Countless, humiliating burrs that stuck, spurring him on to greater heights in Western Australia.

  Now he’d returned to Melbourne to stay, if Ruby would have him. And that meant ensuring his dad's tarnished reputation couldn't touch him again.

  The door opened and Jax’s fingers curled into fists as his father entered the room behind the perspex, shoulders back, head held high, gaze challenging and cocky. If it weren't for the shackles binding his wrists, Jax could've sworn his dad hadn't aged a day.

  Denver sat opposite and picked up the phone they needed to communicate with. Jax did the same, waiting for a word, one word that his dad cared for anybody but himself.

  An apology? The least Denver could do.

  An explanation? Damn right.

  "Well, well, the prodigal son returns."

  Struck dumb with disbelief, Jax shook his head.

  After all this time, his dad greeted him with a cliche?

  "Took you long enough to visit." Denver smirked. "Or is this because I'm getting out soon and you want to get in good with the old man again?"

  Jax couldn't think of one person in this world he totally despised but in that moment, he came close.

  Acid churned in his gut and he waited for the cramping to subside before speaking.

  "Why?"

  One word asking a myriad questions.

  Why did you steal that money?

  Why did you use Jackie?

  Why did you screw over your friends?

  Why did you ignore your son who stood by you through everything: the trial, the sentencing, the first day in jail?

  So many questions, but Jax’s chances of answers ranked up there with getting an apology from his dad: a big fat zero.

  Denver frowned, his smug smile gone. "Why what?"

  Needing to make this one question count, Jax gripped the phone tight and leaned forward until his nose almost touched the perspex.

  "Why did you burn the one person who remained by your side through everything?" His vocal cords seized with long-festering bitterness and he cleared his throat. "I stood by you, Dad, and once you were in here I ceased to exist for you."

  He jabbed a finger in Denver’s direction, wishing he could thump the perspex with his fist. "I want to know why," he said into the phone. "It's the least you owe me."

  He expected Denver to walk away. His dad was good at that.

  Instead, the arrogance in his father’s eyes dimmed, replaced by glassy resignation. Only then did Jax notice the changes time had wrought: the wrinkles creasing his dad’s neck, the lines fanning out from his mouth and eyes, and what looked like a permanent groove between his brows. Denver had done more frowning than smiling in jail.

  To his dad's credit he didn't walk away. Or look away. He eyeballed Jaxwith a perturbing mix of affection and regret.

  Static crackled down the phone, the silence unnerving. Jax had been a fool to come here. If his father hadn't contacted him in ten years, no way in hell he'd get answers now.

  He moved to hang up the phone when Denver's lips finally moved.

  "You were going places, and the only place I was going was here. I didn't want you tainted by what I'd done."

  Jax released the breath he'd been holding. "That's bullshit. If you'd really felt like that, you wouldn't have done half the things you did anyway."

  Jax shook his head, ten years' worth of resentment threatening to spew forth. "You used Mum just like you used your friends, and you sure as hell didn't give a shit about me. You did what you wanted to do and screw everyone else."

  Denver didn't look away and a small part of Jax admired him for it.

  "That's the thing about jail. Not much on offer in the way of recreation, gives a man a lot of time to think." Denver rubbed his chin. "I've been doing a lot of thinking over the years, Son, and there's nothing I can say or do to change the past. I did bad things. I hurt a lot of people, including the ones I loved. Am I sorry? Hell, yeah. Do I have regrets? I live with them every day. Do I wish my life was different? You bet."

  Denver paused. "I wanted to reach out to you every day for the last ten years but I couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. Not after all you'd done for me."

  Jax couldn't speak if he wanted to. Words clogged his throat: words of recrimination, words of disbelief.

  His dad had always been a master at spinning a yarn; that much hadn't changed.

  "The first six months in here were dire. I'm ashamed to say I didn't think life was worth living and I tried to make that happen. I failed, just like I'd failed at everything my whole life.” Denver shook his head. “Then your mother came to visit, said you'd inherited the mine, how my incarceration had affected your business opportunities in Melbourne and I made my decision."

  He made a slicing action across his neck. "To sever all ties with you, for your own good. I'd dragged you down enough. You didn't need me and I didn't need you."

  Denver clamped his lips shut as if he'd said too much before shaking his head.

  "Dad—"

  "But I lied about that too. Because I needed you. I've always needed you, Son. You're the one good thing in my life."

  Jax ignored the surge of hope slashing through the years of built-up antipathy. Denver had always been glib, his gift of the gab legendary. This had to be a spin, more of the same.

  "What about Mum?"

  Regret shadowed Denver's eyes. "I told her to run and never look back. I'd wrecked her life enough. She deserved better than me."

  Stunned at Denver's revelations, he stared at his dad demonstrating true emotion, something he didn't think him capable of.

  If the old man could do it, why couldn't he? He'd spent too many years suppressing emotion, feeding his bitterness when in reality he'd been imprisoned by his own demons just like his dad.

  His love for Ruby was real, an emotion that ran deep and pure and true.

  Ironic, he'd been afraid of being like his dad, an emotional cripple devoid of truly connecting with anyone bar his narcissistic self. But hearing his dad's confession, realising Denver cared—enough to sacrifice contact that would've sustained him through the term of his incarceration-showed him the Maroney men were capable of feeling after all.

  "Why did you come here, Jax?"

  He pondered his answer carefully, not quite ready to forgive the sins of the past just yet.

  "Ten years is a long time, Dad. Times change. Hopefully people can too."

  Wise to his implication, Denver nodded. "I have no idea when the appeal is or the probable outcome, but know this. When I get out, I'm starting afresh, and hoping to make amends."

  A start. As long as Denver's fresh start didn't include dragging his name through hell again. Last thing Jax needed when he was finally on top was his dad's reputation ruining all he'd achieved.

  "I'm heading bush. Finding the quietest country town I can, changing my name, living the quiet life. If I'm exceptionally lucky, your mother won't have moved on, she'll find her way back to me, and I'll finally make an honest woman out of her."

  Jax didn't believe in fairytales or happily ever afters. And with the number of lies Denver had told to his closest friends before ripping them off, Jax had a hard time believing him now. But for his dad's sake, he hoped he stayed true to his goals.

  "Good luck, Dad."

  Denver's hand shook as he replaced the receiver before snatching it back at the last moment. "I'm going to stay out of your way, son, I promise."

  Jax had had enough of his dad's empty promises in the past, but considering what he'd learned today, he was in a charitable mood.

  "We'll see what happens when you get out and find that place in the country."

  Denver nodded and hung up, signalling to the guard to take him back. Jax felt nothing but relief as his father walked away, his heavy heart considerably lighter than when he'd arrived.

  Yeah, the Maroney men were capable of redemption.

  He now had to make his wife believe it.

  Chapter 36

  Ruby contemplated changing the locks while Jax had been away.

  Childish? Yeah, but she hadn't been thinking straight since he left. The realisation she might have overreacted about the promise ring didn't help.

  The longer she thought about it, the more cringe-worthy her reaction became. What had she been expecting? They barely knew each other, had fallen headfirst into a sham marriage that had miraculously morphed into something more all too quickly, and she'd expected that ring to be a lifelong promise?

  She could apologise when he returned, but she wouldn't. They had a business deal, and love wasn't on the agenda. Besides, she didn't have time to sit around and wait, hoping his promise might turn to something deeper.

  She loved him.

  She needed him to love her back. Now. Not sometime in the future, if ever. That wasn't enough for her. She deserved more. She wanted more. She wanted it all.

  Restless and unable to sleep like every other night over the last week, she flung off the top sheet and slipped into her robe.

  She'd been working on a new radiant cut sapphire in a collet setting. Maybe that would take her mind off pining for her soon-to-be ex-husband.

  She padded downstairs in bare feet, pushed open the iron door, and followed the floor lit sconces towards her workshop. She pulled back the curtain to enter when a hand clamped on her shoulder and she screamed.

  "Hey, it's me."

  She should've relaxed at the sound of Jax's voice but she didn't, her nerves snapping taut at their inevitable confrontation when she'd barely slept all week.

  She whirled around and shoved him. "What the hell do you think you're doing, sneaking around here and scaring me half to death?"

  "Sorry." He held up his hands in surrender. "I thought you were asleep. I just entered through the back door and was trying to be quiet when I saw you heading towards the workshop."

  She folded her arms, hating how grumpy and out of sorts she sounded, hating the way her heart thumped and her body subconsciously craved him more.

  "You could've called out."

  "And spoiled the surprise?"

  His mouth kicked into a crooked grin, his uncertainty surprising her.

  The Jax Maroney she knew was many things; uncertain wasn't one of them.

  "Did you come to pick up your toothbrush?"

  His smile faded and she mentally kicked herself for sounding so abrupt.

  "If that's what you want."

  Sheesh. What did he mean by that? Was he putting this back on her? Did he want to pick up where they'd left off? Sex without strings? A fake marriage without emotional investment?

  She would've settled for those things once, and she had. Before she'd made the mistake of falling in love.

  "What do you want, Jax?”

  "You," he said, a second before dragging her into his arms and crushing her mouth with his.

  He didn't give her time to resist, didn't give her time to breathe as she lost all rational thought the moment his tongue touched hers.

  She reached for him, clung to him, as they made up for a week's worth of lost contact with a kiss to end all kisses.

  He ravaged her and she let him. Revelling in his frantic hands, his demanding lips, his hunger that called to her on an intrinsic level.

  As they eased apart, dazed and clamouring for more, reality hit.

  She couldn't do this, not when she had to walk away.

  She pressed her palms to his chest to push him away, but unable to resist the last, fleeting contact.

  "Jax, we had a deal and I'm willing to stick to it. We keep up the marriage pretence until your mine is global and my company is in the black, that's it."

  He stiffened. "You want out?"

  She gnawed on her bottom lip, willing her tears away. "Were we ever in it together to begin with?"

  He didn't answer, his probing gaze sweeping her face, searching for answers. Pity she didn't know the questions.

  "Bull."

  She gaped, uncomprehending as he pressed her hands to his chest and held them there.

  "We were both in this marriage from the beginning."

  "Physically—"

  "And the rest." He snagged her hand and dragged her to the front of the showroom, to the spot where they'd met. "From the minute you strutted up to me here, all sass and smart mouth, you had me."

  "Had you?" She parroted, sounding inane but increasingly captivated by his revelations.

  "Yeah. I didn't want to feel anything for you, couldn't feel anything, but I visited my dad today and maybe I'm not such a lost cause after all—"

  "You visited your dad? That's great," she said, his nervous rambling endearing him to her as much as his disclosures.

  "I did it for us," he blurted, releasing her hand to start pacing. "You were right about me needing to see him to face the past, deal with it and move on. I needed to get things straight in my head before I saw you, because I didn't want to mess up like I did with the promise ring."

  She winced. "Sorry, I didn't expect it and it came out of the blue."

  He stopped in front of her to tilt up her chin. “I think you expected a ring, just not an imitation of the real thing."

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a navy box. A Seaborn box, and her heart stalled.

  "That promise ring was exactly that. A promise I'd wait for you. I didn't want to rush you, didn't want to scare you with my feelings, so I gave you an interim ring, giving you space until you made up your mind if you wanted this marriage to work for real."

  He inched open the lid with his thumb and her heart kick-started again, racing a million beats a minute.

  "Besides, this one wasn't finished and I wanted to give you something—"

  She squealed as she caught sight of the ring.

  Her ring.

  A perfect three-carat, fantasy-cut, pink diamond set in white gold.

  "How… when…?"

  He slipped the ring from the box and slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. "You once told me how much an engagement ring means to you, how you didn't want one unless it meant the real thing."

  As the ring slid into place, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

  "I'm hoping this ring says what I feel in my heart a lot more eloquently. I love you, Ruby Seaborn. I probably fell a little bit in love with you the first moment we met. I didn't want to love you—"

  "Quit while you're ahead." She kissed him, wrapping her arms so tightly around him she never wanted to let him go.

  The timing of the ring proved his love. He'd commissioned it before their weekend away, before the promise ring, before she'd lost the plot.

  When they eased apart, she clung to his shirt and gave him a little shake. "You should've told me about the engagement ring earlier."

  "You should've trusted me, trusted what's in here." He placed his hand over her heart and it leapt.

  "I'm guessing a marriage proposal is kind of redundant, huh?"

  She laughed and locked her hands around his neck. “A girl can never have too many pieces of jewellery, and seeing as I've got the wedding band, engagement ring, and promise ring, maybe an eternity ring wouldn't go astray?"

  "You don't need a ring for me to show you I'll love you for eternity."

  "Aww… the tough guy's a big softie underneath."

  He growled and nuzzled her neck. "That'll be our little secret."

  "Forever," she murmured, a moment before his lips touched hers.

  She couldn't think of a better way to celebrate their marriage, having her husband's undying love.

  Though she did have her eye on some flawless canary diamonds that would make a perfect eternity ring…

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  Ready to read Sapphire’s story?

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  She’s a jeweller. He’s the CEO of a fashion house and her high school nemesis.

  Now they have to work together.

  What can go wrong?

  Sapphire needs to save her jewel business. To do so, she’s desperate enough to team up with Patrick, CEO of a French couture house. She has no intention of mixing business with pleasure. But she doesn’t count on Patrick’s determination to resurrect the old spark between them.

  Patrick has never forgotten Sapphire. She may act like he’s a flawed diamond incapable of salvaging, but he sees beneath her act. They’re good together, like the finest emerald choker combined with a strapless satin sheath.

  And he’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to her…

  From Melbourne to Paris, will this mismatched couple find love?

  Read THE RIVAL!

  About the Author

  USA TODAY bestselling and multi-award winning author Nicola Marsh writes page-turning fiction to keep you up all night.

  She’s published 89 books and sold millions of copies worldwide.

  She currently writes contemporary romance and domestic suspense.

  She’s also a Waldenbooks, Bookscan, Amazon, iBooks and Barnes & Noble bestseller, a RBY (Romantic Book of the Year) and National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and a multi-finalist for a number of awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, and More than Magic.

  A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she has been a full time writer published for twenty years while raising her two dashing heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favorite, curling up with a good book!

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