“How touching. You obviously care so much about me.”
His eyes roll into his head, and that’s almost enough to make me slam the door on his fingers. Repeatedly.
“Can we stop the blame game, here? We had sex once a month. I wasn’t going to go celibate for you.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“It takes two to tango, Liv. Don’t deny that you checked out of this relationship long before I started messing around.”
So it was an ongoing thing? A stab of pain hits my chest. “So instead of talking to me about it like an adult, you decided to cheat on me. I don’t want to know about the women you’ve fucked, or how long you’ve been doing it. I just want you out of my life.”
Seized with rage, I grab the engagement ring sitting on my nightstand, and I thrust it into his bewildered hands. He stares at it, uncomprehending.
His tone turns gentle and condescending as though I’m a child making a big boo-boo. “Olivia, think about what you’re throwing away.”
“Oh, I’ve thought about it.”
“You’re not thinking straight. Sure, you’re angry right now, but is this really the smartest thing for you to do?”
My fingers gouge into the wood. “Are you threatening me?”
“I didn’t say anything,” he says very quickly.
“Fuck you!”
“You’re upset,” he continues in that maddeningly calm voice. “I’ll come back when you’ve calmed down.”
“I don’t want you to. I am done with you. Go find some empty-headed, trust fund bitch to be Mrs. Cranbury. I don’t want it!”
Mark stares at me as though I’ve grown an extra head. The rich bastard can’t compute a universe where women aren’t flocking to be Mrs. Cranbury.
I make my own goddamn money, you prick.
It’s satisfying as hell to see him stare back at me with shock etched in every line of his face. And even more so when the door slams shut, rocking the whole house.
I smile into the pillow, replaying that epic burn over and over. It should matter more that my ex-fiancé fucked another woman, or women, but I just feel profound relief at the death of our relationship. Mark will come to his senses and leave me the hell alone. And he won’t get me fired. He’s not nearly that dumb.
Still, the possibility haunts me as I settle down to sleep. The Cranburys are a huge sponsor of the project I’m working on. All he’d have to do is lean on Dreadis to switch ad agencies, citing my “lackluster” work as the reason. I’d be fired for making them lose a major client. Bitterness curls my tongue. Fuck him. I’ll go to the wedding with Gage, and the bastard can hear about it later.
My eyes fight to stay open in the glare of my iPhone. Sighing, I set it aside, catching a glimpse of the time before I wrap myself into a cocoon. My lids close and within seconds, I realize I’m not alone. A thick arm curls around my waist and drags me into his chest. A jagged voice slices through the shared air under the blankets.
You’re mine.
My back arches when his burning-hot lips touch my neck. The warmth of his body blazes into mine as I discover we’re both completely naked. A possessive, broad hand splays over my stomach as he folds my body into his, and then I feel it. The meaty length of his cock, digging into my ass. I open my mouth to moan, but no sound comes out.
That’s it. Let me hear how much you want me.
He grabs himself, the head of his cock sliding into me as he positions himself. A sound erupts from my throat.
A hair-raising shriek.
My eyes fly open and I find myself twisted in sheets, fully clothed, pulse racing madly. What was that?
Another scream rips through my windows, striking my heart. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard—inhuman. It sounds like a fucking lion, and it’s right outside my window.
A low growl reverberates into the in-law. The ungodly scream howls into the room as though it’s inside. I yank the sheets to my chin.
There’s a lion in the backyard.
Panicking, I fling back the sheets and stand, my feet icy on the cold floor. What the hell do I do? The yelling grows louder in horrible gut-rending shrieks. A vicious beast—or two?
I really don’t want to be alone right now.
It’s in the backyard. That much I can tell for sure. Barefoot, I streak into the darkness, heading straight for Gage’s house. The screeching pierces my ears as