What if she’d run off the road in the dark? The roads to the farm were winding, and arseholes were always driving them too fast.
Or … what if she was fucking someone?
We’d agreed to two months of abstinence to sell our lie … but Allegra had been acting strange when she left. She was upset.
The thought of her in another man’s bed caused me to flush hot from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. Ihatedthe idea. It filled me with an indignant rage I attempted to ignore. But it was writhing in my blood as I tossed and turned.
The sound of gravel kicking under tires had me sitting up, straining to hear. My heart thudded hard as I listened for the sound of the front door opening.
It did.
Her quiet, light footsteps caused the stairs to creak as she ascended. She apparently paused when she reached the top because it was a second or two before I heard her bedroom door open and close. Her floorboards creaked as she crossed the room and then I heard water running from her bathroom. Not long later there was more movement as she presumably readied for bed.
The entire time I had to force myself to stay in my own room.
To not confront her.
If I faced her, she’d see the truth.
She’d see my worry and my jealousy, and it would fuck everything up.
How dare she make me worry about her? How dare she make me jealous?
I had to be up in a few hours. I didn’t need this kind of shit keeping me awake. Slumping back onto my bed, exhausted, I decided I’d avoid her like the plague tomorrow to reduce the probability of confronting her. After all, I had no right to.
She wasn’t really my wife. She could do as she pleased.
Though we did have an agreement and she might have broken that agreement tonight.
I flinched at the image that appeared behind my eyes. Of some faceless bastard crawling over Allegra’s naked body. Possessive fury exploded through me as my eyes flew open.
I was so absolutely fucked.
Fourteen
Allegra
If Jared McCulloch grunted at me one more time, I was going to scream. He’d gone from politely distant to downright rude this morning. It was a miracle I’d managed to get out of bed considering I’d only had a few hours’ sleep, but I didn’t want to let Jared down with the chickens. I promised him I’d take care of them, and I meant it. Just because I’d lost track of time last night working on a final piece for my show didn’t mean I could shirk my responsibilities within our new arrangement.
Jared had appeared surprised to see me up and about too. He looked a little haggard, and anytime I asked him a question he just grunted at me. Suspicion grew as he abruptly stood up to clean his breakfast plates. I could tell he was going to walk out of the house without another word. Head heavy with tiredness, I didn’t want to argue with him, but why was he treating me like I was an annoying gnat in his kitchen? Did I keep him awake last night, waiting for me to come home?
Had I inconvenienced him?
At the tense lines of his broad back, I suddenly remembered how I’d felt the night he’d gone to the Gloaming instead ofcoming home. I’d worried he was with someone, breaking the terms of our deal already.
Would he … could Jared be concerned that I was with someone last night? Not jealous … but irritated I might have broken my word? Or … yeah, jealous?
Stupid hope blossomed in my chest. Stupid, stupid hope. It wasn’t like there was ever going to be a real future between us. Yet, it might be nice to know that Jared did like me and find me attractive, after all. If only to soothe my wounded pride.
I pushed up from the table, fumbling for my phone as I approached him at the sink. “I’m sorry I was so late last night. I hope I didn’t keep you awake.”
He grunted.
Caveman.
Attempting to clear the scowl from my face, I leaned into him, and he stopped cleaning his plate (which was already clean) and straightened. If he was tense before, his body was now rigid withmove away from mevibes. I didn’t. I tapped on my phone screen and held up the photo before his face. “What do you think?”
Jared scowled at it. “What am I looking at?”
