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.

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

she'd responded to his kiss; the

just to

how her body responded to him, how little resistance she could muster against his

Jessica's voice was

curled Timothy's lips. "And? The contract

widened in

the back of 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

a lock of her hair, the gesture

recent coldness was just

on business, barely home, too busy to give

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

would protect her, but now she saw the truth: it only mattered if Timothy chose to honor it. If he didn't,

marriage, everything between them-Timothy had always

no obstacles; they'd slipped into marriage with barely