by Pamela Ann
Jared really had spectacular eyes. I could lose myself in them. Instead of battling the storm, I’d ride each stroke of emotions until I’d drowned myself all the way to the very depths of his soul. Embedding myself in the vast soul-sucking pools of his psyche. I yearned for the unattainable. I’d longed for him to light the fire within me, stroking the passion that would define me. And it seemed I was destined to crave something that wasn’t mine. It would ruin me. All the warnings were there. All I had to do was look him in the eye and I’d find my doom.
My heart was unsettled, torn between the reality and the dream. But it wasn’t a matter of choice; it was a matter of perspective. I mattered. My feelings mattered. I could no longer ignore the hurt and the savageness his callous actions caused me. At the end of the day, I only had myself. If I didn’t put myself into perspective, who would?
“The staff knows my hectic social calendar. As for my father, he won’t care. He never did. I’ve been the boss of my own life since fifteen. I go as I please. Besides, everyone in the household knows what we have is an arranged one. They won’t expect us to get all chummy immediately,” I haughtily pointed out before I caught sight of his neck. “You’re a little flushed. Are you drunk?”
“A little.” He snickered before his face grew serious. Intense powerful orbs began to penetrate my resolve, my senses, as he pulled me in, possessing my ability to function. It was as if he commanded my body to breathe for him, to live for him. My eyes longingly dropped to his lips. They stayed there, hovering, hoping, wondering what it was like to feel his lips against mine. I felt feverish. The temperature immediately skyrocketed in the closet. It stifled us, engulfing our bodies in its blistering heat. And I was…parched.
His palm cradled my cheek. It felt warm and wonderful against my skin as he slowly lifted my face to his. “Stay…it’s our wedding night…we can hang out, watch movies, and maybe we can try to get to know each other better. Just…stay.”
Our fake wedding night, I wanted to correct him but decided not to waste my breath. In the blink of an eye, the haze he had cast over me instantly vanished. Common sense kicked in full throttle.
Two hours. Two mind-blowing hours, he rutted and nutted inside his bed of roses. He came back, and I had to marry him an hour later, even after knowing that. Sure, it was part of our agreement, but it was also poorly done on his part. And yet here he was, having the gall to ask me to stay. He had his share of fun. So why couldn’t I do the same? “Maybe next time, Jared.” My refusal to give in to his wishes would provoke ire, but I was past the point of giving a damn. “Will you please move? I don’t like being late!”
He let out a breath before reluctantly giving way.
I pushed past him as if I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. His unpredictable demeanor unnerved me. Therefore, I ignored his hateful glare and strutted towards the vanity area and began to do a quick retouch of my makeup. Jared was drunk, and I presumed, pestering me probably amused him quite a bit. I skimmed through my long golden mane. I had the whole sensual beach hair vibe going—wavy, chaotic, and sexy—and I decided it was best to keep it this way. I simply teased the ends and the roots of my hair to add a little volume before reapplying two coats of coral lipstick. Lastly, I took off the eternity wedding band.
Wyatt was nosy and rather annoying, but he also was an intuitive man. He’d immediately know something was up if he spotted the ring. I saw no point of it, not when it was all a farce. I doubted the jewelry would grace my finger ever again.
His overpowering energy choked the life out of me. I didn’t even have to look up to realize Jared was leaning against the doorframe. Again. Watching me closely. “If you’re that bored, why don’t you go see your girlfriend? I’m sure you could spare another two hours to fuck her stupid.”
Can’t reel in the bitterness, can you? I was such an idiot.
“You sound jealous.”
“You wish!” I spat back before I threw him a venomous look. “If I need sex, it sure as hell won’t be from you!” Call it hitting below the belt; I didn’t give a damn anymore. “You’re a complete and utter bore. Geeks simply don’t do it for me; you’re not an exception, Jared. So, go back to Rose or to the next gold-digger who’s easily impressed when you flash your wealth. I don’t care.”
He saw red.
In a few menacing strides, he reached me. His nostrils flared as he loomed over me. “You ought to be spanked for insulting me! Yet it was only this morning that you’d have been more than ecstatic if I fucked you.” He aggressively pushed against me until the curve of my ass hit the vanity frame. The crashing sound of cosmetic cases echoed in the background while I tentatively eyed him. There was no hint of blue in his eyes. They were almost black, and they were seething with unbridled rage. “You were wet for me, moaning my name while you furiously rubbed that little pussy against my cock like a bitch in heat! You were desperate for me to cure that ache in your cunt. You repeatedly begged, imploring me to fuck you, Gisele, and I could have,” he arrogantly declared. “But I chose not to.”
My insults got to him, and he spat it right back just as viciously. It resulted in a violent mood, and I wasn’t sure what my next move entailed. The man effectively caged me with his body so I had nowhere to go. His unforgiving glare flayed whatever certainty I had left.
I swallowed, hard.
My panting hitched. My heart skittered inside my chest. Stomach churned and turned. Darting my tongue out, I licked my bottom lip before I bravely lifted my eyes, imploring. “I was caught off guard. There won’t be a reoccurrence of that, I promise.” My breasts felt full and confined against the tight bodice as my breathing kept accelerating.
“You want me,” he stated succinctly.
“No,” I rapidly denied.
My immediate denial stroked the devil in him to come out and play. “What will make you stay home, hm?” He crudely lodged himself in between my thighs and shoved his hard-on against my covered mound. “Cock? Is this what you want?” He furiously ground his member again, evoking a sharp cry from me.
My body was a quivering mess, betraying me ever so cruelly. Even after all the insults he had hurled at me, my body responded to him as if he was its master. It was beyond humiliating to be reduced resorted to this—a heaving, panting mess of a woman whose urges couldn’t be controlled. And I loathed every second of it.
“Stop it,” I hissed through my teeth. “Don’t do this to me…You’ve insulted me enough.” The urge to cry was potent, but my pride wasn’t going to indulge him with tears. He didn’t deserve them. “I get it, Jared. There’s no need to taunt me. Please.” My meek voice didn’t sway his punishing stance. In fact, it fueled him further.
He punished me again. His cock felt sublime through his trousers. His magnificent size pressed against my heat, unconsciously spreading my legs wider to accommodate him. It parted my folds, and I could feel its passion stressing the tiny scrap of lace that barely protected me. Delicious tingles circuited all over my body. My teeth sunk into my lip, stifling the wretched moan coming out of me.
“You feel that?” He roughly thrust to drive his massive point. “I’ve been hard because of you, but I can’t have you. Rose is the only thing that stops me from taking advantage of this tight body.”
His darkened eyes probed into my soul, and I held on for my dear life. Jared exuded danger as if he was on the brink of deciding if he desired to savor Heaven or Hell.
“Don’t think you don’t affect me. You do. Very much.” My lips parted. His thumb grazed my bottom lip before he pressed his pad over it, toying with temptation as his eyes zeroed in on my lips. They filled with wonderment. As if he, too, marveled at how it’d feel to have my lips press against his. “I want you. It pains me to admit it, but I do. But it’s just sex. Nothing flowery or romantic about it. Just a hard, good, raw fucking. So don’t want me, Gisele. You’ll only end up hurt when you see me go to the next woman after having a taste of you.
“Sharing your bed is a fucking nightm
are, and I’m sure it’ll only get worse as the time passes. But it’s fine. I’m doing this for you. You deserve better. You deserve someone to cherish and love you. Ingrain my words into your head because I’m not going to repeat them. Whatever ideas you have, whatever designs, dreams—it won’t happen. I’m going to kill every single one of them.” His eyes were deadly. Lethal. Impenitent. “I’m not the man to make your dreams come true.
“I’m never going to be that man. You ought to know that. So don’t want me. There’s only one way that could go, and breaking you is the last thing I want. But be warned, I can break you. If it comes down to it, I won’t hesitate to do so.” Then he instantly disengaged his body from me, as if touching me burned him, as if my nearness contaminated him.
For a moment, our eyes met. Then I watched him dart out of the room as if he had discovered I was riddled with diseases.
I remained frozen against the vanity. Not an ounce of sound came out of me. The confrontation left me reeling while his words repeatedly echoed in my mind.
I want you. Rose is the only thing that stops me from taking advantage of this tight body. But it’s just sex. You deserve better. I am not that man. I’m never going to be that man. But I will break you. If it comes down to it, I won’t hesitate to do so. All this time, I had assumed his indifference meant he wasn’t even remotely attracted to me. Jared, it seemed, was exceptionally gifted in concealing his thoughts. It was troubling. If a man could hide such things, what else could he be hiding?
Rose is the only thing that stops me from taking advantage of this tight body. Rose was his body buffer, the only thing curtailing his desires. But he was damn right; I deserved better. I deserved a man who would be proud to have me. And not a man who felt shame in admitting that he did.
But I can break you. If it comes down to it, I won’t hesitate to do so. Heartless—Jared St. James was a cruel, heartless bastard. He was straightforward, never mincing his words to shelter me from his callousness. His direct approach might be different, but it was the most honest, truthful thing I’d ever come across. And in some ways, I respected him more for it.
As a result, I gave myself five minutes to compose myself. And once the minutes passed, I immediately shrugged as if to dispel the bad thoughts in my mind. Then I left, too.
If Jared was home, I wouldn’t know, and I didn’t care. I simply carried on, walking out of the house, heading straight into the garage, and driving out of there in my white Range Rover.
The Rinaldi’s was only ten houses down, so I didn’t have far to go. Before I pulled into their circular driveway, Wyatt was already waiting for me, casually leaning against his car, arms folded over his chest, sporting an amused grin on his face.
If he weren’t Blair’s brother, he mightn’t be so bad. Wyatt was charming like all Rinaldi men. Dark hair, brown eyes, olive skin, and blessed with a great physique. Yes, he could be gorgeous if I really looked at him. But I chose not to for all sorts of reasons.
Upon parking, Wyatt didn’t have the patience to wait until I let myself out of the car. The man opened the door before I even got the chance to kill the engine.
“Well, well, well, you look ravishing as always.”
“Don’t flirt with me, Wyatt.” I scowled, weary of his typical playful attitude. “I’ve had enough to deal with, and quite frankly, I don’t have the energy to banter with you. Not tonight, anyway.”
“I’ll behave.” He chortled. “You get a free pass, but only for tonight,” he stated as he held out his hand, as if offering a truce.
A small smile curled about my lips before placing my hand in his. Wyatt could be irresistibly charming when he chose to be a decent human being. Most of the time, it was difficult to decipher him. He laughed quite often, even if it wasn’t appropriate. He hid behind his smiles, his jokes, his sarcasm. And I realized that maybe no one really knew who the real man was behind all those strategic smiles. We were all actors, after all, in a play called life. Each one bearing one mask after the other. A disguise to hide our most intimate of secrets. Some people simply knew how to act better than others.
Jared was indisputably a master of his craft.
Chapter 13
Gisele
It was a little after one the morning when I came back home. Upon entering my bedroom, I quietly made my way into the closet to change. Instead of wearing my usual favored selection of robes to sleep in, this time I opted for a nude cotton slip. Sharing my bed with Jared required extra precautions. After that mortifying ordeal, I wasn’t going to leave it to chance.
Dinner with Wyatt was actually quite fun, unexpectedly so. He kept his word and acted like a gentleman all throughout the evening. I admitted, it shed a different light on him. Like I said before, if he weren’t Blair’s brother, maybe I wouldn’t have reservations about dating him. It was just as well; the man was notoriously known to have women everywhere. If Jared was wicked, Wyatt was ten times worse than that. He left litters of broken hearts everywhere. And after this painful ordeal with Jared, I’d be a complete idiot to run into another man’s arms who could potentially hurt me just as badly. Maybe even worse.
Barefoot, I guardedly walked into the bedroom. Through the darkness, my eyes took a while to adjust. Jared was in bed, appearing to be asleep with his hands behind his head. My heart skittered at the majestic sight of him spread out like a king. His large muscular frame and chiseled abdomen made my specific organ quiver.
Don’t be a continuous lovesick idiot. Shut down your damn vagina, Gisele. Lock it down, or he’ll mock you about it in the morning. Do you really want to be shamed for a second time?
I shook my head, quite disgusted at myself.
Averting my eyes from the sleeping man, I concentrated on rounding the bed until I reached my side. I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until my head rested on a pillow and I had successfully positioned myself without waking him up. With my back facing him, I shut my lids and focused on stabilizing my heart rate. It took about five minutes or so until it began to normalize. Slowly but surely, my mind began to drift away.
I was a hairsbreadth away from nodding off into a deep slumber when his strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me against his hard body. His scent and warmth enveloped my senses immediately. I froze while I waited for him to say something, but no word came. His hot breath caressed the back of my neck. One arm rested under my chin; the other held my hip. There was nothing sexual about it. It was as if he were expressing his apology through comfort. He uttered no words, but I knew he was wide awake.
What ran through that exceptionally brilliant mind of his?
At this point, I wouldn’t even dare try to comprehend his actions. After all, if I dared attempt to, I’d go mental. Therefore, I kept still until sleep finally caught on. The last thought that crossed my mind was, Jared would forever remain an enigma to me.
I woke to the strange sounds of metals clashing. The sharp, screeching commotion raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Sleepiness escaped me, replaced by something foreboding.
Hurriedly, I darted towards the balcony where the sounds largely came from. My breath caught in the back of my throat when I watched in horror as I located Jared, gripping two katanas in each hand as he fought with a man wearing full Japanese armor. Their shiny weapons glimmered against the rays of the sun. Jared only wore loose black pants—bare-chested, barefooted, and not much else. He had no ounce of protection if the damn sword found a vulnerable spot to cut him. He’d be dead in a heartbeat.
Without thought, I rushed out the door. I didn’t even use the elevator as I scampered to the stairs before bolting towards the French doors that led to the garden. I sprinted towards the men, past caring that the grass felt wet underneath my soles.
“Stop!” I bellowed with everything I had, noting the vicious look on Jared’s face, as if he were out for blood as he blocked the other man’s sword; it made me quake with fear inside. They were in the middle of a grueling battle, and the sound of their swords along
with the adrenaline rush probably made it impossible for them to hear me. I was ready to jump on the Japanese suited man if he kept on fighting him. Where was security, anyway? So much for hiring the best of the best. So, I dared to step farther into their domain, merely a few feet away from them, determined as ever. “STOP! Please, STOP! You’re going to hurt him!”
This time, they heard me.
Both men paused, halting mid-air. Jared’s sweat trickled all over his face, his torso, as he deeply frowned and glanced towards where I stood.
“Gisele?” Jared huffed out, frowning, seeming confused.
My lethal gaze landed on his opponent. “You better put that down!” I irrationally commanded, and he spun to face me, pierced his sword into the ground, and took off his mask, exposing a middle-aged Japanese man. Then he held his left palm up vertically while the other bunched together before connecting them both and gesturing in a graceful bow.
“Miss Weber,” he uttered with great respect in his voice.
“Gisele, calm down. I’m merely working up a sweat,” Jared grumbled. An obvious sign of an amused smile crossed his face.
Working up a sweat? While seconds away from getting killed? What is wrong with him?
“Are you serious?” Highly embarrassed, I couldn’t even come up with an apology. I glared at Jared and his idiotic smile. I began to redden, immediately feeling like a complete moron. “Why can’t you be normal for once!” I muttered before I harrumphed out of the garden and retreated back indoors.
Who in their right mind would whack swords around without some sort of armor? Did he have a fucking death wish? It sure looked like it. The man didn’t give a damn if he died. I really should stop caring. When would I learn?
Feeling like an absolute fool, I trudged towards the hallway, too heated to realize that Jared had somehow caught up to me before I took the stairs.
“Gisele!”
I stopped, and ever so slowly, I turned to face him.
