“You are though. You’re hurting me right now, Bell. Acting like I mean nothing to you when we both know that’s a lie.” He follows close behind me. Feeling myself slipping back into his spell, I walk faster to get to my door.

“No, you did this to us.” I reach the door, my hands shaking as I fumble around inside my purse in search of my room key.

“Sweetheart, please will you just look at me,” he whispers his plea, getting me right where he wants me. Reluctantly, I turn and watch him step in close again. My head is screaming at me to push him back, put an end to all of this, but my body’s weak, my mind confused. “Okay, I came on too strong tonight. But, Bell, you have to know, I’m not walking away from this. I will win you back and when I do, you will be mine.” He delivers his warning with a fierceness I’ve never seen in him.

“You can’t just come back into my life and tell me what you want, Jesse.” I try to reason with him. The man has lost his mind if he thinks this is how it works.

“I just did. And it will happen. I will do everything in my power to make that happen. You’re fighting it right now. I get that. I’m the world’s biggest fool for pushing you out, but you and I both know this is going to happen. You and me, we aren’t done. Don’t ever say that. Now turn around, put the key in the door and get inside before I strip you naked right here and fuck you so hard you’ll know how far from done we are.” I close my eyes and swallow the large lump in my throat. “Now, Bell!” he barks, almost pushing me over.

Knowing I’m not going to get anywhere with him tonight, I turn, swipe my card and push open the door. I’m about to walk through when he calls me back.

“Oh and, Bell,”—he waits till I’m facing him—“you won’t be needing this.” He holds up the card Grant left with me, takes it in his fingers and rips it in half. How the hell did he get that?

“You ever think about having another man’s cock near your pussy, my pussy, I’ll tie you to my bed and keep you there for a week to remind you who you belong to. You understand me?” His words drip with authority, need, and my hand moves to the doorframe to keep myself standing. I might not want to admit it, but I knew the second the threat left his mouth fighting him wasn’t worth it.

“Good girl.” He takes my silence as an answer. “Now lock the door,” he orders again. Needing to clear the fog from my head, I do as I’m told. Shutting the door, I twist the lock and then slide down to the floor.

I’m unsure what has just happened.

I know I liked it, but more so, I know I’m completely screwed.

Thirty-Nine JESSE

“You can’t just come back into my life and tell me you want me back, Jesse.”

I replay her words over in my head for the hundredth time the next morning. Yeah, I can, sweetheart. I chuckle to myself as I grab my phone and begin my next play. I know I’m playing a dangerous game by walking back into her life and demanding she take me back, but when I walked into that club last night and saw her laughing with some fucker, she left me no choice. I needed to stake my claim and I needed to do it quickly. Sure, I could have done it in a better way. Given her a chance to warm up to the idea, but any hope of staying calm and acting reasonable went out the window the minute that Grant fucker handed my woman his number. He’s lucky I didn’t lay him out.

Forcing myself to forget the asshole, I type out my text and press send.

ME: How did you sleep?

I sit back down in my chair, willing her to respond. I smile, knowing my play worked when a few minutes later my phone beeps with a reply.

BELL: Fine, until you disturbed it.

I laugh reading her reply and quickly type back. Yeah, I’m not giving up because even though her mouth said one thing, her eyes said another. She’s just fighting more than I expected.

ME: Was I in your dreams?

I hold back a laugh and press send just as there’s a knock at my door. Leaving my phone on the table, I stand and move to the door expecting room service, but I’m disappointed when I find Holly.

“Morning.” She pushes past me, walking into my hotel room with Sy on her tail and baby X in his arms.

“What’s up?” I ask, shutting the door and moving back to the sofa.

“Nothing, just wanted to see how the rest of your night went?” Holly asks, pouring herself a cup of coffee and taking a sip.

“Okay, just came back here.” I look to Sy and watch him drink out of the OJ carton.

“Don’t you have your own room?” I ask, watching Holly start moving about, taking over my small kitchen.

“Kelly texted, said you ordered room service. I was hungry.” She shrugs, still looking in the fridge. I knew I should have just booked my own room. Fuck this sharing shit.

“ We ordered room service for us, should be here any minute.” I watch her eyes come up over the fridge.

“You order any French toast?”

“Yeah, ordered a bit of everything.” She grins at the news and does a little dance. “Not for you,” I add then watch her stop.

“But it’s my wedding day.”

“Then why are you here? Don’t you have like a whole day of organizing to get through?” I ask, unsure how this shit works. All I know is I have to be ready at five p.m. for the ceremony.

“We’re waiting for Mom and Dad to get ready. We’re having breakfast with them.” I shake my head at the little witch wanting my food when she’s heading down to eat anyway.