I slept like shit last night. Tossing and turning, unable to quiet my mind when all that kept looping in my head was what happened on that dune.
As the first streams of light seep in through the glorious wall of windows, I wonder if I handled things wrong. Should I have promised him I’d drop the bid for my virginity? I know I definitely can’t accept the two million from him, and he would never claim me, even if I did. It would be like taking something for nothing, and it would make me beholden to him for life.
Two million isn’t exactly chump change.
Ugh. I need to get out of this bed, out of this room.
Coffee. That will set my brain right. Maybe after I’ve had some caffeine in me, I can try to decipher where Jason’s true intentions lay.
My mind is a jumbled mess all the way to the kitchen, stopping its erratic thoughts only once I’ve laid eyes on the man in question.
Even with everything that he is to Catherine, Jason’s broad, muscular back makes my body light up like a switchboard. He’s in nothing but sleep pants, facing away from me as he pours himself a cup of liquid gold.
“Great minds think alike?” I awkwardly chuckle as I step around the island and see his muscles go taut.
“Mila.” He greets me with nothing more than my name, the one word coming out cold and forced. Inexplicably, it’s like a dagger to my chest.
“Jason,” I return, but unable to leave it at that, I step up beside him. “So, that’s it? I don’t do or act the way you want, so you’re going to be callous toward me?”
He rears his head, a look of shock and disgust playing across his features. “Mila, this isn’t a game.” Jason hisses but keeps his volume low. “It’s your virtue you’re auctioning away and you’re throwing away my offer as if it’s nothing.”
Jason slams down his mug and paces away from me before quickly spinning on his heels and stopping just a breath away from my face. “I’m giving you an out. Hell, a shoulder to lean on and an ear to lend a listen. I don’t know why you feel the need to give such a precious gift away when I’m right here.” He stops, tilts his head back and sighs before returning his gaze to me and I swear I see him break inside. “I want to be the one that gives you what you need, the one that takes care of you. Not some fucking stranger. I can’t bear the thought.” He takes my face in his hands as his eyes search mine. “Baby, why won’t you let me?”
Heat builds behind my eyes, and I feel them fill with tears. “I… I can’t. It’s not like you’ll take me, anyway. It’s not an exchange if it’s just you giving me money.” He drops his hands from my face and I feel something inside me crack.
“You know why I can’t, Mila. I owe that much to your mother and our unborn child.” He turns, unable to face me while he speaks a truth so sad it threatens to destroy me where I stand.
Unwilling to give up so easily, I walk up to him and place a hand on his exposed flesh, reveling in the tiny current of energy his nearness brings.
“Jason, it’s not fair. Can’t you see? This is me, trying to have control for once in my life. And if you just give me the money with nothing in return, it’ll be one more thing and one more person hanging over my head. I just can’t accept it.”
At this, he violently swings his face toward mine with both eyes narrowed. “No. Don’t you dare think that. Everything I will ever do for you comes with no strings attached. I want to see you thrive. I want to see you blossom into the amazing woman I know you are inside.”
His words are like a bucket of ice water to the face. “How can you say that? You barely know me!” I hiss, feeling my volume escalate despite trying to keep it down.
Jason lets out a deep sigh. “I’ve been watching you for a while, Mila. Since before I met your mother. I didn’t know who she was, but do you think it’s a surprise I would bed someone who looked so much like you? My fucking obsession?”
I’m gasping for air now, trying to piece together what he’s saying. Is he admitting to bedding my mother while thinking of me?
Jason is pressing his body into mine, my back digging into the edge of the counter and making it tinge from pain—but I don’t care. I’m too dumbstruck at his admission to fully realize he’s now caged both arms around me, his face mere millimeters from my own.
“That’s right, baby girl. You’re the one I pictured while I slid in and out of that willing hole. And you’re the only one I’ve dreamed of ever since.”
I’m standing beneath him, my breath coming in ragged and fast. How is this real life? How can his sinful words about him and my mother make my pussy ache so bad?
“Jason.” It’s all I can manage as my eyes bounce back and forth between his.
“I know, baby. I know. It’s so messed up.”
I’m slowly nodding as I feel him pulling away, and it takes everything in me not to wrap my arms around him and hold him to me.
“And no matter how much any of that is true, my actions have led us to where we are now.” Jason pinches the bridge of his nose. “We could never be together, Mila, and for that, I am sorry. But please, don’t let my mistakes keep me from helping you. I promise you; I will never hold that money against you. I can’t. I care for you too much to do that.”
Tears stream down my face at his words. Nobody has cared for me so unconditionally, that I don’t know how to take it as truth. My brain is shooting up all sorts of system error warnings that I have absolutely no words to say.
Jason must take my silence as a refusal, and he simply nods. “Alright. Well, I’ve said all I have to say.” He turns, giving me his back once more as he leaves the kitchen, his black coffee a foregone conclusion. “I’m leaving today but call Armando if you need anything.”
Think Mila. Think. Say something. Anything.
“When will you be back?”
His body stills, giving me one more second in his presence. “I don’t know.”
But with those three paltry words, he exits, leaving me a crumpled mess of emotions—all of which are my own undoing.
Jason
It’s been three days and I’m itching to get home to her, even though she isn’t mine. Three Days and all I’ve managed to do is make sure that Raul won’t say jack shit to my brother when he arrives because he’s physically unable to. Despite how much I tried to bargain with the man, he kept spitting the truth in my face, something that could never happen in the presence of Austin. So I did what I had to do.
No, I haven’t killed him. But I damn near did.
Just then, my phone rings and I see that it’s my brother, Hunter. “Hello?”
“Did you handle it?” Not a man of many words, I’m not offended by his lack of greeting.
“For now. I’m not sure how long I can hold him off, and for some reason, Cardenas is hesitant about finishing the job completely. I think he’s trying to keep the package as a bargaining chip.”
“Greedy bastard,” Hunter mumbles under his breath, and I can’t say that I’m shocked my older brother would be so open to having Raul permanently handled.
“Yeah, well. It’s not our problem right now. At least not for the next month or so. That should give us enough time, and maybe after a mind blowing honeymoon, Austin will forget about what’s happening here.”
“I highly doubt it, no matter how many amazing blowies he gets from Anaya.” Hunter snorts. “One good thing on our side is that Jack is the one who’ll be taking over Cardenas’ estate. Although, that leads me to believe that we should probably let him in on the secret.”
My stomach knots. The more other people know, the more we risk it all blowing back up in our faces.
“I don’t know, brother. But that’s something we can discuss when we’re all there for the wedding.”
“You still bringing your guests?” Hunter’s amusement is evident in his tone.
“I see you’ve been chatting it up like a couple of old biddies.” Shaking my head, I sigh into the phone before answering. “Yes. And I don’t want to hear any I told you so’s or I swear, I’ll pack up and leave. I’m on my last nerve.”
Silence descends and I know I’ve really done it if Hunter is worried about me. “Jason, you know you can talk to me about anything, right? I’m here for you.”
Wow. Yup. I’ve done it when he’s calling me by my birth name.
“Thank you, brother. I appreciate it, and I might just take you up on that. But for now, I just want to get home.”
“To your guests.”
“Yes.” More like one guest in particular, but I’m not ready to share that right now.
“Alright. See you soon, then.”
“See you soon.” And with that, I cut the line and pull up the number to my private charter.
I need to get out of here and back to my girl as soon as possible. The bidding on her virtue ends tonight, and there’s no way I’m letting her accept anyone other than me.
Fuck it if she thinks me a Neanderthal. I’ll drag that girl kicking and screaming from any man she tries to give herself to.
Her, giving that ripe cherry to anyone? Yeah. Not happening. Not while I’m alive.
