The Dominant Beast

A Marriage

ce's

y annoyed as I looked around for Luigi and Chelsey, who had convenien

. You know this is probably the only time they'll get to be alone without any interruptions," h

Get your dam

re you so grumpy today? Is i

riella, who were busy doting over their baby. I smirked. "Time f

lse here is next to get married

e to be, but Kimineah and I aren't ready yet," he said wit

lsey's wedding again?" Jeydon asked

"Seriously? You for

way. I'm not getting married anytime soon," he said, shaki

ffen. Her smile faltered, and I felt sorry

and Braun, then turned back to Jeydon

. Then I tilted my head toward Nam

e someone had just thrown vin

d, Nami?" Braun asked,

ven have a boyfriend. How can I get mar

t even trying to hide who I was referring to. I glanced at J

y. "I don't have a boyfrie

rtega," Braun warned, givi

n't my brother. He had no bu

y Stefan?" little Kisha asked swe

arpeted floor. Excited, he immediately start

ly reappeared. They didn't have to say a word

avis teased Luigi

and I stood up, brushing i

ford to mess up-it's a multi-million-dollar deal, and he's putting serious

y said as she hugged me. "T

ything. I just nodded and gave her a quick squeez

behind me. "Want m

," I snapped without even turning to look at

at dinner had already been chaotic enough, and I didn't want any distractions. Tonight was supposed to

seemed to last l

icked up my phone and powered it on. Notificatio

a year since that bastard got caught. And I had been the one to punish him. If Aleck hadn't

family's scars-dug until it bled. I found out afterward that my mother had sold her shares to one of t

bro

ting back together-shattered in one blow. I had held on for so

way of reminding you

*

ff my clothes, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and sank into the steaming bathtub. Th

, mellow music played from the Bluetooth speaker. I needed

ow... I'd be s

tt

of his name gav

ovoking, taunting me like I was some game he intended to win. I couldn't understand why he kept

Is that oka

oed in my head. What the hell?

orked under me. No emotional attachments. No exceptions. No f

y phon

n and nearly dropped

f the devi

ople... r

sense that alerted him eve

voice was calm and steady, like I

ed, voice low. Too low. L

ked, alread

g in front o

I stood up from the tub so fast I nearly s

th, Janice. I wa

pped. He r

bet-the one I never even agreed to. I thought he had dropped it. He h

Cordova nev

o sure if I wanted to an

fering to drive me home. I turned him down every time. Not because I didn't wa

ld my principles. I would not mix business with personal affairs, and

g now, clutching the phone

arper than I intended. My brows furrowed, my pulse pounding

is voice cut clean through my words-calm

lip hard. My

lose, I knew my body would betray me just like it did th

eath. "I'm not at

e are

o, what do you want... It's not possible. You're one of my models. Yo

, Janice. I don't fcking care about that. What matters is the deal we made. You los

, as if I could block h

each other about who would be the next to ge

oke. Am I really

haky, words choked with anger. "I won't marry

st begged him to let this go. Like he hadn't just s

t just from the bathwater but fro

and not coming

here unti

He hu

. He wasn't bluffing. That bast

life, I had never been pursued like this. And now, of all

of his fc

a bet? Fck him!" I shouted, slamming the wine glass

aving, eyes closed. I n

ouldn't

my mind raced again-images of him o

e really

tayed there.

a place I didn't

this so hard for me?" I whispered. "I

fied I might st