Page 11 of Contractually Wed

Her mouth turned down at the corners. “Give me at least until tonight.”

“You have fifteen minutes and it’s more than enough to collect your various electronics.”

She pushed back from him then, mistrust shining in her eyes. “Not to say a proper goodbye and it’s—”

“Now, Jia,” he said, letting her see the temper he was tamping down. “Before I forget all my promises or that I still owe you one.”

She straightened, shutting down whatever little vulnerability she had shown him. “If I’m using that one, it can’t be half-assed.”

He regarded her with an outside calm, even as he knew what she would ask. “What’s the full condition, then?”

“I don’t want to talk about this ever again.”

He didn’t need to ask her what she meant. He didn’t give his assent nor did she ask for confirmation. If she trusted him that much already, that was her problem. But no way was she getting what she wanted this time.

She belonged to him and he would destroy the man who had lifted a hand against her, whoever it was.

All through the flight to Athens, Jia kept wishing her husband was truly the closed-off, ruthless monster she’d made him out to be in her head all these months. A villain full of nefarious intentions and cutthroat tactics could have served her so much better.

His calling her his “asset,” his telling her father that there would be no annulment after tonight, his demand that she leave instantly at his command...all of it pricked like a thorn stuck under her skin. But it was no less than what she’d expected. He was a powerful man used to getting his way and she was an important pawn.

Just because he’d gotten angry over her bruise, or kissed like he meant to soothe her...didn’t mean much. The fortunate thing was that all her life, beginning very early on, she’d had a taste of everything but real love. Oh, her older sister, Rina, had been kind to her and loved her—even when it invited their father’s annoyance—but it was the same emotion that she showed a puppy that Vik had tormented when they’d been kids.

Her father’s begrudging acknowledgment and a little affection had comeaftershe began showing real talent in architecture, after she’d won several contracts for the company,aftershe had repaid his generosity in letting her mother keep her.

Until then she’d been only a reminder of his wife’s infidelity.

So Jia knew not to mistake Apollo’s rage at her bruise for anything more than basic human decency, or his concern as anything more than another reason to hate her family. His demand that she leave her family behind was nothing but his need to make sure “their deal” was completed ASAP.

She was a willing pawn at worst, and an important asset at best. And in between, a weapon to be used against her father. Hopefully, her actions would count toward nullifying the last. Of course, her father had been furious, muttering that she’d ruined everything, ranting about an annulment.

Now, as she whiled away the hours on the jet, sitting across from Apollo, with a low buzzing ache at the back of her head that wouldn’t let her sleep, Jia wished she could enjoy the flight. Wished she could ignore him as easily as he was ignoring her.

Through the drive to the private airstrip and the two hours into the flight so far, he’d barely looked at her, his dark mood hanging over the luxurious space like a thunderous cloud.

“Do you need medical attention, Jia?”

Jia sat up at the sudden question. Every time he said her name, it felt like a caress and a reprimand rolled into one. And while she wasn’t going to go out of her way to please him, she didn’t understand his animosity. She’d handed him everything he’d wanted on a platter without making any demands. What was his problem?

“I’m perfectly fine,” she said, flicking an imaginary dust mote from her jeans. Clearly, he had been watching her the whole time.

“You keep rubbing your head and your neck.”

“I’m a little out of sorts,” she snapped and sighed. “You did drag me away from my family and my things and...”

“Your precious collection of lacy silk blouses and dark denim?”

“Exactly,” she said, not letting the smile that wanted to bloom touch her lips. He wasn’t allowed to be grumpy one second and then charm her the next.

He stood up and before she could take in a rushed breath, loomed over her, filling her field of vision. With his shirt unbuttoned to reveal olive skin at his throat, his corded forearms sprinkled with hair and his gray eyes focused on her...he was incredibly intimidating, to say the least.

She’d been confident they would lead separate lives for most of the year. Given he traveled a lot and would want her to continue her work for the family firm. She hadn’t expected to be around him so much so soon.

Something about him made her feel unbalanced. Which was why she’d played offense and admitted her attraction to him. Better to own it than let him turn it into a weapon.

He extended his hand toward her and that bubble of tension around them tightened. “Come.”

After staring at it for a few seconds, she placed her hand in his with a tremble she couldn’t hide. He pulled her up and shuffled them toward the rear cabin, telling the flight attendant that they weren’t to be disturbed.

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