Chapter 2
The next morning, I woke up sore all over.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in a golden glow.
I shifted, feeling like I'd been steamrolled last night.
[So when he said he would prove himself, he really took it seriously. What a night.]
[Forget "all show and no go.". This guy's a monster! Like a fucking machine!]
[My waist... my legs... I can barely feel them anymore!]
A deep chuckle rumbled from beside me.
I spun around and caught Edward's eyes, sparkling with amusement.
He was already awake, lounging against the headboard with messy hair and a lazy vibe, which was so different from his usual cold, immaculate persona.
"Morning, sweetie," he greeted, his voice still husky from sleep.
"So, are you satisfied with last night's performance?"
My face exploded in a blush.
I buried myself under the blanket, shrieking.
[Aaaaaah! Stop asking! I'm satisfied! Super satisfied! Would recommend!]
[But how could I ever say that out loud? That's way too embarrassing!]
[How can he just ask that so casually? Is shame not even in his vocabulary?]
A big hand slowly pulled the blanket off my head.
Edward caught sight of my bright red face, his smirk deepening.
"Guess you really are satisfied, huh?" he teased.
"Since that's how it is," Edward switched gears, "should I make you pay for talking trash about me being 'all show and no go'?"
I just gaped at him, totally speechless.
I was totally doomed!
Since when did marriage come with a mind-reading husband as a bonus? Was this some kind of scam or what?
I decided to test it out.
I looked at him, wearing a sweet, innocent smile, while my mind was firing off insults nonstop.
[Dumb jerk! Ugly freak! Blockhead!]
Edward's smile froze on his face.
[Yeah, I'm talking about you. What can you do?]
His face turned stormy.
[Come on, hit me. Let's see if you'll lay a hand on a weak little thing like me.]
I could see his jaw clench.
[Not only hideous, but with such a bad attitude. Pathetic.]
"Grace Sutton!" Edward snapped, his voice tight with anger.
He gritted his teeth, dragged me out from under the blanket, and pressed me hard against his chest.
"Do you really think I won't punish you?" he growled.
His breath was warm against my neck, sending a ticklish sensation down my spine.
I ducked my head, pulling my neck in, and decided I'd better not mess with him anymore.
[Alright, I'm sorry! I swear, never again! Please, have mercy!]
[Smart people know when to fold. Sometimes you gotta bend so you don't break.]
[Mercy, please! Don't kill me.]
Edward finally eased up a bit.
He pinched my cheek, not too hard, just enough to remind me he was still in charge.
"Remember. No more badmouthing me in your head," he said.
I nodded frantically, like my life depended on it.
"And another thing," Edward paused, his expression turning a little conflicted. "I only found out about this mind-reading thing last night myself."
[So this wasn't always a thing? Did getting married to me unlock some weird new ability?]
[Am I some kind of chosen one?]
[What is this, some kind of marriage system? Like we're bound together by some weird couple upgrade?]
Edward could literally hear every thought racing through my mind.
He took a long, deep breath, like he was barely holding it together.
"Anyway, until we figure out whatever this is, try to keep it together," he said.
He released me, got up from the bed, and walked into the bathroom.
I stared at his broad, confident back as he left, my mind spinning with thoughts.
The marriage was turning out to be way more fun than I had expected.