Page 4 of Devoured

“She’s 20.”Almost.

Isabella laughed. “Not when you started fucking her. And her age doesn’t even matter. It’s the fact that she’syourstudent. In one ofyourclasses. It breaks all sorts of ethical guidelines at whatever shitty university you’re teaching at.”

“Actually, it doesn’t.”

“It doesn’t mean you won’t be fired to prevent a scandal. I mean…cheating on your doting wife with a student? I’ll ruin you, James. I’ll take every cent to your name. Everything you care about. And I’ll ruin her life too. You know I will.”

I didn’t care about what slander she spread about me. I didn’t care about the money. All I cared about was Penny. And I’d do whatever it took to protect her from Isabella’s wrath.

“Forget about her. And come back home.”

This wasn’t my home.

“Come back to me.” She put her hand on my chest.

Shewasn’t my home.

I took a deep breath. “This is the last time I’m going to ask nicely,” I said. “Sign the damn papers.”

“That was hardly asking nicely. How about we get back into bed and…”

“Get your filthy hands off me.” I pushed her hand off my chest.

“You didn’t say that last night,” she said with a smile.

“I didn’t say anything last night because you made me black out!”

“Right. And then I had my wicked way with you without your permission.” She winked at me. “As if anyone would ever believe that. I bet Penny won’t. She’ll see right through all your lies. All your secrets. Does she even know you’re an addict?”

There was a small part of me that wanted to wrap my hands around Isabella’s neck. Wring the life out of her.

“I can’t wait to see what she’ll say when you tell her you fucked your wife. While the two of you were on a break.”

How the fuck did she know we were on a break?

“And if I find out that you tell Penny some fabricated fib about what happened last night, I’ll make sure she knows the truth. That you couldn’t keep your hands off yourwife. And I will find out if you tell her otherwise. Maybe I’ll stop by the class you have together to tell her. It’s at 8 a.m. on Monday, yes?”

How did she know anything about my life in Delaware? I’d taken every precaution…

Except when it came to Penny. The beach trip. The country club under my name. Anyone could have seen us. And I’d let my guard down because I was so wrapped up in her. So preoccupied.Addicted.

“Checkmate,” Isabella said. She opened up her bedroom door. “I’ll let all my friends know you’re coming back to the city. Say hi to Daddy on the way out.”

Chapter 2

Saturday

I hurried out of Isabella’s bedroom. The light in the hallway was blinding. My stomach churned again and the pain behind my eyes grew tenfold. What the fuck had Isabella slipped into my drink last night?

My hand paused on the railing at the top of the stairs. The pounding on the door downstairs grew louder. My phone buzzing in my pocket was never-ending. I wanted to run out of this hellish house. But I’d come here for a reason. And that reason was standing at the bottom of the stairs staring at me. Isabella’s father. It had been a long time since I’d seen him. But he looked the same as I remembered. The same evil glint in his eyes as Isabella’s.

“James,” Mr. Pruitt said.

“Mr. Pruitt,” I replied. I walked down the stairs, trying to look composed even though I knew I was anything but. He was the key to getting me out of this sham of a marriage.

“I was surprised to hear that you spent the night,” he said. “When you called last night, I was under the impression that your intentions with my daughter were different.”

I could barely focus on his words. The pounding in my head intensified. Or maybe it was the pounding on the door.

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