My Only Regret (Twisted Fate Book 1) (21 page)

“Don’t say that Rhy,” she brushed me off.

“Seriously, having you there would have only made it better. I love you so much,” I patted her hand before pulling her in for a warm embrace. She cried, telling me that she loved me too and we sat back in our chairs.

“So,” she grinned mischievously, “tell me more about the sex…”
 

T
he next few weeks passed by in a blur. Once we returned home, and news had gotten out of our marriage, the media took up residence outside our home. Various fans had also gathered, holding up signs both supporting and opposing our recent nuptials. Our photos had been plastered all over the Internet and gossip rags, forcing us to become hermits in our own home. We took advantage of the time ordering in meals, talking, and attempting to build trust. As we talked, I learned that over the years Amber had made a point of trying to work her way back into Jesse’s life. The problem was that they had tried to remain friends after their nasty break-up, thus effectively giving her a revolving door to his heart. He promised me that he had cut off all ties with her after that night in Vegas, and because I wanted our marriage to work, I chose to trust him, at least as much as my damaged heart would allow.

One morning Charlie stopped by and snuck Jesse off to a meeting at their record label. I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard the doorbell ring. Dressing quickly, I ran to answer it, making sure to check the peephole before opening the door.

“Are you Rhyann Michaels?” asked a middle-aged woman dressed in a killer business suit and expensive shoes.
 

I nodded, and then caught myself. “I am, but my name is no longer Michaels, it’s Montgomery. I recently married.”

“My name is Jennifer Wilson and I represent the law firm of Williams, Weston, and Wilson. I have some questions for you about your former employer, Steve Nelson.” I blanched at the mention of his name.

“Sure, come in,” I offered nervously. “Please, have a seat.” I sat at the kitchen table knowing I couldn’t have this conversation standing up.

“Thank you. I won’t take up too much of your time but we have had a lawsuit filed against Mr. Nelson by his personal assistant. She claimed that he sexually assaulted her on more than one occasion and, upon investigation, your name was listed as his previous assistant. I did some digging into your personnel file and noted that you were fired after six years with the company and two years of that time was spent as Mr. Nelson’s assistant. My questions have to do with your time as his assistant.”

“Okay,” I agreed, feeling nauseated almost instantly.

“Can you please share with me what it was like to work for Mr. Nelson and why it was that you were so abruptly fired? There wasn’t anything negative in your record before that day.” I started at the beginning and shared all of the details I had kept so closely guarded for a long time. By the time I’m finished talking my hands are clenched into tight fists.

“I’m really sorry you had to go through this again. This is a very serious accusation against Mr. Nelson and I intend to move forward with the abuse charges. I will be in touch with you and may need to talk with you again. Here is my card. I am available if you have any questions. Thank you Mrs. Montgomery.” I placed the card in my pocket, trying to decide if I should even mention this to Jesse.

N
ow that we had settled in at home, Jesse decided that we needed another party to help us celebrate our marriage. Mel came through the door in a flurry trying to dodge the sudden downpour outside. I hugged her and took her around the room, introducing her to everyone that had already arrived, including Jesse's parents, Bill and Cheryl. Cassie was there with Sam, but David was solo this evening. When I introduced him to Mel her whole demeanor instantly changed, I had never seen her so shy around a man. David seemed to be equally affected. They sat with the rest of the group making small talk before heading off to another part of the living room to chat. I watched in amusement for a short while before sneaking off to find Jesse.

“Hey,” I approached him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. “I think something is happening between David and Mel,” I whispered.

“Oh yeah? Well, that doesn’t surprise me given the fact that they’re both single and attractive,” he craned his head around to see where they were. “That’s cool, right? David’s a great guy.” David and Jesse had been best friends for years. I could see that the idea of his friend hooking up with my best friend was something he wouldn't discourage.

“Yeah, I know. I’ve just never seen her act this way around a man. She is usually so confident and aggressive. A minute ago I witnessed a man eater turn into a kitten.”

“It’s the bulk, it scares ‘em off sometimes,” he said. “He’s harmless. She’ll find that out in an hour or two. Although, now you’ve got me worried that she’ll eat him alive. I know her track record with men,” he smirked. I punched him lightly in the arm and turned to head back to the kitchen. As I stepped away he swatted my ass sharply, making me squeal with delight. While dinner finished in the oven we hung out in the large living room while the guys played video games and the women chatted.
 

“So, you two look pretty friendly,” Stefani nudged my shoulder. “I take it marriage is treating you well.” She smiled and spread artichoke dip on a cracker. “Yum, this is fantastic,” she said, licking dip from her thumb.

“Thanks. Yeah, things seem to be going really well,” I replied quietly. “It was rough there for a moment, but we’ve had some time to get to know each other better.”

“He’s very lucky to have you.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I looked over and made eye contact with Jesse. “I think I may be the lucky one.” Stefani just shook her head, laughing.

“Girl, you have definitely got it bad. I can’t blame you though, the Montgomery men sure know their way around the bedroom.” She let out a loud sigh.

“And quite a few other rooms too,” I retorted, fanning myself dramatically as we burst into a fit of giggles.

“You two must be talking about sex,” Cheryl’s voice purred behind me, startling me and making me jump. “Oh honey, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I just saw your heads together and once you reach my age you learn to read lips if you want to know what is going on.” Her laughter was contagious as Stefani and I both burst into another round of giggles.

“So, tell me sweetie, how are you and my handsome son enjoying marriage? I hope you are taking time to appreciate each other, it’s easy to forget that when you are young and busy.”

“Well, we are trying,” I smiled shyly, sneaking another glance at my husband. “It all happened so fast.”

“We’ve always told him that when you see what you want you go after it. He obviously saw what he wanted in you and he didn’t want to let it get away. Bill and I married quickly, although back in my day you didn’t get the opportunity to consummate your relationship before marriage so I always tease Bill and tell him that he only married me because he was horny,” she laughed and placed a hand lovingly over my arm. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you dear, it’s plain to see that he loves you.”

“I hope so,” I whispered quietly, patting her hand.
 

We gathered around the table and I happily observed multiple conversations going on around me. I watched as Mel had an animated chat going on with David, he laughed at everything she was saying. Sam and Cassie were playfully teasing one another; she had obviously stolen his heart. Tyler and Stefani were cozy at the opposite end of the table, and Jesse had his head thrown back in laughter at whatever story Charlie was sharing. These people had become my family. I loved each and every one of them. The thought of being apart from this made my heart ache. When I thought about how Amber kept trying to take away what was mine it made my blood boil. That bitch had her chance with Jesse and wouldn’t give him the time of day until she knew he belonged to someone else. I vowed then and there to never let her come between us ever again.

Jesse looked over at me, instantly detecting that something was wrong. I guess the expression on my face was reflecting my sudden fears. He furrowed his brow and mouthed, “You okay?” I kept my lips pursed and nodded in response. He wasn’t convinced and leaned forward, touching my arm.

 
“Rhyann? Baby what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“Nothing’s wrong sweetie. Just thinking. Can I talk with you a moment in private?” I stood and excused myself. Everyone stopped to watch our interaction. Jesse got up, a puzzled look crossing his face, and followed me out of the room. I walked all the way back to our master bathroom before turning in. He followed behind me as I shut the door.

“What is it?” he asked, concerned.

I grabbed his face and pressed my lips to his, claiming him as mine. His mouth opened in response and I teased my tongue over his. He moaned against me as I dragged my hand down his body and stopped at his rapidly growing erection. I pressed against him with the flat of my palm, gripping him as I pulled forward. His breathing quickened as I moved my mouth down his jaw and over his neck.

“Rhyann,” he moaned. “What is this about?”

“I have to feel you, Jesse. I need to prove that you own me,” I growled softly, moving my hands to fumble with his zipper as I fell to my knees. "I need to know that you belong only to me."

He placed a strong hand over mine, “Baby, you don’t need to prove anything. I love you so much.” His warm hands cupped my face.

“You don’t want my mouth on you?” I asked, surprised.

“Of course I want that, but not like this, not on the bathroom floor. You mean more to me than that, Rhyann,” He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me. “You are my wife and I love you. I promise you that I am most definitely yours. There will never be another woman for me.” He placed a finger under my chin, lifting my eyes to meet his. “Now tell me baby, what is this really about?”

I sighed and snuggled into the crook of his neck, I felt so safe there. “I was just sitting there thinking how your family is my family now. I’ve never had a family like that, you know. It just made me realize how I don’t want to lose that. I can’t stand the thought of another woman trying to come and take that away from me.”

“That’s not going to happen,” I felt his chest rise and fall as he huffed out a breath.

I kept my head pressed against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “If we can’t do that other thing, can we at least keep kissing?”

“Absolutely, give me those lips wife.” We stayed in the bathroom kissing like teenagers for a long time. It was exactly what I needed.
 

T
he weeks passed, bringing autumn with it, and I embraced it openly, spending many mornings on the porch watching the leaves falling from the trees that lined our property, and trying out various recipes on any willing band member. We had been married just shy of two months and things seemed to be moving along fine. Sam and David continued to hang around, usually dropping by in the evening when it was time for dinner. Sam often brought Cassie along, and much to my delight, David and Mel had moved on to dating, and they spent at least two nights a week with us. David seemed to be a perfect fit for Mel; he had even made it past the elusive tenth date. The media hype over our wedding had eventually died down, and we were once again able to leave the house without wearing hoodies or having security locked at our hip.
 

One evening we were on the sofa, just hanging out. Jesse's feet were resting on the coffee table and my head rested in his lap as I read a book on my tablet. He was playing with his phone, texting back and forth with David. Every once in awhile he would laugh out loud at something David would say.

"Oh my God, I've got the weirdest best friend. Did you know he enjoys going shopping with Mel? They're at the mall right now, trying on clothes together. I don't know, but to me that sounds insane." He guffawed.

"Are you saying that you wouldn't take me shopping?" I asked without looking up.

"No, I'm not saying that. Shopping with you is different."

I put down my tablet and twisted around to look up at him. "How so?"

"I don't mind taking you shopping because I get to watch you undress, and that is one of my favorite things to do." He gave me a flirtatious wink and we both went back to what we were doing.

"It's still the same thing." I mumbled, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth to keep from giggling.

"No it's not. When I take you shopping the only thing I bring home is a sexy woman with some smoking hot clothes. When David goes shopping he brings home half the store for himself. Have you seen that man's closet?" He shook his head and typed furiously. I had to laugh because he was one to talk, his closet was full of clothes, the only difference was that he paid someone to shop for him.

"Nope, can't say that I have." I chided, settling back in to resume reading. Jesse's hand tickled over my ribs playfully and made it hard for me to concentrate. I heard another ping from his phone and his hand froze on my hip. I felt his whole body tense and his lighthearted playfulness was gone. I immediately sensed that something had happened.

"Baby, you okay?" I frowned up at him. His eyes darted nervously between the phone and me.

"Yeah, everything's fine, go back to your book, sweetie." He shifted his position slightly and used both hands to reply to the text before excusing himself from the room. "Honey, I'll be right back."

"Okay," I replied, watching with peaked curiosity as he went outside. I waited a few moments and followed him, feeling apprehensive about his behavior. He was bent over, elbows resting on the porch railing, typing on his phone. I could tell by his body language he was agitated so I approached him tentatively. "Babe?"

"Yeah." He replied quickly and turned around to face me. Guilt washed over his face and I knew instantly that it had something to do with whomever it was that had texted him.

"Everything okay with David and Mel?" I asked, confidently, already knowing the answer.

"Sure, I guess." He shook his head and then looked at me. "There's something you need to know. Amber just texted me, out of the blue, and it threw me for a loop. I just came out here to get my head together."