“Make us some breakfast, will you, babe? I’m starved afterthat.”He planted a chaste kisson my lips, and once again, I hid my grimace.“I’m going for a shower. Maybe after breakfast, we can have round two.”
My only response as he walked away was my body slumping in defeat.
Alec had always been a sex pest, but after he fucked me in the kitchen, he becamerelentless. I gave in several times, but frustratingly, my mind appeared to go on strike, refusing to conjure up images of Jackson, meaning I was all too aware of who was inside me.
It had been a week since the party, and the knot of anxietythathad settled in my stomach after Jackson caught me kissing Gavin finally began to loosen. Surely, if Jackson was planning to use the photos against me, he would have done it already? He’d promised to forgetthatI was at the party, so maybe he was happy with what he’d gotten out of our deal and was moving on with his life.
As I should have been.
Yet, aside from when Alec fucked me, I couldn’t get the night in question out of my head, and when Donna had messaged to ask if I wanted to go to another party, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been tempted—justto see if Jackson was there.
Of course, I declined. I was in enough of a mess as it was.
The following morning, Alec had to leave for work early, giving me a much-neededreprieve from his constant pestering. He had meeting after meeting throughout the day, so there was little chance of him turning up at home unannouncedand demandingthatI spread my legs like he’d already done twice this week.
I was in the middle of my usual household chores—if the house wasn’t cleaned to Alec’s standard, he had another reason to hit me—when I was caught off guard with my phone alerting me to a text.
I didn’t need to think twice about my reply to Donna, who’d messaged to say she was arranging lunch at our usual haunt with Ava and Michelle, and asked if I wanted to join them. Less than two hours later, I was seated at the table with my girls, sipping a glass of wine.
Yep, I’d broken my‘no more alcohol’vow.
“So, been to any more of those parties?”Michelle said, winking at Donna from across thetable.
Bella Cibowas our usual restaurant. The food was exceptional, and the wine was nothingbut perfection. A pleasant buzz was working its way through my system, but at Michelle’s mention of the party, my body tensed, and my nervous gaze darted to Donna.
I hadn’t told her what had happened, giving her the excusethatI’d left the party early due to a headache, nor was I planning to tell her. Oranyoneforthatmatter. It was another secret I would be taking to my grave with me.
“I had a great night,”Donna replied, her cheeks the same blush as her rose wine.“Theguy I hooked up with at the last party was there, and we hooked up again. And let me tell you, ladies. When I say he knows what he is doing, Ireallymean it.”
She waggled her brows as Michelle squealed and Ava bounced in her seat. The two of them were happily married and wouldn’t dream of cheating on their husbands, happy to live vicariously through Donna and her exploits.
I downed the remainder of my wine, only for it to be topped up again by a passing waiter.
The guilt I’d been attempting to keep at bay reared its head, and despite trying to ignore it, it lingered in the back of my mind,evenwith the little voice reminding me of what I’d found the day Alec had returned from his business trip.
After he’d eaten the breakfast I’d prepared for him, he took a call and headed to hisoffice. I’d unpacked his bag so I could wash his clothes, only to come across a shirtthatreeked of perfume and had a lipstick stain on the collar. If I ever needed more proofthatAlec cheated on me when he went away, I had it in my hands.
And yet, I didn’t call him out and leave his sorry ass. I let him fuck me a second time.
“I would love to have the courage to go to one of those parties,”Ava whisperedconspiratorially, leaning across the table so the people around us couldn’t hear our conversation.“Would you ever go, Kiera?”
My wide-eyed gaze whipped to Ava, my mouth drying as all three sets of eyes stared atme, awaiting an answer. Thankfully, Donna played along, not giving me away.
“I… um…no, of course not,” I replied, flustered. “I wouldn’t do that to Alec.”
Michelle raised her brow.“Way to sound convincing, Kier.”
The beeping of my phone echoed from my purse, saving me from answering, but before Icould reach for it, a shadow fell across the table, and all three of my friends gawked behind me at the person who hadjustarrived.
Twisting to see why the girls were drooling, my heart plummeted to the soles of myshoes when none other than Jackson grinned down at me. He was wearing dark sunglasses, yet I knew his eyes were burning into me.
“Afternoon, ladies. Apologies for the interruption. I’m here to pick Kiki up,”Jacksonsaid, giving Donna, Michelle, and Ava his most charming smile and flashing his irresistible dimples.
Michelle and Ava beamed back at him as Donna shifted to me.“Kiki?”she grinned.“Youknow this hottie?”
“Uh, yeah. This is Jackson, he’s my brother’s friend.”
My heart thudded furiously against my ribs.What the hell was he doing here?Nerves flared to life, and with a shaky hand, I reached for my glass, only to pause when Jackson’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Are you not going to introduce your friends to me, Kiki?
