Chapter 19 - Izzy

I’m married. I have a husband. Not only that, my husband is Dave Freaking Langley. I can’t help but laugh as we stand outside the courthouse. It’s just too ridiculous! I look up at him and see the corners of his mouth tug up into a slight smile. His forehead isn’t full of lines and his brows aren’t knitted together like they have been every day since he moved in with Arthur.

He looks almost happy.

Judging by his mood ever since he proposed to me, if you can call it a proposal, the last thing I would expect would be for him to be happy about this situation. But as we stand there, me on one side of him and Arthur on the other, he puts his arm around my back and it feels almost real.

I mean, it is real, legally speaking. But the way he touches me, the way he moves is so relaxed and natural that I can’t help but feel like maybe this is something more than just a business deal.

It’s not, I know it isn’t. But right now there’s something in the air between us that hasn’t been there before. Or maybe - there’s something in the air that’s disappeared. The tension, the animosity, the hatred. It’s gone. I take a deep breath and just hope that it’ll stay gone and the next three months will go by peacefully.

I lean into Dave as we walk down the steps and I love how strong he feels next to me. His arm is on the small of my back, sending an electric thrill down through my spine and into my core. I try to ignore the excitement building in my centre as his hand presses into my back. I know the wetness is growing between my legs and I press myself a fraction of an inch closer to him.

He slides his hand around my back and squeezes my waist gently. Another electric thrill goes through my spine, sending small shocks to every part of my body. My cheeks are flushed and it’s taking all my focus not to trip down these steps. It feels good to have his arm around me, to be close to him. As we walk towards the car, I imagine what it would feel like to have my skin pressed against his and to run my fingers over his muscles.

As if he reads my mind, he squeezes my waist gently again and a small shiver goes through my body. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears and it takes all my concentration to focus on walking and breathing. Every atom in my body is tuned in to what Dave is doing, where his hand is touching me, what he smells like and what he feels like walking next to me. I can’t focus on anything except him.

The three of us head back to the house. As we drive up the long, winding driveway I look at the tall trees and the perfectly manicured lawn. It’s so different from what I’m used to. The house looks inviting, surrounded by gardens and greenery. An unfamiliar feeling wells up inside me: it feels like I’m coming home. I glance at Dave in the driver’s seat and watch as his shirt strains against his shoulders when he turns the steering wheel. I can still feel the places on my back and waist where his hand was, like he’s left a permanent mark on my body.

There’s a deep, burning excitement inside me. My whole body is electric and nearly numb at the same time. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as the car comes to a stop, taking a deep breath before opening the door. Dave is beside me in an instant, closing the car door behind me and leading me around the car. His hand hovers near my back but doesn’t touch me and all I want to do is lean into him and feel the heat of his body next to mine.

We walk around to the passenger’s side door and help Arthur out of the car. Arthur, always stubborn, waves us away.

“You two must have some affairs to sort out, I can handle myself. I’m tired anyways, I’ll be in my room having a rest. Looks like I can’t even leave the house anymore without getting exhausted!” He laughs and I can see the deep tiredness in his eyes.

“Ok Arthur,” I say, opening the front door for him. “Just call me if you need anything.”

Arthur nods and heads into his bedroom. He stops at the door and turns towards us. His face is serious with a hint of a glimmer in his eyes. With a long pause, he looks at both Dave and I.

“I don’t think I ever said congratulations,” he says solemnly. “I’m very happy for you.”

“Thanks Pop,” Dave says from behind me. Arthur nods and I feel a lump forming in my throat. Why does it feel like he really means that? He knows we’re just getting married as a way to keep the house and money in the Langley family. It was him who brought it up to Dave! I nod back at him and Arthur enters his room, closing the door behind him. I hear Dave let out a sigh.

“Alright, well, we’d better get the rest of the official stuff sorted.”

“Sure,” I respond, and follow him to the office at the back of the house. I’m not really sure what other things there are to sort, but he doesn’t look like he’s in the mood for talking. He closes the door behind me and sits behind the big oak desk. I sit across from him on one of the plush chairs. He copies the marriage certificate and hands me the printed copy. After a few taps on his phone, he puts it down in front of him and looks at me across from him.

“Money should be in your account by tomorrow,” he says.

“Ok, great. Thanks,” I respond. He nods and I get up to go, folding the copy of the certificate in my hands. I get to the closed door and turn around, looking back at Dave. He’s sitting at the desk, looking like he’s lost in thought. I long to go over to him and stroke the side of his face, to ask him what he’s thinking about. I could just sit across his lap and wrap my arms around his neck, burying my face in his hair. It’s not my place, though so I stay rooted to the floor where I stand.

“Dave,” I start. “Do you want to go grab a bite to eat together?”

Am I asking him out on a date? Suddenly I feel as nervous as a schoolgirl. He glances up at me and once again I’m almost knocked back by the power of his stare. Without saying a word, he stands up and walks around the desk towards me. My heart starts beating violently in my chest and my breath gets shallow. His eyes don’t leave mine as he stalks towards me.

He’s inches from me, his broad chest just in front of me. We stand motionless as the seconds tick by. I drag my eyes from his face down to his chest. My arms are almost trembling from anticipation, it’s all I can do to stop myself from running my hands all over his body. As soon as my eyes drop he reaches up and tucks a finger under my chin, tilting my head up towards me.

Our eyes meet again. My heart is jumping out of my chest and I can’t find any words to speak. His finger travels from my chin along my jawline until he tangles his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, inhaling his spicy, manly scent as I lean towards him.

It’s exhilarating being this close to him. Everything about him is intoxicating. The seconds crawl by as his hand grips the back of my head a little bit harder and finally I bring my own hand up to his chest. The second I touch him it sends a thrill through my body, an explosion of heat erupting from my fingertips to my core. I lean into him and let my hands roam up his chest and around his neck.

I can’t think or speak or breathe as the space between us gets less and less. Then, the tension between us erupts as his lips touch mine. I feel like the floodgates have opened, letting a torrent of passion out of me. Fireworks explode in my chest as an electric current passes from him to me. His lips are soft yet insistent, and he grips the back of my head until our lips are crushed together.

My hands claw at him, gripping his neck, his shoulders, his back, his hair. I can’t get close enough to him. He turns me around so my back is pressed up against the door. He presses his body into mine and I feel another flush of heat through my body. Our lips are still tangled together as his hands explore my body. I can hardly breathe or think or do anything except touch him and feel him and kiss him over and over and over. I never want this to end.