Chapter 1

Faye Bowen cracked open an eye. She blinked a time or two and looked around, adjusting her vision as she peered through the hazy light. She shook her head when the composure finally kicked in. A single yellow light cast shadows across a carpeted floor, bathing the room in straw-colored light.

Faye sat up and realized she was alone on a large king-sized bed. Long hanks of honey blond hair cascaded around her in a slightly messy waves as she had slept with it. She glanced down, she was still in her long white sheath from yesterday. It was a beautiful dress, she thought, from Vera Wang- with slender spaghetti straps, full A-line skirt, the delicate stitching adorned the bodice and the smallest pearls beaded at the scooping neckline. She'd never felt so beautiful in her life. And how on earth could she be dreaming any of this?

Right. She wasn't forgetting anything.

She was married yesterday.

She was married to a stranger.

Not really a stranger. Luke Voltaggio was the son of her father's best friend and business partner. They met twice as a teenager in their family social gathering, but it was almost eight years ago and it hadn't been quite so deliberate. She didn't even know him personally. They were put in an arranged matrimony in the name of their family- to keep their family's public image intact. Their marriage was a matter of business, it wasn't even real for her because she was never in love with him.

It was a nice, intimate wedding ceremony though, she thought. It wasn't all that glamour and budget-crashing like the traditional rich American hicks used to do, but it was simple and elegant enough.

It was an evening service held at the great hall, the gloaming hour. Lovely white satin-covered chairs were set in rows, a narrow aisle lay between each sides, dusted in red and white rose petals. There was a piano in the corner, playing the absolute loveliest of melodies. Candles lit the entire hall and were placed in every crevice on the wall- the soft, wavering golden glow gave a romantic feeling.

With her heart raced, Faye gathered the hem of her dress and reached for the bottom of the stairs and met her father. A slow smile crossed his usually stoic face as he lifted his gaze and nodded briefly at his daughter. He took her hand and led her to the doorway of the great hall. Mixed emotions churned low in her stomach and bursts of nerves hit her over and over again...

Until her eyes landed on her soon-to-be husband.

There, Luke stood at the altar. The warm glow given by the candles highlighted his hazel eyes and his dark brown hair. His olive tan skin stood stark against the white tux he was wearing, contrasting her smooth fair skin nicely. Faye could barely breathe at the sight of him. She almost couldn't believe she was marrying this beautiful man that stood after her. His gaze followed her every step until she and her father reached at the end of the aisle. Thank God there was her old man, she would have tripped had he not been holding her steady.

And when she landed her hand on her soon-to-be husband's, she felt a tingling sensation coursing through her body.

They stared at each other as the priest started saying his part of the ceremony. Faye was fully aware that Luke was standing so close to her she could make out his fresh scent, memorize every line of his face, the way he looked down at her- his eyes were soft and looked caring. There were sprinkles of gold in his hazel orbs, very appealing. She'd noticed there was just something in his gaze that tugged at her heart. She reveled in the look he gave her, but it made her cheeks grow warm and she'd started blushing. It wasn't as if she had feelings for him.

And then he phrased those verse that she was certain would burn in her memory forever.

"I, Luke Voltaggio, take you, Faye Elizabeth Bowen, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward until death do us apart."

For some reason, Faye's tears misted her eyes. She didn't even know what that had been, it was as if his words shook her to her soul. Luke reached a hand and caught the trail of tears with his finger. She was being ridiculous, she shouldn't be too emotional- this whole thing wasn't even real. Finally, in between tear-cracked words, she tilted her chin up to meet his eyes and repeated the same verse to him...

"I, Faye Elizabeth Bowen, take you, Luke Voltaggio, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward until death do us apart."

With that, they slipped the silver band over each other's fingers and took turns signing their marriage certificate.

"You may now kiss your bride," the priest announced.

Luke stared down at her for a moment. The space between his brows crinkled as he frowned. Faye thought she saw a hint of apprehension in his eyes. And that was it; she knew he wasn't going to kiss her. Much to her chagrin, he suddenly reached out and tugged her gently into his arms. His hand cupped her chin tenderly just as he lowered his head to meet her lips with his.

And in the midst of the whistles and shouts from their family and friends, they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Faye's heart started pounding wildly in her chest as she felt his soft lips moving against hers. The kiss was unbelievably warm and pleasant...and it ended way too briefly.

When he pulled away, she couldn't look into his eyes, her blush deepened and her face was the color of fire.

But she knew, they weren't going anywhere with this marriage. There will be no wedding night, no honeymoon, no real sex and no children. She was never going to let him touch her more.

The marriage was to be in name only.

Faye leaned against the headboard, looking down at the silver band on her ring finger. When she was little, her mother used to tell her the wedding ring goes on the left ring finger because it's the only finger that has a vein that goes directly to the heart. She didn't believe it- and she would never believe it, this whole thing was a sham. Though the ceremony was nice- and the kiss too. As much as she would like to deny it, she would never forget their first kiss yesterday. If her emotions continued alongside this unreasonable course, she might let him kiss her again- someday.

The faint glow from the wall sconces, the curtain was opened just a little bit and gave off the tiniest bit of yellow light to fall through an unconscious, long, lean figure. Faye was able to make out the sleeping form from across her bed. That was her new husband, on the morning after their wedding, sprawled on a large leather sofa.

Hey guys! This story is the expansion version of my short story called Reverie. Don't bother if you haven't read it as it was just a rough excerpt, but if you're interested, please be my guest. I have to give you warning though, the second part contains mature content- so if you're not into love scene, you can just read the first part :)

So, what do you think? Do you prefer third person narrative or should I revert to my usual style (first person)?

Thanks for reading. I would love to hear what you think :)

~champagnekisses~