by J. S. Scott
“I’ll always hate you for this,” she told him angrily, furious with herself for still being so uncontrollably attracted to him when he acted like such a jerk. “What the hell is wrong with you? What happened to the Jason who actually rescued me from bullies instead of being one himself?”
“He grew up to be an asshole,” he answered morosely, his azure eyes glacial and dark. “Hate me if it makes you feel better, but I’m not letting you leave here until I get what I want.”
Bastard!
Hating Jason was easier with every word he uttered, and she strode over to him and let her hand fly, no thought in her head except to wipe the smug look off his face.
Smack!
The satisfaction of her hand as it connected with his frosty expression was more satisfying than the pain of her stinging palm. How dare he extort her just to get into her panties?
The shocked expression on his face was priceless, and Hope’s anger continued to swell as he grasped her wrist to keep her from slapping him again.
Truthfully, not only was she pissed, but she was disheartened and wondered what had happened to the Jason she actually liked. This man was someone entirely different, and her heart mourned the loss of the man who had always kept her secrets without requiring anything in return.
“I guess this means you’ve decided to despise me?” He held his hand up to his reddened cheek. “But it doesn’t matter.”
For a brief moment, Hope thought she spotted an injured, sad look in his otherwise cold eyes…but in an instant, it was gone.
“I’m not sure how you expect me to feel any other way.” Hope jerked her wrist from his grasp. “I admit…I got plastered, which I normally don’t do. I admit…I haven’t been exactly forthcoming about my chosen career. But that’s my business. I’m a grown adult. What I do and don’t choose to tell people is none of your business. I’m nothing to you, and you’re nothing but an old childhood friend to me.” Liar! Hope’s racing heart was filled with sorrow and ached for the man she had so desperately wanted , one who was so different from the Jason she saw right now.
“You’re far from nothing to me. And you can deny it all you want, but your body wants me even if you loathe me,” he told her evenly. “You’re married to me. Evidently, I didn’t force you into wedded bliss. I have a ring on my finger, too, and nobody coerces me into anything. All I’m asking for is some time.”
“You’re asking me to be your whore to keep you from blabbing the truth to my brothers. You aren’t asking for time, Jason. You’re asking for a blackmailed prostitute,” she answered furiously, breathlessly.
“I’m asking for time. The sex is just a given. Jesus, can’t you feel the sexual tension between us?” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “And. You. Are. Not. My. Whore.” His voice was full of wrath as he succinctly said each word with emphasis. “You’re my wife.”
“Not for long,” she vowed, still upset, but also confused. Jason looked affronted by her description of his arrangement, and that didn’t make sense. Wasn’t it exactly what he was asking for? “And the sex is not a given. It’s impossible.”
Unable to hear another word without her heart being ripped from her chest, she left, almost running toward the bedroom. She locked the door and dragged clothes from her suitcase, surprised to find more jeans, shorts and other casual wear in a large bag beside her suitcase, things that had been at her condo. Someone had to have been in her home, which gave her the creeps. Whoever had brought Daisy here had also brought her more clothes. Hope shuddered with indignation. She snatched up a clean pair of jeans and a tank top, went into the bathroom and closed the door quickly, and locked it before the tears fell.
Jason picked up the keys to his rented vehicle, his heart heavy. So, Hope was going to end up hating him. Well, that would make two people in this house who hated him, because he detested himself right now, too.
Granted, he hadn’t exactly lied. He’d just let her think he hadn’t been coherent when they’d married, agreeing with her assumptions. Hell, she’d been pissed off enough because he forced her to stay. He could only imagine her fury when she discovered that he’d not only been totally sober, but that he’d orchestrated the whole thing from the beginning, made the marriage happen.
Jason had needed to remind himself that she’d lied, that she wasn’t the woman he thought she was. That, and the fact that if he didn’t do something now, she’d be miserable with a loser for the rest of her life, had made him capable of being a heartless bastard.
Yet, through the anger, Jason could see her disappointment, and it killed him.
His hand went to his still stinging, reddened cheek, and he smiled. The pain reminded him Hope could hold her own when she was furious. He could handle that. It was far better than the disillusioned look he’d seen her shoot at him, an expression that said she no longer trusted him.
Jason tried not to let that look haunt him as he walked out the door and locked it behind him.
I can’t hide in the bathroom forever.
Feeling much improved after her shower, Hope didn’t even bother with makeup or drying her hair. She still felt lethargic from her hangover, and she wasn’t looking forward to facing Jason again right now.
I need to find a way to keep him from talking to my brothers. There was a time when he could keep a secret. Can he do it now?
It rankled to give in to his demands, but she already knew she wouldn’t have sex with him. Could she still trust him if she gave him the time and he didn’t get what he wanted? Did she have enough faith to believe he wouldn’t out her to her brothers or anyone else? The problem was, this was a different Jason from the young man she’d known as a child, and he wasn’t even similar to the man who had rocked her world months ago with intimacies that she now craved.
So who the hell is the real Jason Sutherland? And how did I end up married to him?
How had she ever let that happen? Stupid, stupid woman. What was I thinking? Problem was, she obviously hadn’t been thinking at all. She’d been severely impaired by way too much alcohol. The accidental meeting in Las Vegas with Jason had thrown her off balance. She didn’t remember much after he’d taken her into the hotel bar for a drink, but she remembered her fear that he’d discover her secrets. That’s why she’d had one more drink—way too many times—to relax.
Somehow, it was hard to picture Jason getting so plastered that he’d married her, but he obviously had. He was a man who liked control, and it was difficult to imagine him giving that up and ending up married to her.
She stared at the glittering diamond on her left hand. The large stone winked back at her mockingly. It was beautiful in its simplicity, a single diamond set in a band engraved with delicate Celtic knots, yet she knew the large stone and intricate design had been expensive. “I have to end this,” she whispered to herself fiercely. Her hand lowered to her side. It didn’t really matter how this marriage had happened. What mattered was how fast she could get it dissolved and get Jason to not reveal her lies to her brothers. She needed to get back to the business of running her own life, even if Jason didn’t approve.
Why did Jason even care? Obviously, he wanted to sleep with her, but what guy—what billionaire who could have any woman he wanted—married a woman like her, even if his brain had been temporarily incapacitated? Honestly, she couldn’t begin to understand why he was threatening her just to spend time with her. Jason could make almost any woman drop her panties instantly. Why would he want to keep dragging this mistake out further just in an attempt to have sex with her—which was pointless anyway. It wasn’t going to happen.
Pushy, arrogant, know-it-all man!
Maybe he was hurt and angry because he’d found out she was a liar, even though she wasn’t sure why. Her lies hadn’t really affected his life at all, although he was friends with her brothers. Maybe he was ticked because she’d lied to them, and perhaps he was a little bit justified if he was defending friends. Honestly, she’d probably always known that one day her li
es would come back to bite her in the ass. She just hadn’t known it would happen exactly like this. There was nobody she wanted to be indebted to less than Jason.
He’ll never understand.
It was even less likely that the inflexible male she’d just butted heads with a short while ago would comprehend exactly why she needed to do what she’d done. Sometimes she wasn’t even sure she completely understood it herself.
“End this, Hope,” she said adamantly. She opened the bedroom door and forced herself to stride back to the living room.
Jason was just coming through the door with an armful of white paper bags. “Dinner,” he remarked casually. “I don’t cook well.”
Hope took a few of the bags and set them on the kitchen table. “Hungry?” She looked at the enormous amount of food, momentarily forgetting her anger.
“Starving,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “I guess I over-ordered.”
His smile put her off balance, the expression so much like the old Jason that her heart skipped a beat. She gnawed on her bottom lip in concentration as she tried to read him, to judge whether or not they could actually talk about this without getting angry.
At the enormous amount of food he’d purchased, she had to admit that he’d certainly had gotten carried away. Hope pulled plates out of the cupboard and unpacked huge burgers, fries, fried mushrooms, and even some Rocky Mountain oysters.
When they were both seated, they ate in silence; both of them concentrated on their food. Hope was famished now that her stomach had settled, and she didn’t want to say anything to bring back the frosty Jason she’d battled with earlier. He seemed more relaxed, more approachable. She reached for a Rocky Mountain oyster and popped it into her mouth, and nearly moaned as she chewed. After a sip of her soda, she told Jason, “These are fantastic.”
After he consumed the last of his second burger, Jason reached out and snatched one of the oysters. “The owner of the burger place told me they were a specialty of the restaurant.” He ate one and reached for another. “These are good. I know they aren’t really oysters. It tastes almost like chicken. What are they?” He put the second one in his mouth and gave her a questioning look.
Evilly, Hope waited until he was chewing before she answered. “Bull’s balls. Calf testicles. They’re actually really good when they’re cooked properly. Nothing better than munching on some freshly fried balls,” she told him teasingly as she took another oyster and popped it into her mouth and gave him an innocent look.
Score!
Hope bit back a smile as Jason nearly choked. He swiped up his soda and took several sips to wash down the oyster. His eyes narrowed in aversion. “That’s disgusting,” he grumbled. “Why didn’t you warn me?”
She shrugged, unperturbed, but she’d been pretty certain he’d have this kind of reaction. Any one of her brothers would have reacted exactly the same way. “You’re a well-traveled man. Don’t you try out the local cuisine when you travel? Or are you just having sympathy pains for the bull?”
The disgruntled look on his face was priceless, and Hope itched to have her camera in her hands. Obviously, even if he was willing to eat just about anything, she guessed he drew the line at bull’s balls. She’d lived in Colorado long enough to get used to crunching on the unusual Rocky Mountain specialty. She hadn’t lied when she’d told him they were really good if they were cooked well, and the oysters he’d picked up were outrageously good…if you liked bull’s balls.
“I’ve eaten all kinds of local cuisine, but there’s something seriously wrong with eating—” He scowled at the oysters. “That.”
Hope burst out laughing, nearly snorted as she saw a humorous side of Jason she’d never seen before. He looked like a little boy who didn’t want to eat his peas, which really made her want her camera. She wasn’t sure she’d ever see this look again, and she wanted to capture it. Smug, confident, panty-meltingly gorgeous Jason Sutherland actually looked like a rebellious child.
He pushed the remaining carton toward her. “It’s not funny. Some things are just too personal to eat.”
Hope chortled. “I’m sure they were personal to the bull, too. You are having sympathy pains. I take it you don’t travel to Colorado very often.”
“Rarely. And I’ve never been offered…those.”
He couldn’t even manage to say what they really were, which delighted Hope no end. “Why do I have a feeling that my brothers would feel the same way?” Hope smiled. Obviously testosterone-overloaded men had a real problem eating testicles.
“They would,” Jason agreed with a grimace. “It makes me wish I could send some to Grady without him knowing exactly what they were.”
“Admit it, if you didn’t know what you were eating, you’d like them. They’re pretty tasty.” Hope cajoled him to confess that the local specialty was actually good. “They’re even better if you have a tangy cocktail sauce, but they didn’t give you any.”
“But I do know what they are. And I can’t believe you actually dip those in sauce.” Jason gave her an unhappy look. “And you didn’t warn me on purpose,” he finished accusingly.
She had intentionally waited until he ate some of them, had wanted to see his reaction. It had pleased her more than she had expected. “Maybe I was trying to get back at you for threatening me, and for being such a jackass earlier. Staying married any longer than we have to is just compounding our stupid mistake.”
His expression turned stormy. “You must have wanted the marriage, Hope. I’m sure I didn’t force you.”
Of course he hadn’t. She’d obviously been all for the idea. There was no such thing as a shotgun wedding anymore, and she had to have been willing—probably because she had always wanted Jason so desperately. Her inhibitions had obviously all flown away and she’d readily agreed. “I wonder if I asked you.” She wished she knew exactly what had happened.
“Maybe it was a mutual decision,” Jason said casually as he got up and threw empty cartons away, grabbed a chocolate bar from the cupboard, tore off the wrapper, and consumed half of it in one bite.
It wasn’t very romantic, but it was very possible she had asked him. Without her usual defenses, she might have even begged. Just the thought made her flush, her face now as red as her hair.
She tried not to think about their time in Vegas, so she rose and helped Jason clean up the table. “So how do you suppose we got the rings?”
“I imagine we purchased them like any other couple getting married,” he said nonchalantly. His candy wrapper went in the trash since he’d already finished the entire bar of milk chocolate. “Do you like what we got?” His voice was casual, but she heard a note of indecision, a slight hesitation in his tone.
Hope sighed. “They’re beautiful. But it’s not like we’re going to wear them.” She twisted the ring she wasn’t used to wearing on her finger, and started to draw it off.
“Leave it,” Jason demanded as he turned around. “For now,” he added in a low, husky voice.
Hope left it on her finger. What did it matter? She’d take it off eventually, though she found it odd that Jason still wore his, and he didn’t want her to take hers off.
“What were we thinking?” She still fidgeted with the ring on her finger nervously. She wasn’t given to mad acts of impulse, and she was certain Jason wasn’t either. He was the type of man who weighed everything out, considered the pros and cons. He hadn’t become a billionaire by not using his head.
He cornered her by the kitchen table, rested his hands on both sides of her and looked down at her with a set of turbulent blue eyes that made Hope shudder.
“I’m positive the head above my neck wasn’t thinking. My dick was probably happily contemplating the consequences at the time, and in complete control.” He leaned down until she could feel his heated breath against her lips. “Maybe I wasn’t willing to see you married to anyone else but me.”
He captured her mouth in a fierce embrace that made Hope’s core clench in response. His kiss w
as possessive. Wild. All-consuming. It was the kind of embrace that she didn’t have the strength to resist. Arms wrapped around his neck, she squeaked as his hands covetously palmed her ass and lifted her onto the table. His lips never left hers. He tasted sinful, like the decadent chocolate he’d just consumed, and he was just as addictive. With a grasp on her hips, he yanked her heated core against his engorged cock none too gently and let her feel just how aroused she could make him.
For just a moment, Hope’s heart beat erratically in satisfaction, and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, to feel him even tighter, closer.
Jason.
Her heart sighed and her body caught fire as Jason kissed her as if he had to have the connection, as if he needed her mouth more than he needed anything else.
Jason.
She tightened her legs around his waist, needed him so desperately that her core flooded with liquid heat. Her nipples hardened to sensitive twin peaks.
Jason.
She pulled her mouth from his, leaned her head back and moaned. Tears of frustration flowed down her cheeks.
I can’t do this.
“Hope?” Jason put a hand behind her head and forced her to look at him. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Hope looked into his passion-laden eyes, and felt helpless to explain. Gone was the jackass Jason, and the compassionate man she knew slowly returned. Unfortunately, his multiple personalities made everything more confusing. She wanted to confess everything to her old friend, the man who had given her such exquisite pleasure earlier in the year. The man who tried to extort her into staying with him—she wanted nothing to do with him. The problem was, deep inside, Hope knew that wasn’t the real Jason. His cold ruthlessness might be a part of him, but it wasn’t all that he was.
“Everything is wrong,” she muttered. It felt as if the whole world suddenly crashed down around her. She pushed at his chest. “This is wrong. We should have never gotten married, Jason. I can’t imagine either one of us behaving that way, but we did.” This wasn’t all Jason’s fault. Certainly, he was playing a dirty hand right now, taking advantage of the situation, but she’d gotten drunk and apparently jumped on the chance to have a man she’d wanted for such an incredibly long time. Then, her lies had caught up to her with a vengeance. “I don’t believe you did this for completely selfish reasons. Not if you were worried that I was marrying the wrong man at the time. Maybe some rational part of you was trying to save me.”
