Page 26 of Entrapped
His words nearly knocked the breath out of me. Colson was not a man who handed out compliments freely, and the fact that he was offering one now made me pause. There were so many things I wanted to ask him—about my grandfather, about thebankruptcy that destroyed my family, about the key I found. Why had he chosen me when he could have had anyone?
I stepped around him, walking to the dresser mirror, where I picked up my brush and began to run it through my hair. Colson’s reflection appeared behind me, his eyes tracking my every move.
He was gorgeous, undeniably so, people couldn’t help but stare. We were a striking couple, both commanding attention wherever we went. Since becoming an Ashworth, he’d insisted I maintain a certain image—manicures, waxes, makeup, and hair stylists. It was all part of the package.
But it wasn’t me. Even after seven weeks of marriage and nearly five months of living in the Ashworth mansion, I still couldn’t adjust to this life. Sometimes, I’d find myself looking across the great lawn at our former home, yearning for the simplicity I’d left behind.
“Can we do something today… something normal?” I asked, setting the brush down and turning to him.
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Normal? Everything I do is normal for the kind of man I am.”
I rolled my eyes, giving him a pointed look. “Normal for me.”
“Josephine,” he said, his voice softening as he slipped his hands around my waist, pulling me against him. “Everything we do is normal for you too. You’re married to a billionaire.”
He pressed his hips against my ass, his fingers lacing together at my waist. “I’d like to stay in bed all day.”
I laughed, the sound light and carefree, even as I knew the reality of his world would soon intrude. “Doubtful. Don’t you have a call with Japan this afternoon?”
He groaned softly, nuzzling my neck. “You always know how to ruin a good fantasy.”
“I’m sorry.”
He pressed a kiss to my lips before he backed away, looking me up and down before he went to sit at his desk in just his lounge pants. I stood watching him for a moment before I went back to combing my hair.
Colson made good on his promise to spend the day in bed. We’d barely left the sheets since morning, and now, as the afternoon sun slanted through the curtains, he was on top of me, his weight deliciously heavy, his lips trailing from my neck to the sensitive spot just behind my ear.
I shivered as he sucked gently, his breath hot against my skin, sending electric pulses through my body. For a moment, everything else faded away—there was just Colson and the heady rush of desire that always accompanied him.
The shrill ring of his phone shattered the moment.
I felt him tense, his mouth pausing against my skin. He pulled back, cursing under his breath as he reached for the phone on the nightstand. “I have to take this,” he muttered, already shifting his attention away from me.
I huffed, rolling my eyes as I turned my head to the side. Anger flared up, hot and bitter, but I swallowed it down. This was the reality of being married to a man like Colson Ashworth—business always came first. I’d known that going in but knowing and feeling were two different things. No matter how much time we spent together, I never seemed to come first.
He answered the call, his tone shifting from sultry lover to sharp businessman in an instant. “Yes, what is it?” His voice was clipped, all the warmth gone as he focused on whoever was on the other end.
I stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the one-sided conversation. I couldn’t make out the words, but I didn’t need to. I could feel the distance growing between us with every passing second.
Colson slid off me, sitting up on the edge of the bed as he continued to speak in low, commanding tones. I watched the muscles in his back tense and relax, his posture a study in controlled power. He was always in control—of his business, his family, even me. And that was the problem. I was just another part of his empire, something to be managed, not cherished.
I sat up, pulling the sheet around me as I leaned against the headboard, my eyes fixed on him. I wanted to be angry, to scream at him for putting me second yet again, but the truth was, I’d grown used to it. Resentment simmered just beneath the surface, but it was tempered by understanding.
Colson was who he was—a man driven by power, by ambition. He would never be the kind of husband who put me above all else. And if I was honest with myself, I wasn’t sure I’d ever truly wanted that.
He ended the call after what felt like an eternity, dropping the phone back onto the nightstand with a sigh. His shoulders sagged slightly as he turned to face me, his expression softening when he saw the look on my face.
“I’m sorry, Josephine,” he said, reaching out to touch my cheek. “That was important.”
“More important than me?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, laced with more bitterness than I intended.
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t pull away. “You know that’s not true.”
I laughed, the sound brittle. “Isn’t it? Colson, you always take these calls. No matter what we’re doing, who we’re with—business comes first. I come… somewhere down the line.”
He frowned, his hand dropping to his side. “I provide for you. For us. That’s what this is.”
“And I’m grateful for that,” I said, my voice softening. “But sometimes, I just want to feel like I’m more than just another part of your empire. Like I’m more than just a piece in your game.”
