Page 31 of Tactically Tied

It was true.

A rush of fury and humiliation washed over her. Without a word, she spun on her heel and stormed off toward the kitchen of Grits and Grub, her breath coming in sharp, angry gasps. She heard Jed call her name, heard his footsteps quicken behind her, but she didn’t stop. The camera crew followed like vultures sensing a feast, but Jed was faster. He reached the kitchen door before they could enter and slammed it shut behind them, locking it.

Jami whirled around to face him, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You played me," she spat, her voice trembling with anger. "From the very beginning."

Jed stood there, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths, his eyes wide, raw. "Jami, listen?—"

"No!" She cut him off, her voice cracking. "You kissed me on a bet, Jed. You made me believe—" Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard, hating the tears that threatened to spill. "You made me believe that kiss meant something."

"It did mean something. It meant everything."

She scoffed.

He advanced.

She backed away, close to where he kept his very sharp kitchen knives. She didn't reach for those. No, a prick would be too quick. Jami eyed the rolling pin.

"I took the bet because I needed you to see that you wanted me too. That kiss?—"

"Oh, stop," she snapped, her heart pounding so loudly she could barely hear her own thoughts. "You needed to win a stupid bet with Ryan. That's all it was."

Jed shook his head vehemently, stepping closer. "No, it wasn’t about the bet, Jami. It was about you. About us. You never gave me a chance. You always wanted to do things your way. You never tried my recipe."

She let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow even to her own ears. "So this is about your ego. About you needing to prove something.No girl has ever dumped me because I'm such a good kisser." She sing-songed the last bit in a mockery of his voice.

"It's all about you. It's about how you’ve always been so set on being independent, on doing everything on your own. You're a Chou, Jami. Your whole family is like this. You fight tooth and nail to keep control of everything, and you never let anyone in."

"That's not true," she said, though her voice wavered. "I let you in. And look where that got me."

Jed's eyes softened, but his body remained tense, coiled with frustration. "Your grandfather knew it. That's why he put that clause in his will. He knew none of you Chou women would ever settle down unless you were given a good reason."

Jami's mouth fell open, a bitter taste filling her mouth. "So what? You think you’re the man to tame me?"

"No," he growled, stepping forward, backing her into a corner, away from the rolling pin and the knives. "I don’t want to tame you. I want to love you. I want you to stay because you want to, not because I tricked you into it."

Jed placed his hands on the wall behind her, on either side of her head. She could escape. But she didn't try.

"I took that bet with Ryan. I took it because, for once, I needed you to try my recipe. I needed you to see me, to want me."

She glared at him, every muscle in her body tense. "Well, congratulations, Jed. You got what you wanted. You played me. And now your chance with me is up."

"No," he said, his voice low and dangerous. He moved impossibly closer, his presence overwhelming, his breath hot on her face. "I won’t let you end this. You’re my wife now. There will be no annulment, no divorce."

She pressed herself against the wall, her heart racing as he loomed over her. "You can’t control me," she hissed, though her voice trembled.

"You’re right. I can’t control you. But I can tell you this." He leaned in, his eyes boring into hers, filled with an intensity that made her knees weak. "You gave me the right to kiss you, to hold you, and I’m not going to stop. Not when the cameras go off. Not ever. Because I don’t care about the competition, Jami. I’ve already won. I got what I’ve always wanted."

And then his mouth crashed down on hers.

The kiss was fire and fury, heat and desperation. It spoke every unsaid word between them. It unleashed every hidden feeling inside them. Jami’s mind screamed at her to push him away, to hold on to her anger, to remember that this had all started with a lie. But her heart, her traitorous heart, melted into him.

She felt herself giving in. Her hands slid up his chest. Her fingers curled into his shirt. She hated that she wanted this. Hated that despite everything, she was kissing him back with a hunger that matched his. Because she also had exactly what she wanted—him.

Jed’s hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer, his kiss deepening, more demanding. Jami let herself forget. Forget the cameras, forget the betrayal, forget the world. She let herself drown in him, in the taste of him, in the way he made her feel alive and furious all at once.

"You are mine, Jami." Jed's voice was ragged when he broke the kiss. He spoke the words against her lips like he was still branding her. "And I am yours. Whether you want to admit it or not."

Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze, so raw and full of emotion that it left her breathless. She hated that he had this effect on her. Hated that he could still make her heart race, even when she wanted to hate him.

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