Page 26 of Ashes

I’m here to collect what’s mine.

He’d prepared for my arrival. I didn’t know whether I should be furious at him for stampeding into my life or flattered that he’d taken the time to cater this room to have things that would be familiar to me and have a closet full of clothes that fit me.

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath. I slipped intothe en suite bathroom from the door connecting both spaces and hopped in the shower to rinse this day off.

This morning, I knew today would be one of my least favorite days.

What a fucking understatement that was.

CHAPTER 6

SIENNA

I rummagedthrough the drawers to find something more comfortable to wear before I faced my husband again.

I let out a disgruntled huff.

Husband.

I couldn’t believe I had one of those now.

Out of the few casual clothes in the closet, I went with an oversized black T-shirt and a pair of wide-leg navy blue yoga pants. After slipping on long black socks, I took one last look at myself in the mirror and headed downstairs.

As I walked down the hall toward Jamal’s office, I noted an opening farther down to the right, which I assumed led to a basement, but I pushed my curiosity away and faced the door he’d pointed at earlier.

Sucking in a deep breath, I straightened my spine, rapped my knuckles against his door as a courtesy, and cracked it open, revealing the dimly lit office.

Dark oak standing shelves ladened with books adorned the entire back wall of the room, glass doors encasing each of the opposing ends. My attention snagged on a picture frame sitting on one of the lower shelves in the middle.

It was a photo of Jamal and Kai, the scenery behind suggesting they were at the beach. Kai’s arm was slung over Jamal’s shoulder and it had to be a few years back because they both looked much younger and Jamal was sporting an expression I had yet to see on him.

Not that I think he could be capable of exhibiting anything remotely similar now.

The boy in the picture was a complete contrast to my now husband. There used to be a lightness to his features, but the man sitting in front of me seemed like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders.

A flicker of sorrow always flashed behind his hardened mask.

Maybe Kai was right. Maybe there was more to the man than what he showed the world. Maybe…

“I’ll call you later,” he said harshly to whoever was on the other end of the line.

Never mind.

The chair swiveled around and his dark eyes landed on mine. I tried very hard not to find him attractive.

Tried being the keyword.

I tried and kept failing because my husband inexplicably made my heart stutter.

I didn’t like it.

It never did that before, so why all of a sudden did it beat faster for a man I was supposed to resent? Besides, he was looking at me like he wanted to rip my head off, and that’s what I should be focusing on instead of my traitorous body’s reaction to him.

“You wanted to see me.”

He stared at me for a few seconds, then ordered, “Sit.”

I sat rigidly on one of the two black leather accent armchairs opposite his desk.