Jenna felt sick. She felt like a prostitute and she hadn't even done anything yet. Even though she was sleeping in an entirely different room from Zach, she was still lying in a bed that belonged to him and wearing a silk nightie that he bought for her. Which was creepy as hell considering she hadn't lived in the house for years. He kept all of her things exactly the way she left them. Even her toiletries had remained untouched on her makeup table. And the man accused her of having mental health issues.She despised having to accept his charity. Charity that was bought with dirty money, given to him by rich clients that needed a smooth-talking lawyer to buy people off. She wished it had been his slimy business dealings that had finally driven her out of his home. No, it had been the mistress he'd taken up with as she'd struggled alone with postpartum depression after Lola's birth. Afraid that people would talk, he hadn't allowed her to seek medical help for her condition. She'd slipp
How many times could a woman go into shock in one week? Jenna wondered as she sat between Vince and Jared in a big black truck. Surreptitiously she reached under Lola's sleeping form and checked her own pulse. Strong but fast. Her breathing was too rapid. She was probably having a panic attack. She couldn't stop thinking about Vince's threat to make her a slave, use her up and throw her away.She glanced at him under her eyelashes and caught him staring at her with a frown on his face. He was sitting on her right, while Jared was driving the truck. She squeezed her eyes shut. Her poor brain wouldn't stop trying to decipher the word slave. He meant housecleaner, right? He was going to make her clean his floors and toilets and wash his clothes until she was all used up?Of course that's what he means, Jenna. Because he kisses all of his housecleaners. God, I'm an idiot."Why's she blonde?" Vince interrupted her thoughts.She looked at him sharply.He reached over and flicked th
Jenna woke slowly, savouring the feeling of knowing she'd just had her first good night's sleep in over a year. Without opening her eyes she stretched, her arms sliding against smooth soft sheets. She shoved a hand under her pillow and rolled onto her side, preparing to go back to sleep.Then she remembered where she fell asleep the night before. In the bed of her captor, Vincent Corey. Well, maybe not his bed exactly, but one belonging to him. And her daughter was there, which is why Jenna slept so well. She was used to lying awake late into the night worrying over her ongoing custody battle with Zach, or stressing about understaffing and bad conditions at the prison. She opened her eyes and sat up, scanning the room for Lola.When she didn't see her daughter she slid out of the bed, reached for her wrap and hurried out of the room. She wasn't overly worried though. For some reason she felt safe in Vince's home. Though she was angry with him for essentially kidnapping her and her
Jenna was most definitely not in love. Who could possibly love this overbearing, autocratic, pigheaded asshole who was blocking her way? Luckily Lola was playing in another room and not able to hear the fireworks that were about to take place.Jenna gritted her teeth and repeated the request he had just denied without a second thought. "Vince, I very much appreciate all of your help with Lola, but I need to get back home. I have laundry to do, dishes to wash, a life to get back to. I have to work the night shift tonight! I can't just move in with you."He crossed his arms over his chest and simply stood staring down at her, literally blocking the front door. She tried not to stare at the way his biceps popped out. Jenna was standing with Lola's bag and she was still wearing her borrowed T-shirt. She was beginning to feel self-conscious running around in so little. Though Vince didn't seem to mind, and it was a little empowering to have his eyes on her all the time they were in the
It took Jenna a solid hour of shopping before she finally got into it. That's how long it took her to just accept the gift Vince was giving her, with whatever strings might be attached. She hemmed and hawed in every store they went into until Jared starting picking things out for her. This was when Jenna decided she needed to give in gracefully, or she'd be wearing something even her 88-year-old grandmother would scoff at.She giggled as Jared held up a shell pink blouse that looked like it should be on the set of Little House on the Prairie. It was ultra-feminine with lace at the very high collar and wrists. What was even worse than the style was the price tag. $149.99 for an item that should be immediately made into doilies. "Please tell me you're kidding," Jenna said incredulously as she tried to get her laughter under control. "I can't wear that."Jared turned it around and looked at it, his lip stuck out in concentration and his brow wrinkled in a frown. "What's wrong with
Vince had spent his entire day thinking about Jenna. He'd texted Jared more times than a drunk sorority chick texting an ex-boyfriend. It was embarrassing. But it was what it was. He was falling fast and hard for the woman and for her adorable daughter. He'd never seen himself as a family man. Why would he? The only family he knew was Jared. He didn't know much about women, except how to fuck them. And he sure as shit didn't know anything about kids. The little beasts had never been on his radar. Until now. But thinking about the happy, giggly, messy child that came with the woman Vince decided to claim filled him with a sense of… warmth. She was a part of Jenna. They would be inseparable now that they were out of Zach's control. And Vince wanted to be part of that inseparable unit.He left work early, after delegating a few duties he would normally not pass on to anyone with less experience than himself and made his way home. Eager for the sight of his new family, he opened the d
Jenna didn't hesitate, she went into his arms as though it was the most natural thing in the world. At first Vince was shocked, didn't know what to do with the cute, curvy redhead filling his arms. Then instinct took over and he dropped his head to hers, capturing her upturned lips in a kiss that would leave her in no doubt as to exactly what he wanted. Thank the fucking gods, she seemed to want the same thing. She returned his kiss with equal fervor, standing on her toes and touching every part of him she could. A shiver, an actual goddamned shiver ran through him as she raked her nails down his back over top of his shirt, sending a cascade of pleasurable sensations through him. If his dick hadn't been hard as stone a minute ago, it sure as fuck was now. Without breaking the kiss they stumbled down the hall together, hands touching every part of each other they could reach. She tugged at the buttons on his shirt, first trying to undo them with gentle fingers, then tearing at them l
"You will accept Sharon's help and that's final," Vince snapped, giving Jenna a hard stare. "You can't do everything yourself and I don't want you alone here all day."Jenna stuck her tongue out at him. It had been two weeks since Jenna and Lola moved into Vince's home. Two absolutely perfect weeks that Jenna wanted to hold in her heart forever. The man she'd thought was a thug and a merciless kidnapping asshole had transformed into an amazing boyfriend. His every thought and action seemed to be geared toward Jenna's and Lola's comfort. He bought them gifts almost daily and took them out for play dates in the city. He child proofed his home in a matter of days and set up a brand new bedroom for Lola. If Jenna had any doubts about his ability to commit, either to her or a child that didn't belong to him by blood, he'd managed to smash those doubts."First of all," Jenna started, knowing how much Vince hated when she started a conversation that way. "I don't have a job anymore. If yo