Page 11 of Rival Heart
Not gonna happen. If he’s the one brokering a deal, I want nothing to do with it. I’m not some guy’s trophy to set on a shelf and forget about after he gets what he wants and then while away my time watching him take over my land and tomcat all over town because he doesn’t give a damn about me.
I’m a woman with needs and wants. I want more than my parents had. I want love and romance. I want sex that takes me to another world that I don’t want to come back from. I want the whole enchilada as they say. I want a man that’s my whole world, who understands me and completes me in a way that makes my world a better place than it’s ever been.
One of my dad’s fixer-uppers is not going to be that man. I guarantee it.
My heart sinks straight to my toes when I see Jefferson’s smug face staring up at me from the bottom of the huge staircase. I pause and then take a deep breath, stopping at the bottom of the steps. He holds out his hand and I cringe inside but reach out and barely touch his arm with my fingertips. Mywhole body freezes when he pulls me closer to him. He grins and whispers in my ear.
“I told you that I wasn’t going anywhere, Rebel, dear.” He fakes surprise, looking beyond me and around the room. “I don’t see your supposed boyfriend anywhere around.”
I flush and glare at him, yanking my arm free. “You know damn well my dad doesn’t like him. He’d never invite him here. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.”
He grabs my arm and pulls me tight into him again, his lips tightening even though he keeps a fake smile on his face. “I can be exactly what you and your dad need. I could make your life very good. And after we’ve had a child or two to make sure and ensure the line, you’ll be free to live your life anyway you want. With anyone you want. As long as you’re discreet.”
My brows lift and I stumble, falling into him. “Are you serious right now? You think that I want to marry someone and have some kind of modern marriage where we have a few kids and then go fuck around as long as the whole town doesn’t find out? That’s disgusting! You’re an asshole. If there’s one thing that I absolutely want out of a relationship, it’s loyalty.”
Because I know exactly what it’s like to be married to someone who’s not loyal and screws around like a dog in heat. I saw it firsthand with my own parents. I wasn’t very old when my mother died but I was old enough to see that there was something wrong.
“I’m not going to give you that, baby. But I guarantee that you’ll never see who I’m with. In that way, I can give you the loyalty you want.”
My skin ices over as my dad comes over, smiling. This is so bad. I feel like I’m in enemy territory right now. In my own home.
He smiles and leans over to kiss my cheek and then shakes hands with Jefferson. “Your dad is here, Jefferson. He’s veryexcited to see you two together.” His voice gets cold and threatening somehow. “This is very important to both of us, so I hope that we’re not going to get any surprises here.”
My eyes dart back and forth between the two of them and Jefferson’s smarmy smile slips just a bit. “I’m well-aware of how important tonight is. I’ll be making an announcement later.”
I don’t make a sound. Like a mouse hiding from a cat, I keep myself still so that they forget that I’m standing here. This is so bad.
I need to get out of here right now. Panic rises in my throat, choking me. I can’t breathe, can’t think what the hell I’m going to do.
But my time has run out. If I stay here any longer, I’m going to be trapped in something that I’ll never get out of.
That can’t happen. But what can I do?
I glance around the room, searching for any help, any escape.
The French doors to the large patio are right there, dark and comforting. Jefferson nods and kisses my cheek. “I’ll be right, back, baby. And then we can make our announcement.”
I watch him walk away to where our fathers are standing together talking and I slowly, carefully move towards the open doorway, not looking back once.
Not even breathing until I hit that door and the dark night beyond it.
NINE
Jace
I leanmy head back with a beer in my hand and kick my feet up on the old ugly green recliner that I know has been in this house for longer than I’ve been alive.
I have too much stuff to do outside to bother with inside too much yet.
The cold beer snaps under my nose as I take a sip, the grain scent and taste relaxing me after a helluva long, frustrating day.
I worked my ass off getting the barn taken care of and ready to move new horses in next week. It was slow going but that’s finally done. One damn thing off my never-ending list.
My dog, Rufus, pops his head up and growls. His ears pop up and he whines and paces to the door.
“What’s up, buddy?”
A soft knock at the door has him scratching and whining and I sigh, putting my beer bottle down and standing up. “Fine. This better not be some friend of my dad’s with more advice.”
