Page 42 of Second Chance Husband

I had never seen him move that quickly. Usually he was smooth grace, and fluid. But just then and there, the jerky actions nearly took my breath away. He caught me between his arms on the desk, and I swallowed hard, staring up into his face.

“Say that again to my face, Paisley. You were such a frigid bitch when I was with you it took forever to thaw you out, and you were never a good lay. Why do you think I was with Lydia? Oh, it doesn’t matter what you think, it only matters what the press says. And while you would love to think my family controls the press, you know that isn’t the case. We have our ways to make our mark—to keep our legacy, and this is one of them. So you’re going to sign this non-disclosure, and you’re going to do what I say, or I’m going to make life hell for you.”

“Try it,” I snapped, yet I knew I was only playing with fire. Because I had never truly felt safe with Jacob, not that first night, not any night since. But right here and now, I knew I was alone in the office, and I didn’t know where my security was.

“Bitch,” Jacob snapped, leaning forward.

I stepped back, but he was fast, lunging toward me, arms outstretched. He gripped my upper arm, his fingers digging into my skin, and I pulled way. Only he was stronger than I remembered and while I tried to think beyond the heartbeat rattling in my ears, I shoved at him.

As Jacob moved me closer to my desk, trying to push me down along the hard wood, I kicked and ignored the panic in my veins.

Then he was being pulled off of me, and I was trying to catch my breath.

August was there, shaking out his fists, after a loud smack hit my ears. Jacob howled, covering his nose, and August glowered at the man.

“Touch her again, and I’ll kill you.”

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant. Lovely retort. Why don’t you get your little Prada suit and bloody nose out of this office before I call security.”

“I’m the one that’s going to call security, you asshole. Do you know who I am?” Jacob snarled.

Seriously? That’s what he went with. I could have laughed at the farce, but with the blood in August’s eyes, and the temper in Jacob’s, I moved between them, my hands shaking for an instant before I forced myself to steady.

“Stop it. Both of you. Just go, Jacob. We have nothing to discuss. And if you dare sue or threaten August in any way, remember, Jacob, there are reasons you want me to sign a non-disclosure.” I narrowed my gaze at him, as he just glowered. “I know things, Jacob. You want to be powerful? You want the next step in your career that you feel like you were owed? Remember that you are not an innocent party here. If you touch him in any way, I will make it worse for you. I don’t need to lay a hand on you to do it.”

“This isn’t over,” Jacob growled, but he turned on his heel anyway, leaving me alone in the office with August.

It had been so stupid to threaten Jacob. Because I could be all talk in that instance, but Jacob could hurt me a lot more than I could hurt him in some ways. Because he had his family, and I only had my dear old mother.

“What the hell, Paisley? How dare you put yourself in the middle of that, where you could have gotten hurt!”

I spun on him, mouth gaping. “I cannot believe you just did that.”

My ex-husband just stared at me, confusion etched on his face, and I had to wonder why anyone kept coming here—they were always either threatening me or trying to protect me.

I had been doing just fine on my own for so long, I didn’t need them now.

And yet here August was, my memory, my past, and a man that would never be my future.

And all I wanted to do was scream.

Chapter Eleven

August

Paisley whirled on me. “I cannot believe you just did that.”

I frowned, wondering what the hell she could possibly mean. It wasn’t as if I had kicked the guy in the nuts or gutted him like I had wanted to. Jacob would’ve earned those outcomes considering he had dared put his hands on her.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. You can’t just beat up anybody who stands in your way.”

I took a step back, shaking my head. “That’s what you think that was? That I just had a little disagreement with that asshole and suddenly what, I can’t handle myself? Get a fucking clue, Paisley. He put his hands on you.”

“He didn’t.” She ran her hands over her face, looking as exhausted as I felt in that moment. “Okay, he touched me, but I was fine. I was fine. He was hovering over me, but I was handling it. I’ve always been able to handle him.”

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