CHAPTER SEVEN
Dirty truths
Jayden poured two whiskeys, no ice. It was hardly noon, but neither of them cared.
Ella perched on the edge of the couch, legs folded under her, heart pounding faster than it had last night when he'd been deep inside her. The tension today was different—cold and hot at the same time. He put the glass in front of her and sat on the other side of her, legs splayed wide, body taut.
Tell me, she said.
Jayden swigged, then settled back. "Her name is Lani."
Ella winced. It stung more, somehow, to learn the wife's name. Her life. Her history.
"She was everything I thought I wanted," he went on. "Intelligent. Successful. Gorgeous. But she had problems too. Control problems. Temper tantrums. Obsessions. I didn't realize the signs until I was already in too deep.".
Ella gazed into her glass. "And you married her anyway."
"I wanted to repair her," he admitted. "But human beings aren't things to be worked on."
There was thick, immovable silence.
"She cheated on you," he said after a while.
Ella's head shot up.
Jayden's jaw was clenched. "While I was struggling to keep it all together, she slept with someone else. Someone I knew. That's when I stopped playing the pretend game that we were fine. But Lani? She never let go."
Ella wasn't breathing.
"She threatened me. Said she would destroy me. Lie on me. Defame me. Hold me responsible for things. I taped things just to guard myself. Even now, I need to be careful. She has influence."
Ella paced back and forth in the room, a fire building in her chest. "So she still has you where she wants you?"
Jayden caught her wrist, softly but surely. "No. You do.".
Ella glared at his hand against her skin. Warm. Strong. Unsafe.
"I've tried my best to steer clear of her in my life," he said, his tone harsh. "But you here. this—this thing between us—changes everything."
Ella looked into his eyes for answers. "Do you regret it?"
"No," he replied quickly. "I just wish I'd told her sooner."
Their breath became mixed up with each other again, the way it does when they're first kissing.
"You shouldn't want me," Ella whispered.
"I don't," he breathed. "I need you."
That was enough.
She sealed her mouth on his, and he held her in his arms as if starving.
They didn't make it to the bedroom.
Jayden shoved her up against the wall, mouth devouring, hands under her shirt, sliding her panties down. She wrapped her legs around him, grinding against the bulge in his pants.
He nipped down the length of her neck, biting harder so that she moaned.
"You make me forget all of it," he growled, yanking out his cock and riding the length of her slit. "All the pain. All the lies. Just you."
She bucked against him, pushing her back into his chest as he drove into her—deep, raw, hard.
Jayden pinned her to the wall, pounding harder, his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams.
It was dirty. Quick. Desperate.
She was biting him hard, nipping his palm, eyes rolled back.
He followed, groaning on her skin, filling her with everything that was in him.
They collapsed to the floor afterward, embracing each other.
Panting for air.
Quiet once more.
Until Ella spoke up softly, "What next?"
Jayden stared at the ceiling. "Now… I prepare for war."
She rolled her head. "What do you mean?"
He looked at her.
"Lani found out about you."