“He did what?” Sabrina squeezed her ketchup and some of the contents spilled out onto her hand. “I swear I am going to kill that asshole. Just say the word D and I will have him buried somewhere siz feet deep.”After being in my bubble with Miles I had decided to finally resurface at work. It was strange being back after I had been so lost in him the past few days that coming back here was a huge reality check for me.“You need to go to the police.” Amy stabbed her salad looking angry. “He can’t get away with things like that.”I shook my head. “I just want to put California behind me. I don’t want to think about it or talk about it or even be reminded of it. I just want to move on.”“Fuck that, I can’t move on. The man planned to have you sexually assaulted, Dove, and also got you wasted. I am going to kill him. I won’t tell you two when or how because you can’t be labeled as accomplices.”“You cannot murder someone, Brina.” Amy is always the voice of reason. One would think that
*Miles* I stared down at the necklace options that had been brought to my office. Dove was not one for gifts even though I knew she loved them. She didn’t like people spending copious amounts on her, but I didn’t care. I was a billionaire. What was the point of all this money if I couldn’t spend it on the woman I loved?I picked up the diamond tennis bracelet and analyzed it. I had opted to get a simple one and an extravagant one that she could wear on special occasions. She was a Scott and the public would expect nothing less than diamonds and platinum adoring her neck and ears.I knew that she would be too shy to start her own jewelry collection, but I was more than happy to start her off. She deserved nothing but the very best in this life.I placed the tennis bracelet down and then picked up the tear-drop yellow diamond necklace that I had sourced from a jeweler in Paris. There were only three yellow diamond necklaces in the world. My mother had owned one and now my wife wou
*Miles*With a heavy sigh, I pushed open the car door beside me and stepped out. I rolled my head from side to side to alleviate the tension building between the base of my neck and shoulder blades, but it did nothing but only make them tenser.The confrontation with Dylan didn’t go the way I had thought it would. When he showed me the images of my little birdie from the night she was assaulted… I just about damn near lost my mind. My vision had turned red and I was afraid of what I would do to my asshole nephew. But thankfully, I managed to reel in my rage, only choosing some choice words for him as a reminder not to fuck with me. My steps echoed in my ears as I walked across the parking garage toward the elevators. The loud music blasting inside the confined space is doing nothing to help the pulsing headache forming at my temples. All I want to do is get upstairs and hold my wife. It’s been a long ass fucking day. Once inside the apartment, the smell of roasted veg
*Dove*I feel like I’m on top of the world. After the small disagreement with Miles last night about my employment status and getting eaten out on the dining table by a starved man, we had a lovely dinner and talked about our plans to one day go to Paris. It was a reminder that this is my life now. I’m Miles Scott’s wife. It’s a sentence I never thought I would say. In a matter of months, I went from living in a shitty apartment and not having enough money to pay for my mother’s hospital bills to living in a penthouse apartment that is nicer and bigger than any house I have lived in and having my mother taken care of. It’s not something I ever thought would happen in my wildest dreams. But I’m glad it did.As much as I would prefer to pay for my mother’s bills because I don’t want to feel like Miles is giving me handouts, I understand that he just wants to help and I need to push my pride to the side for one moment. If I want the best treatment for the woman who raised me by
*Miles*A sigh fell from my lips the moment I hung up with Dove. Leaning back in my chair, I spun around to face the New York City skyline my office overlooked from the top floor. My eyes moved across the shadows of the buildings and the tiny ants that were people walking along the sidewalk, heading to whatever destination they needed to. What the fuck am I going to do about Dylan? He’s becoming more of a problem than I would like. He clearly didn’t take my threat seriously from last night if he was still harassing Dove at work just now. Running a hand through my hair, I spun back to face my desk and pressed the button that linked the phone on my desk with Jennifer outside my office doors. “Jen, can you come in here please?”I folded my hands on the edge of my desk while waiting for Jen to enter. Moments later, the door swung open and she stepped into the room. “Is everything okay?”“Can you do me a favor?” I asked.She nodded, her eyes focused on me as she folded h
*Dove*My eyes fluttered open to see Miles’s head resting on my bare stomach with the early morning light streaming in through the curtains and his arm wrapped around my hips. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see how peaceful he looked. I watched as he breathed softly through his slightly parted lips.I’ll never get used to the fact that this was my life now and he was my husband. I wanted to think that I was having some kind of fever dream, but when Miles groaned and tightened his grip around me, I knew that this was reality. My reality. And I couldn’t be more grateful.I smiled to myself as I ran my fingers through his soft strands of hair. They tickled the exposed skin, but I did my best to remain still. I didn’t want to wake him.I didn’t know how long I had been lying here running my hands through his hair before I heard a raspy voice pierce my ears.“How long are you going to stare at me for?”My hand stilled in his hair as my teeth captured my bottom l
*Miles*It would be an understatement to say it was hard to get out of bed this morning and wave goodbye to Dove as she left for work. After our relaxing day at home just soaking up the feeling of being in each other’s company, and, of course, taking my stunning wife any chance I could, makes it hard to be sitting at my desk right now. I leaned forward to wrap my hands around the steamy takeout cup of coffee I grabbed on my way to the office and spun in my chair to overlook the New York City skyline. It’s dark and gloomy again today as raindrops slide down the large panels of glass windows. I would rather be at home wrapped up in my wife than sitting here knowing I have a full day of meetings. I’ve gotten so used to having her in my life that now I can’t picture my future without her. What started as a fake marriage to get my grandfather off my back turned into something I never expected in my wildest dreams.It seems everything does happen for a reason.A sudden knock
*Miles*The doors to the garage open and I drive in, parking in one of the many parking spaces I have in the back of the garage. When I kill the engine, I lean back in the leather seat and sigh, letting my hands drop to my lap. After the fucking day I’ve had, I’m ready to go upstairs and see my wife. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I can’t help but think I failed Dove today. I was confident I had found the man who hurt her, but it wasn’t him. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Jennifer is going to keep searching but I’m not optimistic I’ll find this fucker.I pull at the tie around my neck, feeling constricted by the tight knot. Once the material is loose around my neck, I unbutton the top two buttons on my long-sleeved shirt. It feels like I can properly breathe now.I silently get out of the car and ride the elevator to the top floor. Once inside the penthouse, I look around at the space. Greta isn’t anywhere in sight and Dove isn’t either. H
*Dove*It’s been a week since the night Dylan apologized for the way he treated me after my assault and the things he has done since. True to his word, he has changed his ways. He is no longer belittling me or making me complete stupid tasks at work. He has treated me like every other employee and that’s all I could have ever asked for. I don’t want him to give me special treatment now that he’s admitted to his wrongs—I just want him to treat me like everyone else.Miles and I have grown closer this past week—if that’s even possible as a married couple. It just feels like everything is falling into place with us now. We have our routine that we do each day—we eat dinner together, have a drink, and then watch a movie if we’re not trying to rip each other’s clothes off. I know we’re still in our honeymoon phase, but God I hope this feeling of excitement whenever he’s around and the need to be near him at all times never fades. I’m so in love with this man and I couldn’t be luck
*Dove*When I step into the penthouse, the aroma of spices hits my sinuses. I smile when I hear Miles curse from the kitchen. I shake my head and drop my handbag by the front door. What is this man up to?I pad along the floorboards until I reach the kitchen where I find Miles hovering over the stovetop with his back to me. Deciding I want to enjoy this moment of my husband cooking me dinner, I lean against the wall and fold my arms over my chest. He’s still wearing a black button-down from work but he has the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing the thick veins lining his forearms.God, I hope he has a few buttons undone. It drives me crazy when he wears his shirt like that.His hair is a mess atop his head, likely from the stress of trying to cook dinner before I got home. Talking to Dylan downstairs just now gave him some extra time to finish up, but it seems something is going wrong if he’s cursing loud enough for me to hear across the penthouse. “Is everything
*Dove*After a long day of work, I couldn’t be more excited to get home to my husband to see what he plans on doing with me tonight. The tips of my fingers are tingling with excitement as I grip the steering wheel tight, getting lost in thought about what tonight could potentially lead to. I’m glad I was able to sit down with Amy and Sabrina to let them know everything in my life is back on track. I needed it, and if it weren’t for their support, I would’ve been a mess waiting for Miles to reach out to me after he stormed out of the penthouse. I couldn’t thank my best friends enough. However, I’m still a little on edge after the odd interaction I had with Dylan this afternoon. He is not one to back down or give in easily, so the fact that he willingly walked away when I told him I wasn’t able to talk to him is a little concerning. I couldn’t read his features because they were stoic, so I wasn’t able to try and get an understanding of what could be going through his mind.
*Dove*Walking into work this morning, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Last night with Miles went well. After he ate me out until my brain felt like it was going to explode and then proceeded to remind me just how much he loves me by fucking me until I almost blacked out, we lay in bed and discussed what happened further.He apologized repeatedly for overreacting, and I had to reassure him every time that I forgave him. We all make mistakes, and Miles is the type of person who chooses to run from his problems instead of facing them head-on. It’s something he has agreed to work on, which I’m grateful for. The last thing I want is another misunderstanding like that.When we woke up this morning, he had cooked me breakfast in bed with the promise of repeating what we did the night before. It was safe to say my cheeks were red the entire morning. I’ll never not blush when it comes to my husband and his way with words. I’m just grateful that we sorted eve
*Dove*By the time the taxi drops me back at the penthouse and I say goodbye to Amy and Sabrina, I’m brimming with anger. I can’t believe Miles would go to a bar with his assistant after ignoring me for twenty-four hours, then spot me across the room, and still make no move to come and talk to me. Granted, discussing such a topic at a bar might not be the most appropriate location, but still.I had to hold Amy back from walking across the room and giving my husband a piece of her mind. As much as I love her for wanting to stick up for me, this is a battle I have to fight on my own. I kick my shoes off by the front door and march toward the kitchen, not even bothering to turn on the lights—the city skyline provides enough light. I need something to help with the anger burning in my chest, so I think pouring wine into the largest glass I can find will do the trick. Once my glass is full, I walk to the couch and plop down. Taking a large gulp, I watch water droplets race down th
*Dove*I feel like a zombie walking into the office this morning. My shoulders are tense, my brain is foggy, and I think I’m wearing mismatched socks. I barely got any sleep last night after Miles stormed out of the penthouse after his little blow-up. Over what? I’m still trying to figure that one out.His overreaction to the conversation I had with my mom yesterday is still a mystery to me. Why the hell would he think I was planning to leave him after a simple warning? My mom never said the words, “Leave him.” She just wants me to be careful, and while I understand her concerns, it’s not enough for me to leave my husband for fear that he might one day hurt me. Miles isn’t like that.I tried to call and text him multiple times throughout the night. At first, the phone would ring out, but eventually, it just went straight to voicemail, as if my calling him to find out if he was okay was annoying him. I was upset to begin with because he had left me alone without providing any i
*Miles*The front door to the quiet apartment swings open violently from the force of my pushing it. The doorknob collides with the wall behind it, but I’m too angry to care whether it put a dent in the plaster or not. The apartment is illuminated by the lights of New York City’s skyline streaming in through the open windows I didn’t bother to close the last time I was here.I can’t even remember how long ago that was. Slamming the door closed behind me, I don’t bother switching on the main light in the living room. Instead, I stalk across the large space with my hands balled into fists at my side. I need a fucking drink so bad. The anger brimming beneath the surface is desperate for the rich liquid to relax it. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same. When I open the door to the liquor cabinet, I’m pleased to see the expensive bottle of whiskey I bought when I first bought the place where I left it, catching dust. Wrapping my hand around the neck, I pull it
*Dove*My hands grip the steering wheel tightly as I drive along the highway. The headlights from the oncoming cars blind me momentarily, but I barely notice them because I feel as though I’m on autopilot, just going through the motions. Since leaving the hospital twenty minutes ago, my mom’s words have been replaying in my mind over and over again, like a broken down record that won’t stop fucking spinning.I understand her concerns when it comes to Miles, especially because he is a powerful man with lots of money and our marriage is still only new. But I trust him with my life. I couldn’t fathom him doing to me what my father did to my mom. My father did a shitty thing leaving me and my mom when we needed him most, but Miles isn’t anything like him. He’s caring, loving, attentive, and above all, so fucking kind. My mom has nothing to worry about because I’m not worried. When I’m with Miles, I feel like the only girl in the world, especially when he looks at me like I’m
*Dove*The drive to the hospital from my work takes a little longer with the after-work rush hour traffic. New York City is a pain in the ass to drive in. The honking from taxis was excessive and the amount of pedestrians I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting because they walked out in front of me was too much to keep count of. Everyone just always seems to be in a rush to get somewhere. I don’t share that mentality, however. I’m more than happy to take my time because I know I’ll get to my destination eventually. I wished everyone in this damn city thought the same way.Driving through the packed parking garages next to the hospital, I manage to snag a space, bringing my car to a park. I heave a deep breath and look down at my watch. I have time for a quick visit with my mom before I head home to have dinner with my husband.I decided that after the bombshell Dylan dropped on me today about the photos that were taken the night of my assault, I knew I had to see my m