Lucy felt out of place, uncomfortable, but there was no going around it. Even now she still questioned why she’d gone through with agreeing to marry him. Ian was crude, rude, so very arrogant, and no amount of money or being handsome could change that. He’d married her simply to get back at his family.

Even when they’d spoken before the wedding and he told her how his mother pushed beautiful blond women at him, she knew instantly that it was just a payback marriage. It seemed ridiculous and over-the-top for a man to go to that length just to piss off his family, but she supposed when someone had enough money, they had to find something to occupy their time.

And I’m that something.

She sat in the stiff, but no doubt ridiculously expensive leather loveseat. Ian’s penthouse apartment was deep in the city, with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the skyscrapers, chrome and leather furniture, and everything else that screamed so much wealth it was suffocating.

She felt so out of place that her palms were sweating and her heart was racing. Lucy’s apartment was basic, with hand-me-down furniture, thrift store purchases. But it had been hers, what she’d earned, worked hard to acquire, and the more she thought about Ian doing what he did without her consent, the more pissed she grew.

Lucy glanced over to where he stood. He gazed out the window at the city below, his posture stiff, the suit he wore fitting him to perfection. If his personality wasn’t so ugly she could find herself falling for him, not just her body growing warm at the sight of him, but her emotions caving. As it was, she tolerated him.

Yet I agreed to marry him, even though I could have said no, even though I could have deleted that damn profile off the site.

“You had no right to move me out of my apartment,” she finally said, feeling her anger and annoyance rise. This kind of life was so unlike what she was used to. Growing up in the system, she'd gotten used everything, but she was grateful regardless. It was clear Ian had the opposite upbringing, and that’s probably what had shaped him into the man he was today.

He turned around and glanced at her, lifting an eyebrow and looking cocky as hell. “Excuse me?” He fully turned around then so that he faced her. His dark hair was immaculately cut and styled, and his big body showed power and strength. He was well over six feet tall, with muscles that bunched and stretched under the expensive material of his suit.

Lucy straightened, not about to be intimidated. It was clear he got what he wanted all the time. And having a submissive personality, she’d always let people walk all over her. Well, not today, and not right now.

“I said—” She straightened and stared right into his eyes. “I said you had no right to move me out of my apartment.”

He smirked, just the corner of his mouth lifting up. That infuriated her even more.

“You had no right to take my personal belongings to God knows where. My lease wasn’t even up yet. I don’t think you could’ve legally done what you did, married or not.” She was so heated right now she felt her face become hot, knew it was red.

“We’re married. What did you expect was going to happen? Did you think you would just live in your apartment and me in the city? Married couples live together.” He lifted his eyebrow again. He walked over to her and stood just a few feet from where she was. “And your belongings are in a storage facility owned by my company. Nothing was thrown out.“

She curled her fingers into her palms and clenched her teeth, glaring at him. “That’s not the point. It’s clear you’ve gotten everything handed to you on a silver platter. I, on the other hand, have had to work my ass off to get where I’m at. Maybe my little apartment above a pizza place is as low as it can be for someone like you, but for me it meant everything.” She stood then, feeling strength move through her. “Marrying you was probably the worst mistake I ever made.” He was full-on grinning now, and as she involuntarily lowered her gaze down his body, she saw he was sporting a huge erection. She felt her eyes widen, her throat tighten, and her mouth go dry.

“I can’t help it,” he said. She snapped her gaze back to his. “The fact that you’re standing up to me is hot as hell.”

All she could do was stand there and stare at him in disbelief. This man was incorrigible. He infuriated and annoyed her, but she also couldn’t help that right now, seeing the product of his arousal, the thick, long length pressed against his slacks, turned her on as well. Was she so insane, so desperate to have somebody love her and care for her, that she’d settle for this arrogant asshole?

Instead of saying anything else, she turned and stomped off into one of the bedrooms off the hallway. There, she shut the door and leaned against it, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Could she really go through with this? Could she really stay with a man like Ian?

At twenty-three she had virtually no sexual experience aside from a few instances of making out and groping when she was in school. And that had left much to be desired. But for as arrogant as Ian was, she knew he probably could please a woman. She wasn’t what anyone would call classically beautiful, not with her plain looks, flat dark hair, and curves that had been called “fat” on more than one occasion. But she found strength in herself where others saw weakness, and as much as Ian pissed her off, he brought that strength out in her.

She supposed there was a silver lining to this massive mistake she’d made.

* * *