The Life You Stole by Jewel E. Ann

Author:Jewel E. Ann [Ann, Jewel E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781733778664
Publisher: Jewel E. Ann
Published: 2020-02-19T16:00:00+00:00

Graham

The only thing I disliked about my wife was her name—Lila. Not Evelyn. She resembled Evelyn, but not enough. And she tried too hard to be a perfect wife, not like Evelyn’s fuck-you-Graham attitude.

Fine. Technically, there were three things I disliked about my wife, but they all could be summed up in three words—she wasn’t Evelyn.

I liked the chase.

Lila was fun until she said yes. Damn … I loved that chase. My attraction to Lila nearly exceeded my attraction to Evelyn because Lila wanted nothing to do with me.

The truth? I loved Lila. It wasn’t even intentional at first. But she made me fall in love with her. It just never equaled my love for Evelyn. I loved how she loved me, maybe I even loved her out of a sense of duty. The tears I cried after her accident were real. But I also hated that love. I blamed her for it.

My wife’s blue eyes shifted to me as I stood in the doorway to her office. Her condition kept her from fulfilling some of her public duties which was fine. Out of sight, out of mind. We made excuses … like she was writing a book. She let her personal assistant go, claiming she was too strong and independent to need help.

The spin. It was always how you spun the lies to fit a desired truth.

Lila eased her laptop shut and slid her hands from the vintage desk to her lap. Even at home, she wore designer dresses and short skirts or the occasional pant suits.

I took slow steps toward her desk, not missing the fear in her eyes. “No visible marks today.”

She answered with silence.

Easing into the gunmetal gray leather armchair opposite her, I steepled my fingers and tapped them against my chin. “I’m sorry you’re going through this. No one plans for their life to go in this direction. Yet, here we are. We can’t change what has happened, but we can go forward with the best intentions and hope for better days.”

Lila flinched. I wasn’t a monster. Part of me regretted that flinch. Part of me took responsibility for that flinch.

“I don’t want to be owned,” she whispered.

“You own me.”

She shook her head one tiny inch at a time. “Evie owns you.”

“I didn’t marry Evelyn.”

“Why?”

I narrowed my eyes. The world. I gave that woman the world.

More money than she could ever spend.

A closet the size of a small apartment.

Houses.

Yachts.

Maids.

Assistants.

Cooks.

Really … if her definition of “owned” meant a life of luxury, then sure … I owned her.

“Evelyn and I are friends.”

Lila nibbled the corner of her lip. The problem with her? She questioned shit that didn’t need to be questioned.

“A friend you’ve been intimate with.”

I shrugged. “So have you.”

“That’s not the same.” Her gaze fell to her lap.

“Come here.” I held out my hand.

Lila stared at it, silently defying me.

“Come. Here.”

After a slow sigh, she stood and made her way around the desk.

“Closer.” I spread my legs, nodding to the open space between them.

She held her ground.

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