by Mia Madison
“That was even better than the first time,” Juliet sleepily murmured. “But this floor sucks.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
She squirmed around in discomfort so I reached back to grab a pillow. The box containing my necklace was revealed and I instantly sobered.
“Sweetheart?”
“Hmm?”
I placed the pillow behind her back as I asked, “Now that you realize I’m not trying to buy you... are you going to be mad when I want to give you gifts?”
Her eyes opened and she frowned at me for a moment before shrugging.
“I suppose not.”
“Thank fuck,” I said with a chuckle as I reached for the box. “Because this is for you.”
She gasped when I opened the lid to reveal the necklace that had reminded me of her. A large princess-cut emerald was set in the center of a white gold heart encrusted with diamonds. The emerald was what had captured my attention—the green a similar shade to that of her eyes.
The eyes that were watering up as she reached out to touch the necklace. This time, I was fully aware that her tears weren’t from something I had done wrong.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Just like you.”
I took her whispered comment as acceptance of the gift, so I undid the clasp and smiled when she pulled her hair to the side so I could put it on. Seeing her completely naked with only the jewelry I bought for her sent an interested twitch right to my cock.
Jesus. It was like I was a horny teenager again.
“Thank you so much,” she whispered as she toyed with the pendant. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to keep up with your gifting skills.”
“I don’t need things—I have things. Seeing you happy is all I want.”
She was straddling my lap before I could say anything else and I held her close as she kissed me.
“I love you,” she murmured against my jaw. “Let me show you how much.”
My question died on my lips when she gripped my cock and slid back onto it.
“I love you, too, angel,” I murmured as I ran my hand up her ribcage and ran my finger gently across the underside of her tits. “Now ride me.”
With a wicked grin, she did. I was happy to discover that my stamina did get better every time we had sex and I happily made her come three more times before I carried her boneless body to bed and promptly passed out.
Elation.
It was really the only word I could think of to describe how I felt on the drive home. Granted, I wasn’t happy to be leaving Juliet’s side, but I still couldn’t keep the stupid grin off my face.
She loved me. I loved her.
The ring I paid more for than most people make in a year suddenly felt like it was burning a metaphorical hole in my pocket. Or my safe since that was where I carefully secured it.
But a declaration of love didn’t mean the time was right to propose. Logically, I knew this. It was way too soon. I’d probably just scare her.
And yet I couldn’t stop myself from mentally planning the proposal. I knew how much she loved the beach and I was certain Layla and Mason wouldn’t mind me using the privacy of their land to set up something elaborate.
I was chuckling at the mere thought of setting up candles all over a windy beach when I pulled the car down my driveway and frowned.
There was a white sedan waiting in my driveway. The windows were too tinted for me to tell if anyone was in the car, but I didn’t recognize it. I pulled up behind it and parked, hopping out and rushing to see who the fuck was at my house.
The door opened as I approached and I froze to the spot when a stiletto heel and a leather clad leg swung out.
Oh no. Fuck no.
12
I charged forward as the body followed the leg, stopping two feet away to growl, “No. Get back in your fucking car and get off my property.”
The exasperated look on my ex-wife’s face was far too familiar for my liking. So was the roll of her eyes.
“It’s your fault I had to show up unannounced. I’ve been calling you for a fucking week, Ethan.”
Oh God, I should have seen it coming. I should have realized where my hesitation to answer that blocked number came from. Because while part of me was shocked as shit to find Sarah waiting for me—there was an alarmingly large part that wasn’t surprised in the least.
“Yeah. You’ve been calling me all week from a blocked number because you knew I wouldn’t take your call. That’s why you wouldn’t even leave a message. And I’m not going to listen to whatever you have to say now so you might as well just go.”
My shoulders were starting to shake with anger and I wasn’t willing to stand around and let her see how much she affected me. I stalked toward the house, cursing when I heard the click of her heels as she followed me.
When I reached the front door and sensed her presence directly behind me, I spun around and roared, “What?! What the fuck do you want from me now?!”
She looked up at me with surprise, her eyes glassing over as her lips trembled. It was all I needed to see to know exactly why she came and I hated her for it. I fucking hated her.
“No,” I whispered. “Don’t even bother. Your fake tears aren’t going to work on me ever again. Leave now and never come back.”
“I know you miss it!” she exclaimed, grabbing my elbow and spinning me around when I tried to turn away. “I know I fucked up, Ethan. But even after everything I did—being married was the happiest you’ve ever been. I know you miss that life. We can have it again.”
I shrugged off her hand with a scowl, staring down at her and wondering why I ever fell for her in the first place. As I glared into her eyes, I saw a legitimate spark of fear there and suddenly it all made sense.
“He left you, didn’t he?” I said, a nasty smile twisting my lips. “He fucking left you and you thought I’d just be waiting around for round two.”
The shame on her face as she looked at the ground answered my question. It might have made me a heartless prick, but I felt a stab of satisfaction when she confirmed it.
“He’s been cheating on me,” Sarah whispered, wiping away her tears. “He got some bitch pregnant and he’s leaving me for her.”
“Oh, that’s rich,” I sneered. “So you really did come back for round two.”
“I’m sorry! Okay? I’m so sorry. I know how much it hurts—how much I hurt you. I just thought... I thought maybe—”
“Let me stop you right there. You were right. Thanks to my bleeding fucking heart, I’ve always been a one-woman man. I do miss being married. But it would never be to you. Never again.”
“Ethan, I—”
“I’m in love,” I interrupted, another jolt of giddiness rushing through me at the devastated look on her face. “Yeah. I moved on. Even bought a ring.” Her voice cracked when she said my name, but I cut in again. “That ring—my ring—will never be on your finger again. Be as sorry as you want to be, but I’ll never forgive you.”
The sound of a car speeding up the driveway dragged my attention away from my ex and I rolled my eyes when I saw Layla’s convertible. The blare of music stopped when the car parked and Sarah hesitated for a brief second before making a brisk escape to her car.
Well, she attempted to.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re not Juliet,” Layla called out, stopping Sarah dead in her tracks. “Who are you?”
She tried to dash to her car, but she didn’t make it before Mason said, “That’s Sarah.”
“Sarah? Oh, hell no,” she exclaimed, rushing forward in a race to get to the driver’s side door of the white car. “Not so fast, bitch. You and I need to have some words.”
Mason jogged past the two and followed me as I ducked my head and used the opportunity to go inside. My brother looked relieved to escape the scenario that was taking place in the driveway and I peeked through the curtain enough to see Layla’s arms gesturing around wildly as Sarah stared at her in total shock.
“
You picked a good one, you know?” I said to Mason as I let the curtain close. “She’s one of a kind.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty amazing. So what happened?”
“She fucking cornered me. Was waiting for me when I got home.”
“What’d she want?” I shot him a pointed look and he immediately understood. “What the fuck? You’re kidding.”
“I really wish I was,” I said with a sigh. “There goes my good mood.”
“A good mood caused by your new girl?” When my eyebrows raised, he shrugged. “Layla dragged me here to grill you about her. So tell me. Things getting serious?”
“Yeah, they are. At an alarming speed, if I’m being honest.”
My brother stepped to the window and pulled back the curtain, shaking his head and chuckling at whatever he saw.
“She’s still laying into her,” he said almost fondly before turning away and heading for the kitchen. “Got any beer?”
He knew I did. Not just beer either. I also had a well-stocked liquor cabinet. It took me a long time to figure out that my drinking habit increasing wasn’t due to boredom—it was due to unhappiness. I’d been unhappy with Sarah and without her and I drank in an effort to ignore it. Thankfully, I never got to the point where my drinking became problematic. I eased up before it got that far.
But it wasn’t until I met Juliet that I realized I hadn’t been mourning the loss of Sarah at all. I’d been mourning the loss of married life as well as the complete destruction of my trust.
Mason reached into the fridge and took out two beers, popping the caps off and passing one to me before he said, “Tell me about her.”
“She’s... incredible. I love her far more than I probably should this soon.”
Mason nodded slowly and took a swig of his beer. I waited for him to ask a follow-up question or even make a comment, but he said absolutely nothing. He seemed to be waiting for something and I felt my eye twitching in irritation.
“I bought a ring!” I blurted out, pleased to see the shocked reaction on his previously stoic face. “I want to marry her.”
“Haven’t you been seeing each other for like a month?”
“Yeah. It’s so fucking crazy and I really can’t even begin to explain it. It’s just—she’s mine. I know it. She’s the one and I’m a fucking impatient man. I want her here with me all the time.” I paused, chuckling a little. “I want what you and Layla have. A real marriage.”
“Awww!”
I wanted to die. I watched in horror as Layla came rushing into the room and hugged me from the side. Mason just gave me an apologetic shrug, one that said he hadn’t been aware of her eavesdropping either.
“All right, all right. That’s enough,” I growled, trying to save face by straightening my spine and puffing out my chest. “I was just—”
“I know what you were saying and since it was so heartfelt, I promise not to tease you about it. This time,” she promised, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, and the bitch is gone.”
Mason shoved my untouched beer over to her and asked, “What’d you say to her?”
She took a long swig before shaking her head. “There are some woman-to-woman conversations that aren’t for men’s ears. But I think it’s safe to say that she won’t be coming back.”
For some reason, I believed her. It took some stones to show up on my doorstep after everything we went through, and between my own hostile reception and Layla the guard dog jumping in to finish what I started... yeah. Sarah wasn’t the kind to go for repeated humiliation.
“Thank you,” I said earnestly, holding my hand up when it looked like she was coming forward. “No more hugs.”
“Spoilsport.” Layla rolled her eyes and plopped down on the barstool, propping her chin on her hand. “So what are you going to do about Juliet?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to propose?”
A beat of silence passed before I asked, “How long were you standing there?”
“I came in right when you said you bought a ring.” When I muttered something under my breath about her being nosy, she laughed in response. “Oh come off it. I would’ve known before the day was out either way. Mason tells me everything.”
I looked to my brother and he gave me a hesitant little nod. Fucker. It irritated me to know that everything I told him would be repeated back to his wife, but at the same time, the honesty in their relationship made me incredibly jealous.
“Ethan. We’re not trying to nose into your business. But if you need to talk through anything or want an unbiased opinion—we’re here to help.”
The serious note in her voice surprised me. I was more accustomed to the side of her that teased me like we were truly family. Which I guess in a way, we were.
It was kind of funny. Growing up, I always wondered what it’d be like to have a sister. Now I knew.
“Thanks. Both of you—for everything. And... yeah. I guess I could use a second opinion. Someone to tell me I’m fucking crazy.”
Layla hopped off the stool and held her hands as she said, “Wait, wait. Hold the fuck up. Therapist Layla can’t give her opinion without all the necessary information.”
“All right. What do you want to know?”
Mason was shaking his head to himself and the sight made me nervous. Something ridiculous was coming—I was sure of it.
“I need to see the ring.”
“What the fuck? How is that necessary?”
“It just is, Ethan,” she huffed, stomping her foot. “Do you want a woman’s opinion or not?”
“I don’t need an opinion on the ring. I need to know whether I’m crazy or not to propose this soon!”
“The answer to that is partially dependent on the ring!” she argued, her voice raising to match mine.
“That’s bullshit. The ring won’t matter to Juliet. She doesn’t give two fucks about my money.”
“Is that right? And didn’t you think the same thing about Sarah?”
Now I was pissed. I lowered my voice and hissed, “It’s different.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I offered her money! I offered to pay her bills so she could keep the house she shares with her roommate and quit her shitty waitressing job so she could go to school! All Sarah ever did was take and take and Juliet refused!”
“That doesn’t mean she’s not using you! How can you possibly know if she really loves you?”
“Because she fucking told me! Because I can look into her eyes and see it! Because I can feel it! I JUST FUCKING KNOW!”
The anger dropped from Layla’s expression, replaced with a smug smile of victory. I felt my own face slack with confusion and I blinked multiple times, unsure of what the fuck just happened.
“I believe you have your answer.”
“Wha—Oh.” I looked back at Mason, who just shrugged again.
“She’s right, man. If that’s really how you feel, I think you should go for it.”
I wasn’t entirely sure where to go from that point. I was still shocked—both at Layla’s odd method for getting my feelings out and at how easily I had fallen for it. I chuckled in disbelief and pointed to my sister-in-law.
“You. You are a sneaky little thing.”
“I try. Anger is one of the most honest emotions we have.”
“Fuck. You didn’t even want to see the ring, did you?”
“Oh, I do. But I’ll wait until you put it on my future sister-in-law’s finger.” She stopped and clapped excitedly. “Ooh! I’ve always wanted a sister.”
“So did I,” I said with a sigh. “Come here.”
We hugged again and I felt a deep satisfaction at having my family with me.
All that was missing was a wife.
My blood was still running hot from my anger at both Sarah and Layla’s little act and it gave me the irresistible urge to take action.
“I need you guys to clear out. You can hang out and finish your beers. Just lock up when you
’re done.”
There was a chorus of ‘Good luck’ called out as I stalked from the room. I rushed upstairs to my safe and slid the ring box into my pocket, rushing down the stairs and back out to my car.
Crazy or not, I had made my choice.
13
When I knocked on the door and asked to see Juliet, Jamie just stared at me blankly for a long moment like I’d lost my damn mind.
Maybe I had, but that wasn’t any of his fucking business.
“She’s at work.”
“Well, when does she get off?”
He clucked his tongue as his eyes swept down my body, his face twisting into a look of disapproval.
“Are those the same clothes you left here in this morning?” I clenched my jaw and he let out another cluck. “You look totally crazed right now, man.”
“Listen kid, just tell me what time Juliet gets off work and you won’t have to look at my clothes any longer.”
His eyebrows drew together and his head reared back like the suggestion was absolutely ridiculous. Then—to my great horror—he swung the door open wider and said, “Come in.”
No. No, no, no this was not what I needed right now. I was running on pure adrenaline for the first time in a long while and it felt fucking fantastic. I didn’t want to tone down the crazy at all.
“Get in here! You’ll let bugs in!”
Jamie’s irritated snap made me growl and move inside, closing the door behind me. He appeared from the kitchen a moment later, holding a beer out to me.
“If you would please indulge me, I need to speak to you for a few minutes. This might be the only chance I’ll get to do it without Juliet around.”
“You really aren’t making me want to stick around,” I said dryly.
“Oh my God—would you just sit down? It’s important.”
I watched as he sat on the couch and I smirked at the thought of what happened on that couch the night before. We had cleaned the place up before Jamie got home from his date, but I’d never be able to wipe the memory from my mind. I took a seat in the recliner and gestured for him to speak while taking a long draw from the crappy beer.
