The Funeral Style

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-One

The moment Elias shut our hotel room I slumped down on the bed, not even caring that the room was the most beautiful hotel room I've ever seen.

"That dinner was a disaster." I mumbled into a pillow, and Elias walked over, and sat on the end of the bed.

"I must agree."  

I glanced up at him, he was taking off his suit jacket. He looked as stressed out as I felt. His hair was more a mess than before, and he didn't even bother to fix it. I watched as he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and light it.

I groaned in frustration, shoving my face back into the pillow, "Why do you have to do that here?"

He leaned back on the bed, we were now inches apart as he took a puff of the cigarette. "I do it wherever the cameras aren't."

"Let me just whip out my phone and record, then."

"A broken phone would be unfortunate."

"So, we're resorting to threats now?"

"I do what I must."

I hit his arm, "You're a bit of a selfish man."

He grunted, "So I've been told."

We were silent for a long while, and I wasn't sure what to do, or what to say. It wasn't an awkward silence, though. Elias seemed content to keep smoking, so I stood up and looked out one of the windows.

Our hotel room was one of the highest floors. You could see far out across the city of New York, and I've never been so breathless because of a view. It was absolutely stunning.

"Woah." I said under my breath, "This is absolutely-"

"Divine?" Elias walked beside me, "A beautiful city full of wicked people."

"New York is full of vermin."

"Vermin that inspire me." He said with a sigh, "God, I adore wicked people."

I glanced at him, "So you inspire to be the wicked villain?"

"Oh darling, I am the villain, just not yet the wicked one."

I shook my head with a grin, "At least you're honest."

He wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me toward him, "I'm always honest to you my dear." Our faces were inches apart and I suddenly couldn't breathe.

"I-" I swallowed, not wanting to acknowledge how the mood has changed so drastically in a matter of seconds, "I doubt that to be true."

"Hmm." He rested his forehead on mine, his eyes locked on my lips, "How so?"

"Well," I said, forcing myself to breathe. Remember to breathe. Remember to breathe. "Let's start with blackmailing me to work for you from the very beginning."

There was a playful smile tugging at his lips, "I prefer to think of it as an exhaustive investment."

"Or what about lying to my parents?"

"Last I checked you aren't your parents."

"Our entire marriage is a lie, Elias."

The smile on his face died, and he was silent for a very long moment, "Is that what you think?"

"What else is it?"

He blinked. "What do you want it to be?"

"Does that matter?"

"All of your wants matter to me."

I forced myself to smile at that, "You really do know how to make a girl swoon."

The tension in his shoulders relaxed, "How else am I supposed to comfort grieving women?"

I grabbed the ends of his shirt and pulled him closer to me, "'Grieving' is not the word I want to hear right now."

Our lips were inches apart, and my heart was pounding so hard I wondered if the whole word could hear it. "Then," He said, "let's not speak at all."

Our lips met, and at that moment, I forgot about everything else. I forgot about the wedding, I forgot about Ezra Scott and his vile parents, I forgot about my own parents, and leaving Maggie behind. I forgot that I was pretending so be someone else, and I forgot about existing entirely.

Despite his cold looks, Elias's lips were soft, his body radiated warmth as he pulled me closer to him, our bodies touching. I wanted more of his I ran my hands through his hair, enjoying the fact that I was messing it up and he didn't even care.

He grunted, as if he were unsatisfied by standing at all. He gripped my shoulders and pushed me onto the bed, him falling on top of me as his own hands were in my hair.

I didn't realize how badly I wanted this. I don't think Elias did either.

I broke our kiss by pushing him off me and rolling on top of him. He laid on the bed, with me sitting on top of him. I grinned, "I like this much better." I said, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. I made sure to take my time, this may just be the only chance I'll ever have to make him wait for something for once.

There was a light in his eyes as he spoke, "You mean me under you."

"It's a beautiful sight."

His hand trailed up my arm, "I could say the same about you."

"Hmm, I wonder why you don't talk like this every day."

He cocked his head, "I always call you divine, Avril."

I nodded, "True, but from now on, I expect a kiss along with it."

He grinned, his teeth whiter than snow, my heart stopped as the sight of him. "I think I've finally spoiled you."

I unbuttoned another button on his shirt, "Oh trust me, it's going to get way worse. You can start calling me Mrs. Lancaster the second."

Elias cringed, "She is the last woman I want to be thinking about right now."

I laughed, "Oh really? And who is the first?"

He copied my actions, and pushed me off him, pinning me to the bed as he rolled on top of me. "You really are fishing for compliments, aren't you?"

I wasn't even phased, "Of course, I am Mrs. Parity now, and I want to hear you say it."

His breath was hot on my neck, "Fine then, Avril, my dear, you are the only woman I'm thinking about right now, the only woman I ever will think about."

I forced myself to speak, even though I could hardly even breathe, "That's more like it."

Elias smirked as his hands trailed to the zipper on my dress as his lips were on my neck and all I thought was how I never wanted this moment to end.

Fake wedding or not, Elias was mine, and I was definitely going to take advantage of that.

Especially tonight.