Blackmail

Titus spent the entire week shuffling his appointments around. When questioned about his sudden day off on Friday, he simply stated that he had something crucial to attend to.

He instructed his housekeeper to prepare the guest room for Trixie. There was absolutely no chance she’d be sharing his room. The mere thought of her living under his roof for a year was already too much to bear.

He did, however, make a pit stop to purchase a pair of wedding bands, ensuring he picked the least expensive ones.

It wasn’t that he was eager to wear one, but Trixie had insisted. Given that she was calling the shots, he had no choice but to comply.

That didn’t mean he had to be happy about it, though. He was hell-bent on making her life miserable for the next year.

On Friday, as planned, Trixie arrived at Titus’s home. She parked her compact sports car, stepped out, and took a moment to survey the house.

It was a nice place, but not as grand as she was accustomed to. She found herself wondering if he had any staff, a detail she had overlooked when they had discussed the arrangement.

She ascended the front steps and rang the doorbell. When Titus opened the door, she couldn’t help but frown at his casual attire.

“Oh, my God. Please tell me you’re not planning on getting married in that outfit?” she asked, shaking her head in disapproval.

Titus gave her a once-over before responding. She was adorned with diamond earrings and a cream-colored dress that hugged her curves, paired with matching heels.

The dress accentuated her figure, and the sparkling necklace drew his attention to her ample chest, causing his heart to race.

“You’re early; I was just about to change. Come in,” he said, stepping aside to let her in.

“This is…cozy.”

“I’m sure it’s not what you’re used to.”

She followed him into the living room. “Where is your staff?”

He turned to her and chuckled. “What staff?”

She walked around the room, inspecting it. “Don’t you have any maids or butlers? Surely, you don’t do the cooking and cleaning yourself?”

He rolled his eyes, realizing he was dealing with a pampered princess. “I have a cleaning lady who comes in three times a week.

“As for meals, I cook for myself. Sometimes, I eat out or bring home takeout. But now that you’re here, you can cook my meals for me.”

She spun around in a huff. “I don’t cook.”

“Then I guess you’ll go hungry,” he said, smirking.

“You would let your new bride starve?”

“Get one thing straight, lady, I am not going to cater to you. If you want to eat, you will learn to do it yourself. Now, if you will excuse me, I’ll go change.”

No staff yet, she thought as he left the room, ~but there will be soon.~

Upstairs, Titus cursed under his breath as he changed into his dark suit. He was tempted to stay in his jeans just to annoy her.

As he dressed, he pondered how he was going to explain this sudden marriage to his boss and coworkers. As far as everyone knew, he wasn’t even dating anyone, let alone on the verge of getting married.

When Titus returned downstairs, he found Trixie on the patio. He watched her as she gazed into the distance, oblivious to his presence.

Damn, she was beautiful, and when she turned her head slightly, he noticed a hint of sadness in her expression.

He cleared his throat to get her attention. “Well, let’s get this fucking wedding over with.”

She turned to look at him. “Do you have the wedding bands?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the two rings. “Right here.”

She approached him and took the bands from his hands, then narrowed her eyes. “I see you spared no expense. The least you could have done was buy some nice ones.”

“Why would I waste good money on a marriage that I don’t want?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Are you going to keep reminding me of that for the entire year?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, my dear. I don’t plan on spending much time with you. I just want this year to fly by so I can get you out of my life and out of my hair.”

“I feel the same way. The sooner we get this started, the sooner we can part ways.”

When they reached the car, Titus, once again, didn’t bother to open the door for her. Although she found it rude, she kept quiet and decided she might as well get used to it.

She wasn’t completely insensitive, she could understand his resentment. If the roles were reversed, she knew she’d feel the same way. But she was determined to make the best of the year, regardless.

***

They didn’t have to wait long at the courthouse, and the ceremony was soon underway.

He made no effort to kiss her when they were pronounced husband and wife, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily.

She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him close, planting a big kiss on his lips.

Needless to say, he was taken aback but didn’t pull away. He had to admit, the kiss was pleasant and brought back memories of the time they had made out behind the bar.

Nonetheless, when they left the courthouse, he stormed towards his car, leaving her trailing behind him.

“Titus, slow down. I can’t keep up with you in these heels.”

“No one told you to wear damn heels,” he snapped as he slid into the driver’s seat. He was furious, not just because she’d kissed him, but because he had enjoyed it.

It had been a while since he’d been with a woman sexually and it was starting to get to him. He knew he had to stay strong and resist the temptation.

She got into the passenger side and shut the door, glaring at him. “I know you’re unhappy with the situation, but do you have to be so rude to me?”

“Get this straight, lady. I don’t like you, so don’t expect me to be all sweet and lovey-dovey towards you. Just stay out of my way, and we’ll get along just fine.”

“If that’s what you want, let’s stop by the mansion and pick up my belongings. We might have to make two trips.”

“Why the hell don’t you just rent a small truck and have everything brought over? Just how much stuff is there?”

“Well, there’s my personal belongings, such as my clothes and so on. I also have a lot of pictures and other things that I was allowed to keep.

“Don’t sweat it, most of this stuff will stay packed. I’m sure you’ve got some storage space where I can stash them until I find my own place. If not, I’ll just keep them at the condo.”

With a grumble, he steered the car towards the mansion that had once been her home. Once they arrived, he parked the car and crossed his arms over his chest. “Alright, I’ll hang out here.”

“You’re not going to help me haul this stuff to the car?”

He rolled his eyes, opened his car door, and stepped out. His mom had raised him to be a gentleman, after all, and she’d be disappointed if he didn’t lend Trixie a hand.

Stepping into the mansion, he took a moment to look around—it was breathtaking.

People were bustling about, packing items into boxes, and hauling furniture out. He noticed a flicker of sadness cross Trixie’s face as she watched the movers at work.

Suddenly, a man in a butler’s uniform appeared.

“Miss Brown, the maids have packed up the items you requested. They’ll bring everything down shortly.”

“Thanks, George. While they’re at it, I think I’ll take one last walk through the mansion,” she said, walking away.

Titus stood there, unsure if he should follow her or not. He turned to the butler and offered a smile. “She’s been quite the handful over the years, hasn’t she?”

“I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

“Come on, it’s clear she’s spoiled and high maintenance.”

“People aren’t always what they seem. You have to really know someone to understand who they truly are,” George replied.

Several maids approached them, carrying suitcases and boxes.

“Here are her belongings. I’ll help you carry them to your car,” George offered.

They filled up the trunk and the back seat with as much as they could fit.

“How many clothes does one woman need?” Titus asked as he stuffed the remaining suitcases into the backseat.

George chuckled. “Oh, this is only half of her stuff. Will you be back for the rest, or should I arrange for someone to deliver them to your place?”

“I’d prefer someone else bring them.” He jotted down his address and handed it to George. “Aren’t you curious why she’s staying with me?”

“That’s not my business. You’re welcome to wait inside for Miss Brown, but I don’t think she’ll be much longer.”

“I’ll wait here. And if you see her, tell her to hurry up, will you?”

“No one tells her what to do, especially not the help. I hope you’ll be kind to her. Whatever’s happening, she’s still a person with feelings, even if she doesn’t always show them.”

“Sounds like you care about her.”

As George walked away, he paused and turned back to look at Titus. “Out of all the staff here, I was the only one she ever talked to.

“I felt bad for her. She had everything anyone could want, and her grandfather adored her. But she was like a lost little soul. Good day, sir,” he said, heading back towards the house.

Titus leaned against the car, arms crossed, waiting for her to come out.

Fifteen minutes later, when she still hadn’t appeared, he decided to go find her.

Instead of going inside, he walked around to the back of the mansion, which took a while given the size of the property.

When he got there, he saw Trixie sitting on a swing under a tree.

He approached her, stopping behind her. “Trixie, it’s time to go.”

“We’ll leave when I’m damn well ready,” she snapped, turning to look at him.

Her snippy attitude and retort didn’t sit well with him, and he snapped back. “Look, you either come now or you can find your own way back to my place.”

“Don’t you mean our place?”

He moved closer, standing in front of her. “No, it’s my place, it will never be your place. So, what’s it going to be, are you coming or not?”

She hopped off the swing and got right in his face, placing her hand on his chest. “Calm down, hubby. As it happens, I’m ready to go now.”

He watched as she walked away, her hips swaying seductively. There was no doubt in his mind that she was doing it on purpose just to get under his skin.

Damn if it wasn’t working… His buddy down below seemed to appreciate her efforts.

She climbed into her side of the car and, after buckling her seatbelt, turned to look at him. “Can we grab something to eat before we head back to your place?”

“We can eat when we get back to my place.”

“But it’s our wedding day; we should celebrate.”

“I don’t have anything to celebrate.”

“Oh, I see. You want to get home so we can consummate our marriage.”

“There’s no chance of that. You’re the last woman on earth I’d want to sleep with.” He didn’t want to be cruel, but he was tired of her insinuating that they were going to have a sexual relationship.

Besides, there was plenty of food at his place, and she could make herself something to eat. If not, then she could go hungry for all he cared.

She sat quietly in her seat for the ride to his place, using the time to think about what she had just done.

She’d never thought she’d get married, and if she did, she’d always assumed it would be for love.

Glancing over at Titus, she felt a little tingle rush through her body.

He was so handsome and had a very muscular build. It wasn’t just the bulging muscles that made him look big; he had broad shoulders and a firm chin, and his hands looked so strong.

She could just imagine what those hands could do to her body and felt herself getting all worked up.

But he was also one stubborn son of a bitch, and she knew it wasn’t going to be easy getting him to make love to her.

But she, too, was stubborn—and determined.

Titus felt Trixie’s eyes on him and turned to look at her, noticing the smile on her face. “What are you smiling about?” he asked, his tone gruff.

“Nothing,” she replied with a smirk.