A Contract for His Runaway Bride

Elodie linked her arms around his neck, the thrill of his lips and tongue against hers sending her pulse racing off the charts all over again. He entered her body with a deep thrust that sent shockwave after shockwave of pleasure through her. His movements were slow at first, but he gradually increased his pace, driving her closer and closer to the point of no return.

The tension built in her body—the delicious tension that incorporated each and every piece of intricate tissue and muscle in her feminine flesh. She arched her pelvis to seek more friction, wanting more, needing more, aching for more. He slipped his hand between their bodies and caressed her swollen flesh, sending her over the edge within seconds. The orgasm rippled through her in smashing, crashing, tumbling waves, sending her senses into a whirlpool of earth-shattering ecstasy.

Lincoln followed her with his own release, the vigorous pumping action of his body sending another wave of tumultuous pleasure through her slick and swollen flesh. He gave a guttural groan and pitched forward over her, giving a whole-body shudder as he spilled his essence.

It was not often Elodie was rendered speechless, but her body was so acutely aware of every part of his where it touched her. The aftershocks were still rumbling through every inch of her flesh, and her heart was hammering against his chest where it was pressed against hers. The physical bliss was unlike any she had experienced with anyone else. And she knew without a doubt that even if she went on to have dozens of subsequent partners no one would ever be able to draw from her such a mind-blowing response.

The realisation of what lay ahead of her once their six months were up—the aching loneliness, the emptiness of shallow going-nowhere relationships—almost made her cry. Almost.

She bit down on her lower lip and squeezed her eyes closed over the sting of tears. She had no right to be upset. She had agreed to the terms and was already enjoying the benefit of them. Her bank account was full of money. More money than she had ever dreamed to see there. Luxury fabrics were on order, due to arrive this week. The studio was just about up and running. She had dozens of sketches in her workbooks and on her laptop. She had staff interviews set up in the coming days. Promotional work to see to...interviews and planning meetings. She even had clients waiting for her to design for them—not just Elspeth and Nina, but other friends and acquaintances.

Her dream was finally coming to fruition and she wanted to cry? She had to get a grip on herself. Emotions and business didn’t mix, right? That was Lincoln’s mantra and it had to be hers.

It had to be. Otherwise she would get her heart smashed to pieces.

Lincoln rolled her over so she was lying face to face with him on her side. He propped himself up on one elbow and stroked his other hand down the slope of her cheek, his frowning eyes searching hers. ‘What’s wrong?’

She forced her lips into a tight smile and rolled away, sitting upright and tossing her hair back over one shoulder. ‘Don’t mind me. I’m just trying to recover from having multiple orgasms for the first time in seven years.’

He sat up and shuffled over so he was sitting beside her on the bed. One of his hands stroked down the length of her spine—a warm, soothing stroke that loosened each and every vertebra.

‘If it’s any comfort, I’m a little shell-shocked too.’

He bent his head and planted a soft kiss to the top of her shoulder, the touch of his lips making her skin tingle.

‘More than a little, actually.’

Elodie turned her head to meet his blue-green gaze. She lifted her hand to his face and traced the prominent line of each of his eyebrows. ‘That’s good. I’d hate to be the only one feeling dazzled.’

He slid his hand under the curtain of her hair and brought his mouth down to just above hers. ‘That’s what you do best, sweetheart. Dazzle.’

And he closed the distance between their mouths with a blistering kiss.

***

It was almost two weeks later when Morag returned to work. Elodie was due home first, as Lincoln was flying back from a meeting in Dublin later that night. He’d asked her to go with him and stay a couple of extra days, but she’d declined, citing another staff interview as well as working on her designs for Nina and helping Elspeth prepare for her wedding.

She was determined to keep her career her main focus. Dropping everything to follow Lincoln around the globe was not going to build her career to the level she desired. If he’d been disappointed with her declining his invitation, he hadn’t shown it. But then, why would he? He wasn’t in love with her. The arrangement he had with her was temporary. Once their marriage was over he would move on with his playboy lifestyle as if nothing had changed.

Morag was already ensconced in the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist and a wooden spoon in her hand. ‘Lincoln told me to take a few more days off but I wanted to get back to work.’ She stirred the mixture in the bowl in front of her and added gruffly, ‘Thanks for helping me the other night.’

‘I was worried about you. Are you feeling better now?’

‘I’m fine. I just have to adjust my diet a bit.’ Morag gave her a sheepish glance and added, ‘No more cookies and chocolate.’

Elodie pulled out one of the bar stools next to the kitchen island and perched on it, wrapping her ankles around the legs. ‘Gosh, I can’t remember the last time I had a cookie or chocolate.’

Morag frowned. ‘Is that because you’re always dieting...because of modelling and all?’

‘No, not really. It’s because I never had them growing up. It was too risky having them in the house because of my twin’s nut allergy.’

Morag met her gaze across the width of the bench. ‘There’s something I want to talk to you about...’

The hesitancy in the older woman’s tone was unusual, not to mention her expression. Normally so brisk and forthright, and always wearing a frown, this time she had a worried look on her face.

‘When you were looking for my insulin...’ She swallowed convulsively and continued, ‘I noticed the bottom drawer wasn’t closed properly...that things were shifted around in there...’

‘Why did you keep it?’ Elodie decided to get straight to the point.