Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (summer beach reads txt) 📗

omitting a little.” He pinches his fingers together and his eyes crinkle in the corners from the large smile on his face.

He looks so handsome right now and I just want to store the image.

“No, I guess not. Well, now that I’ve saved your hide twice, I’m going to be going.”

“I’ll walk out with you.” He tucks his folder under his arm and then opens his office door for me. He grabs my hand, stopping me in front of Whitney’s desk. “Now are you sure you don’t want lunch? I’m buying.”

“I’m suurrre.”

“Okay, another time.” He kisses my cheek like it’s the most normal thing in the world, but I see his boss in the corner and I wonder if it was part of the show. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yep, tonight.” He goes to step away but turns back with a wicked smile. “Oh, and by the way,” his eyes draw up my body while his tongue runs along his lips, “you look really good.” He gives me one more glance over before he turns back around, tucking his folder under his arm. What was that? I’m inwardly fanning myself as I watch him walk down the hall, my eyes greedily on his ass.

My viewing pleasure is short lived by Whitney stepping in front of me. “Should I tell Deacon you said hello?” she sneers. “I’m sure he and my uncle will be shocked to know you’re back in Kinder Falls.”

“You really don’t care what he did to me, do you?"

“What he did to you?" She scoffs. "He did nothing to you. You’re the one that was always getting yourself into trouble and all he wanted to do was save you. He was in love with you."

"You can't tell me a smart girl like you actually believes all that.”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you; I saw it.”

“No, you are just as brainwashed as everyone else in town.”

“I’m not brainwashed. I saw how you played games with him. You teased him all the time in your drunken stupor. All he ever wanted to do was help you.”

“Help me? Like that time you locked me in a closet with him—”

“So, he could talk to you because you wouldn’t listen. You were being unruly and torturous. He was only looking after you like Alex wanted,” she growls.

My eyes go wide and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “I begged you not to.” I fucking begged her that night to let me go as she grabbed my wrist and threw me into the closet in his bedroom. Yes, she did tell me Deacon wanted to talk to me, but I knew just what he wanted. I can’t forget what he did after he had me alone.

No, don’t think about it now, June.

Don’t let her see your pain.

“Oh, stop the woe is me. You know, I’m so sick of it. You always had Deacon and Alex feeling sorry for you. I spent years trying to get Alex to notice me after high school, but he was so loved up with you. I didn’t get how he could be so clueless to know what you were doing with all the other boys and Deacon.”

“Wow, okay. You go ahead and believe that.”

"I will. Deacon did nothing to you, sweetheart.”

"Then why mock me about him?" Her smile slips. "You know, I just feel sorry for you. He either fucked with you too or you’re just as fucking twisted as him."

"Whatever.” She waves her hand, but I swear I see a chink in her armor when her shoulders fall. She recovers quickly, rolling them back and slides to her desk. “If that is all, I'll be sure to tell my uncle you’re back. I'm sure he’ll love to see how you’re spending his money and not keeping your word to stay gone.”

“Are you trying to make me run? Make me scared?”

She taps her pen on her chin and bounces her shoulder. “I don’t need to make you run or scared. Because come on June, do you really think you're going to change Alex’s mind about you? He will always hate you for what you did."

"The thing is, Whitney, I didn't do anything." Besides let my fear control me, as Liz would tell me almost daily for months. “I think somewhere deep down you believe it too. Because come on, where is Deacon? Why is he hiding?” Again, it’s like I threw another stone to dent her armor when her eyes dart to the ceiling. I have no idea what she truly knows, but she knows more than Alex. It’s just that I don’t care. If she was a decent person, she would tell Alex I was run out of town by the sheriff, but she won’t. “Listen, Whitney, in reality, I don’t care what you think. You and your whole family make me sick.”

"You say that, but you’ll be thinking of me when he has to suddenly work late and the reason is because I’m fucking him on his desk.” She licks her lips over her overly applied red lipstick painted lips. “I’ll make him mine again.”

Really Alex? You found this attractive?

“You should leave now, Ms. Madison, before I have security see you out.”

“Oh, I’m leaving, but just so you remember for next time, it’s Mrs. Wilks.” I hold out my left hand, showing the piece of jewelry Alex gave to me to stake his claim on me. Her jaw drops, and her cheeks steam red. Yep, I made this bitch mad. And it feels good. “I’m the girl he picked over you, again.”

A text alert chirps from beside me while I’m in the middle of putting my laundry away. I’ve done nothing today. The encounter with Whitney wore me out, but of course, I couldn’t sleep and wasn’t in the