The Reluctant Wife: A Bodyguard – Princess Marriage of Convenience Romance (The Davenports Book 4)

‘Yes, I was alone with him in the safehouse. So what?’ I slap my hands on my hips and stare at Gavin.

‘So what?’ His expression darkens. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at him.’

I blink slowly. My fiancé is not the most intelligent person on this planet. So, if even he picked up on the vibes between Ryot and me and felt the need to confront me about it within hours of meeting us, it means I’m going to struggle to keep a lid on whatever happened between us. Not that I want to. Given a choice, I’d dump Gavin and pursue this…whatever it is with Ryot. It feels too premature to call it a relationship, considering we only fucked.

Yes, I’ve begun to call it fucking, rather than making love, in the hope that it will make it feel more impersonal. Not that it’s helped. I haven’t been able to forget how it felt to be below him, surrounded by him, his body heat holding me in thrall and his dick pinning me to the ground, his gaze searing me, looking deeply into my soul, such that I know I’ve changed forever.

I avert my eyes because I can’t trust that my emotions won’t show on my features. I thought I learned to hide my true feelings, thanks to the time I’ve spent evading the media and putting on a face in front of them so they never see what I’m truly going through, but being with Ryot has stripped me of the barriers I normally throw up between myself and the world. Being with him has made me feel more vulnerable. Enough that I’m no longer confident I have it in me to hide my true sentiments. I walk over to the mirror and survey myself.

Thanks to the clothes and, even more importantly, the make-up Veronica delivered, I feel suitably dressed for the evening.

She told me Ryot arranged it. Once more, he was thoughtful about my needs. More reason for me to feel awful for not having told him about my engagement.

Not that I’m sorry for the memories I now have. Will it be enough to last a lifetime, though? I take in the forlorn look on my face. Perhaps not. But I’ll have to deal with it. I’m strong enough to do that. Aren’t I?

‘Aurelia…’ Gavin comes up to stand behind me. ‘Do you have feelings for him?”

I spin around and frown at him. There’s a strange expression on his face as he scrutinizes my features. “Do you?”

I pretend to laugh. “What are you talking about?”

He searches my eyes, and a look of understanding comes into his eyes. “You do… have feelings for him.”

“Gavin, I—” I want to lie to him, but can’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I look away, then back at him. “You’re right. I do.’

He flinches. ‘I suppose, it was bound to happen.’ His mouth turns down. ‘I hoped we had a real chance. One where we’d get married and, perhaps, even fall in love.’ His gaze turns contemplative. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that I’d never have a chance with someone as beautiful and as bright as you.”noveldrama

“Oh, Gavin,” I gasp.

I didn’t think he had this level of self-awareness.

He straightens his spine. The expression on his features is more resolute. He looks older. More mature. Not as sniveling. Not as much of a gutless twat that I’d defined him as.

“I kept trying to reach out to you, to find a way to hold your attention. To perhaps, even try to woo you, but I was hopelessly out of my depth,” he rubs at the back of his neck.

I shift my weight from foot to foot, “You shouldn’t blame yourself. We were both pawns in the plan our fathers had to benefit their agendas. I did it for my country. I thought I could put my own feelings aside for the sake of the future of my people, but then, I met Ryot and—” I wring my fingers, not sure how much to reveal. I don’t want to rub in the fact that I have such powerful feelings for Ryot.

Once again, Gavin surprises me, for a shrewd look—one I did not think him to be capable of—comes into his eyes. “He swept you off your feet.”

I blink. “Umm… Uh… It’s just that— “ I hesitate; my training as a princess means I can’t let myself be this heartless.

Yet, I didn’t tell Ryot about my upcoming nuptials. I can tell myself it’s because I thought he already knew, but that’s just an excuse. I never made sure he knew because it was easier to justify what I wanted to do already. That was so out of character for me. Was I so affected by him that I forgot all of my principles and decided I had to have him, even if I hurt him in the process? How could I have done that?

As I struggle with my thoughts, he holds up his hand. “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

His muddy brown eyes glint with a kind of resolve I haven’t seen on his face before.

I blink at his more confident demeanor. This version of Gavin is a far cry from the complaining, spoiled persona he’s adopted thus far. A frisson of unease crawls up my spine.

“And you…” I observe him carefully. “You’re not⁠—”

“The lily-levered, blithering, wimp I led you to believe?” His lips twist. “I figured the only way I had of forming a relationship with you was to act weak. I hoped to play on your emotional need to be the one who takes care of me⁠—”

“—until you were controlling me?” Understanding dawns on me.

“You think you’re so smart. You thought you could go behind my back and sleep with someone else, and I wouldn’t notice? You didn’t realize I was the one who was manipulating you all along. If you think I’m giving up my chance at marrying into royalty and getting a title, you’re wrong.”

Oh, my god. Just my luck that my wimp of a fiancé turns out to be a narcissistic, greedy, ass.

“I believe I might have underestimated you,” I say carefully.

“Enough to sleep with your bodyguard while avoiding my calls,” he says in a hard voice, which is very un-Gavin-like. Strike that. This is the real Gavin. The man who whined and moaned, and acted like he didn’t have a backbone never existed.

The silence stretches. My skin prickles with unease. “I do not owe any explanations to you for any relationships I had before the wedding.”

“Oh?” He looks at me with curiosity, and something else in his eyes that amps up my discomfiture.

“Let’s call off this… sham of a wedding, and I’ll pretend you weren’t disrespectful to me.”

He inclines his head as if contemplating my words. “I have a better idea.” Something in his tone alerts me. My senses snap to attention.

“You do?” I strive for a casual tone.

He nods slowly, then cups my cheek. ‘Kiss me.’

My skin crawls where he’s touching me. ‘What?’ I cough, then take a step back so his hand drops away. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It was a simple request. I’m still your fiancé, and we haven’t even kissed.’

It didn’t sound like a request. I search his features and find he’s serious. A twinge of discomfort squeezes my belly. I thought Gavin was harmless. Now… I’m not so sure.

‘I thought we agreed, we didn’t care about that side of our relationship.’ I take another careful step back.

He follows me, crowding me. I swallow.

‘You didn’t care about it.” His gaze turns flinty. “I remember telling you that once we get married, I expect us to sleep together. And now you’ve fucked another man.’

I wince at the crudeness of his tone but decide it’s prudent not to respond. I badly want to flick my gaze at the door, but that would only alert him to my thoughts of escape, so I don’t.

‘Given we are still engaged, surely, you should give me a chance as well?” he says in a decisive voice, which again, I don’t recognize.

“A chance?” I frown. “What do you mean?”

“To fuck you.”

I reel back from the vehemence in his words. From the tension that colors the air.

I hurt his ego. And like any person who’s insecure, he hates losing face.

My only way out is to lean into the persona of the haughty princess I’ve perfected over the years. Don’t show how scared you are. You can handle this.

“Don’t speak to me like that,” I say in an icy tone.

His features turn ugly. “Ah, that virginal outrage. When you and I both know you’re not one anymore.”

“You’re crossing a line,’ I say in a low voice.

‘Did I say something wrong?” A hurt look joins the anger in his eyes. “Did you think I was stupid enough not to notice when I’m being cuckolded?”

I stay silent, not wanting to compound the situation further with my denial. Running from the truth is what landed me here in the first place. So, I’m done with that.

He curls his fingers into fists at his sides. “I demand to sample the goods I was promised.’

Just my luck that my ass of a fiancé turned out to be a narcistic idiot who wants retribution. ‘How dare you say something so crude?’

He looks me up and down in a way that makes my skin crawl. “The least I can get out of this is sex with my fiancée.’

Jesus, what have I gotten myself into? I don’t regret giving my virginity to Ryot, not one bit. And I will not let this asshole make me feel guilty for it. I realize now, I was wrong to sacrifice myself on the altar of my father’s wishes. If I’m not happy, how can I serve my country? Surely, my father wouldn’t want me to be sorrowful. Surely, he’ll understand why I can’t marry this… this wanker?

I tip up my chin and summon my haughtiest princess look possible.

‘I will not demean myself by entertaining this conversation further. My father is waiting for me downstairs. It’s best if I appraise him of the fact that our marriage is off. If you’ll excuse me.’ I brush past him and toward the bed, where I pick up my purse.

I take a step toward the door when he grabs my arm. He swings me around with enough force that I lose my balance and plonk down on the bed.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ I tug on my arm, but he only squeezes it harder. ‘You’re hurting me,’ My heart slams into my ribcage. ‘Let me go, you asshole.’ I kick out my leg, but he evades it with a litheness I would not have attributed to him.

How could I have misjudged him this badly?

I continue to thrash around, and when he leans his weight on me, I begin to panic in earnest.

My heart leaps into my throat. Adrenaline spikes my blood. I open my mouth to scream, when he’s pulled off of me.