Page 24 of The Charmer's Gambit

My fingers fluttered to my tender jaw to rub the imprint he’d left there. It ached more from clenching my teeth than the pressure he applied, but together they left me feeling ill.

Marriage.

The man had lost his fucking mind.

I couldn’t marry him.

Why couldn’t he find someone else to obsess over?

And where the hell had he been these last six months?

My head spun with confusion. Two visits in one week, plus the failed one Monday night, and all the calling . . . It reminded me of the weeks after we broke up. Except, rather than be violent and cruel, he’d taken a different approach. One that presented his suave side with just a hint of the lethality beneath.

A chill slithered down my spine.

I couldn’t go through this again.

What choice do you have?

I studied the number on my screen. Calling to cancel would piss Ryan off, and I couldn’t deal with him throwing a fit in my office.

Have you ever considered talking to Caleb’s friend? Sarah’s words from the other day drifted through my mind.

Mark. . .

My eyes went to the drawer holding my purse. The card he handed me three years ago sat inside. Who knew if that number was even still valid?

No.

I could handle this myself. I had to. Ryan had escalated his efforts, but it wasn’t out of my control. Not like the night he strangled me . . .

My jaw clenched, causing me to flinch as I recalled the pressure he’d just applied to my chin. “Bastard.”

I hated him.

No way in fucking hell would I marry him.

But there were other ways to play this game. Maybe.

He wanted a wedding? Then I’d plan one. And then I wouldn’t show up.Game on, asshole.

I hit dial before I could talk myself out of it.

The wedding planner answered on the second ring. “Hello, Miss Dawson.”

Oh, good, myfiancéhad given her my number. “Hi, Becky. Please call me Rachel.”

“Of course,” she replied, her voice businesslike. This I could handle. “Did Mister Albertson tell you about our meeting on Saturday?”

“Yes, that’s actually why I’m calling.” I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. This had to work. But I needed to remain calm. I could do this. Stealing a deep breath, I jumped feet first into the deep end.

“So you’re aware of our timeline, right? And Ryan wants a big wedding. Given our timeline, I really don’t think waiting until Saturday is a good idea, so if you’re open to discussing options over the phone earlier, I wanted to let you know I’m available.”Then you can go off and plan whatever the hell you want on Saturday while I work. Hopefully, she used Ryan’s credit cards in the process.

I crossed my fingers and waited. Her fingernails clicked against a keyboard over the line as the seconds ticked by. “Okay, Miss Dawson. How about now?”

My gaze went to the clock. “Sure,” I managed. It was going to be a long night anyway; I might as well spend it at the office. “Let’s discuss it now.”

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