Jasper Vale (The Edens)

The days passed in a whirlwind. It had been too long since I’d taken a vacation from the hotel, and getting every shift covered, planning backups for our backups, had consumed my life.

Packing had been a chore. I owned exactly zero elegant gowns, but when I’d told Jasper that I was going to have to take a trip to Missoula to buy a dress when I didn’t have time to take a trip to Missoula to buy a dress, he’d had ten overnighted to Quincy.

Ten dresses. All designer. I’d loved every single one, and when I hadn’t been able to choose a favorite, he’d picked his.

That dress was currently hanging in our hotel suite’s bathroom to let the wrinkles from travel loosen while I stood on our private balcony, soaking in the Amalfi Coast.

Italy. I was in Italy. With my husband.

If someone three months ago had told me I’d be here, I would never have believed it.

Jasper and I were staying in an eleventh-century hotel. There were only fifty rooms and suites, each occupied by a wedding guest. The charming building, with rounded windows and terra-cotta roof tiles, had been built into a hillside with terraced gardens stretching beneath our third-floor balcony. From this perch, the view was breathtaking.

The rocky coastline was teeming with lush greenery and cream buildings. Bridges with arched supports spanned across the jagged and steep gray cliffs. Narrow strips of sandy beaches were interspersed between the rocks. And beyond it all was the open ocean, stretching for miles and miles to the glowing horizon kissed by the setting sun.

I refused to blink, not wanting to miss a second of the dazzling view.

Twenty-plus hours of travel had wiped me out. By the time we’d finally landed in Naples yesterday, I’d been so exhausted that even the view hadn’t been able to coax my eyes open. On the hour-long drive from the airport to the hotel, Jasper’s shoulder had been my pillow.

When we’d checked into our room, he’d insisted I stay awake until after dinner, wanting me to adjust to the time difference and sleep at night. We’d explored for a few hours, walking around dead on our feet, and found a charming café for dinner. Then he’d whisked me to the room, where he’d kept me awake for another hour. After two orgasms, I’d crashed.

But the sleep had done wonders. When I’d woken up this morning, Jasper had already ordered room service. Breakfast had been waiting in our suite’s sitting room, and after a delicious meal, as promised, we’d done more exploring before we’d had to return to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

Jasper came up behind me, wearing only a towel from his shower. His naked chest pressed against my back as his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

I relaxed, leaning against him, and closed my eyes. It was rare that he initiated a hug. If I had to choose between the view from our balcony or Jasper’s embrace, I’d choose the latter every day and twice on Sundays.

“Everything good at The Eloise?” he asked.

While Jasper had jumped in the shower, I’d called to check in at the hotel. “Mateo told me that if I called one more time today, he was going to rearrange the furniture in the lobby and change all of my color coding on the schedule.”

Jasper chuckled. “They’re fine, El.”

“Yeah.” I sighed.

Mateo was covering all of my regular shifts. Mom had volunteered to come in and help with whatever needed to be done. Memphis would be tackling housekeeping over the weekend. And because his latest shifts had been as excruciating as the first, I’d given Blaze the weekend off, not wanting to saddle my family with that burden.

Though maybe I should have paired him with Mom. Then when I fired him after this trip, she’d understand why.

My family was fully capable of running my hotel, yet I was struggling to disconnect. During our exploring today, I’d called three times.

“It’s just hard to let go,” I said.

But maybe this trip was good practice. I’d have to let go of Jasper sooner rather than later.

We hadn’t spoken about what was next, both choosing to concentrate on this trip. The conversation was inevitable, and every time it crossed my mind, my insides coiled.

“Did you have fun today?” Jasper asked.

“Yes.” I twisted to meet his gaze. His face was smooth and freshly shaved, so I lifted up on my toes to kiss the underside of his jaw. “Thanks for taking me.”

“Welcome.” He pressed his lips to my temple, then turned to the view.

Jasper had been quiet today as we’d explored, not unusual. He’d indulged me, walking at my side as I’d wandered and snapped hundreds of pictures. The only sign that he’d been enjoying himself were the crinkles at his eyes.

Except those crinkles had faded with every passing hour. And by the time we’d made it back to the hotel to start getting ready, he was back to the stone-faced man I’d lived with for months.

Was he nervous to see Sam again? Would this be painful for him, seeing the woman he’d loved—loves—marry another man? The ceremony might be too hard for him to attend, but going to the reception wouldn’t be much easier.

Last night, even tired, I’d noticed a shift in Jasper’s mood. Sex had held an edge. A frantic pace. His entire body had been tense, every honed muscle straining.

Or maybe that tension had been my own.

Was I ready for this? Somewhere nearby, the ceremony would be starting soon. Sam and her fiancé would exchange vows and rings.

My hand slid along Jasper’s, my fingers skating over the knuckles on his left hand. His bare left hand. The ring I’d bought him had disappeared. For all I knew, he’d thrown it in the trash.

He didn’t wear rings. Fine. Part of me still hoped that maybe . . . maybe mine would be his exception.

Had he worn Samantha’s ring? Probably. Yes. I knew the answer. I hated that answer.

That woman had taken everything. Every first. Every memory. From that very first night at the Clover Chapel, I hadn’t even stood a chance, had I?

The ache in my chest made it hard to breathe, so I wiggled free, slipping from Jasper’s arms. “I’d better get in the shower.”

Before I could slip past him, he caught my elbow. Then he framed my face with his hands, dropping his lips to mine.

I rose on my toes, fluttering my tongue against his, needing to hear that low growl in his chest. The desire for me, not Sam. Me. Emotion clawed at my throat, so before I could cry, I broke the kiss, forcing a smile as I slipped into the bathroom. Then I channeled the turmoil in my heart toward looking my absolute best.

The gown Jasper had chosen was a pale lavender. The neckline left my shoulders exposed but its sleeves hit past my elbows. The bodice fit my slight curves, giving the illusion of an hourglass figure. A pleated gather at one hip created a sexy slit that ran to the top of my thigh.

I artfully applied my makeup, going heavier than normal with eye shadow. But my lips stayed pale. And my hair was straight, falling in sleek panels over my shoulders, where the ends tickled my waist.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I found Jasper in the sitting area, adjusting a silver cuff link.

The sight of him in a tux, the black jacket and slacks tailored perfectly to his broad frame, stole the air from my lungs.

This had been his life, hadn’t it? Tuxedos. Elegant hotels. Money. He’d donned that suit and, with it, a power I hadn’t noticed before. Wealth fit him. This was the other side of his life, the side he worked so hard to hide.

Cuff link secure, he glanced up. And froze.

Those dark eyes traveled down my body, head to toe, in a lazy inspection. His Adam’s apple bobbed. And then, without hesitation or reserve, he adjusted the bulge swelling behind his slacks.

“You are magnificent.” His gravelly voice sent a shiver down my spine. A curl of desire bloomed in my core. My hands itched to strip him out of that suit, but that would have to wait.

First, I had a job to do: make his ex-wife jealous. I’d gladly be the woman to rub what she’d lost in her face.

“Ready for this?” I asked.

“Are you?”

“Yeah.” I was ready.

He walked over, bending to brush a kiss to my cheek. Then he held out an elbow, waiting for me to take his arm before he escorted me from the room and down the carpeted hallway to the elevator.

The ride to the first floor was quiet, but the moment the doors slid open, noise filled the lobby.

We strode toward the crowd gathered outside the ballroom, my heels clicking against the polished black and white marble floor. I clutched Jasper’s arm while letting my eyes wander, taking in every detail from the crystal chandeliers to the ornately carved pillars that bracketed every hallway.

“This hotel . . .”

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It’s a dream.”

Jasper hummed. “I prefer a quaint little hotel in Quincy, Montana.”

“Funny.” I looked up, finding his gaze waiting. I’d expected to see some teasing there, but he was dead serious, wasn’t he? He liked The Eloise better than this?

I loved Jasper for that.

I loved Jasper.

Somewhere along the way, I’d fallen in love with my husband.

That emotion came clawing back, but I swallowed it down, once more concentrating on the hotel’s intricate details. “I’m taking notes tonight for our own wedding offerings.”

“I would expect nothing less,” he said as we fell in line with the other guests, inching our way into the reception.

A string quartet was staged in the corner, their music mingling with the hum of conversation and laughter.

The ballroom was bright, the walls cream, as they were throughout the hotel. Matching cloths covered the tables and chairs. The centerpieces were gold candelabras that held dripping white candles. Every table was teeming with pale peonies and pristine white roses. Crystal wall sconces and glimmering chandeliers bathed the room in golden light.

One wall was made of arched openings to an outside terrace. The scent of roses and tangy ocean salt carried across the air.

It was elegant. Mesmerizing. Samantha’s tastes were similar to my own. That shouldn’t have surprised me considering the man we’d both married, but seeing this venue brought the realization front and center. It left a sour taste in my mouth, but I refused to let any bitterness show. There was nothing but a carefree smile on my face.

If the worst thing people said about me tonight was that I was too smiley, I’d call it a win.

Women in designer dresses sipped from crystal champagne flutes. Men in tuxes, like Jasper’s, held tumblers with amber whiskey or colorless cocktails.

The bride and groom were noticeably missing. Thank God. I was going to need a drink before that face-off.

As a waiter passed by with a tray of champagne, Jasper took two glasses, handing me one.

Expensive bubbles burst on my tongue.

Jasper lifted his to his lips, taking a drink. His shoulders were pinned back, his posture poised, yet relaxed as he scanned the room.

I knew it the moment he spotted a familiar face. His frame locked tight, the muscles of his arm flexing. I followed his gaze to two older couples talking and laughing and locked in conversation.

One of the men had brown, almost black, hair with liberal streaks of gray. The woman at his side was slender, almost willowy, wearing a strapless black gown. She was beautiful and had Jasper’s dark eyes. At her throat was an intricate—expensive—diamond necklace that caught the light every time she moved.

“Your parents?” I asked.

Jasper hummed.

I squared my shoulders, letting go of his arm to trail my hand down his sleeve before lacing our fingers together.

“You good?” he asked, glancing down.

I looked up at him, and the concern in his eyes melted my heart. I guess tonight, we’d worry about each other. “Yeah, babe. I’m good.”

With a nod, he led the way, weaving past tables and clusters of wedding guests.

His father noticed us first, stopping the group’s conversation. The couple they’d been talking to said a quick goodbye, then shifted to mingle with a different group while Jasper’s father held out a hand, forcing Jasper to drop mine. “Hello, son.”

“Dad.” Jasper shook his father’s hand, then stepped closer, moving in to kiss both of his mother’s cheeks. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, darling. Isn’t this a lovely evening? We were just on the terrace and it couldn’t have been more beautiful.”

Seriously? This was a woman who hadn’t seen her son in years, and she wanted to chitchat about the weather? And all his father had to say was hello? Not even a, “Good to see you, Jasper”?

My mother would have taken any one of her sons by the ear, hauled them into the hallway for a screaming lecture, then hugged them so tight they’d barely be able to shake her loose. And my dad, well . . . he wouldn’t have allowed years to go by in the first place.

“It is quite lovely.” Jasper placed his hand on the small of my back. “Let me introduce you to my wife. Eloise, these are my parents, Davis and Blair Vale.”

“Such a pleasure.” Davis’s smile seemed genuine as he took my hand, patting it gingerly.

Then Blair moved in, pressing her cheek to each of mine, just like Jasper had done when he’d told her hello.

Keep smiling. Just keep smiling.

Both seemed sincere, yet at the same time, I was watching some rehearsed play. The lines and actions written were executed with precision. Except it lacked any semblance of emotion.

“How are things in Montana?” Davis asked Jasper.

Oh, so they did know where their son was living.

“They’re going well, thank you,” Jasper said. “How have you both been?”

“Excellent.” Davis smiled and those same crinkles as Jasper’s formed at his eyes, though Davis’s were deeper.

“Well, not entirely excellent.” Blair tsked. “I don’t know if Samantha told you or not, I know you two keep up with each other, but we had to put down Lucky last month. It’s been difficult.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Mom.” Jasper took my hand again. “Lucky was Mom’s Pomeranian.”

“I’m sorry.” Somehow, I’d been sucked into this weird vortex because I sounded as cold and detached as the rest of them. So I took a long sip of champagne. Alcohol, save me. Tonight, I was going to need it.

“The ceremony was breathtaking,” Mom said. “Sam looks as beautiful as ever.”

Maybe another woman would have infused that statement with some bite. A little malice for the new daughter-in-law to know she’d never live up to the previous one. Except it was just . . . a statement. No malice. No ill intent.

These fucking people.

I took another drink.

“Are you staying long?” Davis asked.

Jasper shook his head. “Not long.”

“We’ll be leaving after brunch tomorrow. We’ve got to get back. But you’re welcome to join us in the morning.”

That wasn’t really an invitation. It was more like they’d made a reservation for too many people and had a couple of spots to fill.

“We’d love to,” Jasper said.

No, we wouldn’t.

His thumb traced along the length of mine. “We’re going to find our seats.”

Davis pointed across the room toward one of the tables close to an archway. “I believe we’re at the same table.”

Super. I smiled wider before a snarky comment could escape.

“We’ll join you.” Blair looped her arm through her husband’s. “Eloise. What a beautiful name.”

“Thanks.” I almost told her I was named after my great-great-grandmother, but as I took in her pretty face, I realized that she wouldn’t care. That detail would go in one diamond-adorned ear and out the other.

Blair had already moved on to the other people in the room, her gaze sweeping back and forth through the room. She smiled at someone, lifting a hand to wave.

A short, bald man approached and Davis stopped to shake his hand.

The way both he and Blair shifted, turning their backs to Jasper because someone better had come along, made me scoff.

I gulped my champagne this time.

Jasper just kept on walking, leading me to our table, where he pulled out my seat before taking his own.

When I downed the rest of my champagne, he traded my empty glass for his nearly full one.

I drank it as I stared at his parents. We’d already been forgotten, hadn’t we? Jasper had already been dismissed. Rage vibrated through every cell in my body as I watched Davis and Blair laugh with that bald man.

“I didn’t understand,” I whispered.

“I know, angel.” Jasper draped his arm around the back of my chair. When he’d taken his seat, he’d moved in so close that our thighs were touching.

So I leaned into him, my gaze locked on his parents as I struggled to comprehend what I was seeing.

“That’s their on switch,” I said, more to myself than Jasper.

He hummed his agreement.

And Jasper and I had gotten the off switch. Sure, they’d spoken the right words. They’d used the correct mannerisms. But that entire encounter had been utterly shallow. Devoid of any actual love for their son.

When it came to Jasper, they were detached. Disinterested. That was the word he’d used. It fit perfectly. They saved their energy for everyone else.

It was more abrupt than I could have ever expected. More obvious.

My lip curled. My hands balled into fists. “I hate them.”

A waiter appeared, his tray loaded with champagne. “Another glass, sir?” he asked, his English heavily accented.

“Yes,” I answered for Jasper. “Actually, no. If I get drunk, I’ll say something mean. But I guess they probably wouldn’t even care, so why not get drunk? I doubt they’ll even remember my name by morning.”

The guy looked to Jasper, his eyes wide.

“Yes, please.” Jasper gestured for him to set down two fresh flutes.

With our empty glasses swept off the table, the waiter vanished into the growing crowd.

Davis and Blair continued to visit, more people joining them and the bald man.

No wonder Jasper was so closed off. How many times had he been gently rejected like that? How many times had he witnessed his parents fawn and fuss over anyone but him?

Fuck you, Davis and Blair. Fuck you very much.

I tore my gaze away, turning to Jasper.

His eyes were waiting. “Hi.”

“Hi.” God, I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream.

He was so wonderful. So special. And his parents . . .

They didn’t even care.

My nose started to sting. A lump in my throat began to choke me. But I refused to cry, not here. Not tonight.

So I leaned in, pressing my lips to his, hoping he could feel my love. Wishing it would seep into his heart so that when he looked in the mirror, he saw a man who deserved it.

When I pulled away, his eyes searched mine. His hand came to my hair, taking a lock and letting it slip through his fingers. “Good?”

Not even a little bit. “Good.” I took hold of his arm, hugging it as my head fell to his shoulder.

Then I glanced around the ballroom, looking everywhere but at his parents.

The swish of a white gown caught my eye. The room erupted in cheers and clapping as the bride and groom swept into the room.

My heart lurched.

Samantha.

She was gorgeous. Her hair was about as long as mine, curled in perfect waves of honey and wheat. She was tall and slim with curvy breasts. Of course she’d be the most beautiful woman in any room, especially this one. I’d expected nothing less, but the fact that she was flawless burned. Oh God, it burned.

Jasper and Samantha would have looked perfect together. His dark to her light.

Be tough.

I’d promised myself weeks ago that no matter what happened here tonight, I’d be tough. That I wouldn’t let my feelings show, not in front of these people.

So I smiled, feigning happiness for the newlywed couple.

Jasper’s hand came to my leg, squeezing my knee.

So like I did with his parents, I dismissed the bride and concentrated wholly on my husband, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

And this time when I faced the room, I was met with a pair of jealous hazel eyes.

Maybe she was beautiful.

But my blue eyes were jewels compared to her muddy irises.

My cheeks were beginning to hurt from this saccharine smile, but I didn’t falter as I met her icy glare.

Fuck you too, Samantha.