Chapter 161 [ 494 words ] Chapter 161: Jarrod sat on the floor. He rubbed his stinging thigh. He looked up at the woman standing on the bed. His gray eyes widened in absolute shock. He wasn’t shocked that she had rejected him. He was shocked by the strike. The

Chapter 160 [ 534 words ] Chapter 160: The logical, disciplined military commander in his brain screamed at him to stop. Touching her now would destroy the tiny, fragile piece of trust she had just shown him on the street. The vow he had made to her—the promise not to

Chapter 159 [ 476 words ] Chapter 159: The main lights were off. The only illumination came from the floor-to-ceiling windows, where the neon glow of the Washington, D.C. skyline bled through the glass, casting long, sharp shadows across the dark hardwood floors. Jarrod walked straight down the hallway. He

Chapter 158 [ 470 words ] Chapter 158: Knowing she was completely unconscious, the rigid, controlled mask on Jarrod’s face shattered. His gray eyes darkened into a pitch-black void of sick, consuming possessiveness. “Because,” Jarrod whispered to the empty air, his lips brushing against the stray hairs near her ear,

Chapter 157 [ 500 words ] Chapter 157: Caroline choked on a breath. She rolled her eyes hard in the dark, but the tight, angry lines around her mouth involuntarily softened. She rested her chin on his shoulder and watched the dark silhouettes of the trees sliding past them. A

Chapter 156 [ 474 words ] Chapter 156: He stopped dead in his tracks. He turned his head. The yellow streetlight illuminated Caroline’s pale face and the awkward, stiff way she was holding her right leg. Jarrod didn’t ask her what was wrong. He pulled his hand out of his

Chapter 155 [ 496 words ] Chapter 155: Caroline gasped. The physical contact sent a jolt of electricity straight up her arm. She twisted her wrist, struggling violently. “Let go,” Caroline hissed, looking around the empty street. “Someone from the hospital could drive by.” Jarrod didn’t loosen his grip. He

Chapter 154 [ 488 words ] Chapter 154: Caroline snapped her head around. Her gray eyes were wide and defensive. “What are you doing?” she demanded, her voice tight. “Why are we stopping in the middle of nowhere?” Jarrod didn’t answer. The massive SUV rolled to a smooth stop beside

Chapter 153 [ 485 words ] Chapter 153: He leaned his head down and whispered directly into her ear. “If you want to use those clever little survival instincts of yours and start a fistfight in front of your parents,” Jarrod warned, his voice a lethal, vibrating threat, “I am

Chapter 152 [ 509 words ] Chapter 152: Jarrod watched her panicked retreat. The charming smile faded from his lips, replaced by a dark, hungry smirk. He picked up his bourbon glass and took a slow, satisfied sip. Caroline stood in the downstairs bathroom for ten minutes. She splashed freezing

Chapter 151 [ 499 words ] Chapter 151: Mrs. Thompson had practically shoved the largest, most perfectly cooked piece of tomahawk steak onto Jarrod’s plate. She had brought out the antique silver cutlery that she normally saved for Thanksgiving. Caroline’s plate held a small, overcooked edge piece of meat. Mr.

Chapter 150 [ 459 words ] Chapter 150: Mrs. Thompson turned around. She didn’t scowl. She rushed forward with a bright, entirely fake smile. “Caroline, honestly!” Mrs. Thompson scolded, though her tone was giddy. “You are a married woman now! You can’t leave all your junk cluttering up your old

Chapter 149 [ 495 words ] Chapter 149: The single word felt like a slap to the face. Caroline’s chest tightened with a sudden, sharp sting of rejection. The warmth from the morning evaporated, replaced by a hot flash of anger. She turned her head away and stared out the

Chapter 148 [ 538 words ] Chapter 148: Rejecting him felt incredibly cruel. More than that, a cold, tactical part of her mind overrode her fear. Being completely isolated within Jarrod’s world was a strategic vulnerability. Julian, a kind and trustworthy man, could be a vital external contact—an information source,

Chapter 147 [ 482 words ] Chapter 147: But as Caroline stared at the cooking eggs, a cold, heavy knot of guilt twisted in her stomach. She was resting in the arms of a man who would burn the world down for her, and she had just fed him another

Chapter 146 [ 489 words ] Chapter 146: He didn’t wait for an answer. He snatched her plate off the counter, grabbed his own, and dumped the entire disaster directly into the stainless-steel trash can. Caroline couldn’t hold it back anymore. She burst into a fit of loud, breathless laughter.

Chapter 145 [ 484 words ] Chapter 145: Caroline looked down at the ruined egg. She picked up her silver fork and knife. She took a deep breath and sliced off a piece of the burnt edge. She put it in her mouth and chewed. A horrific, chemical explosion of

Chapter 144 [ 505 words ] Chapter 144: Jarrod watched the door click shut behind her. He let out a long, shaky breath. A slow, relieved smile finally broke across his face. The beige cashmere sweater felt like a warm hug against Caroline’s skin. She pulled the matching lounge pants

Chapter 143 [ 478 words ] Chapter 143: Jarrod’s rigid shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. A heavy breath escaped his lips. He turned and pointed to the glass coffee table. Six massive, glossy shopping bags from high-end designer boutiques were piled on the floor. “I had Bell make

Chapter 142 [ 506 words ] Chapter 142: A massive, ugly purple bruise was already blooming across her pale skin. The sight of it made her wince. She hissed as a sharp spike of pain radiated up her leg. She leaned her head back against the headboard. Her heart was