Page 41 of Taking The Virgin

God, tomorrow I could lose my sister…

I struggle to remain calm as everything catches up with me again. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. It depends.”

“Onwhat?”

“You told me you don’t want to know the details.”

He clearly doesn’t want this wishy-washiness from me either, but what else can I do? Force the details on him when he just emphasized that he won’t toleratethat?

Once again, I feel backed into a corner, this time by Owen’s rules. But my sister is at stake here, and anger and frustration take hold of me, making me do something I wouldn’t normallydo.

“If you want me to save time,” I say, “would you consider letting me use your private jet so I can leave rightaway?”

My boldness astounds even me. His gaze is the only thing that reveals how taken off guard he is. Otherwise he’s the same, granite-cool Dr. Owen Gregory.

After another fraught moment, he sighs impatiently. “Whatever you need, Juliet. I’ll make arrangements.”

Part of me nearly runs to him to throw myself into his arms, but I can tell he doesn’t like any of this at all. This is messy. This is fucking up his carefully planned existence. But as he turns away from me to ascend the stairs, I think I see a flash of concern in hiseyes.

Then it’s taken over by something like self-disgust.

I don’t have time to wonder if I’m wrong about any ofthat.

With my heart plowing through me, I let Owen go up the stairs alone, then track down Nat. After I fill her in on all the details about the court hearing, she rushes to me, huggingme.

I allow myself to lean my head on her shoulder, closing my eyes and remembering how Mom used to holdme.

Before I can make a total fool out of myself by bursting into sobs, I tell her I’ll see her soon, and I can only hope that’s true as I take the elevator to my room. I pack the most conservative, classy clothing I have so that I’ll make a good impression on the court, then hurry downstairs.

There’s a town car already waiting for me outside with one of Owen’s drivers at my service. And then we’re off to hisjet.

As the Gold Coast’s leafy, high-class streets pass by my window, I shrink into my seat. There’s nothing I can do about the hearing tomorrow, so all the emotions I just shoved aside about Owen start to attack menow.

I’ve never felt so alone. My god, this man I’m spending every single night with doesn’t even want to know what’s happening to me. We’ve been so physically intimate, but at the end of the day, Owen only cares about himself, his needs, and his own pleasure. Sure he loaned me his jet, but it’s only because he wants me back for more sex as soon as I can manageit.

Now more than ever, I’m sure that I’m not a real person to him. He proved today that he doesn’t ever want to be even mildly inconvenienced by my real life and my very real problems.

My chest hurts, and I grasp the silk material of my dress over my heart, but it doesn’t do any good. I hurt so badly. Everything hurts, even though Owen has always been up front about how he wants this arrangement togo.

Unfortunately, my stupid heart never got the memo. Now more than ever, I can’t avoid admitting that I have feelings for him beyond just physicallust.

God, I wish I didn’t.

* * *

As I sit downat the table facing the judge the next morning, I smooth out my tasteful dark gray suit that I brought from my closet back at the mansion. Back at my unassuming hotel, I fixed my hair into a low bun so I look older, and I barely put on any makeup. I want to look responsible, mature, and modest, but as the wan lights in the room pierce me like a spotlight, I feel like an inexperienced kid who’s only doing herbest.

The court officials enter the room, and I sit up in my chair, smiling at them with a confidence I don’tfeel.

My lawyer isn’t here yet, and things are about to start.

Subtly, I open my purse and access my phone, glancing at the time. Nine o’clock on thedot.

Where ishe?

I feel sweat emerging under my arms and prickling my forehead. My pulse jitters even before Mr. and Mrs. Terry, Jasmine’s foster parents, enter the room with their attorney and sit across fromme.

They won’t look at me. I know they’re nice people, but what they’re doing feels like a betrayal. They know how much I love my little sister, know what we went through with the hurricane and the loss of our parents, and how traumatized we all were and how much we need one another.

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