Free Tempting Fate by Amalia Dillin Page A

“Not even the DeLeons. You’ll be free from them, from your sister, from your parents. We can spend every night together and Jean won’t be able to say a word.”
    “He’ll hate me.”
    “Does it matter?”
    She hesitated, just for a moment. A moment that stretched into eternity. If he were only there—a touch of her hand would wash it all away. But that wasn’t how he wanted her. Not really. And he needed her willing, besides, without a trace of coercion in her mind, or it would never stand.
    “Can you come get me?” she said at last.
    He let himself breathe again. “The moment you’re ready.”
    “Tonight. After dinner. That will give me time to pack, and no one will miss me until morning.”
    “I’ll be waiting.”
    “Can I have a wedding dress?” He could hear the smile in her voice, somewhere between shy and sultry.
    Adam laughed. “Mia, you can have anything you want. A dress will be the least of it, I promise you.”
    And he meant that too.

Eleven
    Mia

    They didn’t actually marry until the following morning, and Ethan carried her over the threshold into a gorgeous suite, complete with rose petals sprinkled over the bed. He didn’t even pause to let her look around, and as eager as they both were, she was surprised that neither her gown, nor his suit suffered damage.
    Her mobile rang incessantly, but she ignored it, and Ethan left her only long enough to shut it off and let the room service in with an incredible lunch. She sat up in the bed when he wheeled the cart in, wrapping herself in the sheet. It was enough food for three meals.
    “Strawberries?” he offered.
    “And champagne?”
    He grinned. “Of course.” Then he lifted the lid off another tray. “And cheesecake. You might want to eat that with your lunch, I’m not sure it will hold up until later.”
    “Oh,” she sighed. “You’re perfect! How did you know?”
    “I’m psychic,” he said, perfectly serious. “Now eat so that you have the strength to keep up with me later. I promise we’ll work it all off in bed.”
    “That sounds even better than the cheesecake.”
    He popped the cork off the champagne and poured two glasses. “I have every intention of making it so.”
    And he did. Four times over, before he made her eat again, six hours later.
    But they were interrupted by a pounding on the door and Mia jumped half out of her skin. Ethan’s eyes narrowed, his head turning toward the sound. The smile faded from his lips.
    “Mia!” It was Jean, though she couldn’t for the life of her see how he had found her. “Mia, open the door!”
    Ethan stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, pressing her back to the bed. “Stay here.”
    “Ethan, you didn’t see him yesterday. If you open that door he’ll hurt you.”
    He laughed as he pulled on his pants. He didn’t bother with a shirt. “I’m not worried at all about Jean.”
    He left, and she followed, still wrapped in the sheet. It wasn’t as though Jean hadn’t seen her naked before, after all.
    Jean banged again. “Mia!”
    Ethan unlocked the door and Jean shoved through it, stopping short when he saw her. Mia stepped back without thinking, her knees weak as she stared over his shoulder. Lars Owen loomed behind him.
    “I haven’t broken any rules,” Ethan said, ignoring Jean completely. “I haven’t set one foot on Eve’s lands. I haven’t even thought in her direction. You have no right to interfere here.”
    Lars’s eyes burned white and Mia clutched at the sheet, goosebumps rising all over her body. “Did you really think I’d overlook something like this?”
    “We’re married,” Ethan said. “It’s out of your hands. What God has joined, and all that.”
    The sun that had poured through the windows disappeared behind black clouds and lightning struck so close to the building that Mia could feel the floor shake.
    “And since when have you ever followed God’s laws?”
    “As long as you’re bound by them, my history of neglect hardly