Forever Wicked: A Wicked Lovers Novella (1001 Dark Nights) Read Online Free Page B

hair appeared recently razor trimmed. His eyes lured her, such an intense crystal blue made even more striking by the two days of stubble and his stark white collar. A charcoal suit coat accommodated his broad shoulders perfectly. Then again, he’d likely had it made to fit him.
    Seeing him again kicked her with a bittersweet pang. She’d missed him so much.
    Tonight, they had only exchanged clipped pleasantries, and Jason looked through her like a stranger. Maybe she shouldn’t have come. But Gia knew she owed him.
    A year ago, he would have kissed her breathless, then probably spanked her for the fun of it before commanding her body to stunning ecstasy. She’d always surrendered herself, as if he held some sway over her. As if he alone held the key to her pleasure. But he inflamed more than her flesh. His blazing wit intrigued her. His absolute command of himself and everything around him compelled her. Then last Thanksgiving at the charity dinner for the homeless, Jason had given her intimate glimpses behind his walls, into his compassion. How many billionaires would take the time to serve someone penniless?
    As they’d talked, she’d been struck by how few people he seemed to have in his life. He rarely discussed friends and never mentioned family. His lonely solitude had tugged at her heart. Gia ached to help him, heal him because under that stern mien, he had a good heart. When he’d asked her to marry him, she couldn’t say anything but yes.
    She cleared her throat. “I was surprised when Thorpe called and said you wanted to see me.”
    For a precious moment, she held her breath. He was going to serve her with divorce papers; she just knew it. That would hurt like hell, but Gia understood. She’d been unable to be a wife to Jason, and he had every right to move on. Maybe she would see their split as a blessing someday…in the very distant future.
    She’d been stupid to hope that her fairy tale would end happily ever after. They were from different worlds. What did a sophisticated mogul want with a blue-collar girl who liked pizza and beer and quiet evenings at home? Gia had always thought of Jason as her gorgeous prince. His demeanor might be a little sharp and definitely Dominant, but he had so much to give besides money.
    Sadly, no matter how much she loved him and always would, they would never have a happy ending.
    “I wanted to talk to you, and you didn’t leave me any choice.” Anger sharpened his tone.
    Gia tried not to wince. She hated disappointing him. “You’re right, and I fully accept that responsibility.”
    He didn’t say anything for an uncomfortable minute, just stared expectantly. “Then would you care to explain why my own wife ceased speaking to me?”
    The explanation brought up so many painful memories, but he deserved to understand. “I was going through a lot and—”
    “I would have been there for you, but you cut me off at the balls. I couldn’t help you since you didn’t tell me what the fuck was going on.”
    “My life changed completely, and you didn’t sign up for all that. I didn’t think it was fair to drag you through my muck. We’d been married for, like, five minutes, so—”
    “Five minutes or five decades, we were still married. My number one job was to give you what you needed, and you didn’t give me the chance.”
    She felt his rage thick in the air between them, sizzling across her skin, pulling at her chest. Gia had to fight not to plead with him, to point out that he’d made mistakes, too.
    “You’re right. Let me explain.” She paused, bracing herself to relive the last terrible year. “My sister-in-law, Mila, had given birth to my niece, Bella, just a month before Tony was killed. She was already showing signs of postpartum depression, but the evening after the funeral, she tried to commit suicide by shooting herself in the heart with his gun. Another inch to the right and she’d be dead.”
    He sat back, his expression shocked before he