DESTINY“What the actual fuck are you doing?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. There he was, my husband-fake husband-snogging my mother. My mother!“Destiny, this isn’t what it looks like.” James ripped his hands away from her as if she had burned him. The look on his face would have been comical (a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar) had I not felt such burning rage. Like hell it isn’t! “How could you?!” Glaring at the two of them, her dressed in a sheer nightdress and him with just his boxers on, his raging erection hard to miss. The air in the kitchen was thick with tension, a suffocating mix of betrayal and disgust. Was he about to fuck her right here in our kitchen?Mother attempted to pull the scant piece of clothing together to cover more of herself. I sneered at them with disgust. The smell of their betrayal hung heavy in the air, a stench that invaded my senses.He came towards me, and I jumped away, keeping the counter between us. The cold surface of the counter pressed
JAMESThere! I went and blurted out that I loved her. And I truly did, as shocking as it was to both of us. What did she do? She laughed.“Is that funny to you?” I stalked over to her, anger narrowing my eyes. With my hands on my hips, I glared down at her. She didn’t back away, but stood her ground.She wiped tears off her cheeks. “Yes, because you don’t mean it, James.” The towel threatened to slip off, and she clutched it around her.I threw my hands up in the air, exasperated. Here I was telling her the truth, and she doubted me. “What the hell? I do fucking mean it!”She shook her head. “Remember the day of our wedding? You said it then too. Because you were scared that I wouldn’t go through with the wedding.”I remembered it too clearly. Not my proudest moment. But it worked anyway. Although, I meant it that day. Alright, maybe not as honestly as I do now.“You will always say whatever gets you what you want, James. That is who you are.” Her words hurt like hell, but it was true
DESTINYMy mind still reeled from what James had confessed earlier, the weight of his words still lying heavily on my heart. I wanted to believe him so badly, but my mind kept telling me to be cautious, like a nagging voice in the back of my head. And yet, despite my reservations, I poured out my feelings to him, my heart exposed and vulnerable. Maybe I should have lied to protect my heart, but James would have seen right through me. Like he always did.My phone buzzed with a text message, its soft vibrations breaking me out of my whirling thoughts. Her name flashed across the screen, a sharp pang of betrayal coursing through me.I placed the phone face down on the bedside table, its cold surface a stark reminder of the distance between us. I hesitated, contemplating whether to delete the message unread. That was so like my mother, avoiding a face-to-face conversation in a cowardly manner. There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but she had robbed me of that chance.Suddenl
JAMESI wasted no time in hiring the bodyguard for my Sugar. Luke Marshall, a strapping man in his early thirties, was ex-military, with an excellent track record. Not also was he adept at hand-to-hand combat, had a black belt in Jujitsu and had that don’t-fuck-with-me attitude down to a T. A bit too handsome to my liking, but I trusted Destiny. I smirked to myself. Also, he batted for the other side, so I felt confident that there would be no funny business.With Destiny safe in Marshall’s capable hands, I left for the office, eager to put my plans in motion. Jenna would soon be a nervous wreck, peering over her shoulder every time she moved. I wanted her to give herself up and beg for our forgiveness. The image of her groveling before me on her knees gave me such a hard-on, I had to adjust my trousers before getting out of my car.Even better if she ended up in the clink. Would my father let her go to prison being pregnant with his child? I doubted it, and it filled me with bitter a
DESTINYJames left early in the morning while I still slept. I’ve become really lazy. It’s like I just couldn’t get up in the morning. Besides the morning sickness that came and went at odd times, I felt so lethargic. Whether it was just the pregnancy or the fact that James was insatiable at night, that had me feeling this way.I giggled to myself, remembering how odd he seemed last night. Was he really that insecure? Yes, of course, Marshall was panty-melting hot, but James had nothing to be ashamed of. He had a sexy body and the way he could kiss… Not that I’m an expert, but he certainly knew his way around a woman’s body. And of course, Marshall had no interest in girls. Maybe that was the main reason James employed him to be my bodyguard. Did that mean he didn’t trust me? That thought made me frown. I knew James was possessive and jealous; he made that very clear when he thought Ronan and I had something going on. Heaven forbid he ever found out about Ronan’s crush on me.Lazily,
DESTINYThe entire way back home I was silent, didn’t feel like talking. Mulling over what Ronan had told me. James had some explaining to do. I knew he was hiding something. The cinnamon bun I had a craving for sat in a box on my lap. Marshal kept on shooting furtive glances at me while he drove.Mrs. Donahue took one look at me when I entered the kitchen to put my bun in the fridge and she turned to put the kettle on.“You look like you good do with a cuppa, love.” She busied herself with the teacups. “If you want to talk, this ol’ biddy can lend ye her ear, ye ken?” Her blue eyes twinkled sympathetically. “Men can be a real pain in the you-know-what.” Bless her, she was a curious woman.I didn’t disagree with her. “Thank you, Mrs. D. I really would love a cup.”She fixed Marshall with a narrowed stare. “Ye didn’t upset Mrs. Barrington, did ye now?”Luke raised his bushy eyebrows comically. “No, never, Ma’am!”I couldn’t help but smile at the protectiveness of the small woman. She w
JAMESThis was exactly what I did not want to happen. I never wanted to freak Destiny out. Why the hell did she have to go snoop around in my affairs? It made me fucking angry. But not as angry as I was with my family.HOURS EARLIERI left the bar, rushing to my car and on impulse I turned the Bentley toward the Barrington Estate. This must have been my grandfather. Jenna has always been his favorite. Lord knows why. As if I didn’t know the answer to that, I ridiculed myself. She had a way with men. Could twist anyone with a dick around her finger.It repulsed me to think that I loved her at some stage. Was it love, though? We were so young. What I felt for Destiny was so different.Grandfather must have given her the passwords and account numbers because there was no way he could do internet transactions on his own. The man was practically a dinosaur.But if it wasn’t him, then… No, my father wouldn’t do something like that. Would he? Could he be so duplicitous?My brain reeled. Not
DESTINY"I need answers, James," I said, my voice steady, though I could feel the tremor of anger coursing through me. I glimpsed that fury mirrored in his stormy eyes, causing my insides to quiver.James raked his fingers through his unruly hair, strands cascading over his face, partially obscuring my view of him. With a sigh, he muttered, "Well..." The sound of his exhalation hung in the air, thick with uncertainty. "I wish I could give you answers, Sugar. I truly do. But for now, I have none," he bit out the words, his frustration palpable."If you have any evidence, James..." I began, desperately seeking some semblance of truth."Suspicion alone isn't enough, Destiny!" he snapped, his frustration reaching a boiling point as he abruptly stood from the bed. He whirled around, his piercing gaze fixed on me. "Can you trust me? I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe." Desperation made his voice climb an octave higher.Keep me safe. The words echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder