“Fuck.” Rett’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he nodded. “You can trust me. I never lied. I told you that as my wife, there was an expectation.” When I didn’t reply he added, “I never hid that I’d have—”
“Wants?” I interrupted, offering him alternatives, each one louder than the last. “Demands? Domination? I’m not Jezebel. I’m not a whore to be used whenever you see fit.”
“You don’t get it.”
“You’re right. I don’t. And neither do you.”
“Jezebel is more than a whore.”
His assessment caught me off guard. “What is she?”
Rett sighed as he shrugged. “Some would say a sorceress, others a businesswoman, others still would say she’s bent on revenge.”
My head tilted as I tried to understand. “Why does she want revenge against you? What does any of that have to do with Kyle?”
“All I care about is how it relates to you. With me you’re safe.”
Safe.
That wasn’t how I felt in his office.
Then again, I didn’t feel unsafe or in danger. I felt...
I pushed that thought away—I didn’t want to evaluate those feelings further.
Inhaling, I turned and walked into the library. Perhaps it was a change of scenery I desired. I lifted my face to the early evening sun shining through the skylight.
Rett’s voice infiltrated the room as the sun’s rays warmed my skin. “You said you’d trust me.”
I didn’t turn toward Rett’s voice. Instead, I let his words register, soaking them in like my skin was soaking in the sunlight from above.
“You promised.”
I turned to him. “What you did downstairs made me feel like I felt with those men. That evening you saved me. Today you were my assailant.”
The tendons in Rett’s neck pulled tight as did the muscles on the side of his face. “That’s not a fair assessment.”
“It’s an honest one.” The memory of the rings in the other room came back as I turned back to the skylight. “Are we or are we not married?”
“The certificate was signed. The court has record. Due to the unusual circumstances, the court is sending a representative here this evening for us to add another signature to the printed photo. That will then be notarized.” He exhaled. “It’s unusual, but my attorney has been working on everything and the other alternative is to sign a new certificate. Either way, one more signature and everything is legal.”
Taking a deep breath, I peered around the library, seeing that the shutters were still in place.
I’d received a promise from Ian that the shutters would be gone. Did their presence mean he’d lied or that it just hadn’t happened yet?
I’d promised to trust. I’d promised to sign. Not doing either at this moment didn’t null and void my promise; it was a delay. “I would rather not.”
“Fuck, Emma, that isn’t an option. Don’t you understand that if we’re not married, you’re vulnerable, not only to Kyle but also to legalities.”
“What legalities?”
“I should have told you sooner. It’s about Ross Underwood.”
“So he is dead, and you knew?”
Rett nodded. “I found out during your first full day here.”
My lips came together as I sat on the edge of the long chair and covered my knees with the end of my soft robe. “That would be a month ago or more and you’re finally mentioning it?”