The Contract With Her Father's Billionaire Rival-Chapter 46. Your Punishment.

Alaric was mad.

He could feel the rage seeping deep into his veins, crawling into his chest and taking complete charge of his head.

He hadn’t wanted to be this mad. As a matter of fact, he was willing to give Nicolette a chance to explain.

That was the least he could do. After all, she wasn’t his real wife, and he had no control over who she met or kissed.

But when he had realized who her guest was, anger had simmered in his veins.

Lucian Crawford.

She had invited her fucking betrothed husband to the wedding—their wedding!

But no, that was just the first phase of his anger.

The second phase had come when Lucian had openly flirted with her!

The act had spoken volumes without even trying.

Lucian had shown him he would always have Nicolette, and Alaric would always be the borrowed husband.

One year, and she would be back to him.

It had driven him mad, watching as Lucian bent over and whispered into his own wife’s ear.

Had Nicolette chuckled?

Had she moaned?

He couldn’t tell. By then, the anger was sitting pretty in his chest. Still, he could control it. He could use it to trigger some emotions from Nicolette.

Say something awful.

Say something demeaning. Anything to show how pissed he was, and she would crack.

But Nicolette didn’t crack as he had hoped. Instead, she tackled him, her voice sharp and remorseless.

And when she had admitted to meeting someone else, to giving her body to someone else—that did it.

The anger took over, and he just wanted to lash out.

His arousal had intensified the anger.

How could his dick be reacting to her body when he had just watched her kiss and flirt with someone else?!

The answer hit him almost immediately.

He was jealous!

Alaric Allens was jealous!

That was almost laughable.

He could have any woman in the world, yet he was jealous because one fucker had kissed this one.

This one with the brown eyes.

This one with the sharp mouth.

This one he wanted to explore all of her insides. To taste, to plunge his fingers in, to thrust his body in.

This one was his!

And yes, he had every right to be pissed.

The realization softened his anger slightly, and he looked at her.

He was pulling her down the hallway, easily.

Why wasn’t she fighting him?

And then he saw it.

A drop of tear on her cheek, her eyes downcast.

Guilt rippled through him, shredding away his anger.

He stopped, dropping her hand.

Shame settled inside him. His shoulders dropped, and he lowered his eyes.

"I... I’m sorry," he said, surrendering to the regret.

This wasn’t what he wanted to do.

He was just angry, and he had let the emotions take over him.

"Oh, don’t stop now," Nicolette said, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "Take me to the guests. Strip me down in front of them! Have them analyze my body!"

He shut his eyes to the image she painted.

Hell no.

Nobody was seeing that.

That body was all his.

"I’m sorry," he said, looking at her this time.

Her eyes were sharp, but he could see the hurt behind them, and his heart sank.

How did it get to this?

She huffed. "What happened suddenly? One minute you have awful things to say about me, the next minute you’re apologizing? Where is that dark Alaric who likes getting his way? Who thinks everything should revolve around him!"

Alaric didn’t say anything. He just let her vent. That was the least he could do. After all, he deserved this.

"God forbid I have a life!" Nicolette continued, her voice harsh and heavy, echoing in the hall. "God forbid an incident out of my control happens!"

"You brought your betrothed husband to our wedding," he blurted out.

"I didn’t!"

He looked at her, his heart squeezing at her lie. "So what? He just came in without an invite?"

"Yes!"

"That’s impossible!" he shot back, anger rising inside him. He knew he shouldn’t yell back, not after he had just apologized, but her lie was driving him crazy. "You want me to believe he just waltzed into my secured mansion just like that?"

"Yes!" she snapped.

"Well, sweetheart, I don’t believe you," he said, shaking his head.

He could feel the anger crawling up into his chest again, but he controlled it. He needed just enough to show her—never enough to consume him.

"Then don’t," she said with so much loathing in her voice. "Don’t. But don’t fucking think I invited that fucker here! I am not you!"

His brow lifted. "What do you mean by that?"

She folded her arms, her eyes shimmering with mockery. "Oh, now you don’t know what I mean? You invited that... your... your girlfriend to our wedding."

Ah. Violet.

He stepped closer. The guilt sank into his bones... but her scent, her closeness—it was setting something off in him. "Nope. That’s a different thing. I didn’t invite her, and she drugged me."

"She drugged you, but he didn’t force himself on me?" she asked, her eyes glistening with fury.

His eyes narrowed.

What was she trying to say?

"Did he try to..."

Her eyes softened for a moment before the anger returned. "You already concluded that I wanted him here, so..." she snarled.

"I didn’t know. I mean, I walk in on you kissing another man after you... you..." he trailed off, looking away. "I really did think a handjob was going to be enough for you today," he teased, trying to ease the tension.

Too soon.

She stormed toward him, and her palm connected with his cheek. "Fuck you!" she said and walked away.

She had done that twice today. Way more than he had ever received.

He knew he deserved it, and regret chimed inside him at his badly timed joke.

"Nicolette!" he called after her.

She increased her pace, and so did he.

"I’m sorry. It was a stupid joke!" he yelled, but she didn’t stop.

He couldn’t let her go to her room, not when she was still mad.

"Nicolette!" he yelled again, and when he realized she wasn’t going to stop, he ran.

Alaric caught up to Nicolette just as she was about to close her door.

"What?" she snapped, but he could see the pain in her eyes, and it broke him.

"I’m sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn’t have."

She nodded slightly, but he could tell she hadn’t accepted it. She pushed the door, but he was quick.

He pulled her arm, allowing her to crash into him.

"You..." she protested, but her eyes had softened.

He looked into her eyes, and his dick jerked.

Her eyes fluttered as she felt it.

"I’m sorry," he said again, pressing himself to her. "It was dumb of me to say those awful things."

He was giving in to this feeling. There was no denying it.

He was jealous.

He was possessive.

And he wanted her. He wanted to explore her body, until there was nothing left for him to do.

He had gotten a glimpse of how it could be, and now he wanted the real deal.

There was no denying that now.

Nicolette’s mouth twisted, as she protested again. "I don’t care—"

She paused as his mouth fell to her neck. And almost instantly she tightened herself to him, and he pulled her closer.

A gasp slipped out of her mouth as his mouth touched the hollow part of her neck.

Her legs tightened against his thigh, as he felt as she pressed her center to him.

Her room was just right there.

He could take her and—

"What are you doing?" He jolted out of the thought as Nicolette dropped to her knees, her hands on his trousers.

She ignored him as she unbuckled his belt.

His breath hitched as she looked up at him. Her eyes were daring, causing his heart to pound.

"Nicolette..."

She undid his zip, and a moan slipped out of him. He took a handful of her hair as she pulled out his hard cock.

She stroked him, and he came alive. Moaning. Groaning. His feet curled. His mouth parted. His mind went blank.

His body tensed at her touch, and he closed his eyes in anticipation.

Her mouth slid over his length, and he grabbed her hair. "Baby!" he growled, his body jerking from the heat.

She licked the tip of his cock, which was already sticky with pre-cum, and he almost lost his balance.

"Baby..." he moaned again, his heart flipping with passion.

Oh God, he just wanted to thrust into that sharp mouth of hers. To make his mark. To tell her she was his and nobody else’s.

But then—nothing happened.

Alaric opened his eyes, confusion racing over him.

Nicolette was standing now, her eyes filled with rage despite the desire burning there.

His body jerked with longing, his dick aching with pain. "Why..." he stuttered, trying to reach for that mouth of hers again.

She nudged him away, pushing him out. "That’s your fucking punishment! For the awful things you said!" Then she slammed the door to his face.

Alaric staggered into the hallway, slamming his head against the wall. His dick still hard and out in the open.