Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Unlike love. The silence that followed his passionless little speech screamed with those unspoken words and Lilah allowed them to hover awkwardly for a few, long moments before replying.
“How the hell are we going to do that? When you’ve made it clear that you think I’m selfish and spoiled? And you’ve made no secret of the fact that you think my career is a joke and the business I’ve built is a waste of time. It has become more than apparent to me that you don’t respect me.”
“You have some growing up to do,” he acknowledged, infuriating her even further. “And, I concede, I could be less—”
“—of a prick?” she interrupted. “Bastardish?”
His brows lowered and his lips tightened. “Uncompromising.”
“Less of a stubborn dickhead then,” she said with an agreeable nod. She hoped to get some kind of reaction from him but he did nothing more than stare at her impassively.
Maddening man and his steely control.
His jaw moved, and Lilah smugly realized that he was gnashing his teeth.
Good. Why should she be the only one aggravated by this frustrating conversation?
“Look, Ben, the crux of the matter here is that you and I have entered into this union with very different expectations.” And how. “I don’t want what you want. I’ll give this a year for appearances sake. After that, I want a divorce.”
“We’ll revisit this conversation, Lilah. I’m not in the mood to spar with you. It’s been a trying day and attempting to speak with you about anything adult right now is proving to be a fucking impossibility.”
“Just what every bride wants to hear from her groom on their wedding night.” Her voice was dripping with scathing disdain.
“You’re exhausting.” He speared his fingers through his hair, making even more of a mess of it. “I’m done with this. We have an early start tomorrow. I suggest you get to bed. If you’re still awake when I get out of the shower, I’ll take it as an invitation for more.”
“More wh—” The heat in his eyes silenced her—let’s face it—dumb question.
She remained mute as she watched him snatch up his toiletry bag and slam his way into the bathroom.
She sprang into action the second the door shut, knowing that she had limited time. She decided not to attempt wrestling her massive suitcase and leaped for Ben’s overnight bag instead. After a few seconds of rummaging, she found an enormous white t-shirt. This would do nicely.
She tossed aside the robe and dragged the shirt over her head. The large garment immediately enveloped her. The sleeves drooped halfway down her arms, but because she was tall—five-ten—the hem hit her at mid-thigh, revealing the length of her slender, toned legs. She intended to be buried under the covers before he emerged from the bathroom, so he wouldn’t get to see them. Not that he hadn’t seen her legs before—Lilah had a fondness for tiny shorts and mini-skirts. But this was different… more intimate.
And—frankly—she didn’t want him to see any part of her body tonight. Not when she felt as angry and betrayed as she did.
She grabbed a couple of pillows from the king-sized bed and tossed it onto the loveseat. The sofa was too short and narrow for Ben, and Lilah knew he would balk at spending the night on the uncomfortable piece of furniture. Which left her no recourse but to claim it for herself. She snatched up the light throw draped over the foot of the bed and dove for the sofa, where she buried herself up to her nose, under the covers.
She’d been so quick—the shower wasn’t even running yet. Instead, she heard the low hum of a razor, or perhaps his electric toothbrush. She remained tense, vibrating with anticipation, as she listened to him move around the bathroom.
By the time she heard the shower go on, the day was catching up with her. No matter how hard she tried, she could feel herself start to drift. She fought to remain awake, but consciousness became increasingly elusive, trailing away like wispy tendrils of smoke whenever she made a grab for it.
In the end she succumbed, feeling herself sink into vulnerable oblivion as sleep finally claimed her.
TEN
A Web of Lies
Lilah awoke with a start. It was dark and she felt utterly disoriented.
Where was she? Why was she so hot? Her covers felt heavy and it was hard for her to move with the blankets so tightly wound around her.
“Stop wriggling,” Ben’s familiar whiskey rasp muttered sleepily into her ear.
And that’s when the events of the last twenty-four hours came flooding back in a rush.
Ben.
He was her husband and he didn’t love her.
A sob clawed its way up from her chest and out of her mouth.
She was in bed with Ben. He was the one wrapped around her—his legs and arms entangled with hers, weighing her down.