Olivia

    “I bet he’s fucking incredible in bed,” Emilia continued, oblivious to my internal crisis. “He’s got that dominant energy, you know? Like he’d just throw you on the bed and fuck you until you can’t remember your own name.”

    “Emilia!” I gasped, but my body betrayed me with a rush of heat between my legs.

    “What? Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Those hands look like they know what they’re doing.”

    I couldn’t deny it. I had thought about it. Too much, if I were being honest with myself. Especially after that night in his bed, waking up with my body draped over his, feeling his hardness against my hip.

    “He probably has a huge cock too,” Emilia mused. “Rich guys always do.“.

    “That’s not even remotely true,” Iughed despite myself.

    “Fine, but Alexander definitely does. I can tell.”

    “How could you possibly tell that?”

    “It’s a gift,” she said solemnly. “And the way he walks. Confident men with big dicks walk a certain way.”

    “You’re insane,” I said, shaking my head.

    “Maybe,” she agreed cheerfully. “But I’m right. And when he’s pounding you into the mattress tonight, you’ll remember this conversation and think, ‘Damn, Emilia was right.“”

    The image shed unbidden in my mind: Alexander above me, his powerful body driving into mine, those intense eyes locked on my face as he fucked me relentlessly. His hands were gripping my hips, lifting me to meet each thrust. His voice was rough in my ear, telling me exactly what he was going to do to me. I could almost feel his breath against my skin, the heat of his body pressed against mine, and the delicious friction of his movements.

    I imagined his hands roaming over my body, squeezing my breasts, teasing my nipples until they hardened to painful peaks. His fingers would slide down to my clit, rubbing it in maddening circles until I was on the edge of begging for release. His cock, thick and unyielding, would stretch me open, filling mepletely. Each thrust would send shockwaves of pleasure through me, driving me closer to the brink.

    He’d lean in, his lips brushing against my ear as he growled out filthy promises. “You’re mine,” he’d say, his voice low andmanding. “I’m going to fuck you until you can’t think of anything but me.” His hands would tighten on my ass, pulling me closer, deeper, until there was no space left between us. The thought alone made my body ache with need, a desperate longing that I could barely contain.

    “I bet he’d pull your hair, Emilia said, as if reading my thoughts. “He seems like the type who likes control. Probably spanks

    too.”

    “Jesus, Em, I protested, but my nipples tightened at the thought,

    “What? Am I wrong?” She tilted her head. “Because your face says I’m not.”

    “We haven’t, I mean, we haven’t done that yet,” I admitted. We hadn’t done anything because there was nothing to do. Our rtionship was fake. But Emilia didn’t know that.

    “Seriously?” Her eyes widened. “You two haven’t fucked yet? With all that sexual tension? How are you not climbing him like

    b1/3 /b

    a tree?”

    I shrugged, unsure how to exin without revealing the truth. “We wanted to wait.”

    “Bullshit,” Emilia snorted. “No one waits anymore, especially not when they look at each other like they want to rip each other’s clothes off.”

    “We do not look at each other like that,” I protested.

    “You absolutely do. Like at O’Malley’s? When he showed up and practically dragged you iout /iof there? I thought you two were going to start fucking right in the bar.”

    My face heated at the memory. The way Alexander had looked that night, furious and possessive, had stirred something primal in me.

    “Look, all I’m saying is he’s going to love this,” Emilia said, gesturing to the negligee. “And it’s going to drive him fucking wild. Especially with your tits.”

    “What’s wrong with my breasts?” I asked defensively.

    “Nothing! They’re fantastic. And this,” she held up the negligee, “will make them look even better. He won’t be able to keep his hands off them.”

    The thought of Alexander’s hands on my breasts, his fingers teasing my nipples, his mouth…

    My face med as I shoved the lingerie back in the bag. “Let’s focus on getting through the wedding first, okay?”

    “Fine, but I expect details when you get back from your honeymoon.” She popped the champagne and poured us each a ss. “To new beginnings!”

    I clinked my ss against hers, ignoring the twist in my stomach. New beginnings built on lies.

    The morning passed in a whirlwind of activity. My mother arrived with my grandmother, both teary–eyed before we’d even started getting ready. The makeup artist and hairstylist Alexander had insisted on hiring, who transformed my apartment into a mini salon. By noon, my bridesmaids, Emilia, ire, and Ariana, had arrived, all bubbling with excitement and champagne.

    “I still can’t believe you’re marrying Alexander Carter,” ire said as she helped me into my dress. “The Alexander Carter.”

    “I know,” I said, watching in the mirror as she fastened the delicate buttons running down my spine. “It’s surreal.”

    The dress was a masterpiece of simplicity, an elegant A–line in ivory silk with a sweetheart neckline and minimal beading. Alexander had arranged for a famous designer ito /icreate it, despite my protests that something off–the–rack would be fine for our small ceremony.”

    But small had quickly be rtive when dealing with the Carters. What started as an intimate gathering had evolved into an exclusive event for 250 of Los Angeles‘ elite, held at the Carter estate’s private gardens.

    “You look absolutely beautiful, Mom said, tears welling in her eyes as she fastened my grandmother’s pearl ne around my neck. “Alexander is a lucky man.”

    Guilt twisted in my stomach. “Thanks, Mom.”

    “I knew from the moment I met him that he was different,” she continued, adjusting the ne. “The way he looks at you… it’s special.”

    I swallowed hard, unable to respond. Was there something in the way Alexander looked at me? Or was my mother seeing

    Cha