Page 71 of Wed to You

“The fact that you’ve just brought it up suggests that maybe you are.”

“Nah. I’m letting you make it up to me. It was one of the perks of getting married, remember? You know, when Brian used to get all bent out of shape, my mom—”

“You say that like I’m being unreasonable.”

“No. You have every right to be angry, but like I said, you need to let it go. Be in the moment.”

“In this moment, I have my father threatening to go to court over Kaden’s trust and my grandfather’s will, and Kaden’s mom trying to take him away from me.”

“No. In this moment, there is me and you in the back of a limo in New York City.” His expression suggested he thought she couldn’t understand, but she did. “I know angst and tension and grief.”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, maybe because her tone turned angry.

“My brother was killed by his own colleagues. My mother died of cancer a year later. I could barely afford to pay my bills and carried the burden of being the Beemer who might lose the family house. Don’t think I haven’t felt utter despair. But what did the worry and anger and bitterness get me? Nothing. In fact, it kept me from having what I want. So, I did the best I could, and I’ve worked to be grateful for what I’ve got.”

“My father insulted you in the worst possible way.”

“So what? Don’t you think everyone at that party knows he’s heinous? They admire you and what you’ve done to turn your life around, and what you’ve done for Kaden.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I talked to them.”

His lips twitched upward, but the smile they hinted at didn’t reach his amazing eyes.

“Here.” She put the champagne down and climbed up next to him on the seat. Outside, bright lights rushed by, but she ignored them. She maneuvered onto her knees, her kneecaps lightly brushing his thigh. She leaned toward him, pressing the first two fingers of each hand on either side of his temple.

He eyed her with wary confusion.

“When my mom had a bad day, I massaged her temples. She said it helped.” She continued to rub his temples in slow circles.

He let out an expletive.

“Just close your eyes and take deep breaths.”

He did as she asked, but his jaw remained clenched. “Chels.”

“You need to relax.”

“I can’t.” His voice was tight as he lifted his head and took her wrists in his hands. “I’m still tense but now it’s because of you.”

Hurt, she tried to pull away, but he held her in place. “You’re making me tense.” His gaze dropped.

She followed the direction of his gaze and discovered her breast nearly plastered in his face. She jerked her head back up to look into his face.

“You either have to release the tension or go sit over there.”

She swallowed. He wasn’t angry tense, he was aroused tense. Immediately, liquid fire flooded her bloodstream. Instantly, the air in the car heated, crackled with erotic electricity that zapped over her skin.

His blue eyes blazed with wicked heat. “If you’re going to release the tension, my head isn’t the place to start.”

Oh, Lordy. That was a dare. There was no doubt she wanted to rip their clothes off and make good on that dare. She wanted to touch and taste every part of him until he was a wet noodle, unable to move. There was just that one nagging issue that by taking the next step, it would be harder than it already was to remember this marriage was a fake. Sure, Jagger liked her, but he didn’t love her. His desire to touch her didn’t stem from wanting to show her the depth of his feelings. It was just sex with the woman who was pretending to be his wife. Well, she was his real wife, but only on paper.

He let go of her wrists and the gleam in his eyes dimmed slightly. He was letting her go, taking her non-action as her answer. But she wanted him. Even if it was pretend and only for a short time. She’d done the right thing all her life. She’d worked hard to keep her head afloat and now she had the opportunity not only to breathe again, but to have fun. So why not take it? Wasn’t that the advice she just gave him? To live in the moment? In this moment, hot, fiery need swam through her veins until she thought she’d melt from the inside out.

Her gaze drifted down and her hand followed, brushing over the swell of his pants. His harsh intake of breath caused her to look up to his face again, wanting to see desire in the devil ,

“You’re playing with fire.” His voice was strained, his tone pleading. In that moment, she knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t deny him. She placed both her hands on his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. His lips consumed hers, hot and fierce, and a whoosh of heat inflamed her body when his tongue snaked in, invading her mouth with demanding sweeps. His hands pressed against the outsides of her thighs, sliding her dress up, and then lifted her to straddle his lap. He pulled her to him, nesting her, hot and needy, over the hard steel of his erection. A moan filled the back of the limo. His, hers...she wasn’t sure. She didn’t know anything except the delicious feel of him between her thighs. She ground herself against him, wishing they were magic and could instantly get rid of the clothing barriers that separated them.

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