Page 63

After flushing the toilet and washing my hands, I head back out to the table. Colten is tapping away on his phone, but the second I come into view, it’s back in his pocket, and his attention is entirely on me.

For once, it’s nice to be the center of someone's attention, not out of fear, but lust.

“I ordered us something sweet,” he tells me as I take a seat.

“Oh? I’m stuffed; I can’t eat anything else.”

His smile fades. “Did you get in trouble much as a kid?”

I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Trouble doesn’t even begin to describe what would happen if I upset my father.

“Sometimes.” Is the best answer I can muster.

He doesn’t respond.

“Do yourself a favor, Colten. Don’t psychoanalyze me; it’s not worth it. I am who I am. Shit happened to me. I dealt with it. I moved on. It made me stronger,” I say with a fake smile.

My father made me who I am. But moving away from him is making me see things differently. A way of life I didn’t know existed a few weeks ago. Children running around a ranch, free, protected. Not punished. I thought the version my dad molded me into was my strongest power, but I was always missing something. Perhaps my true power I’ll find on this journey with Colten.

Placing my hand over his, his eyes snap to mine, and I do the one thing I’m programmed to do—push any kind of emotional connection, friendship, whatever the hell it may be, away.

Because I can’t trust anyone except Dom, and it’s foolish of me to believe otherwise. I can’t ever trust my father. I know that. Even if it hurts me. But I do want to prove myself to him. I want to show him that everything he put me through made me powerful enough to take the empire from him.

Even if I have laughed more today than I have in ten years. Which leads me to believe that I like my husband. And that makes me shudder in my seat.

“Remember who I am, cowboy. I’m the woman who forced you into a marriage using your brother's kidnapping to do so. I murdered my brother to prove a point to your brother. I lied to Harper. I spiked your coffee because I thought it would be funny. I tricked you into taking my virginity so my father would approve our marriage.” I brush him off, in an attempt to shut this down.

He snatches his hand from under mine and then presses it back on top, glaring at me. “You can keep listing atrocious things you’ve done in your life, Gianna. And I don’t know what kind of people you’ve been around, but trust me, I ain’t similar to any of them. You pushed the marriage, but guess what, viper, I’m the one who jumped at the chance. Don’t think you’ve got one up on me; you haven’t yet.”

The air rushes out of my lungs as he leans back in his chair, nodding to the waiter.

“Admit you don’t hate me as much as you thought you would,” Colten says flatly.

I bite back a grin. “No.”

A huge slice of chocolate cake is placed between us with whipped cream, strawberries, and two spoons. Congratulations is written in chocolate sauce.

“Congratulations on your wedding,” the man says with a huge grin.

“Thanks,” I mutter, picking up a spoon.

I stab it into the middle of the cake, take a huge scoop, and shove it in my mouth.

“Holy shit,” I mumble.

Colt laughs, watching me almost orgasm over chocolate cake.

“First time eating cake?” he asks, getting his own mouthful.

“It’s been a while. Like I said, I don’t do sweet.”

He arches a brow, putting more on his fork and swiping it through the cream. He holds it out in front of my lips. “I don’t know; the near foodgasm tells a different story, my sweet wife.”

I glare at him, but can’t resist the cake. It melts in my mouth, bursting with sweetness. “No more. I won’t be able to wear the leather dress tomorrow,” I say, patting my tummy.

“Don’t do that,” he tells me sternly.

“Do what?”