Chapter 11 #3
Shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly, I explained, “I told you where I was going,” and took a sip of water.
I could feel Jasper’s eyes reading every crease on my face like he was a fricking detective.
“You know I was out.” I’d been perfectly frank as to when the costly date with Reed was taking place.
It was like Jasper was trying to trip me up.
It made me think I had done something wrong, and I had, but he didn’t know that.
Well, not for certain. I imagined the fact that I didn’t come home the previous night was a huge fucking red flag.
But he’d only just arrived himself? Had he asked one of my staff?
Either that or he was having me watched, again. Then I remembered Find My Phone.
I then wondered if Jasper was the one who leaked Reed’s location to the national press.
That would satisfy two hidden agendas. One, it would show the people of Newport what a good sport Jasper was by allowing his fiancée to auction herself for charity, but it would also ensure an all-eyes-on-us scenario.
That would reduce the risk of anything intimate happening between Reed and me. Oh dear, that hadn’t worked so well.
I quickly added, “I was with Reed Prescott, remember?”
His glasslike eyes narrowed. “Of course, the date. Where did he take you?” His tone was the same as always, like we were discussing the weather, but with less emotion, if that’s even possible.
“The beach.” In theory, that wasn’t a lie; we had been to the beach.
Pushing back in his seat, Jasper regarded me over his coffee cup. “And how did it go?
It was mind-blowing, but I couldn’t confess that, so I went with a low-key reply. “It was fine.” Played that fucker right down.
Jasper lowered his cup to the table and cut me a look. “Just fine, with the love of your life? That’s disappointingly unremarkable.”
Drumming my fingers on the table, I threw back. “I never said Reed was the love of my life.”
“You don’t have to say it, Storm. It’s obvious,” Jasper snorted with a head tilt.
If I gave the man an inch, he’d take a mile. I needed to be careful. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was setting me up for a fall.
“It isn’t obvious to me, Jasper, so I doubt you know me better than I know myself.” My tone was tarter than usual, and his nostrils flared as he picked up on that, showing a glimmer of annoyance. Fuck I was supposed to be getting him on side, not winding him up.
“I know denial when I see it.”
Judy appeared at that moment with my breakfast. I thanked her as she placed it in front of me. My appetite had suddenly dried up.
“So where did you go after your trip to the beach? I heard Prescott whisked you away on some motorcycle,” he said, picking up his glass of water and taking a sip.
I picked up my knife and fork and started to cut into my toast. “So, you have been spying on me?”
“Of course. I need to protect my investment. Where’s your ring?” he stated, looking down his lofty nose towards my finger.
I stopped shredding the food on my plate and pointed out with a wave of my fork. “I took it off when I showered; it’s in my room.”
As my eyes met his, I saw his gaze narrow. “And not where it should be. A bit like you last night.”
I studied his face across the table, the tired, handsome angles of it, and another wave of doubt filled me. “You had me followed, you know where I went last night.”
“Yes.”
I placed the cutlery down, the pretense of eating gone. “So, why ask the question then?”
Jasper shrugged, leaning back into his seat. “To fill in the blanks. Did you spend the night with Prescott at The Ritz Hotel?”
“What makes you say that?”
It was a game of cat and mouse, and I was getting tired of it. “Because that’s where your car was all night.”
I inhaled before I provided him with my answer. “No. I did not spend the night with Reed at The Ritz.”
His face reddened, and I couldn’t believe that I had ever thought he was even slightly attractive. Jasper was a good-looking man, for sure, but he did nothing for me. “I would suggest you don’t lie to me, Storm.”
That bitch that I used to keep inside of me started to resurface. Who did he think he was? “I’m not lying.” Straightening my spine, I said with a smug expression. “I didn’t spend the night with Reed at The Ritz.”
Jasper gave me an untrusting look. “Swear it on your father’s life.” I didn’t miss the vein pulsing in his temple. That was new.
I held my hand up, like a Girl Scout, and gave him what he’d asked for. “On Daddy’s life, I didn’t spend the night with Reed at The Ritz.”
His entire body relaxed. What the hell? Like, he gave a shit about where I really was. It wasn’t like I had been caught by the press and sullied his name; I knew Jasper wouldn’t be that bothered. “Well, that’s a relief. Otherwise, you would be in breach of our agreement.”
Or that was what I thought until his reaction to my next words. “I spent the night with Reed at The Bayberry.”
I watched open-mouthed as my usually calm yet cruel fiancé shot to his feet and slammed his hand onto the breakfast table. “Jesus Christ, Storm!” Everything on the surface rattled, and I grabbed my water just in time to stop it from spilling over.
Pushing to my feet, my napkin fell to the floor as I faced him across the space. “Don’t act as if you care, Jasper.”
We appeared to be shouting at each other. Neither of us seemed to care that the staff was only in the next room.
I could see his fists were clenched at his sides as he came around the table towards me. “I care about my reputation. I won’t allow you to make me look the fool.”
A wave of shock went through my body as Jasper grabbed my upper arm and started to lead me out of the breakfast room, past a surprised Judy.
I tried to shake him off as my feet had no other option but to follow him. “You do that fine all by yourself. Where are we going?”
“Your father’s office. I don’t think I want the staff to know all our business.”
“We don’t have any business, not really.”
“How about the fact that my future wife is a fucking slut?”
The color must have drained out of my face; he’d been cold in the past, but never so blatantly disrespectful. Jasper kept hold of my arm and mounted the stairs towards Daddy’s office.
My following words were spluttered as I was half dragged down the corridor.
“Look. I’m sorry, OK. I’ve been wanting to speak to you about our arrangement for the last few weeks.
” I hated the fact that I suddenly felt so weak.
The recurring thought of how I got there snapped back into my thoughts.
I was Storm Summers, and no one pushed me around. So why was I allowing Jasper to?
“I don’t want this marriage, Jasper. Not anymore.”
Jasper glanced down at me with a hard edge as he shoved open the door of my father’s study. “Ever since he came back, you mean.”
After almost shoving me into the room, I caught hold of the back of one of the leather chairs. Daddy’s office still resembled the Oval Office even though he wasn’t a politician anymore. I forced air into my lungs, feeling slightly shaken by Jasper's unusual, forceful behaviour.
As I watched him stride around my father’s desk, I felt a twinge of annoyance.
If my father were there, Jasper wouldn’t have dared sit in Daddy’s chair.
I took a deep breath as I approached the other side of the table.
“I don’t want this, Jasper. And you don’t either.
” I exclaimed, motioning between us with one frantic hand.
I wondered where my mother was, hoping she’d hear and come to my rescue, either that or Phoenix.
As Jasper faced me and slowly lowered his body into the seat, I could see that his mask was back in place.
“It doesn’t matter what we want. Emotions are not part of this, and you know it.
Have always known it. You made a promise, Storm.
We both did, and there is no going back.
You remember what I said would happen if you betrayed me? ”
So, he did still intend to threaten Reed’s career. Before I could reply, he held one bony finger up, as his cell started ringing and he took the call. I felt like a child being admonished by a parent rather than his future wife.
I planted my hands on my father’s desk as Jasper spoke to the caller, who turned out to be his father.
“Yes. Just come up. I’m in the study. Yes, he’s at the office.
Meeting with Caruthers at eleven over brunch.
” I noticed he didn’t say ‘Dominic’s’ study.
Jasper then ended the call, his lip curling slightly.
What the fuck was his father doing at the house when mine wasn’t?
It was all majorly messed up. Something didn’t sit right.
“Where were we?” Jasper said, as calm as ever, the hot air had gone. “Oh yes. Lover boys’ future in the NFL.” That was the first time I noticed how soulless his eyes appeared. Panic started to gnaw through me.
The muscles in my spine stiffened. “You’re surely not still singing from that hymn sheet? Reed had made it big now. There’s nothing you can do to ruin his career. He has a watertight contract.” I was so tired of Jasper’s mind-fuck games.
“Maybe not, but something could stop him from playing.”
A thick slice of something not very nice slid into my gut. “What are you saying?” His message sank in slowly.
Jasper pursed his lips and shrugged. “Accidents happen.” I hated how he started rearranging the pens on my dad’s desk.
My hands were shaking as I scrubbed them over my face. “Jasper. Stop. I know you’re not that type of person.”
His past threats started to echo in my head. Or maybe he was, and I hadn’t seen that side of him.
Jasper lorded behind my father’s desk like he had every right to be there. “You know nothing about me, Storm. Not really. The agreement stands.”
I raised my hands off the desk and shot him an imploring look. “Why do you want to marry me so much? Do I have something you want?”