ecstatic bride while inside she was feeling increasingly apprehensive. Matheus in this lightly flirting mood was a danger to her carefully constructed defences and she knew she'd have to keep her wits about her to avoid being drawn even further into his orbit of charm.