by Ashley Jade
Something ugly and painful twists my insides, puncturing the dam of anguish I’ve tried so hard to hold back. “You’re not capable of loving me the way I love you. You’re not capable of choosing me…you never will be. Even though I choose you with every single breath I take.”
His thumb grazes my cheekbone and for a moment, I see the tiniest flicker of genuine emotion in his eyes. The kind that makes me believe he feels the same way for me.
“If you weren’t my stepdaughter. If you weren’t so young—if things were different—I’d choose you. In any other lifetime but this one, I’d choose you and never look back.”
And therein lies the problem. “No matter the obstacles—I still choose you. In this lifetime…in any lifetime, I’ll always choose you.” He tightens his hold and I reach for his wrists, caught between wanting to keep him close and wanting to push him away, because his touch feels like salt in the wound he created. “Please, don’t marry that woman. We both know it’s only for show and you don’t really care about her.” I lean into his touch. “Choose me, Cain. Love me back and I’ll love you harder than anyone else ever has or ever will. I’ll—”
“Eden.” He presses his lips to my forehead. “I can’t.” His mouth brushes the tears running down my cheek. “I can’t.” Tension coils low in my belly when his expression changes from pained to hunger and his lips find my neck. “I can’t.” I suck in a breath when he ventures lower, his stubble scraping the sensitive skin between my breasts. “I shouldn’t.”
With a groan, he takes my hand and places it on his bulging erection. “You see what you do to me?” I squeeze his length through his pants, and he props his arms on either side of my head. “How fucking crazy you make me?”
His muscles tense as I rub him harder. The friction is so intense between us I’m surprised we don’t burst into flames.
In one swift motion, he unzips his pants and rocks into my hand. “Why don’t you get on your knees and finish what Margaret started like a good little girl?”
And just like that, a tiny piece of my heart plummets…falling from the pedestal it was clinging to with everything it had.
He said her name.
The woman he’s going to marry. The one he never told me about.
The one he’s choosing over me.
Cain realizes his mistake the moment I remove my hand. “I’m—”
“Don’t.” He’s not sorry. He never is.
Closing my eyes, I wait for the sharp, shooting pain radiating through the center of my chest to lessen enough that I can walk out of this room.
As if he can sense my impending departure, Cain’s body sinks against mine, his lips softly tracing the shell of my ear, keeping me enslaved. Funny how the same feature—my favorite feature of Cain’s—causes me both pleasure and pain.
Often in the same breath.
“I love you, Eden.”
Then why did you trick me into coming here so you could break my heart?
Reaching behind me, I turn the knob. “Then why does it hurt so much?”
My feet barely touch the hallway floor when he closes the door. No doubt afraid someone might be watching.
My heart pangs as I touch the rustic mahogany. Eleven years between us but a lifetime apart.
He’s going to marry Margaret. He’s going to become mayor. He’s going to get everything he ever wanted…and live happily ever after.
While I’ll be left with nothing.
Too bad the man who tried to kill me on the dance floor didn’t finish the job.
Chapter 4
Cain
The last thing I need is a scandal ten days before the election. And by my count, I have not one, but three on my hands. The reporter, Margaret, and my stepdaughter.
Muttering a curse, I look up at the ceiling. I have less than twenty-four hours to put these fires out before word starts to spread.
The reporter mess will work itself out soon enough—but if it doesn’t, I know exactly how to pacify Katrina.
Smiling to myself, I give my dick a languid stroke.
Margaret is going to be a trickier situation, but as long as she doesn’t figure out the woman in the mask was Eden—I can fix things with her before the night is over.
Sadly, it will involve surrendering myself to another boring blowjob. My fist tightens around my erection. Let’s hope her snatch can take a dick better than her mouth does—otherwise the next four years will be hell on earth for me.
A deep groan fills the room and I pick up my pace, my thoughts drifting to Eden. The solution is simple—send her off to college. Keep her far away from all of this. Let her fall in love with a boy her own age—not a man who happens to be her stepfather—and live happily ever after.
Let her forget about me and move on.
Let her go because I love her.
Unfortunately, both the organ beating inside my chest and the one my hand is wrapped around have serious issues with that.
Not only do I want her so much it physically hurts, but somewhere along the way, Eden became so much more than my stepdaughter. More than the desire I can’t indulge in.
She’s my trusted companion. My loyal pet who waits at the door for me day in and day out. And despite how many times I’ve hurt her—that gorgeous face always lights up like the sun whenever I come home.
She’s my secret superpower. My beautiful angel and my darkest craving.
She’s a saint a man like me doesn’t deserve.
But she’s also become…my greatest liability. It’s dangerous to want someone so much they can destroy you.
My head lolls back and I close my eyes, thrusting into my palm as images of taking her innocence flash through my head. I’ve tried to do right by her—tried to keep her away from the worst of me, but I’m hanging on a ledge...barely holding on. And if she’s…
A door creaking followed by the sound of footsteps has me scrambling to tuck my dick inside my pants.
The corners of Margaret’s eyes crinkle when she sees me. “Didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
I bristle. I don’t like that she came back up here snooping, but it’s better she caught me with my hand on my dick instead of Eden’s. “Can’t blame me for trying to finish what you started.”
Margaret blushes like a school girl before her expression turns grim. “I’m surprised the blonde you asked me to leave you alone with didn’t help you out.”
Fixing things with her will be easier than I thought. “I’m not in the habit of disrespecting the woman I’m going to marry. You wanted her gone. She’s gone.”
I can tell she wants to cave, but she eyes me suspiciously. “For how long?”
I give her a small smile. I just have to charm her enough to let her believe my intentions are earnest. “How long do you plan on staying married to me?”
She opens her mouth, but whatever words she intended to say are lost when she clamps it shut.
I tip her chin. “If this is going to work between us, I think it’s best we don’t keep any secrets from one another. So, what is it you have to say to me?”
She wrings her hands. “What’s her name?”
Despite the slight roll of my stomach, I keep my expression impassive. “Would you hate me if I told you I don’t know?”
She tries to speak, but I cut her off. “I’m not trying to butter you up. Truth is, we hooked up in a bathroom at a benefit party over six months ago. She never gave me a name and I didn’t ask her for one. Shortly after our encounter, I ran into one of David Covey’s campaign managers and he introduced her as his new girlfriend.” I shrug. “Needless to say, if I was interested in her before, I certainly wasn’t after that exchange.”
Margaret fixes my bow tie. “She was awfully irate for a woman you claim to have only slept with once.”
I place my hand on top of hers, halting her movements. “You’re not stupid, Margaret. If you take your personal feelings out of the equation and think logically, I’m sure you’ll realize Covey obviously hired her
to get dirt on me. As tragic as Karen’s passing was, it gave Covey’s team an advantage because up until our arrangement, I was a twenty-nine-year-old widower. And to be frank, a whore bending over a bathroom sink was ideal for a man who wasn’t interested in anything more back then, and they knew it.” My nostrils flare. “I have no doubt her outburst earlier was designed to make you suspicious and cause a rift between us before the election.” I drop my hand. “It obviously worked.”
I walk past her, but she reaches for my arm. “I had no idea.”
“That’s exactly my point. You had no idea, and yet you chose to believe the worst in me before I could explain. I’m not sure I can be with someone who doubts me and questions the truth. My wife should be my biggest supporter—not my biggest adversary.”
“I’m sorry for doubting you.” She goes back to fixing my bow tie. “You’re right. The people in this town will chew you up and spit you out at the first sign of weakness. We need to be a united front at all times.”
“Are you sure you can handle that?”
She zips up my fly. “I’m not the one who needs to worry, Cain. I’ve never been the subject of gossip and scandals.”
“Wh—”
“Word of advice? You’ve already been married once—lucky for you it ended in death, not divorce. However, if you have plans to be more than just the mayor of Black Hallows, I’m the wife you want beside you. But I won’t be made to look like a fool. Therefore, I suggest you learn to like my hand…or get used to your own for the duration of our marriage.”
Despite wanting to throttle the woman, I reach for hers. “I’m becoming rather fond of yours.”
“Good.” She smiles. “We should head back downstairs. Daddy has some important associates he wants to introduce you to.”
I steer her toward the door. “Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.”
I go to turn the knob, but she stops me. “Is there anything I should know about? Any ghosts from your past that might come back to haunt us?”
I meet her gaze head-on. “No.” With a wink, I lead her out of the room. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t believe in ghosts.”
Because all of mine are buried.
Chapter 5
Eden
They say your life flashes before your eyes moments before you die. Your fondest memories, greatest achievements, the people you love—it all zips through your mind like a slideshow.
Heartbreak is a lot like death.
Only for me…there aren’t people. There’s just Cain.
Every single one of my flashes revolves around him. And every positive flash is immediately followed by one that hurts so much I wish I was actually dead so I wouldn’t have to suffer through the pain any longer.
I close my eyes as another one spikes through me like the jagged teeth of a hungry animal ripping through its next meal.
I watched from the sidelines as his tuxedo-clad body pressed against some woman wearing a sophisticated purple dress and they swayed to the music. I couldn’t tell if they were friends or lovers…not until his dance partner closed the distance between them.
I smiled. Thinking how sweet it was to see a couple in love show affection.
That is until his hand lifted—the glint of gold from the diver’s watch I got him last Christmas was nearly blinding as he cupped her flushed cheek before his lips—those perfect lips of his—moved against hers tenderly in a soft kiss.
A kiss that lingered long enough people took notice.
A kiss so beautiful it made the people on the dance floor clap.
A kiss so powerful it broke my heart.
Cain kissed her like she was his everything…and I was his nothing.
The organ in my chest recoils as I touch my tear-stained lips. “He never kissed me.”
“Who?”
I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound of a deep voice. I was so wrapped up in my sadness, I didn’t hear anyone approach.
I shift on the granite bench I’m sitting on so I can see him. Unfortunately, he’s standing in front of the balcony doors on the terrace and the distance combined with the black mask he’s wearing keeps his identity a mystery. The only thing I can make out from his shadow is that he’s tall and his frame is muscular.
It’s odd he would be here given you can’t access this balcony without entering the bedroom first.
I probably should have gone back downstairs, but there was no way I could face all those people. Not in the state I’m in. I figured the best option was to find another bedroom so I could gather my bearings and figure out what to do next.
Only, I haven’t a clue what to do next. I have twenty dollars in cash and an account Cain oversees and puts money into whenever I tell him I need some. I have no car. No place to go. No family or friends to call for help.
I’m all alone. Dependent on a man who brought me here so he could shatter me for sport.
The one and only thing I know for certain is that I don’t want to see him…with her. And given Cain’s marrying the woman, it makes going back home a very bleak thought. One I can’t bear.
So I won’t.
I’ll hide out in this abandoned castle until someone with authority kicks me out…or my organs cease, and the flesh falls off my bones.
I’ll stay here until it doesn’t hurt anymore.
Lifting my mask slightly, I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to be nosy?”
I’m not in the mood to talk. I just want to be left alone.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to answer a question with another question?”
The timbre of his voice sends a shiver down my spine. Goosebumps graze my arms when I realize. He’s not just anyone.
“You’re the man who hurt me earlier.”
That gets a chuckle out of him. “I’m not the man who hurt you.”
I swallow hard when he takes a step forward. The light from the moon illuminates him enough to reveal his black mask and beautifully severe features. For a moment, I’m utterly hypnotized. Those blue eyes are so vibrant even the purest ocean in the Caribbean wouldn’t come close to capturing the pigment.
“That would be your stepfather.”
Trepidation coils my insides like a noose around a person’s neck before an execution. Not only is he the man who attacked me on the dance floor, he’s also the man who helped me when I crashed into the waiter and knocked over his tray.
The man who sucked the blood from my finger and then left without a trace.
My response is automatic. Right out of the Cain Carter politician handbook. Deny, deny, deny. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Head whirling, I reach for my phone. I’ve never seen him before tonight, and yet, he not only knows who I am—he keeps showing up like a ghost out of thin air to either help, harm, or intimidate me.
It doesn’t make any sense.
As much as I don’t want to talk to Cain, I’m not stupid or stubborn enough to be alone with a nosy jerk who knows more than he should.
With shaky fingers, I type out a text.
Eden: I’m out on the terrace in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Some guy has been following me around tonight and he just showed up again. He knows things about me he shouldn’t. I’m nervous.
I hover over the send button for the better part of a minute before I clear the message and place the phone down beside me on the bench. I don’t want to need Cain. I don’t want him to swoop in and be my savior when he’s the asshole who broke my heart.
So, I won’t give him the option. I can handle this myself.
Given I’m still wearing my mask, I can be anyone.
“Listen, I don’t know what your deal is, but you have me confused with someone else.” I straighten my shoulders. “I’m not who you think I am. I’m also not in the mood for company. Please go.”
Any decent human being would leave at this point, but not him. He takes it as an invitation to sit down next to me
.
“Fine, buddy. It’s your funeral. I came here with my husband tonight and he’s gonna kick your ass if he catches you out here with me.”
I once read an article that said if you’re a single woman being approached by a man you’re not interested in, you should pretend to be waiting on your spouse.
I see the faintest hint of a dimple peek out on his right cheek as he looks down at my finger. “You’re not married.”
“Just because I don’t wear a wedding band doesn’t mean I’m not taken.”
He fetches a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. “You not wearing a wedding band has nothing to do with my observation.”
I fidget. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him what led to that conclusion, but I don’t have to because he says, “No man in their right mind would let you out of their sight.”
I roll my eyes. “Wow, smooth—”
“Not because you’re attractive or irresistible. But because a man in love doesn’t leave the object of his affection alone at a party. He also doesn’t keep her locked away like a dirty secret while he fucks other women and marries them.”
His statement is like a lethal kick to the heart. “I can get security to throw you out.”
Smirking, he fishes his lighter out of his pocket and lights his cigarette. “But then you’d have to go down there with all those people.”
I inwardly wince. He has me there. People are my weakness. Especially the people in this town.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at him out of the corner of my eye. “If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police to escort you off my property.”
There. I’d like to see him talk his way out of that one.
