Page 63 of Bloom
Jaime’s expression grew pinched like he truly regretted his action. “I’m sorry. I won’t do that again.”
“You also got pissy because I wouldn’t kiss you and let you get on top of me in bed before the heat fever.”
“I don’t like being treated as if I'm a dirty street whore or…or like I’m a guy you picked up at a tavern before closing and regret waking up next to in the morning. I did get pissed because yougave me a huge attitude and made me feel disrespected. I don't think any man wants to be talked to like he’s an object in bed.”
Aleric’s face burned because he hadn’t always been like that, and he had been extremely disrespectful to Jaime. “Just because we fucked for my heat fever, it doesn’t mean I have to do anything else ever again with you.”
“I thought if you trust me and want to play around, I wouldn't say no as long as you don't treat me like an object. I’m not saying you’re obligated.
“I don't want to.”
“Okay. I promise I won’t grab you and make jokes like that again.”
He better not. Aleric didn’t need all that crap even though he missed affection. If he allowed Jaime to be huggy and make jokes, he’d be tempted to allow other things and even want to instigate it himself.
Chapter Fourteen
Aleric was awfully quiet when they returned to his rooms.
“What about your wife?” Jaime asked since Aleric hadn’t mentioned her, and he couldn’t figure out if she’d left because of him or other reasons.
“What about her? She’s hardly my wife at this point.”
“I want to know why she left. You’ve barely said two words about her.”
Aleric paused by the couch and glanced at the closed box of cards. “I helped her to leave so she could be with the woman she loves. We have no animosity between us, and we’re still friends.”
Jaime squinted at him. “You didn’t hold a sword to her neck or something ridiculous to scare her? Or get such an attitude that she said to herself, ‘fuck this shit.’”
Aleric scowled. “I wouldn’t do that to my best friend. She’s not interested in men. Why would I force her to stay here and in my bed? Some marriage that would be. Do you want to see a letter from her so you’re not secretly thinking I'm a bastard who abuses women? I’ve got a whole stack of them hidden in my room.”
“You both write to each other?”
“In secret, yes.”
“Does your Father know anything about this?”
Aleric shook his head. “Not entirely. Marriage and being the Countess later might be a dream come true for a woman, or she might hate the idea, especially if there’s someone else. I didn’t tell Father everything that happened because Clementine’s Father lives in Côte. He demanded my Father send out men to find his daughter. If he knew Lord Monet knew what happened and where she is, he’d blame us both for his daughter runningaway and say we all plotted this together behind his back. Well, he’d have to get her location out of me to find her, and I’m not saying a word, but I’d rather not be bothered by him or have him accusing Father. Clementine asked that we twist the truth, and I did.”
“Wait-what did you fib about?”
“I told Father later that she sent me a note, and I don’t know her location, but she said she’d remarried, and that’s why she ran. Lord Monet and her Father suspected she’d run away to marry another. I said she had, and while four years hadn’t passed, they didn’t want to wait. I pretended I had no idea of her intentions when we married.”
“Oh, so you said she broke custom for divorce, and you don’t know where she is, so there’s nothing anyone can do. Technically, you can get married now depending on who you ask.” It was one of those grey areas where everyone couldn’t quite get on the same side. Both parties were supposed to wait four years, but some said if one party remarried earlier anyway, the other was entirely free of the rule. Others said that didn’t matter, and someone like Aleric should wait the full time.
“Exactly. Father asked if I had any idea where she might be, and I lied. Her Father wasn’t happy with me, and he demanded to know if Clementine had ever saidanythingabout where she might go.” Aleric rolled his eyes. “He acted all sad. Liar.”
“But you do know where she is?”
“Yes. I’m not telling you either, so don’t ask. She doesn’t want anyone letting it slip and sending someone to harass her and her wife. They will return later because after four years, nobody can say shit to either of us.”
“Who’d she marry?”
“They had a servant in the home who was the same age several years ago. They fell in love. Father sacked Belle when Clementine asked to marry her. He didn’t want his daughter tomarry a servant, and since we’ve been best friends for years, he saw a way to boost her higher even though she’s not interested in men. Even though we were quite little when we became friends, I think he saw the way right then. He’d always intended for her to be Countess as soon as the opportunity was there.”
“Ohhhh.” Jaime sat on the couch. “That’s fucked up.” It was also ridiculous and cruel to force anyone to marry the sex they weren’t attracted to. If it happened, it always boiled down to money and power. “What a selfish, nasty Father to expect his daughter to lay with a man and bear his children.”
“I know. We suspected it as teenagers, and later, we thought he might let up because she was in love with Belle. He was thinking of his daughter being set for life and a grandchild inheriting a title. Not her actual happiness. He’s not a man who’d beat his child or anything, but he’s always had a money-first attitude. I told her I wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to him again.”
