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Defeat
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
A Marriage of Convenience Relaxed
I feel as if I’m in a trance staring into James’ eyes. Like the tiny flecks of gold are locking me in some sort of chokehold. I’ve lost the ability to speak or even breathe properly. Where his thumb rests against my chin is so warm and inviting. His words from only a moment ago seemed like the first real truth that I’ve gotten from him. “Please, Rosalind. I’m not a man who begs, but for you; I will,” his voice was thick like honey. “Okay.” He opened his mouth in shock as his eyes widened before moving down to my lips. I felt my breath hitch in my throat and a surge of something foreign sparked between us. But no matter how much I wanted this to work; I wasn’t going to make it easy. “I want to lay some ground rules,” I swallowed hard, breaking whatever hold he had on me only a few moments ago. “Let’s discuss over lunch,” he reached behind me, his chest pressing against mine before swiping the roses he’d just brought into the trash. James quirked a smile as he pulled
A Marriage of Convenience Not a princess
My mind was still stuck on whatever had just happened. I couldn’t think beyond the look that I’d just seen in James’ eyes. I quickly scooped up a bite of food, trying to buy my brain to catch up. “Let me guess,” James’ lips curled slightly, “No more white roses?” I stifled laughter, “That is definitely rule number one,” but my mood was short lived, “I suppose I should give you my real number one and give you the opportunity to walk away now.” “Marina isn’t going anywhere,” James pinned me under a frustrated glare. My lips pulled into a frown and my heart began racing, “Who is she to you, James?” “Who or what she is doesn’t matter. Why is it that you can’t accept that?” he sounded exasperated. I closed my eyes, feeling the all-too-familiar sting of tears burning my eyes, “It matters because I’m your wife. I didn’t marry you so that I could share you with someone else.” “We married each other for our own reasons,” he gritted his teeth, making the muscle in his jaw tighten. Ho
A Marriage of Convenience Break from life
“Do I have to?” At this point, I simply felt defeated. James had once again lured me in by exploiting my weakness... Which just so happened to be the man himself. I don’t know why or how I turn into a fumbling mess of a woman whenever he’s around. I’ve never had that issue around men before. Not even Shawn. But James has this aura about him. It’s as if he demands your attention, and you don’t have the ability to deny it. It was something that I learned to love about him over the years. When he walked into a room, he had your attention. When he spoke, you had no choice but to listen. That’s how I continuously get lost when I’m around him. James’ voice is thick and velvety, and it’s as if my brain short circuits when it hits my ears. “When was the last time you’ve taken a vacation?” Shawn’s brow arched at the same time his lips curled into a lopsided grin. “What does that have to do with anything?” He rolled his eyes, “Just answer the question, Rosie.” Shawn still
A Marriage of Convenience Wine
I stared at the text on my phone from James, sipping wine straight from the bottle. “We need to talk,” I repeated the words under my breath, “I’m tired of talking, James Wood,” I took another large swig from the bottle, sitting it harshly on the counter. The thing I’ve learned about James is he loves to talk when it’s trying to convince me to stay in our loveless marriage, but the second I start asking the hard questions; he shuts down. He doesn’t want to talk anymore. He wants to make demands, and old Rosa would have fallen at his feet at the opportunity to show him that I was all in. “Years,” I spoke through gritted teeth to an empty, “Three years I spent falling at your feet. And for what?” I raised my voice at the ceiling.I paced the living room of my condo gripping the wine by the neck of the bottle. I’d switched from my scrubs to fluffy pajama pants and a tank top, which had quickly become my essential nighttime routine now that I wasn’t living with James. For three year
A Marriage of Convenience Run (James POV)
My sleep was plagued by images of her. And it was a fucking tragedy that I’d never actually seen my wife’s body. I tried to imagine what she looked like standing in front of her mirror, wine spilled all over her chest. The thought of running my tongue along the curves of her breasts crossed my mind more times than I could count as I lay staring at my ceiling. I don’t know what the hell is happening. When Rosa agreed to go to lunch with me, I thought things would be awkward, but she squashed that feeling almost instantly. The ease at which she joked with me and held a conversation was admirable considering I couldn’t conjure up an actual sentence. Ever since that day in the hospital, I haven’t known how to act around her. And now, I’m more certain than ever she holds the key to bringing Onyx back. The moment our lips touched; my body came alive. Her taste was intoxicating, and I could feel the walls that held Onyx prisoner bowing and bending in my mind. When she admitted
A Marriage of Convenience Vacation
The moment the sun hit my face as I stepped from the plane; I knew I’d made the right decision. It’s been so long since I’ve taken a vacation, and never have I visited Bali. The breeze is warm and carries the scent of the ocean. The soft sound of waves is so alluring and wraps around you like a cashmere blanket. Something about it is just putting my mind at ease. It’s like an instant weight was lifted from my shoulders. “Just wait until you see our place,” Chris elbowed me in the side, wagging his brows. The boys loaded up the car that was awaiting us at the tarmac. They’d opted for a jeep-like vehicle with no windows or doors. The sides were open, allowing the warm breeze to lash against our skin as we drove towards the villa. “Is that a smile, Rosie?” Shawn lifted his glasses, winking at me while driving. “My smile is not that rare,” I shook my head, feeling my cheeks flush from embarrassment. Have I really been that obviously miserable as of late? Chris’ hands gripped
A Marriage of Convenience Dare
“This is stupid boring,” Chris groaned, thudding his head backwards onto the sand. “I think you need to learn the art of relaxation,” I tilted my head to the side, lifting my glasses to stare at his dramatics. “You woke me up at the ass crack of dawn so that we could lay here and bake in the sun like a chocolate chip cookie,” he groaned. “Has he always been this dramatic?” Shawn joined the conversation from my other side. “Yes. You were always just immune to him and his ways. Distance has made you see the truth.” “Y’all are just rude. I’m going for a swim,” Chris jumped up from the sand, running at full speed towards the ocean. “What do you think so far?” Shawn propped himself up on his elbows, making his incredibly toned abs look even more defined. “About what?” I was thankful for my sunglasses because he’d surely see me staring at the pure dedication he puts into the art that is his body. “This trip. How does it feel getting away from life?” he sat up, taking a drink
A Marriage of Convenience Too late
I felt my heart rate quicken. What was he doing here? And in my room.... “Don’t scream,” he whispered as he released the hand he held over my mouth. Anger floods my veins as I slowly turn around to meet searing forest green eyes. It’s so funny to me now that the tables have turned. I can see it shining back at me in those eyes. Desperation. But it hardly brings me peace. If anything, it’s guilt. Though I have nothing to feel guilty for. James was the one who chose Marina over me. Over our marriage. He chose indifference when he could have just chosen me. I’m forced to focus on the steady rise and fall of my chest, because every breath feels as if there’s not enough oxygen in the room. I blink, trying to diffuse the stare off between the two of us, “What are you doing here?” “The question is what are you doing here?” James retorts, never breaking eye contact. A heavy breath escapes through my nose as I shake my head, “The last time I checked, I don’t have to tell you wha
Latest chapter
A Marriage of Convenience Guilt
“I’ve increased security and will be checking in hourly. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” James held my annoyed stare, knowing that nothing was getting in or out of these walls without him knowing.He held up his hands in mock surrender, “Fine. FINE. I get it,” he stepped towards me, his large frame crowding my space. My butt hit the counter and my crutches fell to the ground. James lifted me with ease and placing me atop the cool, granite countertop. A shiver rolled through my body as the chill seeped into my skin, “I’m allowed to worry about you, you know?”“Worry all you want, but don’t stop letting me live. Please. I’ll be fine and I trust that all of the additional security measures you’ve put in place will keep me extra safe,” I pecked his lips, attempting to pull away quickly, but he grabbed my face, crashing our lips together in a searing kiss.James held me there until we were both breathless, and my chest ached from the lack of oxygen.“The office can wait,” he growled
A Marriage of Convenience The Perfect Mate
James assisted me into a house, where the smell of bleach assaulted me the moment I walked through the threshold. A crew of cleaners froze as we walked inside, but a single look from James had them scurrying back to their jobs.The glass had been removed and the blood no longer stained the white porcelain. A new pane of glass shimmered beneath the midday sun, and I found myself frozen as I stared at the picture-perfect home.“It feels weird to see looking how it was before,” I whispered, still feeling the fear of that night swim through my veins. The large floor to ceiling window overlooked the forest in the backyard, and I silently wondered if that fear would multiply once the sun went down and the shadows of the night came out to play.James pressed his lips to my temple, “I replaced the glass from before with something graded to be bullet proof. Nothing will get through those windows again.”A shiver rolled down my spine. Either James replaced the window with bulletproof glass to m
A Marriage of Convenience Something is off
I was finally cleared to go home from the hospital, but I’m not quite sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I missed my bed and the comfort of my own home. On the other, I didn’t know how to feel about being there after the attack.Not to mention my mind has been running in circles since Marina showed up here yesterday.James came shortly after she left, but something seemed off, and I wanted to dissect everything that Marina had said before confronting James about it. But even more confusing was the fact that she’d specifically said a wolf bite, when she shouldn’t have known that small fact.She couldn’t have known that unless she orchestrated it or James had told her about it, but I was leaning towards her orchestrating the attack.“How’s Ahmed?” I glanced up at James as he wheeled me out to the awaiting car.“He’s awake and recovering. I’ve placed him on paid leave and instructed his wife to come to me if they need anything at all,” James’ voice held an edge to it, but I didn’t c
A Marriage of Convenience Cops(James POV)
The inside of the house looked like a massacre. Tiny shards of glass decorated the floor like snow. Some of the larger bits were painted with a deep, blackish crimson from the dried blood, and the smell was nauseating.‘These were definitely rogues,’ Onyx spat through gritted teeth, his anger blending with mine the more we assessed the scene.Through it all, I could smell Rosalind’s blood, and the thought of them hurting her while I was off chasing some ignorant lead on Marina made my blood boil with anger. But the anger was directed at myself.I should have been here. I should have been the one to protect her, and Ahmed did his best, but one man against multiple wolves just didn’t succeed.Rainwater had flooded most of the evidence, causing it to spread before drying. The cops wouldn’t be able to pull anything from this mess. Not anything concrete anyways.I’d learned the hard way how easily evidence can be destroyed. If you’re not on the scene within a tiny window of time, your succ
A Marriage of Convenience Our. Home
“Rosalind,” Chris shouted, shouldering through a group of nurses who were conveniently gossiping about James. They still couldn’t believe he was married to a woman like me. Sure, I was a doctor, but that wasn’t anything special when the most eligible, billionaire bachelor in Georgia was in the running. He was like a God around here. And me? Well, I was simply an average looking woman who also happened to be a doctor. My status as a Red didn’t mean a damn thing, because I wasn’t a hot man who also happened to have enough money to buy the entire United States and not blink an eye. “What the fuck?” Chris muttered; eyes wide as he stared at my elevated leg. Blood had seeped through the bandages because they couldn’t seal the wound and for someone who doesn’t see this kind of thing on a regular basis, it was pretty disgusting. “Close the curtain,” I whispered, and he did quickly, rushing back to my side.“Was that,” he pointed at my injury, “From one of them.”“We are one of them,” I n
A Marriage of Convenience Cross me(James POV)
Pure, unfiltered rage didn’t even begin to describe the poisonous feeling flooding through my veins. The anger feels like a living, breathing thing.Like a Goddamned snake slithering its way beneath my skin, releasing toxic poison in the form of fury that bleeds into every square inch of my body.I want the heads of every single person who stepped foot on my property last night. I don’t give a shit who they were or what they were doing there. If they accidentally stumbled upon the forest at the back of the property…. I’m going to find them and make them pay.Since my driver is now fighting for his life in the hospital with Rosalind, I’m forced to call and wait for a driving service to offer me a temp replacement for Ahmed.A few painstaking minutes pass while I pace a hole in the cement out front of the hospital, sweating from the sweltering, humid Georgia heat before the damn driver finally shows up.‘He is clearly incompetent,’ Onyx spats in my head, ‘Ahmed would never keep us waiti
A Marriage of Convenience No one in or out
“Rosa,” James’ voice filters through the darkness, “Rosalind, baby.”My body shakes softly on my shoulders and my eyelids flutter. The lashes on my left eye are stuck to my face, and after a few attempts, they tear free.Bright lights above my head blind me as I blink away my disorientation.The sound of multiple different voices has my eyes panning around the room. EMS workers move quickly, rushing inside the small space and focusing their attention on Ahmed. I recognize a few of the faces rushing around me, but a relieved sigh falls from my lips as I finally focus on James.“What’s going on?”My voice sounds foreign and gravelly.“Are you injured?” James rushes out, coming back to my side and ignoring the emergency personnel shouting at him to back up.“My…” I start, trying to move the leg that had gotten bit, but it felt numb and stiff, “My leg and my ribs.”“What happened here?” The gold flecks in James’ eyes glitter beneath the harsh lights of the elevator, and his eyes soften as
A Marriage of Convenience Creatures
A loud noise jars me awake and my eyes struggle to focus in my disoriented state. The sky is nearly black and rain pelts against the floor to ceiling windows at the rear of the house.The television remains on, but the show I’d been watching has long ended. Glancing at my phone, I blink away the sleepiness seeing that somehow, I’d managed to nap for the last five hours.Another loud crack startles me as the sky lights up with a flash of lightning. A few seconds later, the power goes out, causing complete darkness to blanket me. The storm raging outside is the only sound I hear, and I quickly grab my phone, illuminating the flashlight as I walk towards the rear windows.The backyard leading into the forest looks eerie blanketed in complete darkness. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and the feeling of being watched envelopes me as I squint my eyes, trying to see anything through the heavy sheets of rain.Another flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and I swear I saw someth
A Marriage of Convenience Liar
James left early this morning for work and forbade me from going into the hospital. I called in with a family emergency, and there was no questioning. They knew if I was taking off, it was necessary, even though it didn't feel that way. Chris remained passed out on the back patio, and I’m not sure if I should force him awake or let him sleep off the shockwave that was yesterday. I still don't even know if I've managed to brush off the reality that I've been a werewolf my entire life and everyone I loved kept it from me..... and I've had weeks to process it.My phone buzzing against the countertop startles me, and I glance over to see that my father is calling.Begrudgingly, I grab the phone, hesitating as my finger hovers over the small green button. I’ve been avoiding talking to either of them. Since my meeting with my father and my mother’s explosion over the scathing interview I did with Mr. Arden; I’m not sure they even consider me a member of the Red family.“Hey dad,” I finally
