Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica yanked hard on the car door handle, but it was already locked.

Timothy leaned over, reaching to buckle her seatbelt. She slapped him across the face, her hand landing with a sharp crack.

His handsome features turned with the force of her blow.

Anger flashed across his eyes, breaking through the mask he usually wore. Without another word, he pinned Jessica against the passenger seat and kissed her fiercely.

No matter how desperately she struggled, she couldn't escape his hold or the forceful, unyielding press of his lips.

They'd been married for seven years now. She'd just turned twenty-eight, and after giving birth, her body seemed even more sensitive-completely defenseless against the seductive skill of his kiss.

Bit by bit, the rigidity in her body melted away.

Only then did Timothy release her lips.

Humiliation and self-loathing swept through her.

storm of anger and frustration left her expression cold, adding a new

responded to his kiss; the anger

kill you just to

implication behind his words only made Jessica burn with shame. She hated how her

broke the agreement." Jessica's

lips. "And? The contract never said what would happen if I

widened

her head. "Come on, don't be upset. There are no penalties, so what's the big deal? I didn't mean to break the rules. Honestly, you just weren't behaving. Do you want me?

playing with a lock of her hair, the

coldness was just a sign of unmet

was always traveling on business, barely home, too busy to

thinking about that. Her mind was on the agreement. She wasn't a lawyer, and she'd overestimated how much the contract

protect her, but now she saw the truth: it only mattered if Timothy chose to honor it.

had always

no obstacles; they'd slipped into marriage with