Chapter 9: Ravioli Confrontation

ALICE

“I’m sorry.”

Gideon sat at the head of the dining table, putting mushroom ravioli on his plate. His eyebrows rose. “Sorry, about what?” he asked, putting the spoon back into the ravioli dish.

“For telling you to fire Helga and all. I was way out of line, so I’m sorry,” I replied, fiddling with my necklace.

Gideon chuckled. “That’s all right. I just found out that you’ve got quite a temper. I didn’t know that before I married you, so it’s all right,” he told me.

I sighed in relief before taking a seat next to Gideon at the dining table. “If you’d known that I had a temper before you married me, would you still have chosen me as your wife?” I asked.

“Yes,” Gideon said without hesitation.

“Why?” I inquired. I really wanted to know why Gideon chose me as his bride.

Gideon didn’t answer my question. Instead he raised the fork filled with ravioli to his mouth and took a bite, chewing the food slowly before swallowing.

I stared at him, transfixed, watching as his throat moved when pushing the food down. It was strangely erotic. Either that or I was being hormonal.

“Well?” I really wanted an answer to my question.

“Well what?” Gideon asked, as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

“Don’t act clueless. Why did you choose to marry me?”

“Because I could,” he replied, looking down at his plate, playing with his food a little before taking another bite of ravioli.

“That’s not an answer!” I slammed my hands on the table, causing the plates and glasses to make a clanging sound.

“That’s all you’re going to get,” he responded, not looking the least bit fazed by my outburst.

“Look, I’m your temporary wife, but still I’m your wife. I should know why you chose me when you could’ve chosen from hundreds of beautiful, rich women,” I argued.

“And because you’re my temporary wife is why I’m not going to tell you why I chose you over the others,” Gideon stated.

I glared at him, and in response, he winked at me. He fucking winked! Growling in frustration, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and sat back in the chair, cursing myself for not being a mind reader.

“Eat your dinner, little peach,” Gideon said.

“No,” I grumbled.

Gideon sighed. “Are we back to that again? You want me to feed you?

“By the way, when I said that if you didn’t eat lunch by the time I came home you would have to face serious consequences, I meant that you’d have to face serious consequences,” Gideon told me.

“Oh? And what are the serious consequences that I’m going to face?” I asked in a mocking tone.

“You won’t see your brother for a whole month,” he answered, staring me dead in the eyes.

I swallowed hard as my eyes bugged out of their sockets. He was not serious. He could not be serious. He would not keep me from seeing my brother.

“You wouldn’t.” I wouldn’t let him do that to me.

“I just did. Nico is going to come here after a month now, and if you argue with me, I’m going to extend his stay at Kieran’s place. Your choice, little dove,” Gideon stated.

“Gideon, don’t do this, anything but this,” I pleaded. It was bad enough that Nico was under Kieran’s watch for two weeks, but now he was going to stay with Kieran for a month!

“I might reduce it to three weeks if you eat your dinner like a good little girl,” Gideon said.

“And if I refuse?” I was just asking because I wanted to know what he planned to do if I did not eat my dinner.

“Then Nico is going to stay with Kieran for two months and you won’t be allowed to have any sort of contact with him,” Gideon answered but did not stop eating his ravioli.

Shock stole my ability to speak for a few seconds. I just gaped at my husband while he continued eating. He did not even bat an eyelash after delivering his evil consequences.

How easily he told me that if I didn’t eat dinner he wouldn’t let me have any contact with my brother, and Kieran said they weren’t cruel.

Yeah, right!

Not cruel my ass!

“That’s not fair!” I cried, throwing my hands in the air.

“All’s fair in marriage and war,” Gideon replied.

“It’s love and war,” I corrected, but it made no difference.

“Same difference.” He was really starting to piss me off.

“You’re not nice. I thought you were nice, but you’re not,” I said to Gideon.

Gideon laughed. “Little one, I can be a very nice person, but when you act like a stubborn little brat, then I’m going to be very mean, and, little fairy, you have no idea how mean I can really be.” Now he was scaring me.

Taking my plate, Gideon quickly filled it up with ravioli. Pushing the plate toward me, Gideon put the fork on the plate before gesturing for me to eat it.

“I’m not hungry. I just had lunch a few hours ago,” I whined.

“Do you love your brother, little peach? It looks like you don’t, because, with the way you’re acting, I might be forced to extend Nico’s stay at Kieran’s place for a whole year.”

Why was he doing this? What did I do to deserve this? I only wanted money for my brother’s surgery, but it looked like Gideon’s threats and punishments were included as a fucking bonus!

“Gideon,” I whined.

“Finish it up, and then we’ll go for five rounds of sex. Hurry up, little fairy. We don’t have all night,” Gideon stated.

My eyes widened. “Five rounds?” What was he, a machine?

“You want more?” Gideon asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“No, five is too much. I can’t handle that,” I complained.

“Well, that’s why I’m telling you to eat dinner. You’re going to need your energy,” Gideon responded.

“Are you crazy?! I’m not going to have sex with you five bloody times! I’m a human, not a machine, which you so outrageously believe,” I shot back.

“You are going to have sex five times. I paid for it,” Gideon stated.

It felt like my world stopped after hearing him utter those words. Had he just called me a whore? Was this what I was reduced to? From being his temporary wife, I was now his whore?

“Did you just call me a whore?” I wanted to confirm that I was not misunderstanding anything here.

Gideon rose from his chair, and after taking a couple of steps, he came and stopped right in front of me. Putting his hands on the armrests, Gideon bent low until his face was level with mine.

“Yes, you are a whore,” he told me before leaning his face forward and pressing his lips first to my cheek and then to my lips. “My whore,” he finished.

Before I could process my actions, my hand rose and struck Gideon on the cheek. Pushing him away, I stood up from my chair and took a few steps back to create some space between us.

“I’m not a whore! I only married you because I wanted money for my brother’s surgery. If you think that I’m a whore because of this, then you are the most despicable man on the face of this bloody planet!

“If I were a whore, I would’ve had enough money for Nico’s surgery by selling my body to random men, but no, I chose to keep my virtue and my self-respect, only because I wanted to show the world that, no matter what happened, I would not succumb to prostitution.

“I wanted my husband to know that his wife was and is a respectable woman.

“I would wash people’s feet and feed their pigs, but I would never sell my body, so don’t you dare call me a whore!” I shouted at Gideon, tears blurring my vision.

I thought Gideon would apologize for calling me a whore, but he didn’t. He just strode toward me and kissed me so hard I feared my lips would bruise.

“You wanna know something, little fairy? I love this side of you, this angry, vicious side. And I think I’ll piss you off more often, because I thoroughly enjoy seeing those green eyes blazing with fire,” Gideon stated, kissing my lips.

Even though I didn’t believe it, I managed to push Gideon away. “You’re sick,” I spat.

“And you’re my whore,” he responded with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Don’t call me that. I’m warning you, Gideon,” I gritted out.

“Or what? You are my whore. I’m paying you a million pounds after all. You should spread those thighs whenever I command,” Gideon taunted, fueling my anger.

“You’re calling me a whore, fine, then I’ll act like one,” I said before turning on my heels and making a mad dash out of the dining room.

Running out of the house, I looked around for the chauffeur before spotting him going inside his cabin. From behind me, I could hear Gideon’s footsteps pounding on the marble floor.

Before he could reach me, I sprinted toward the cabin where the chauffeur had disappeared. Once I reached the cabin, I threw open the door and barged inside.

Closing the door, I slid the lock into place before turning around and facing the chauffeur.

He was lying on the sofa, which was against one wall. The sofa was facing the TV, which was against the opposite wall. A coffee table was placed in front of the couch.

He had shaggy brown hair and soft brown eyes. He had a nice face, but not a handsome face, with symmetrical features, except for the nose, which was crooked.

He jumped to his feet. “Madam, is everything all right? Would you like me to take you somewhere?” he asked.

“What’s your name?” I asked, breathing heavily.

“Bernard, madam,” he answered.

“Well, Bernard, I want you to take off your clothes,” I told him. I was too far-gone to let sanity interfere with what I was doing.

Bernard stared at me in confusion. “Pardon me, madam?”

“I said take off your clothes,” I repeated.

Suddenly, loud banging erupted throughout the cabin. “Alice, open the door this instant!” Gideon shouted from the other side.

“No, I’m a whore. Let me do what I do best.” I turned to Bernard, who looked at me as if I were an alien from another planet. “What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes.”

I went to him and began to unbutton his shirt, while Bernard stood frozen.

Just as I freed the last button and pushed the red shirt off of Bernard’s shoulders, the door tore off its hinges and flew to one side of the cabin. Gideon stormed inside, looking livid, his sea-green eyes burning with fury.

Before I uttered a word, Gideon yanked me away from Bernard and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Without a word, Gideon stormed out of the cabin. I kept on punching on the back and kicking him, but it had no effect on him.

Once he entered the castle, Gideon glided up the stairs and into our bedroom. Throwing me on the bed, Gideon proceeded to remove his clothing, a task he accomplished in less than ten seconds.

I sat up on the bed, my heart pounding with fear as I took note of the fury burning in Gideon’s eyes. I was scared as to what he was going to do now.

“Remove your panties and spread your legs, Alice,” Gideon told me, standing before me completely naked.

“Gideon, I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“Tell me something, little dove. Did you touch him? Did you kiss him?” Gideon questioned, his eyes hard.

I shook my head rapidly. “No, I swear I didn’t. I’m sorry, Gideon. I swear I wasn’t going to do anything with him. I was angry…” I trailed off.

Gideon crawled on the bed until I was lying under him. “Did you read the contract carefully, little peach?” Gideon queried, cupping my cheek.

“Yes,” I whispered, afraid as to where this was going.

“Then you must have read the clause that stated that, in this span of twelve months in which we would be married, you are not allowed to cheat on your husband,” he said.

“Yes, but, Gideon, I did not cheat on you. I swear,” I told him, begging him to believe me.

“But you attempted to cheat on me,” he stated, his voice eerily soft.

“I was angry,” I justified.

“So you were angry and you planned to cheat on me, and now I’m angry, little one. Do you think you can handle that?” Gideon asked.

My heartbeat accelerated at hearing Gideon’s words. Oh God, please don’t let him hurt me, please.

“Gideon, I’m sorry.”

Taking a hold of my dress, Gideon ripped the material in half, baring me to him. Throwing the torn dress aside, Gideon yanked my bra and panties off me, leaving me naked and at his mercy.

Cupping my sex, Gideon leaned forward. “This belongs to me,” he gritted out, glaring at me. “Say it. Say this belongs to me.”

“It’s yours,” I said.

For a year.

Grabbing my breast with his other hand, Gideon gave it a squeeze. “This belongs to me. Say it,” Gideon ordered.

“It’s yours.” I was so terrified of Gideon in this moment.

For a year.

Gideon ran his eyes over my bare body. “All of this belongs to me. It’s mine. Say it,” Gideon ordered once again.

“It’s yours,” I told him.

For a year.

Removing his hand from my sex, Gideon wrapped his arms around my waist and lay down on top of me, putting his head just below my breast.

For a long time, neither of us said anything, my heart and mind anticipating Gideon’s next move.

“You are a handful,” Gideon said after ten minutes. “You are going to make this one hell of a year,” he added. I wasn’t sure whether he was complaining or complimenting me.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. And I was. I was feeling awful about what I’d done.

Gideon shook his head, his hair tickling my bare skin. “You should be,” he replied.

“I am,” I told him.

He still had his arms around me like a vise. “You are not going to do anything like this ever again,” he stated.

I tangled my fingers in his hair, feeling the softness. “Don’t worry. I won’t,” I assured him.

“You better not, because, the next time you do something like this, I will ruin your life and will have you licking my feet for the rest of your existence,” Gideon threatened, causing my heart to clench in dread.

“It’s just a year, Gideon. Then you’ll be free of me,” I told him.

“If you do something like this again, little dove, then you’ll be begging me for mercy even after our contract and this marriage is over,” Gideon said.

“I promise. I won’t do anything like this again,” I reassured him.

“Good, make sure you don’t.”

“Does that mean I’m not a whore?” ~Please let him say that I’m not a whore.~ I hated that word.

“You are a whore,” Gideon responded, tightening his arms around me, causing tears to prick my eyes. “But you are my whore and my wife, not anyone else’s, just mine, all mine,” he said.

I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Gideon, can you let me go? I’m getting uncomfortable,” I requested.

“No,” he deadpanned.

“How long are you going to hold me for?” I asked, wriggling under him to get into a slightly more comfortable position.

Gideon’s answer made my heart flutter with happiness and something else that I wasn’t sure of.

“For as long as I want.”