He nodded. "Yes."
"And you're not worried that I'm going to use work as the perfect escape opportunity?"
"No, because you know we’re protecting your mum. You still want us to bring down Toby's killers. And since we know Middleton had something to do with it, the lads and I are the only ones who can help you. You're smart enough to know that. And don’t forget that Alex, one of ours, is there. We’ve got a few other plants inside thanks to Blake Security and the Royal Elite. They will identify themselves to you over the course of the week. You will have more eyes on you than a shit-eating fly. After all, I do want to protect my asset, don’t I?"
"Yes, I know Alex, but—"
"He'll alert us about your activities. And I've installed a tracker on your phone, which you will get back in the morning as well as your purse."
"I don't like this, Bridge. We have to be able to communicate."
"Well, you really should have considered that before you conspired with my father."
"I didn't conspire with him, Bridge. He asked for a meeting and I agreed because I thought he could help. And maybe I shouldn't have. But—"
"Maybe?" he bellowed. The sound was filled with so much rage and grief it rattled the windows. "Fucking maybe? It's one thing that you're reckless with your safety, Emma. It's another thing when you know, you know, how I feel about him, and you still met with him. It didn't even occur to you to talk to me first. So how could I ever trust you again?"
I could feel his pain, and I hated the fact that I had put that pain there in his heart. "Bridge, I'm sorry. It wasn't like that. You have to believe me. I was trying to help."
"I don't have to believe anything coming out of your mouth. I prefer truth."
The sob escaped before I even knew what I was doing. I’d known how he would feel. I'd known it the moment I accepted the meeting. I had known it when I escaped the guard that was there to protect me, and I had put myself in this position anyway because I thought I knew better. I thought I could fix it. I thought that if I just got some answers, I could force things to go my way.
But forcing never worked.
I'd been like that my whole life, trying to make things happen, and sometimes it just didn't. But I found it incredibly difficult to accept that.
"I messed up Bridge. I messed up, and then you kidnapped me."
"It's not kidnapping. You're my wife. This is where we live now."
“I thought you wanted an annulment.”
He shook his head. “Get in bed."
I lifted my chin. "Oh, kinky. You tempted?"
A shadow fell over me as he stepped right into me, my chest grazing his abs and pecs. "No, I'm not tempted. I despise you. Everything about you. You will not trick me or tempt me. I am not that man anymore. You changed me, so that won't work anymore. And I see it for the act that it is. Frankly, I'm disappointed you think I'm so weak."
I couldn’t hold back the sob. "I don't think you're weak, Bridge. I'm just trying to tell you that I love you."
"And I'm trying to tell you I don't care. Now get into bed."
That low growl in his voice sent shivers winding around my spine. But I understood. Bridge was not going to touch me again. Hell, Bridge was never going to talk to me again. And the information I had from his father wasn’t information I was going to be able to tell him, to help him navigate. And that didn't matter now anyway, because Bridge had thrown me away just like my father did all those years ago. And even though he was chained to me in bed, I was completely and utterly alone.
Five
Bridge
I stirred in my sleep to the scent of my wife in my bed.
My wife. I loved the sound of those words. Emma was mine and right where she belonged. All I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and never let go.
I rolled over and tucked her into me, and that brought her arse right in line with my cock. I wanted to let her sleep. I should let her sleep, but she didn't try to resist, and I was bloody horny. Through my half-dead consciousness, I could hear her whimper and moan as she snuggled back into me. Without hesitation, I kissed the shell of her ear. "How's my princess?" I whispered.
All that came back was a mumble and another wiggle. She was testing me. I smiled in my sleep. Of course, she was testing me. It was Emma.
I tried to move my arm down, but it was stuck in some way, which didn't really matter because I would figure out a way to have her if I needed to. Her voice was soft and breathy, and just the sound of it pulled the corner of my lips into a smile. "I love you, Ems. You know that."
Her response was a garbled, "Um-hmm," but I knew she loved me. Knowing that made me feel ten thousand feet tall. But it also worried me because if she loved me, then someone could use her. Someone could hurt her, and I would be devastated, so I needed to look after her. Protect her the best that I could with my money and my name. I just needed her to not go covertly off into danger. Which, with Emma, was a lot to ask.
She kept wiggling and whimpering, and I used one hand to slide down around the flat expanse of her belly and then between her legs as I palmed her sex. She was soft and wet, and she parted her thighs. "I see someone's been missing me. Bloody hell, you're wet." Her hips lifted, allowing me better access as I slipped my fingertips into her knickers.
Consciousness tried to pull me out of the abyss of lust, but I did not let go of the warm, sleepy feeling. She was so soft in my arms, and for once in my life, I didn't want control. If I could relinquish it to her, I would. She could be the one to be the puppet master. I would walk over fire for her if I could, just waiting for her to tell me how much she loved me. But she wasn’t giving me those words. Just whimpers and moans and raised hips. Her hips rolled, and I moaned into her neck. "Fuck, Emma."
And I heard it then; her whispered gasp of my name on the tip of her tongue, rolling it around as if testing it. I couldn't help it. My hand was in her shorts, tugging roughly as I rolled on top of her. Her fingers intertwined with mine, and with her other hand, her fingers delved into my hair as she tugged just a little and pulled my head back. I was forced to lift it, and I dragged my eyes open to meet hers.
I smiled at her softly and then rocked my hips forward, grinding right against her clit. She whispered a low curse, and that was all it took. We were fighting each other's clothes, thanks to the fire climbing in our veins. The heat threatening to destroy us, consume us. I shoved my pajama pants down, which was odd because I didn't normally wear pajama pants to bed. Why was I wearing them?
It didn't matter. All that mattered was that a simple shove down and a tug of her shorts meant my dick was rubbing against her cleft. Fuck, she felt so goddamn good. Like the promised holy grail of sweetness and light that I had been denied.
But something stopped me. Something about this was wrong. I tried to force my eyes open, but they were heavy and clouded and so tired. If only I could open my goddamn eyes.
When I finally managed to peel them open and peeked around me, I took in the dim light from the window as dawn made its appearance. And then I blinked down. Emma was beneath me. Her legs were splayed with my hips between hers. I dipped my head down. My cock was out and notched up against her sweet center. I muttered a curse and shifted forward slightly. She gasped. And with her free hand, she dug her nails into my shoulder. "Fuck, Ems. I'll go easy."