by Sara Wolf
“I love you,” He pants. “I love you, Rose Jensen. Don’t you ever fucking doubt that again.”
Between his words he snaps his hips hard, and on the last word spurts inside me, his whole body shuddering as he furiously kisses and nips the back of my neck. We stay like that until our breathing calms. Lee’s the first to move, pulling out slowly, so slowly, like he wants to stay inside me forever. He gathers up his clothes but leaves the shirt tied around my wrists. When he tries to leave, I make a pleading noise, and he leans down and kisses me on the forehead, whispering.
“Come down to the party. There’s something you should hear. And I love you. Don’t forget that. No matter what happens from now on – never forget that.”
I hear the room door open, then close. I’m alone, alone to savor the last dregs of my high. But it’s not the same without him here with me. My legs are useless jelly, my thighs and wrists a little bruised. Why couldn’t he stay? Why couldn’t we talk more? We could go down to the party together. He could’ve at least untied me! I bite my tongue in concentration and try to wiggle free of the knot. As I struggle, warmth slides down my thighs and drips white on the tile. I blush and work the knot harder.
Bastard.
What did he mean by ‘don’t ever forget that’? It sounded so final – like a goodbye. My stomach sinks as I glance at the clock. The invitation said nine o’clock for dinner. I’ve got ten minutes. Just enough time for a shower and learning how to walk right again.
~~~
LEE
~~~
I can’t get Rose’s smell off me.
It’s all around me – on my skin, in my mouth. She’s here, even in the silence of my hotel room.
It’s not really my hotel room. It’s ours. Mine and Kiera’s.
I laugh, bitterly, and run a hand through my hair. Kiera and I. I should get used to saying that, I guess.
The hotel door beeps and I duck into the bathroom before Kiera can come in and smell her on me. That would break our deal; me never seeing Rose again in exchange for the purchase of Rose’s grandpa’s house, the payment of her tuition, and the payment of my father’s outstanding bets to the loan sharks. Everything solved. All the people in my life I care about, happy because of me.
Rose will be fine. That guy I saw with her when I gave her the invitation – Brando. He’ll take care of her. He didn’t seem like a bad guy. And she seemed to like him.
I laugh a bitter laugh that echoes in the bathroom.
I jump in the shower and slather myself with soap. Kiera knocks on the door and opens it slowly. I can see her through the mottled glass of the shower. She’s stripping.
“May I join you?” She pokes her head through the door and giggles.
“Shouldn’t we wait for our wedding night, dearest?” I drawl sarcastically.
Kiera giggles louder and snakes her hands around my torso. She likes it when I’m mean. She’s like the other girls – starving for any attention from me, she’ll take the cruelest thing I can manage. Or maybe she just likes my darkness. Maybe she likes thinking she’s the cause of my bitterness and pain. I wouldn’t put it past her. Egotistical bitch.
“We should learn each other all over again,” Kiera whispers in my ear, her hand sinking ever lower. “We’ll be together a long time, after all.”
She wraps her hand around me, and all I can think about is Rose. I pretend it’s Rose. It can’t be, with the sting of manicured, long nails. She’s not Rose – no gentle hesitancy. No endearing eagerness to please. No love. Kiera is raw, jagged lust. But I can drape a cloth over her edges. I can use the memories and play in a make-believe world, no matter how unreal it is.
As long as Rose is happy.
As long as Rose is safe from this witch.
~~~
By the time I fix myself up and make it downstairs, dessert is being set on the table. A curtain’s been drawn back, revealing a stage I hadn’t seen there previously. A podium and a microphone are being set up. Someone very familiar takes the stage and starts talking. His hair is gray, glasses small on his nose. Charlie Rothman, Kiera’s dad. I look around wildly – is Kiera here too? I can’t see her.
Charlie thanks everyone for coming and donating to the cause - a children’s hospital funding. He talks about the goodness of people and how giving is receiving in this Christmas season, but I’m barely listening over the confusion in my head. Why is he here? And why did Lee ask me to come down? Was it for this speech?
“Now that we’re all settled and full of fantastic food, I’d like to be selfish and announce some very happy personal news of mine.” Charlie motions to the side of the stage, and Kiera walks out in a dazzling purple silk dress hugging her every curve. Her jewelry alone nearly blinds me as the stage lights flicker off her diamond necklace and earrings. Her blonde hair is piled on her head, and her smile is sweet as she takes her place beside her dad. Someone follows her out. Someone in a suit, with long legs and dark hair and broad shoulders. Lee.
And he’s smiling.
He moves to Kiera’s side, so close they’re touching. Charlie grins at the two of them.
There’s a moment where I understand what’s going on before Charlie says it. My heart stops. It has to have stopped. There’s no way it hasn’t stopped – I’m cold all over and inside and something is stabbing at my stomach and heart and lungs all at once with poisonous thorns. I’m numb. I can’t even blink. All I can do is stare with a breaking heart and breaking eyes and a breaking body as Charlie says his next words and nails shut the coffin of my hope.
“My daughter, Kiera Rothman, recently became engaged to this handsome, devilish man here - Lee Montenegro.”
The applause is thunderous. Lee snakes his hand into Kiera and squeezes, looking deep into her eyes.
With love.
“The wedding is set for September –” Kiera hits Charlie’s shoulder playfully. “I mean, October. I can never keep up with the changes.”
More laughter from the crowd.
“I look forward to seeing you all there. Please give your best wishes to my daughter and her new fiancé, and thank you again kindly for being here tonight and supporting this charitable cause. And please, enjoy the rest of your night.”
People get up and start mingling, or dancing, or finishing their drinks. Kiera and Lee dance, his arm laced around her waist and their hands together.
“Don’t they look good together?”
I turn my head to the voice – Farlon. His smile is devious and satisfied.
I try to form words but they stick in my throat, dry and splintered.
“She met Lee at a party of mine in Spain, on our ranch, roughly seven months ago. They fell in love,” Farlon continues, and sips his wine. “Her father’s a very important man, you know. Very rich. He proposed a unification of our families that would prove beneficial to both of us – him, starting a law firm in Spain with my contacts, and me, well. Let’s say he’d get rid of some very pesky loans for me.”
I’m going to vomit.
“So you see, my canary.” Farlon dabs his mouth with his napkin. “We never really needed you. You, with your little will and my father’s quaint ‘bet between friends’, were never needed at all. I was simply giving Lee freedom, don’t you understand? You were wrong. I was a good father. I am a good father. I gave him options. And you were the one he simply didn’t choose.”
This is what it feels like to die. This pain is what it feels like to die. Inside my head, one high-pitched scream ricochets, asking ‘why’.
Lee’s words echo in my head.
I love you, Rose Jensen. Don’t you ever fucking doubt that again. No matter what happens from now on – never forget that.
Acknowledgments
~To my wonderful, beautiful, talented friends and comrades in writing; Sarah, Laura, and all my LBs! You guys constantly wow me and support me wonderfully!
~To the incredibly fantastic bunch of lady-authors who inspired me to go down this road; Kelli Maine, Katie Ashley, E
mily Snow, and Michelle Valentine. Thank you for your support and love and just being awesome role models!
~To the fam-bam – thank you for putting up with my crappy days and shining with me on my bright ones!
~To the community – you guys have been nothing but supportive. Thank you so, SO much.
~To the reader; you are beautiful and fantastic. Thank you, THANK YOU, for reading this book. It means more to me than you will ever know. You’ve helped me realize my dream and I send you all my love and hope for a wonderful, romance-filled life. <3
About the Author
Sara Wolf is the author of ARRANGED, a college-aged romance centered on an arranged marriage. She’s addicted to the Vampire Diaries, loves chocolate and romantic angst, and can’t get enough of damaged heroes. For additional books, news, teasers, and giveaways, visit her at sarawolfbooks.blogspot.com or facebook.com/sara.wolf.3304
