"Despite its age, the ring does not have much economic value. This stone has flaws."Mira flinched, nausea pressing like lead in her oversensitive stomach. "There must be some other way to work out the will." "Do you really think I would be here asking you to perform such a ceremony with me in secret, if ever?" This question made Mira blush.No, Jacob had no choice. His presence told her that. Nor could she see how deeply and painfully he felt the necessity of being compelled to seek her cooperation. "But Clara seems to like me," she said awkwardly. "She already thought we were engaged. "Do you think she would like you if she knew who you really were?" Jacob gasped sternly. "She'll be angry. As for the engagement—I'll tell her that it's an impulse I'll soon regret. She doesn't have to know about us getting married. I don't want you to see her again." Mira's eyes uneasily move away from him. She might not be Dim's mistress, but even as his sister, she couldn't be a more welcome pr
"This isn't a guessing game," Jacob growled under his breath. "We are about to perform a legal and binding ceremony." Just then, a clerk approached them and invited them into the room where the civil marriage ceremony will take place. Mira froze. "I don't like this at all," she whispered frantically. "I hope I didn't agree." impatient long brown fingers took hers, urging her to move on. "You're going to go through it all for Clara."Mira's face paled with cruel reminders of her brother's fragile widow. It was a cover-up, she reminded herself, an unpleasant but necessary tactic to allow Jacob to carry on Dimitri's legacy without challenging his wishes. She focused on a rather weary flower arrangement on a nearby table, and a few minutes later, from somewhere beyond her, she watched in helpless amazement as Jacob raised her icy hand and moved a slender gold ring that was worn on her ring finger.***"I believe you drove here by yourself," Jacob whispered on the sidewalk outside. "Giv
Mira took her tongue off the roof of her mouth. She was shaking. "You have such a rich imagination!" Jacob opened his elegant brown hands in a gesture of blatant sarcasm. "But how can you try to deny what we both know? When you first met me, you felt the temperature rise between us. I felt it too. Raw sex attraction, there's nothing like that It's more complicated."Mira forced a smile, her throat hurt. "Your ego is unbelievable. ""Never challenge a man unless you're ready to fight back," Jacob said slowly. "But maybe that's what you want—?" The atmosphere was so tense, her heart was beating hard, and those black eyes were full of challenging inquiries on her. There was a brisk knock on the door, which startled her. Klaude came in. Mira's legs trembled violently and she retreated to the sofa.Goosebumps appeared on her skin, and she was very aware of the dull ache in her breasts and the painful tightness of her nipples. Just standing there, just looking at her like that, talking
Mira walked to the bedroom door on wobbly legs. "Can you type?" Jacob asked without warning as if the previous conversation had never happened. "T-type?" Mira stammered helplessly. "Dictation?" he asked impatiently. "The fewer people involved in this arrangement the better but it's too inconvenient not to have my personal staff around." "I don't type and I don't dictate," Mira breathed through her pursed lips.Jacob scanned her thin, rigid figure with stern, unsurprised eyes. "But I bet if you could climb cutely into the lap of any middle-aged employer, you'd have an exhilarating success." ***An hour later, Bea lifted an embarrassing, nondescript plastic tote bag sent to the bedroom, Mira turned away from her disbelieving inspection, and Sheldon packed her bag, and immediately picked up the phone."Is what's in this bag a joke, Sheldon?" Mira asked, fingers angrily running through sheer nightdresses, silky cherry slips, and sheer leggings. Lace-up velvet shoes with two-inch hee
Jacob's fine bone structure belied the mask of rage as he stared at Mira, his eyes as hard as molten gold, as diamonds. "I didn't know you left the suite. You got back there immediately." He growled under his breath, with raw menace. There was something about Jacob, that outrageously bossy attitude that brought out the worst in Mira, even if that same attitude might send an undeniable current of fear running through her veins."Or what? I'll get seventy lashes before midnight? I'll just sit here and have a quiet drink—" "Upstairs now," Jacob said through gritted teeth, pale with rage under his olive skin. "You're Spider-Man, I'm Mary Jane? Expect me to follow you?" Mira lit the flames with a warning smile. "I don't think so." "We made a deal," Jacob growled in a subdued low voice that shook like sand on silk along her tense spine. "And you're behaving in an inappropriate way."Mira threw her head back, her long fiery hair shining as brightly as her eyes. "Frankly, I think I’m actin
Jacob lowered his haughty black head and smiled lazy and sexy. Mira was stunned. His mouth occupied hers, and the effect was shocking. Excitement exploded inside her like a rapacious, uncontrolled flame, overwhelming her with ravenous passion. She kissed him back in a fit of wild hunger, moaning softly in her throat at the tingle of his tongue, the vicious erotic intrusion.He leaned fluidly against her, making her yearn for closer contact, desperation screaming at every nerve ending. He raised his head, looked at her shocked face, and pulled her out of the elevator. Falling from the suffocating heights of unbearable excitement to the simple movement, Mira greets the fall in an agony of disorientation. In the suite, he stretched out his confident hands to her again.The vitality emanating from him attracted her like a beauty trap. His dark golden eyes enveloped her, igniting an instinctive rush and reaction, making her tremble all over. "Tell me you like having sex over and over ag
Mira flinched, tears stung her eyes. "No, of course, you don't care. You can't get past your greed. Dimitri left you nothing in his will, and you resent that, don't you?" Jacob reprimanded with sharp disgust road. "No doubt you dream of great wealth. But a few weeks before his death, Dimitri took out a huge loan to buy a decaying island in Palawan. Emotionally driving him to fight this crazy purchase with everything he has, he is too proud to ask me for advice or help.""Palawan? Island?" Mira repeated erratically, her bright head lifted slowly."Castiglio Island, Castor's former home, with complete facilities, and a thousand pieces of a barren land covered with stubble, can only raise mountain cows," Jacob added in a low voice, saying to with such a move, his lingering suspicion was palpable. "The ruin was even banned from further development altogether, as it is located in an environmental protection area. That's pretty much worthless to anyone but Dimitri. The heir of the late mas
"And yet you said that Dimitri told you a lot about me." Mira's distraught wandered between Dimitri's frequent references to Jacob. A ruthless commercial aggressor with a personality that cannot accept failure. A ruthless enemy who never forgets his original intention, a man who is only loyal to his family, a man who doesn't know what relaxation is. Except in the bedroom, women are his only leisure hobby. Is this how he keeps himself so fit?Mira flushed and frowned at her unforgivable inattention, then her stomach sank at the reality she was recalling. She wryly admits that her brother loves and admires Jacob because he possesses all qualities that he himself lacks. So what did Jacob's enemies say about his character? "It's an evening outfit. I look really stupid in it," she objected, as the cool temperature of the foyer hit her bare arms and shoulders."You look exactly how I want them to be, like a woman who doesn't know how to dress for the day. You don't need to smile for the p
Clara clear all doubts and misunderstandings!"Where are you going?" Jacob asked big-sister Clara."This is just an in-flight visit to clear up misunderstandings. I will come back to see Castiglio next time. By the way, Mira—"Mira raised her head nervously. Clara laughed again. "Your brother managed to convince his mother not to sell the family painting with the house. I'm glad to see them hanging where they belong."***"Clara can run in circles," Mira muttered as the limousine disappeared from view. "She was mopping the floors with us." Still in shock, she started back indoors. Then it dawned on her: Clara knew everything. There's no need to pretend anymore, and there's no need to wait for a divorce any longer. Suddenly, Mira's lower limbs struggled limply through the swamp like toothpicks. Clara removes the artificial boundaries formed by their relationship. They are running out of time. "How can you tell her our marriage is fake?" Jacob angrily condemned. "Do you really thin
Mira took a step back, frustrated by the bodyguard's barely concealed hostility. He hesitated, apparently determined not to insult Jacob for his assistance during her stay. From the door, she glanced back."Things are not what you think." She said helplessly. "I shouldn't be thinking about anything, Mrs. Delrama." But there was accusation about him, his usual quiet friendliness chilled by what she believed to be a fiercely defensive loyalty to Jacob.It's only when Jacob is in this situation that he realizes that Jacob is too damn manly and proud to want her around him, which prompts Mira to go back to her room. She lay in bed and watched the dawn break. He was really upset, he must have been drunk. Mira tried very hard to understand. Hadn't she herself betrayed Dimitri's trust in the same way? She agreed to marry Jacob only under duress,If she had known what their fate would be in the morning after the ceremony, she would have run a thousand miles. Jacob wasn't trying to disinher
"I don't hate anyone." But Mira is still ashamed because she remembers her resentment against his legal family reaching explosive proportions before her brother's death, only that was when she met Jacob and Clara and before she let herself face reality."Dimitri doesn't love anyone," she pointed out sternly. "He never stopped loving Clara. Even if he knew about me, I think Clara knows this and that's why she never gives him a choice." "You didn't give me a choice either," Jacob reprimanded bitterly. "You let me continue to think that you slept with Dimitri. Even though you know this belief breaks my heart, you keep me believing it!""I keep telling you we're not lovers, but I know it's pointless! The only possible explanation for Dimitri's will is the one I've come up with." Jacob's eagle-like profile was frozen with suppressed emotion, and he gave her a sharp look."But I must admit that I cruelly and cynically misjudged Dimitri and did everything in my power to shirk the responsibi
But not just in the moment when she revels in the fact that he can't take his eyes off her. Mira was awakened by the thunderous slam of the door. She blinked confusedly in the light and stood up against the pillows, looking vaguely at Jacob, standing at the foot of the bed, shirtless except for a pair of faded skinny jeans hanging down over his thin hips. There was a gentle smile on her lips. He looks so magnificent, he always looks so magnificent,She could even forgive him for accidentally waking her out of a deep sleep for the first time in days. Vicious black eyes stared at her fiercely. Mira froze in amazement, her smile gone, her abdominal muscles tensing. Waves of seething tension emanated from Jacob. "What's wrong?" she asked in a low voice."I'm hungry. I got up to get something to eat and on the way down I started wondering what was so important about these documents that my lawyer felt the need to fly over and put them in my hands himself and if they were worth that much.
Raw triumph flashed in his glistening eyes. He ran slowly, looking for his fingers in the pouty mound he had bared for fun. As his thumb brushed the stiff pink bud approaching him, she gasped and stood up against him, every nerve ending in her body screaming in response. He pushed her to the ground with passionate kisses. She kissed him back with desperate urgency, everything she had suppressed for so long.Endless days suddenly betrayed her in a possessive storm. Her hands ran over his body, smoothing the warm golden skin that encased the whiplash muscles, and she let out a hungry moan of impatience. "You're always in a hurry—" Mira writhed and squirmed, on fire wanting him, without a semblance of self-control, not even remembering. Her fingers gripped his thick, silky black hair, and she moved her legs in an invitation to pain more blatantly than words.With a sharp groan, Jacob reached for her hips and pulled her under him. Then he hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."
"Change it." Mira pleaded sincerely, and hurriedly avoided him and walked towards the house. "I'm going to take a shower." "See you upstairs," Jacob said softly. She froze and then understood what he meant. He had to change, and although he slept in the bedroom opposite to her, half his clothes were in the closet in her room. Her head was still spinning. One kiss and she's gone without a trace, and Jacob can do anything to her! No wonder he was laughing!She was his and he knew it. A taxi was already waiting in the courtyard, and when Mira entered the hall, a maid was leading a man with a briefcase into the living room. The man stopped for a moment and almost looked at Mira in surprise. Then, just as suddenly, his piercing black eyes veiled nodded politely and disappeared from her view.Mira looked curiously at Klaud standing under the stairs. "Who's that?" "Mr. Delrama's lawyer." No doubt the man was staring at her because she looked horrible in her gardening attire it wasn't a
"I know what I'm doing, Sol." "How can you say that? There's no peace in Castiglio. We're all crawling around the house—no smiles, no laughs. That wonderful delicious food—He said if he didn't finish another meal, he'd leave!" "Jacob is very bad-tempered." "Having a wife who works all day in the garden, he has a reason. You're neglecting your husband." Not in her dream, she didn't."He thrives on neglect." Sol gritted her teeth disapprovingly, shook her head, and got up to leave. "You're as stubborn as he is." Mira regained her energy and continued weeding. If her brother looked down on her and Jacob now, she knew he would blame her too. But from the moment Jacob asserted that if she were related to Dimitri, he would feel obligated to maintain a married relationship with her, Mira decided not to try to use that as a basis to attract and keep him.After successfully seducing her into bed, Jacob candidly admits that his only interest in her is sex. If he knew she was Dimitri's sist
The powerful car stopped in the yard. Jacob turned off the engine and turned to look at her, black eyes as hard as jet in a vibrantly handsome face. "When you lose your temper with Sheldon, your mood can turn bad. He is your security blanket and I think you are old enough to live without him. Times have changed, don't try to tell me differently, baby. What you want now is me—"Forever, and always, she thought horrified, clutching at the depths of her own vulnerability. She wants so much more than she hopes to achieve. Jacob held up a strong hand and gently tucked a handful of colorful spirals between his fingers. He lifted her brooding face, subjecting her to the onslaught of his stern scrutinizing gaze. "I want you," he said with great succinctness. "So what's the problem? In my opinion, this is a simple and completely straightforward relationship."Mira held her breath, almost drowning in the evocative scent of him being so close, and a flurry of small reactions made her dizzy an
Sheldon makes a deliberate U-turn in the colored vehicle. "I've always promised myself to take a vacation. The moment you said you were in Castiglio, I saw the sun, water, and the sand and I realized where you had to be. From there, it was just a matter of studying the map." As he drove down the steep mountain road at the crawling speed of a fear of heights, holding the steering wheel painfully tightly, rounding each zigzag corner with ease,Mira thought about Jacob feverishly until she was dizzy with tension. Bang! He stole her peace and security. And what did he give her in return? A terrible sense of inadequacy and self-loathing, and an unreliable temper like an active volcano. "If you are threatened by Jacob, please yell." Just last night, he told her that she had a fight with him and wanted to arrest him! He's seen inside of her and understood something that she didn't understand herself, and it's horrific.She should have known she was in love with him the moment she found her