I’m certain I’m fucking hallucinating when I hear Elena’s laughter as I walk into the house. I stop in my tracks, my eyes closing as my stomach drops. My heart clenches painfully and I take a steadying breath.
I’m almost at the stairs when I hear it again. Laughter. But this time, it’s my mother’s. I tense and turn to follow the sound toward the kitchen. My heart races with every step I take. She can’t be here. She left.
My entire body is rigid as I lean against the kitchen doorway, my eyes finding her instantly. Fucking beautiful.
She’s got flour in her hair and a smear of chocolate on her cheek, but she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Her smile drops when she notices me, and she looks startled, her cheeks turning rosy. The room falls silent, and it isn’t until then that I realize my entire family is here.
Lucian and my mother are standing opposite Elena, while my grandfather is standing next to her. They look guilty when they see me standing here, and my mother and brother both look away, not bothering to hide their dismay.
“What a warm welcome,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Grandpa clears his throat and glances at his watch, before smiling at me stiffly. “Alec, my boy. What are you doing here? Slacking already?”
Elena wraps her arms around herself, smearing even more chocolate on herself. She looks away, but I want her eyes on mine.
I drag my gaze away from her and shake my head. “Just needed a sick day, that’s all. Not feeling great.”
Elena’s eyes shoot up to mine, concern reflected in them. She scans my body, a frown marring her beautiful face. She looks fucking stunning. Looks like she isn’t struggling to sleep, like I am. I bet she isn’t spending every waking hour thinking of me, memories replaying in her mind.
I glance around the room and shake my head as I walk away, leaving my heart behind. She’s got my family spellbound. She left, but it looks like she only left me—not my family. I can’t believe they’re inviting her over behind my fucking back. Even my damn grandfather is in on this shit.
I walk into my bedroom and lean my forearm against the wall, my eyes falling closed. Just seeing her wrecks me, but she looked perfectly unaffected. Uncomfortable at most.
I take a steadying breath, willing my body to listen to me even as every fiber of my being demands that I go to her. I’ve only just about got my raging heart under control when my bedroom door opens.
Elena walks in, freezing when she finds me standing by the door. I straighten, and her eyes roam over me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice coming out harsher than I intended.
She bites down on her lip and takes a step closer to me. The way she clasps her hands in front of her tells me she’s nervous.
“You’re not feeling well?”
I stare at her, unable to figure her out. “Since when do you care? You fucking left, didn’t you? Why are you here now?”
I take a step closer to her and she takes a step back, crashing into the door. I lean over her, caging her in with my forearms, my face inches from hers. “I don’t need your fucking fake concern, Elena,” I snap, my jaws clenching involuntarily.
I look into her eyes and the anger and hurt I see in them throws me off. “That’s right,” she says. “Why would you need me, when you’ve got Jennifer?”
She pushes against my chest, hard, but she fails to move me. “Let go of me, Alexander,” she says, her tone harsh.
“Jennifer? What the fuck are you talking about?”
Elena laughs, the sound shrill and humorless. “You don’t need to pretend anymore, Alexander. You’ve probably been seeing her all along, haven’t you? Forget it. You and I are no longer together. You can do whatever you want. Forget I came here at all.”
She ducks underneath my arm, and I grab her hand, pulling her back to me before she can rush off.
“Seriously, Elena. What the actual fuck are you talking about?” I ask, confused.
She turns around to look at me, her eyes filled with accusation. She pulls her hand out of mine and jabs my chest with her finger. “You… you… asshole!” she yells. “It’s been two weeks and you’re already back with her, photos of the two of you getting intimate all over the tabloids. Two weeks, Alexander. I know you don’t care about me, but did you need to rub it in that way? Did you need to publicly humiliate me?”
She shoves me, putting her weight into it, and I stumble back. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I can barely make sense of what she’s saying.
“Elena…”
I grab her and push her back against the wall, pinning her wrists above her head to keep her from shoving me, jabbing me. There’s no way there are any photos of me anywhere, so I have no idea what she’s talking about. After Mom’s divorce, Elliot has taken extra care to keep us out of the news as best as he can. There isn’t much that doesn’t go through him first. Unless… unless he screwed me over. I wouldn’t put it past Lucian to ask it of him. My brother would pick Elena over me any day, and if he thinks I was unfaithful, there’s no way he’d let Elliot brush it under the carpet. God damn it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. Seriously. I have no idea,” I say, my voice soft, pleading.
Elena is breathing hard, her lips slightly parted, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She’s so fucking beautiful, and even more so now that her eyes are flashing with anger. I bridge the remaining distance between us, pressing my body against hers.
“So you weren’t with her at Inferno? I saw the photos, Alexander. Cut the crap. I saw the way she was holding your cheek like she was about to kiss you, and you let her. You let her touch you. What else did you let her do? It couldn’t have been a more perfect reminder that it’s only my body you were after. It’s no surprise you replaced me so easily, and with the woman you actually wanted too. That worked out perfectly for you, huh?”
She glares at me, but I see the pain in her eyes, the heartbreak. She’s hurt over some dumb misunderstanding.
“You should know better than to trust a paparazzi photo, Elena. Besides, you left me. Why would you care if I’m fucking someone else? So what if I Jen and I get back together? Don’t pretend to care.”
She wrestles her wrists loose and pushes against my chest, pure anguish overshadowing her anger. “That’s not a denial, Alexander. You know what? You’re right. I don’t care. I hope you’re happy with her.”
I stare at her, trying to figure her out. Throughout our marriage, she’s mostly kept her emotions to herself, as best as she could. But now? Now her pain is on display for me. She isn’t holding back the way she used to. Her anger, her jealousy, her pain. I want it all.
I wrap my hand around the back of her neck, my thumb resting on her throat so I can feel her heart racing for me. She swallows hard, and I smile as I lean in, my lips brushing against hers, startling her. Elena freezes for just a second, and then she pulls me closer, rising to her tiptoes. I kiss her, and she opens up for me, her tongue tangling with mine desperately.
“Alec,” she moans, and I smirk against her lips. I tug at her clothes, pushing her dress up, and Elena yanks on my pants, sending the button flying. I lift her into my arms and against the wall just as her hand wraps around my cock. She doesn’t even bother with the rest of my clothes.
“I hate you,” she says, and I suck down on her neck, punishing her for her words, marking her roughly.
“No, you don’t,” I tell her as I pull back, admiring my work.
Elena groans as her legs wrap around me. The way she pushes up against me drives me wild. She lines my cock up against her perfectly, and I slip into her in one deep stroke.
“Fuck,” I groan, my forehead dropping against hers. “You’re so fucking wet, baby. How are you this wet?”
Elena tightens her grip on my hair, her eyes still flashing with anger. “Just shut up and fuck me, Alexander.”
I pull back almost all the way, teasing her. “What did you call me?”
She glares at me, rotating her hips, wanting me deeper, but I hold onto her hips, denying her demands. “Alec,” she says, my name a plea on her lips.
A burst of satisfaction courses through me, and I smile in delight as I push back into her, hard.
“Good girl,” I tell her, taking her lips, losing myself in her. I’ve fucking missed her. Her body, the way she feels, the way she moans my name. I’ve missed feeling this close to her.
I lift her up higher against the wall, driving into her at an angle I know she loves. The way she moans is unreal.
“Oh God, Alec,” she says, panting. She looks into my eyes, and I watch as desire overcomes her. Her muscles tighten around me, and she fucking milks me.
I shudder as I come deep inside her, my head dropping to her shoulder. We’re both panting, and Elena pushes against me. I lower her to the floor gently, and she shoves me away, creating distance between us, the moment broken.
She fixes her clothes, her cheeks bright crimson. When she looks back at me, there’s no passion left in her eyes, there’s only anger. “Forget that happened,” she snaps. “Sign the goddamn papers and let’s be done with this.”
She walks to the door and opens it forcefully.
“Elena.”
She pauses and turns back to look at me.
“Nothing happened with Jennifer. I ran into her and spoke to her for a couple of minutes. I shouldn’t have let her touch me at all, but I swear to you… all she did was touch my face. That is all.”
Elena shakes her head, her expression sorrowful. “Just sign the papers, Alexander. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m sick of being reminded of the way you used to love her, and probably still do. I’m tired. I’m done. I’m done coming second to the memory of her.”
I cross my arms over each other and shake my head. “Never,” I tell her. “I’ll never sign. If you won’t be with me, I’ll make it impossible for you to ever marry someone else. I’ll never let you go.”
She looks sorrowful as she tears her gaze away. “You already have,” she says, her voice breaking.
Elena walks out, the door slamming closed behind her.
