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Theheathen with tattoos watched under hooded eyes asJaywalked toward me.
Screw.
Him.
Jaywould’ve never thought it was amusing ifIfell.
Ismiled big asJayapproached me, making me feel like the luckiest girl on the planet.Igave my back to theDevilworshipper, finally making the right choice in men.
ChapterThree
Present
* * *
Piya
“Areyou sure you’re okay?”Jayasked, unlocking the door to our new home inLongIsland.
Iwasn’t okay because running intoAxelTrimalchiowas unprecedented.Almostfourteen years later andIcould still feel it when his gaze crawled over me.Itwas impossible not to when it lit my skin on fire.
However,Ihad a bigger problem to squash.
Jordancaught up to us by the time valet had pulled up our car earlier tonight.Shecasually mentioned my run-in withAxel, our host for the evening.Iquickly followed it up with lame excuses.Dueto the onset of a migraine, it slipped my mind to mention running into the host.
ThewayJaystiffened next to me told me he didn’t buy it.Afterall, why wouldn’tIhave mentioned meeting the mysterious celebrity when it had been the topic of conversation all night long?
IwatchedJay, waiting for the other shoe to drop.Noreaction.Theride home from the party was painfully quiet.Thenoiselessness in the car was only interjected by his polite inquiries about my migraine.
Jayheld the door open to our home, andIwalked inside monotonously.Thisnew residence inside a gated community ofLongIslandwas a better choice thanJay’scondo in the city.Itwas family-friendly and less flashy than our home inChicago.Ournew home had six bedrooms, remodeled kitchen with granite countertops, a spacious living room with high ceilings, and a wood fireplace.
Althoughwe lived in an elegant home, the atmosphere was bleak compared to our earlier rendezvous.Thelack of music and champagne made the void in my heart more apparent.Evenso,I’dnever been happier to be home.IfonlyJaywould join the bandwagon.
“Youhave barely spoken a word since we left the party,”Jaysaid gruffly. “Doyou still have a migraine?”
“No, the headache’s gone.”
“Justwithin that five-minute drive?”Jaynever missed a thing.
“Arewe discussing the logistics of a migraine?”Iclosed my eyes, taking my heels off.Thenewly installed heated floors were godsent on my sore feet.
“Youlooked like you saw a ghost tonight,” he mentioned carefully. “Youwere shaking whenIfound you, andIdon’t think it had anything to do with amigraine.”
“Jay, please,”Icut him off sharply, my pitch startling him.Jaypreferred civilized arguments, andI’dmaintained mild mannerisms throughout the extent of our marriage.ConsideringJay’sdemeanor,Ididn’t lead with my naturally confrontational temperament.Itook a deep breath. “I’msorry.Ido still have a slight headache, but not as bad as before.Ijust want to take a shower and go to sleep.”
“Okay,” he tentatively conceded, though his eyes tracked me.
Ignoringthe prodding look,Iwalked into the ensuite bathroom.Onceinside,Ihooked my hand back to unzip the dress, peeling it off, and letting it pool around my legs.Whileturning on the shower,Idid the same with my bra and underwear.
Asthe hot water fogged the bathroom,Igazed intently at my elbow whereAxelhad gripped me.Unableto withstand the sight,Iturned off the lights in the bathroom, instead lighting one of the many candlesIkept purchasing to add a romantic ambiance.Thewater was scalding by the timeIstepped inside the shower.Ididn’t mind it and instinctively leaned into it.Ifanything,Idid further damage by scrubbing my skin vigorously with a loofah until my elbow turned red.Iwanted to get his touch off me.
“Whatdid that loofah do to you?”
Iturned to find a nakedJaystepping into the shower with me. “Youare letting the steam out.”Inodded at the shower door he held open.Swiftly, he closed the door behind him.
Icouldn’t help givingJay’sbody a once over.Hewas tall with a runner’s body; his thighs were contoured, along with his biceps.Menand women alike chased after him, yet he was humble, unaware of his physical beauty along with the immense intelligence he possessed.Thetraits only intensified his attractiveness.
However, it was apparent that our sex life had dwindled.Whenwe first married, he couldn’t keep his hands off me.NowIwondered if he even found me attractive.Itsucked.Therewere walls between us, andIwasn’t the one to put them there.Ihad no clue why things had shifted between us.Jaynoticed the distance between us but was too preoccupied with work.Thiswas the first time he had stepped into a shower with me in months, igniting a spark of hope.
