“Aerie?”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you marry him?”

My heart ached because of the question. It ached because of the answer. I was owned by him but promised to someone else.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” I whispered into the dark. “I wish I could remember.”

I felt his head lift off the pillow behind me. It was so dark in here, the middle of the night. But neither of us was asleep. “You can’t remember?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I said, “We went to Vegas, and I woke up in the hotel room the next day with a ring on my finger.”

“Why’d you go to Vegas?”

“The tabloids had just printed a new story about me. They were relentless, as always. I was stressed. Will suggested we get out of town for a getaway… to relax and be out of the spotlight.”

“And he thought Vegas was a good place to do that?” Nate asked, clearly not impressed with Will’s choice.

“We stayed at Yellow, the ultra-private and exclusive hotel. The staff there is sworn to secrecy, and no cameras or press are allowed inside.”

“It’s still stupid.”

I smiled into the night. It was stupid, and looking back at it now, I realized it was just another way for Will to control me. To get something he wanted. He’d probably planned it all along. My smile faded. “I should have stayed home.”

Nate tightened his arms around my waist, and I snuggled firmer against his body and sighed. “Were you drinking? Did you black out?” he asked.

I sifted through the fuzzy, hazy memories from that night. Trying to recall what happened. “I wasn’t hungover the next day. I had a headache, was tired. And thirsty. My brain was filled with fog. But it wasn’t like a hangover.”

Nate lurched up suddenly, propping on his elbow, and looked down at me. Hair fell into his face. His jaw was set. Gently, he took my chin and turned my face to look up at him. “Did he drug you?”

My lip quivered. “I don’t know.”

“Shit,” he swore beneath his breath. Squeezing his eyes shut, he cut off the way his irises glittered. Letting go of my chin, his fingers stroked my cheek as he took a deep breath. His eyes reopened as he exhaled slowly. “The last thing I want to do is upset you.”

“You have a right to know, Nate. I just wish I could tell you more. I wish I knew what I’d been thinking that night.”

“You weren’t.” He allowed.

“No. I wasn’t. If I had been, I would never have married him. Please say you believe me.”

The feeling I got when he dipped his head and I had long moments to anticipate the touch of his lips against mine was like finally arriving at the top of a roller coaster and getting ready to plummet down.

The kiss was full contact, totally grounding, and settled all that jittery excitement inside me. I’d never known anyone who could rile me up then calm me right back down. I’d never known both those emotions could be equally addicting.

“I believe you,” he murmured against my lips. “I never had any doubt.”

Gazing up and him, I pressed my lips together and searched his eyes. “Why?” I asked.

He lifted a brow.

I smiled. He was so handsome. Definitely a limited edition. “The rumors, the articles, my quickie wedding, and the way I treated you when we first met. I gave you so many reasons to believe I was exactly who everyone else said I was. Why didn’t you?”

“You have really nice legs,” he deadpanned.

Gasping, I reached up and yanked his hair.

“Ow!” he howled. Beside us, Cheeto perked up to stare. “Save yourself while you can!” Nate told him.

“Shush.” I admonished, reaching out to scratch the kitten behind his ear. Loud purring filled the room.

“Traitor.” Nate mumbled and settled back beside me. “Maybe because of Ten. Because I knew behind that media perception, there was a person, someone who was probably entirely different than what everyone believed.”

“It was because of Ten?” I was considerably underwhelmed by this response.

“That and the fact that when you ran into me in the hallway—”

“You ran into me!” I exclaimed.

He patted my hip as though he were humoring me. “I just knew. I felt something… like a tingle of awareness or something. You felt it, too.”

I nodded. “I felt it.”

“Then when I came to your place and you finished my song, it kinda felt like it wasn’t just the song you were completing… but me, too.”

Well. That answer was so much better.

“I called my lawyer again today. I left him a less-than-friendly message.” I made a rude sound. “They said he was in a meeting, but he was probably afraid to pick up the phone.” Taking Nate’s face in my palms, I looked into his eyes, holding his stare. “I am getting this annulment.”

Under my palms, his jaw muscles jumped. “He’s going to keep fighting you.”

“He won’t win.”

“Can’t you just say you weren’t of sound mind? You were so drunk you can’t even remember that night?”

Frustration welled inside me. “I need to be able to prove it. How can I prove something I don’t even remember?”

He pulled me into his arms, meaning to comfort me. It was hard to find comfort when I felt trapped.

“I need to just confront him.” I concluded. “Force him to tell me what happened that night.”

“No.” His voice was hard and finite. “You stay the hell away from him, Aerie. He’s an abusive bastard, and if he even so much as breathes on you, I swear to god—”

I pressed my hand over his mouth, cutting off his words. I could feel the hard hammering of his heart beneath his ribs.

He fell silent, and after a moment, I lifted my fingers away. “He’d just lie to you anyway. Can’t believe a freaking thing that comes out of his mouth.”

I knew Nate was right, yet I still needed proof.

I just had to figure out where to get it.