Chapter 13
I wandered through the house, the quiet unsettling in its stillness, until I found Colson in his office, staring blankly at the wall. The moment I stepped inside, his eyes snapped to me.
"Good, you’re home," he said, his voice flat, devoid of any warmth.
I frowned, lingering in the doorway. "I thought you would pick me up."
"I had a couple of phone calls to make," he replied, leaning back in his chair as if that simple explanation should be enough.
Of course, he did. It was always something with him—something more important, more pressing. The sting of his indifference was familiar by now, but it still hurt.
"What do you plan to do about Simone?" I asked, cutting to the chase.
His expression immediately hardened, his eyes narrowing as he gestured toward the door. "Close the door, please."
A chill ran down my spine at the change in his tone.
I did as he asked, the soft click of the door shutting behind me echoing ominously in the dark, masculine room.
The only light came from the banker’s lamp on his desk, casting deep shadows that made his features appear even more severe, almost sinister.
I sat down on one of the leather couches, my body tense, hands clasped tightly in my lap. Colson steepled his fingers on the desk, a familiar gesture that told me he was about to drop something big—something I wasn’t going to like.
"Colson…" I began, but he held up a hand, silencing me.
"I’ve made a decision based on what I feel is fair," he said, his voice measured and cold. "I’ve set up an account for you with twenty million dollars from Simone’s trust fund."
I blinked, the air rushing out of my lungs. "Excuse me?"
"After speaking with your doctors about how dangerous what my daughter did was, I’ve decided you more than deserve it," he continued, as if discussing the weather.
"I don’t understand," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Colson raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing. "I have control of Simone’s trust fund until she’s thirty, with discretion. I chose to remove her access to it, as you know, but this cannot stand. Since my daughter only knows money, she will now understand that her actions have consequences."
I stared at him, my mind spinning in a million different directions. Twenty million dollars. He was giving me what amounted to a settlement, civil damages for what Simone had done to me. It was more money than I could have ever imagined, enough to start a new life, to leave him and never look back.
And he knew it. He must have known what I was thinking, what I could do with that kind of money. His eyes never left mine, watching, calculating.
"You must think this changes everything," he said, his voice soft but cutting. "But remember, Josephine, I’m still in control. I’ll be the trustee on the account for large purchases, which means you can’t remove a few million dollars without my signature."
My hands clenched in my lap. Of course, there were strings attached. There always were with Colson.
"What will that leave Simone?" I asked, my voice trembling, betraying the fear I tried so hard to conceal.
Colson’s gaze softened, just a fraction, but it was enough to remind me of why at times I had affection for him. "Joey, that’s what drew me to you. Even after everything she’s done, you’re still worried about her."
I shook my head, the fight draining out of me. "I’m not worried. I’m afraid. What about her future?"
He let out a sarcastic laugh, one that made my skin crawl. "Simone received money from her mother upon her passing. Twenty million will not even leave a small dent. Don’t worry about my daughter."
"I’m a millionaire…" The words felt foreign, strange.
"You’re a billionaire’s wife," he corrected, his tone final. "I can buy you whatever you desire, just name it."
I swallowed hard, my thoughts turning to my family. They were struggling, renting a home in town, and I had the means to help them now, to give them something they might never have otherwise.
"I want to buy my parents a home. It won’t cost much," I said, my voice small, hesitant.
Colson’s expression darkened, the brief moment of tenderness gone as quickly as it had appeared. "You already gave them plenty," he growled.
I flinched at the harshness in his voice, the sudden shift in his demeanor. This was the man I had married, the man who always kept me guessing, never fully letting me in.
“And they deserve so much more,” I insisted, the frustration bubbling up inside me.
Colson leaned forward, his face emerging from the shadows cast by the dim light. His expression was sharp, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of calculation and something darker. “They let you go for so little,” he said, his tone dripping with disdain.
I clenched my jaw, a wave of anger washing over me. “I didn’t discuss what they wanted. I just knew.”
He let out a low, mocking chuckle. “Is that what you tell yourself? That you knew what was best for them? Or is it that you didn’t want to ask, because you were afraid of what the answer might be?”
His words stung, each one like a needle piercing my carefully constructed armor. “They’re my family, Colson. I know them better than anyone. They didn’t ask for anything because they didn’t want to burden me.”
“Or maybe,” he continued, his voice softening to a dangerous whisper, “they knew you had nothing to offer. You were just a small-town girl, Josephine. You had nothing, and they knew it.”
I stood up, the sudden motion causing the leather couch to creak beneath me. “And now? What about now? I have the means to give them everything they’ve ever wanted. I can make sure they’re taken care of.”
Colson leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “And at what cost? Do you think you can just throw money at them and solve all their problems? Is that how you plan to absolve yourself of whatever guilt you’re carrying?”
I had no idea what he meant by guilt. I had nothing to be guilty for. As a child, I knew we didn’t have much and I didn’t ask for anything just as my brother did. We were well aware how tight finances were.
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. “I just want to do something good for them. Is that so wrong?”
He smirked, a cold, calculating smile that made my stomach twist. “It’s not wrong, Josephine. It’s just naive. Money changes everything. You think you’re helping them, but you’re really just binding them to you. And what happens when they start to resent you for it?”
My hands trembled as I tried to hold onto the anger that had fueled me just moments before. “You don’t know them like I do. They won’t resent me. They’ll be grateful.”
His eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a near growl. “Gratitude is fleeting. Remember that. I knew your father growing up, the anger he felt after his father lost everything.”
This was my chance to ask. I stood there, my mind racing, trying to find the right words, the right response that would shut him down, that would prove him wrong.
But nothing came. The truth was, Colson was right about one thing—money did change everything.
And I was terrified of what that change might mean for me, for my family, for everything I thought I knew.
“I don’t care,” I finally said, my voice stronger than I felt. “I’m going to do this for them. And you can’t stop me.”
He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he just watched me, his gaze penetrating, as if he were trying to see through me, to peel back the layers I’d built up over the years.
“Do what you want, Josephine but I control your funds, and I will need to approve any purchases over five thousand dollars.” he said at last, his voice cool and detached.
I turned on my heel, my heart pounding as I made my way to the door. Just as I reached for the handle, his voice stopped me.
I walked out of his office, the door closing softly behind me, but the tension in the air lingering like a storm cloud. I knew I was stepping into uncharted territory, but for the first time, I felt a spark of defiance. If Colson wanted to play games, I was ready. This time, I wouldn’t back down.
I couldn’t sleep, my mind restless as I tossed and turned, trying to find some peace in the tangle of sheets.
The clock on the nightstand glowed with an ominous 2 a.m., mocking my insomnia.
When I heard the soft creak of the bedroom door and felt the shift in the mattress, I knew Colson had finally come to bed.
I closed my eyes, feigning sleep as he settled beside me.
His presence was familiar, almost comforting, even when I was angry with him.
He moved closer, molding his body to mine, the warmth of his chest seeping through my thin nightgown. His hand brushed my hair aside, his fingers gentle as he tucked it behind my ear. I felt his lips press against the nape of my neck, a soft, lingering kiss that sent a shiver down my spine.
“I’m just looking out for you,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. “You make me feel things I haven’t since Poppy, and that frightens me because it makes me vulnerable.”
His words hung in the air, and despite everything, I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. Vulnerable. Colson Ashworth, the man who seemed impervious to everything and everyone, was admitting vulnerability. And it was because of me.
He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer, and I nestled into him, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my back. I was beginning to crack the facade, the carefully constructed exterior he showed the world.
Perhaps it was because of what Simone had done to me, the scare she’d given us both. Or maybe it was simply that he was starting to enjoy the idea of having a permanent partner again, even if that partner was me.
As I lay there, wrapped in his arms, I wondered if this was what I wanted—a man who could love me, but only as a replacement for the woman he truly cared about.
The thought gnawed at me, but I pushed it aside.
For now, I would take what I could get. After all, Colson Ashworth didn’t give pieces of himself easily, and if this was what I had to work with, I’d find a way to make it enough.
I fell asleep in Colson's embrace, his strong arms wrapped around me like a shield.
But in the dark hours of the night, I woke, disturbed by a dream that left my mind spinning and my body restless.
I laced my fingers through his, seeking comfort in his touch, and snuggled closer, deliberately pressing my hips against him.
The unmistakable hardness of his erection met me, and even in his sleep, Colson was a man driven by his desires.
A low, primal growl rumbled from his chest. "You're playing with fire."
I smiled in the darkness, my voice a teasing whisper. "I like fire."
Colson's hand slipped into my panties, his fingers finding their way to the slick heat between my thighs. He traced a slow, deliberate path through my wetness, and I let out a soft moan, my body arching into his touch.
"Any particular reason why you're so wet?" he murmured, his voice a gravelly caress.
I bit my lip as he circled my clit with expert precision, sending sparks of pleasure radiating through me. "I might've had a dream," I admitted, my voice breathless.
His lips found my throat, sucking gently on the sensitive skin as he continued his relentless assault on my senses. "Tell me," he demanded, his voice thick with desire. "Tell me who you were with. Which man had your attention?"
His pinched my clit, and I gasped, the sharp sensation pulling a squeal from my lips. Before I could answer, he pushed the covers off us and moved between my legs, leaving me momentarily bereft until his mouth replaced his fingers, tearing my panties away in the process.
He lifted his head, his eyes dark and intense as they met mine. "Tell me, Joey. I want to hear it while I make you come."
I struggled to form words as his tongue worked magic on me, each stroke pushing me closer to the edge.
"It was you, Colson," I managed to gasp out between ragged breaths.
"You came home late, and I was sleeping in your shirt.
You couldn't take your eyes off me as you undressed and came to bed wearing nothing. "
A deep groan vibrated through him, the sound reverberating against my core as he sucked on my clit with renewed fervor. "More, Joey. That's not everything."
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, the words caught in my throat. But I knew he wouldn't let up until he had what he wanted. "You fucked me, Colson," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper.
"How?" he demanded, his voice rough with need.
I swallowed hard, my face flushed with a mixture of shame and arousal. "The way we were sleeping," I whispered, the admission tumbling out before I could stop it.
He moved off the bed, and for a moment, I panicked, thinking he was done with me. But then he was back, naked, his powerful body moving with purpose as he placed my leg on his hip and slid into me with a single, fluid motion.
"Like this, Josephine?" he growled, his thrusts deep and unrelenting. "I was fucking you like this?"
"Yes," I choked out, my breath catching as he hit the spot inside me that made everything else disappear.
We moved together, our bodies perfectly in sync, and he leaned close, his breath hot against my ear. "I knew I could turn you into my dirty girl."
His hand slid down my belly, and his thumb found my clit, rubbing in tight, torturous circles that sent me spiraling toward release. "Colson," I moaned, the pleasure building to an unbearable peak.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door open, a sliver of light spilling into the room. My heart skipped a beat as Colson kissed my neck, his teeth grazing my tender flesh. And there, in the doorway, was Vaughn, his eyes locked on mine as his father fucked me into oblivion.
I kept Vaughn's gaze, unable to look away as I moaned my husband's name, the tension coiling tighter and tighter until it finally snapped, sending me over the edge.
Vaughn's hand moved to his crotch, and he blew me a kiss before slowly closing the door, leaving me alone with Colson as he continued to thrust into me, each movement pulling me back under his spell.
I began to rock with him again, my mind spinning with what had just happened, knowing that I wanted more. I wanted him to give me all of him and maybe even with all the secrets and lies between us, he would one day say those three elusive words to me.