Claimed By My Secret Husband

Chapter Four

Gerrard’s POV

Two Years ago

I can't help but drink her in as she approaches, hips swaying in that sexy as f.ucking sin dress that molds to her body like a second skin, just begging for me to peel it off.

Zoe gives a tight smile to the man holding my arm as he raises an eyebrow in question.

‘You sure Zara?’ he asks.

Zara! Her name is Zara! Or is that just her latest alias? Is this another undercover op? I can’t ask, I don’t want to put her in danger.

The woman, now called Zara nods firmly, ‘I’m sure, I’ll take him from here.’

Benny releases me and steps back, as does the hotel guard both looking at me apprehensively as I straighten the line of my suit, my eyes pinned to my woman who stares back at me coolly.

‘Follow me Mr Tierra’ she orders before turning on her heel and walking away, me following behind her like the loyal lap dog I am when it comes to her.

Entering a small office, Zara waves me inside before shutting the door, caging us inside.

Leaning back on the door, she crosses her arms as she glares at me.

‘I told you not to look for me’ she snaps as she holds my gaze.

‘And I told you that I would’ I reply evenly, ‘you are after all my wife.’

Zara rolls her eyes, ‘I am not your wife’ she growls, ‘it was a sham wedding.’

I shrug, ‘I don’t remember a lot about that night Mi Vida, but I do remember a officiate, a wedding ring and a long night of consummating.’

Zara’s eyes flash with something akin to heat before her expression shutters again.

‘Don’t call me that’ she snaps angrily, ‘I am not your life, not anymore.’

My smile teases my lips because, my Zoe . . no my Zara, hasn’t changed a bit, she’s still the hard ass spitfire I remember.

‘But you are’ I murmur

My woman stares at me for a second before obviously deciding that my name for her is not the hill for her to die on.

‘We were drunk, it hardly counts, not to mention my name on our marriage licence isn’t real’ she points out.

I shrug, ‘you can go by any name you want mi vida’ I reply, ‘it doesn’t make our vows any less meaningful.’

Zara growls before she clamps down on her temper, eyeing me warily.

‘What are you doing here Gerrard’ she asks with a sigh.

‘I was invited Zoe’ I reply smoothly, ‘or should I say Zara? Is that your real name? Or just another alias that you use to hide who you are?’

Zara flinches slightly but she doesn’t drop her gaze.

‘It’s my real name’ she admits, ‘my real one, I no longer do that line of work.’

I nod, ‘you work in private security’ I murmur, ‘why the change? You were so good at your job.’

Again, a tick in her jaw, but when she speaks, Zara’s voice is steady.

‘I decided that it wasn’t a good fit for me anymore’ she replies, ‘so I made a change.’

I huff out a breath, dragging my fingers through my hair, because now she’s here, I don’t know what to say.

‘How did you find me?’ she asks finally.

I shake my head, ‘I told you, I was invited to the party, I didn’t find you’ I reply. ‘Howard LeGrange is an old friend and colleague, he asked me here to talk business with him, finding you was a complete coincidence.’ I smile softly, ‘not one that I regret though.’

Zara folds her own arms across her chest, ‘so you haven’t been looking for me?’ she demands.

I laugh, ‘Oh I’ve been looking’ I admit, ‘but you are a hard woman to trace, even for someone with my means.’

My wife scoffs, ‘I did tell you that you wouldn’t find me’ she mutters.

‘But you were wrong’ I reply softly, taking a step toward her, ‘I did find you.’

Zara rolls her eyes, ‘accidentally’ she retorts, ‘which pretty much describes my damn life, it’s a poor state of affairs when I can’t even hide from my own damn husband.’

A thill runs through me at her calling me her husband, a formulated link between us, telling me that she isn’t as unaffected by my presence as she is trying to portray.

I take another step toward her, my gaze falling to her lips.

‘When?’ I growl suddely.

Zara’s eyes widen as she watches me approach her, ‘when what?’ she asks.

‘When did you decide that undercover wasn’t a good fit?’

Zara licks her lips, her own gaze falling to mine, a wild animal that can’t decide whether to attack or bolt.

‘Tell me Mi Vida’ I rumble, my chest pressing into hers as I eradicate the space between us. ‘When did you stop working undercover?’

I watch my woman’s tongue flick out again, moistening her lips before she breathes out, ‘when I walked out of your apartment.’

A growl crawls up my throat as I slam my mouth to hers, devouring her, pushing every single minute of pain and desperation she gave me over the last few months.

Whimpering, Zara’s arms wrap around me, tugging me closer as she bites at my bottom lip, her tongue forcing its way between my lips as I gasp from the sting. We duel, fighting for dominance, my hands roaming over her body, so damn familiar I ache.

Sliding her hands down my chest, Zara suddenly shoves me, and I stumble back a few steps before I right myself.

I stare at her in shock as she tightens her hands into fists by her sides.

‘Leave me alone Gerrard’ she snaps bitterly, ‘our life was a sham, a story that my boss made up. Just file for divorce, hell file for an annulment! I lied about who I am, you’d get one! Move on! It’s time.’

I shake my head, ‘no’ I snarl, ‘I won’t do that Mi Vida, I won’t! You and I are meant to be.’

Zara’s closes her eyes for a second before she looks at me again, ‘We’re not’ she tells me firmly, ‘I’m not your life, I’m a woman who tricked you, lied to you, and dragged you into a relationship that you thought was real.’

Pain flickers momentarily in her eyes, but her voice remains firm, ‘you were a mark, Gerrard, a job, that was all. You were a job that I did well, too damn well it seems because you are here instead of back home, making a life with a woman who is real.'

'Our relationship . . . it was fake, I . . .’ she swallows thickly, her gaze sliding from mine a fraction, ‘I didn’t love you.’

‘I don’t believe you’ I growl, shaking my head vehemently, ‘I won’t believe you! You and I are soulmates Zara, no matter how we met, what your job was, or the name you put on our goddamn wedding certificate, WE. ARE. MEANT. TO. BE’

I roar the last words at my woman, needing her to accept what I already know is true, what I think she also knows but just doesn’t want to accept.

Zara can’t hide the pain in her eyes anymore as she meets my gaze once more.

‘Leave me alone Gerrard’ she murmurs, ‘I’m warning you, don’t fight for this, you’ll only get hurt.’

I open my mouth to reply, but I’m too late, as she turns, yanks open the door, and disappears through it. I stride after her, but she’s already gone, the foyer vacant other than the few security guards that look at me curiously.

The guard from earlier, Benny, steps up to me, holding out a hand toward the front doors.

‘Sir, it’s time to leave’ he tells me quietly, and this time, I let him lead me out.

As I step through the front entrance, I glance back at the foyer, I’ll let you go this time Zara, but this isn’t me giving up, I can promise you that, I will bring you home.