The Bridal Agreement

Chapter 20

❀ Keith's POV

My eyes flutter open slowly, darkness slapping me in the face. I try to remember what had happened but my mind's a bit hazy. The first thing that comes to mind is the woman I just had the most mind-blowing sex with.

I smile lazily, reaching beside me to feel for her body, but find nothing. I quickly sit up on the bed, immediately feeling hurt and betrayed.

"Noelle?" I call out, trying to sound calm.

"I'm right here" I hear her say.

My eyes adjust to the darkness in the room, thanks to the moon shining through the open window. She's sitting on the opposite side of the bed, her back resting against the headboard.

"God, don't do that" I sigh. "I thought you'd left because of...".

I stop when I see she's not looking at me.

"Hey, did something happen? Did I do anything wrong? Did I hurt yo...".

"Calm down" she chuckles. "You didn't hurt me, in any way".

"So then wh...".

"I threw up ten minutes ago and I'm just waiting for my stomach to settle, and the hangover to hit".

I chuckle and shake my head.

"Come here" I say, holding out my hand to her.

She smiles and takes it before I tug her beside me on the bed.

"If the hangover hits, we'll just have more sex" I whisper.

She laughs and moves closer to me, still keeping her back against the headboard. My hands slide underneath the hem of the shirt she has on and I caress her flat stomach.

"Is it wrong to want my shirt back right now?" I ask.

"You're shameless, Keith" she laughs again.

"You bring out the best in me" I smirk.

She chuckles. I sit up again and the covers fall lower, exposing my naked torso. She stiffens a little and I smirk. Before I can tempt her anymore, she speaks up.

"What are we going to do about the contract? What do we tell your family?".

My face falls.

"I thought you asked me not to talk about this. So what makes you think you're allowed to talk about this?".

She shifts her weight to face me.

"Keith, we signed a contract. We've broken every single rule...".

"Do you regret it?".

"Of course not Keith" she replies, looking deeply into my eyes. "No one makes me feel the way you do and nobody is ever going to make love to me the way you just did".

My heart swells.

"So what's the matter?" I ask.

She sighs.

"What am I supposed to tell my family? That I was kidnapped and I fell in love so I couldn't come back? I can't leave you, Keith. Not now, not ever. But I can't also keep all of this away from my family...".

"So don't" I tell her. "We'll tell them the truth...".

"That we faked a marriage?".

"No, that a fake marriage turned out to be a real one for us".

"What are you talking about?" she asks.

I take her hand.

"I don't want to lose you, Noelle. No way" I confess. "You mean the world to me and I want to make you happy, every day".