Page 205 of Under Her Skin

‘You will never,ever, touch her again or I’ll go to the police, I swear to God, Iwill.’

Jules wiped his mouth, smirking. ‘Get out. Take that whore with you and getout.’

Camilla raised herself up to her full height and stared him down. ‘Your father would be ashamed of you,boy.’

Jess was astonishedto see Jules’s armour crack a little at the housekeeper’s words and the little boy beneath show in his eyes. Camilla had been with the family since before Jules had been born and her words carried weight. Jules turned away from them and Camilla half carried Jess out of theroom.

Theo re-dialled her number again.‘Pick up Jess. Pick up, please.’ He half expected the same voicemail message he’d gotten the previous seven times but when it was picked up and a strange voice greeted him, his heart seized. The woman sounded older, kind buttired.

‘Jess’s fine, she’s okay but…hang on…’ There was a rustling then his heart leapt as Jessspoke.

‘Hello my love, I’m fine. Just the…usual crap. I’m getting a cab to yoursnow.’

He suddenly feltdumb.

‘Theo?’

‘I’m here, honey. Just get here as soon as you – scrub that, I’m coming to getyou.’

‘No, no, please, Theo, the cab is already here. Honestly – ‘ and she lowered her voice, ‘I’m really fine. Justtired.’

‘Come home tome.’

‘I am. I’m on myway.’

Jules kickedhis way back into his bedroom, picked up the nearest object, a book, and threw it across the room, opened his mouth and screamed his frustration, a primal sound. The rage burned through him. Fucking bitch. He walked to the bathroom, stripping, leaving his clothes where they dropped and cranked the shower onto the coolest setting. He stood under the water, letting it prick his skin, his eyes wide and staring. It was coming, the end, he could feel it, it wastime.

Jules reached downand began to masturbate. He leaned his head against the cold tile as he thought about the day. He’d been so close to killing her. When she’d called his bluff, he’d wanted to drive the knife into her again and again, feel the blessed, blessed relief, the sensation of her warm, viscous blood on his hands, the pain, the horror, the life in her eyes fading away, the feel of her last breath on his face. Jules came, shouting and grunting as he imagined Jessica’s life slippingaway.

Jess wentinto work the next day as if nothing had happened. Lying in Theo’s arms that night – their schedule of S&M put on hold for the night – she’d spent a sleepless night going over everything in her mind. She couldn’t allow Jules to continue to control her life this way. Theo had grilled her and she’d fudged the details, telling him about the ‘inheritance with conditions’ and he’d been suitablyoutraged.

‘I’ll fund your projects. We’ve been thinking about setting up a foundation just for this – you could runit.’

She’d protested but the offer was so tempting, so full of love she’d promised she would consider it. It was a way out. An easy fix. But something didn’t sit right with her – bailed out by another rich man? It made her uneasy, even if she did trust Theo meantwell.

By the time she got to work, the exhaustion had caught up with her and she didn’t see the figure waiting in the corner of her office until it was too late. Jess suddenly looked around and gasped inshock.

Jules saidnothing but stalked across the room and ground his mouth onto hers. Jess squirmed away from him but his hand was tight around her throat, squeezing, squeezing hard and she began to gasp for air as Jules started to strangle her. His face was a red mask of hatred andlust.

‘You don’t get to go home to him again. This way, you’re mineforever.’

Theo’s blood ran cold when he saw them and in a blur, he dragged Jules from Jess, throwing the smaller man across the room. He bent to pick up his stricken love, his heart thumping at the terrified expression on her lovely face but then Jules launched himself into them. Jess was thrown from his arms and Theo slammed into the wall. Jules was a feral whirlwind of rage, raining blows down on his. His fist caught Theo a glancing blow across the temple and he reeled, black spots crowding into his sight. He staggered back but then saw Jess behind Jules, coming at him with a heavy box file. She crashed it over Jules’s head but he turned and drove his fist into her stomach, making her double up. Adrenaline coursed through Theo then and he grabbed Jules, throwing him into the otherroom.

‘You’ll never ever fucking touch her again,’ he growled, following his quarry. Jules, clambering to his feet,sneering.

‘She belongs to me, Storm, she always has, she alwayswill.’

Theo charged at him and grabbed him throwing him across the room just as Jess, staggering and breathless, screamed ‘No!’

Jules’s whole body slammed into and destroyed The LunaSoleil.

Theo openedthe door and stood aside to let her in. She moved slowly, almost catatonic, into his apartment. He locked the door behind them, double locked it. After Jules – after they – had destroyed the painting, he and Jess had stood frozen while Jules scrambled up and disappeared. The noise of the fight had brought others who got there in time to see Jules clambering from the wreckage of The Luna Soleil. Theo, in disbelief, had turned to see Jess, shell-shocked, staring at the remains of the priceless artwork. Her knees had given out and he caught her as she collapsed. Everything after that was a blur of police interviews, photographs. Gerry had been there, and the dean and after the police had finished, the dean took Jess into his office and shut the door. Theo and Gerry waited anxiously but when Jess came out, she said nothing, just gathered her things, kissed Gerry’s cheek and walked out, Theo following. In the car she had been silent, just stared out of the window but now she looked at him, and he saw the depth of herpain.

‘Iresigned,’she said softly. ‘There was nothing else to do.The

Dean accepted it, he would’ve had to fire me anyway. This way, at least, I get to keep my dignity…except not really…’ and she started to sob. Theo took her in her arms, letting her cry herself out. He carried her to the bedroom and lay down beside her, stroking her face, kissing her tears away. As her tears shuddered to a stop, she fell into an uneasysleep.

Theo pulledthe comforter over her and went into the living room. The dean answered the phone on the first ring. Theo apologised for the latehour.