Page 17 of Rival Heart
I grind my teeth and shove the bag back at him. “I can afford my own clothes, husband.”
The bag slaps me in the chest again and I growl. “I know you can. But I wanted to buy my new bride something to wear. Consider it just doing my husbandly duties, wife.”
I start to shove the bag back at him, but he backs away and slams the door in my face, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.
“You’ve got five minutes and then I’m coming in to help you get changed, Reb. Make up your mind.”
I hear him step away from the door and I stare at it for a moment. Surely, he’s not serious.
“I don’t hear any movin’ around in there, Reb. You’ve only got three more minutes and I’m coming in.”
“You can’t be serious, Jace.”
“I am so serious. Considering how bad I want you, if I get even one damn look at you, we’re not leaving this room for a long damn time so we won’t make our flight either. Time’s running out, angel.”
I scramble out of my dress and heels and pull a buttery-soft pair of expensive jeans out of the bag, along with a lightweight, jade green sweater that when I pull it on, it skims my curves like a lover’s hand… a perfect fit.
“How did you know what size I wear, Jace,” I whisper under my breath.
The guy must have ears like a bat though. He chuckles through the door, deep and soul-stirring.
“All I had to do was touch your sweet curves and I knew everything I needed to know about you, angel.” He leans closer to the door and I hear him whisper through the wood. “Ask me anything. I’m an open book.”
“Why me?” I whisper, leaning against the door, my voice so quiet I don’t know how he can hear it.
But he does.
His voice is so clear, he must be leaning against the door himself and my heart slams in my chest when I realize that my palm is right where his palm is. Our breaths blocked only by a piece of wood. We’re so close that only a couple of inches probably separate his lips from touching mine. My heart skips a beat and I draw in a shuddering breath.
“It’s always been you, Reb. No matter how far away I was or how many years have gone by, it will always be you.”
I lean against the door, tears trickling down my cheeks. I close my eyes and fight to gather the tattered remnants of my pride.
I don’t know how our marriage is going to go. If it ends or lasts forever. But I know one damn thing for sure.
Jace Henry is a smooth-talking son of a gun. And I may never forgive him if he’s lying this time.
One way or another, I don’t think I can handle it if he leaves again. I haven’t felt as much or really wanted as much as his words and touch make me crave.
And that scares the hell out of me. Because if it goes like last time, I don’t think I’ll be able to come back from the loss again.
He’s worming his way into my heart and soul again, even deeper than before.
The handsome bastard.
THIRTEEN
Jace
I fightto keep my hand from shaking when I sign the papers that the attorney prepared for us.
I slide them over to my bride and she looks up at her attorney, biting her bottom lip.
Fuck, do I want to bite her bottom lip!
The attorney sighs and takes off his silver-rimmed glasses. His old eyes study us. “Are you really sure about this, Miss Hawthorne? It was a Vegas wedding. I’m pretty sure we can get a quickie divorce filed and get you out of this. Maybe even before your dad finds out.”
Rebel glares at him, her warm brown eyes nailing his tail to his chair. “I don’t want to back out and I sure as hell don’t care what my dad thinks! I’m married and I’m staying married.” She taps the pen to the papers. “For five years apparently. Although I’m not sure why my mother put that stipulation in there,” she mutters under her breath.
