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“You’re leaving, abandoning your family, and now you’re telling me this?”
Was he crazy?
His warm chocolate eyes with flecks of green and gold punched holes in my soul as he held my gaze. “Think whatever you want. Refuse to see the truth. I don’t care what you do in the next two years.”
Two years? What the hell?
“Just know that I’ll be back, and when I do, I’ll be claiming you.”
I reared back like he slapped me, too shocked to speak.
“One day, you’ll know everything, and you’ll fucking fall in love with me, Leticia Marie Jacobs. Until then, I’m leaving you with a promise.”
His mouth slammed down onto mine, and every rational thought fled. Adrenaline dumped into my bloodstream as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth. The same tongue that knew me intimately and still seemed to remember how to coax pleasure from my body. An intoxicating and primal need pulsed between my thighs right before Gage groaned.
How could a kiss be so all-consuming? It seared my brain. Caused my heart to skip a beat. Branded my soul.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Beautiful,” he whispered as he leaned back, nipping at my bottom lip before soothing the length with his tongue.
He turned toward the door before I could gather enough brain cells to reply. I watched him leave, stunned, lifting my fingers to touch my lips. They feathered across the soft skin, mesmerized by the ghost of his touch left behind.
Gage Blade kissed me in front of everyone, including our parents, at their wedding reception.
His words echoed in my head.I’ll be claiming you. One day, you’ll fall in love with me.
I wanted to call him a liar. Shout to the entire room that he didn’t have any claim on me and never would.
But I couldn’t do any of those things.
My head insisted I could never feel anything for Gage Blade but loathing and anger.
My heart promised never to forget, already conceding that he owned me body and soul.
CHAPTER ONE
LETTY
One year, eleven months, and fifteen days later
“I can’t believe we’re getting ready to graduate,” Ava sniffled. “It’s gone by so fast.”
“It has,” I agreed, glancing over my shoulder to peek at the rows of people gathering for the ceremony. I found my mom in the crowd, seated toward the front. She sat alone—no Mifflin.
Ava’s gaze followed mine. She snorted. “Well, that’s not surprising, is it?”
I shook my head. “No.”
We didn’t have to be specific to understand one another. Mifflin doted on my mom. Me? Not so much.
He wasn’t hostile, just. . .indifferent like I wasn’t his kid, so he couldn’t be bothered with the effort. My mother made excuses, suggesting he worked long hours and didn’t know how to raise a daughter. You couldn’t learn if you never tried.
In the beginning, I made a considerable effort to become what she called a cohesive unit. It soon became apparent that Mifflin married my mother, but he didn’t want to be entangled with additional obligations. It smarted my pride more than it hurt. I had a father. He died when I was six. I wasn’t looking to replace him, especially with a man even more arrogant than his son, if that was possible.
So, here I stood, relieved my mom came alone. I got to spend more time with her that way and considered it a win.
Ava hugged me against her, popping a kiss on my cheek. “He’s missing out.”
With a nod, I agreed.
