When the Last One Falls

Chapter 17

Keris~

At this rate, alcoholism seemed like something that was going to be a part of my future. While I knew that I needed all my brain cells to deal with someone like Brantley Kingston, alcohol seemed like the thing to do whenever I was near him.

I also knew that I was going to have to look for a therapist when I started searching for AA classes because there was something seriously wrong with me. Every time that Brantley growled at me or manhandled me, I dripped with lust and need, and that couldn't be healthy. Maybe it was because all my previous relationships had been with well-bred, refined, polite gentlemen...I didn't know. Nevertheless, whatever it was, it was embarrassing for him to know my secret. It was humiliating to have him know that I got wet for him. My mouth might be spewing hateful venom at him, but I was beginning to wonder if I did it just so that he would lose his shit on me. Masculinity was both a beautiful and destructive thing.

His cologne hit me before his voice did, and it was crazy how confused I felt. I was mad at everything, and I didn't know how not to be. I was mad at my parents for losing everything, his parents for offering the deal, Brantley for his treatment of me and the shitty things that he'd said about our marriage, Rochelle for being so damn beautiful, Ares for taunting me the way that he'd had, and I was especially mad at myself. I was so goddamn mad at myself for ever agreeing to marry Brantley when I knew damn well that I could have found an affordable solution for me and Lindsey had I looked hard enough.

Brantley's arm slid around my waist at the same time that I felt his lips on my bare shoulder. With one hand gripping my left hip, his other hand didn't stop sliding across my body until he had one of my breasts cradled in it, and the fact that he was doing it in public, at a company function no less, was inappropriate, lewd, demeaning, and insulting. However, if you asked my body, it also felt sinful, sexy, exciting, domineering, and so damn possessively hot.

With another kiss on my bare shoulder, Brantley said, "In a room full of women at their best, you are easily the most beautiful one among them."

I stared down at my champagne flute, swirling the golden liquid inside, refusing to give him the reaction that he so obviously wanted by placing his hands on me in public. "Yeah, well...everyone knows that brunettes can't compete with blondes," I replied acidly. "I mean, how many blondes do you see dying their hair brown? Meanwhile, you can find an endless number of brunettes dying their hair blonde, what with blondes having more fun and all that. It was nice of you to try to pay me a compliment though, really."

I felt Brantley's sigh on my warm skin before he let go of my hip and breast, turning me around to face him. "I should have followed you from the hallway immediately that night," he said. "I never should have let you believe that there was still something going on between us. For that, I apologize."

I stared up into his gorgeous face and found myself not ready to make nice. "No," I argued. "You never should have let her believe that there was something going on between us. She's not the other woman in this scenario, Brantley; I am."

"That's bullshit," he growled.

"Blonde, brunette, redhead...it doesn't matter," I told him honestly. "Rochelle will always be a woman that you chose voluntarily, and I will always be the woman that you were coerced into marrying for monetary gain."

"You're forgetting that you were also a choice," he said. "I didn't have to marry you, Keris. My family wasn't the one in need of money."

I let out an empty laugh at that. "You didn't choose me, Brantley. You chose the mines, something that any levelheaded businessman would have done." I shook my head before taking a drink of my champagne. "I can't even blame you for that."