Hayley came to but didn't dare open her eyes. She wanted to keep sleeping so that she could at least avoid everything. Her melt down yesterday with JR had been inevitable. At one point he had to do something to trigger off her reaction. She still remembered how Vince had walked on eggshells around her for months so that she wouldn't blow up. Problem was JR knew nothing about her past so he was bound to make mistakes. Besides how could she marry him when he didn't even know who she really was? If he didn't even know how damaged she really was. She breathed in and in the process of breathing out realized there was a flowery scent in the air.

Poor Shree. She thought. If her friend had ordered flowers this early then she was in trouble. It was only Tuesday. By Saturday they would all be wilted. She laughed then jumped when a voice asked "Care to share the joke?"

"Jesus! What is wrong with you?" Hayley asked putting her right hand on her heart in the attempt to calm herself down.

"Nothing. I was waiting for you to wake up" JR said looking over at her. Maybe it was creepy that he had spent the last two hours in her room staring at her while she slept but in his defense he was waiting for her to wake up.

"Couldn't you do that somewhere else?"

"I did. At the dining room and when you didn't show up I came here" he shrugged

She was still lying in bed with her covers almost on her chin now. "Why?"

" Why what?"

"Why were you waiting for me to wake up JR?"

"Oh that. To say I'm sorry. Clearly yesterday I'd crossed an invisible line and I really am sorry for making you upset"

"Apology accepted. Now leave it's too early for you to start pestering me" she told him but he wasn't listening. He was wondering what she had on underneath those covers. Although he had been tempted to check when she was asleep, he didn't. That would have been creepy even for him. Although it had taken everything in him not to peel back those covers.

"I'm not doing anything. Today you tell me what you want and I'll do it for you. I'm your slave" he said grinning wickedly.

"No thanks. But you know what? I'm sure Giselle would appreciate you being her slave. Why don't you go bother her? Better why don't you go and shove your tongue down her throat?" Hayley snapped. It wasn't that she didn't want him to wait on her. Her resolve was melting and sending him away would give her time to pull herself together.

"I want to shove my tongue in your pussy. Can I do that?" he asked casually while Hayley choked on her breath.

Jesus Fucking Christ. How was she supposed to say no to that when she wanted the same thing. Throwing off her covers she swung her legs off the bed forgetting the flimsy nightdress she was wearing. "What the hell" she asked after realizing her room was filled with all types of flowers. "JR did you do all this?" when she got not reply she turned her head in his direction and stopped short. His eyes were blazing, pupils dilated and roaming all over her body. "No. No. No. Stop looking at me like that. I asked you a question" she put her arms out as barriers to keep him from pouncing on her. Not that the gesture would have stopped him.

"Yes" was all he said still trying to imprint this image of her to his memory.

Hayley swallowed her voice coming out raspy "Why?"

"Because I wanted to." he said getting up and walking towards her. "Because I was sorry" he stopped in front of her. "Because I love you"

Hayley swallowed again feeling her throat go dry. His eyes were so intense lighting her body on fire. He hadn't touched her ever since she caught him with Giselle in his office. The hot kisses he gave her didn't count. At least not to her. The look he was giving her right then was unraveling her sending heat straight to her core. She took a step back in the hopes of putting distance between them but cursed herself when the back of her knees hit the bed. He smirked devilishly knowing he'd cornered her. "James" she tried to protest but it came out like a moan. Damn you traitorous body. How was she supposed to fend him off if her body came alive with just one look from him. JR took that as his cue and without giving her a chance to complain ripped off the lace material. At the back of her mind it occurred to her that this should serve to teach her a lesson. Maybe next time she would actually stick to her pajamas. They were a much better choice and wouldn't rip so easily. Or so she hoped.

"You're mine Hayley and you will marry me come Saturday" he growled and reminded Hayley of a wild animal claiming what was theirs. Palming her breasts he pinched her nipples making a strangled moan escape her. As much as she wanted to she couldn't resist him. He was still fully dressed while all she had on was her panties. Hayley lifted her hands to undress him but he stopped her by pushing her none too gently on to the bed. Her body bounced on the soft mattress and before she opened her mouth to chastise him, he kissed her. Pushing her legs apart he settled in between them rubbing himself against her. The contrast was surprisingly erotic to Hayley because he didn't even move to take any piece of his clothing off. Dressed in slacks and a sweater he looked dashing. Simple but really sexy at the same time too.

"Alexis could come in" she rasped out already on the brink of drowning in desire

"I locked the door when I came in." he told her thinking he should get down to business before she found excuses to throw him out.

"I don't think this.... Ah!" she gasped and moaned at the same time. He'd pushed her panties aside and thrust into her making her forget what she wanted to say. He stayed still, not moving an inch like he was savoring the feeling of being inside her. Which he was, but he was also trying to control himself. He didn't like the power she had over him. He knew that she was the one person who could make or break him and that didn't sit well with him. What if she decided she really didn't want to marry him?

"No more talking" he grunted pulling almost all the way out then pushing himself back in. He had missed her over the weekend. How she held on to him when he was inside her, how she moaned his name like he was the most important thing to her right there and then, how glazed her eyes were with passion, all for him. She could deny everything else but this passion he aroused in her wasn't something she could hide. They both couldn't and he wanted to explore it. Keep it going long enough until she learned to trust him. Because if she didn't trust him then she wouldn't even think about returning her feelings for him. Love started with trust and he really wanted her to love him back.

"James" Hayley kept chanting his name over and over again. The feelings he made her feel were unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Even with her husband it wasn't like this.

"Look at me" JR ordered her needing to see her eyes when she let go. "Come" and just like that her body responded to his command surrounding him with white hot heat. He wasn't far behind and together they tumbled into a world of pure bliss. He slumped on top of her moving to the side so as not to crush her.

"Do you think I'm a bad mother?" Hayley asked a few minutes later after their hearts had stopped speeding.

"Are you fishing for compliments?"

"No. It's a simple question that requires a simple answer. Yes or No."

"No I don't think you're a bad mother" he said hoping to calm her down. She could go from zero to a hundred in a split second. Women. "If you were I wouldn't chose to marry you and make you the mother of my children"

"Yeah right. Like you had a choice in that" she snickered

"I do have a choice. Do you think this is the first time my father pulled a stunt like this?"

"What?" Hayley bellowed finally getting up. This pillow talk wasn't normal.

"Yeah. He's tried to marry me off every chance he got but I just ignored him and finally he sent the women away" he said shocking her more.

"So you're telling me that imn not the first woman your father imposed on you?"

"Yes"

"Jerk" she punched him in the stomach when he tried to get up.

"Oomph..... What was that for?" JR sat up "Can't you be gentle with me?"

"That was me being gentle you idiot. You can't sit there and tell me I'm not the first potential wife you've ever had and expect me to just smile. How long did they stay?"

"A week at most"

"A week? I've been here for almost three months. And the others stayed a week?"

"Yes. I don't....."

"Why?" she cut him off.

"Why what?"

"Why did I stay this long? What do you want with me? Why is Jim keeping me here?" she fired at him.

"Hayley what do you mean?" JR asked getting up to find her something to wear. Her near naked state was driving him mad even though he'd just had her less than ten minutes ago. "I don't understand what you're saying. My father is not keeping you here. You're not a prisoner"

"Yes yes I am." she said sticking her hands in the robe he held out for her. "Don't you see? He got my landlord to kick me out. He threatened my boss at work to fire me. He knows very well that I can't fight back because he's a fucking Zillionaire who can throw money at everyone and get them to do whatever he wants. So why is he keeping me here?"

"You make him sound like a villain Hayley. I get that my father crosses the line most of the times but he's not a bad person. In fact he's the most generous man I know" he said wondering what had made her think like that.

"James"

"No. Listen to me. You're still here because of me. At the end of the day I get to decide if I want to marry you or not. With the previous women, I made it very clear to my dad that I wasn't interested in them. That's why he didn't push it with them. But with you it's different. It has been ever since you walked in to that gala looking so beautiful." he told her taking her hands in his. "Baby this chemistry we have between us is so obvious to everyone who can see. Just because they don't know about us doesn't mean they don't see sparks flying. And as for my father, he didn't send you away because I didn't complain about you. I've been so focused on trying to not like you that I forgot I always travelled every time he brought a woman home."

"Seriously"

"Yeah. If I didn't like her then I would just pack my bags and take a vacation or create a business trip"

"What if you liked her?"

"I snuck around with her and tried to bribe her daughter into convincing her mother I'm a good guy" she pulled her hands from his but he wouldn't let her. "I've never liked anyone until you."

"You're just saying that because you want to get in my pants"

"Been there, done that and it was amazing. Still is. Which is why I want more" he replied winking

"Yeah I almost forgot that......." the door knob rattled stopping her.

"Mom wake up" Alexis called from the other side.

"Shit. Hide" Hayley panicked pushing JR towards the bathroom but he wasn't moving.

"No"

"Yes. Hide before I smack you"

"I'm not hiding." he said then sat down on the bed

"Mom!"

"Coming sweetie" Hayley yelled then turned to JR growling "I am going to kill you"

"What took you so long?" Alexis asked pushing her aside and storming in. "You've been a..... You're still here?" she stopped and asked JR.

"Yeah. How was your class?"

"Boring. I told the tutor mom must be sick since she wasn't up yet so she let me come and check up on her." she said lying next to him and placing her head on his chest. JR's hand automatically pulled her in without even realizing he was doing so. Alexis sighed. "Do I have to go to school?"

"Yes. If I had to then you also have to"

"It sucks" she mumbled falling asleep.

"That it does." he said looking down at her. He wanted kids and if they were guaranteed to turn out like Alexis then he wanted them more. She was beautiful and charming. Too clever for her own good but that's where her charm came in. She was also strong and brave for a child going through what she was going through. How could he not want kids like her? He looked up at Hayley who was still standing by the door. Her eyes shone like she was trying really hard not to cry. "What's wrong?" he whispered careful not to wake Alexis up.

"Nothing." she replied approaching them. "I've been neglecting her. Look how tired she was that she fell asleep instantly the moment she got in bed?"

"I make a good pillow" he tried joking but stopped when the tears finally fell. "Hey don't cry"

"I am a bad mother. Ever since we got here I forgot that she needed me. I've been so focused on myself that I forgot about her. She's all I've got JR" Hayley cried

"You have me too. And don't say that you're a bad mother. Alexis is loved here. Even the staff adore her Hayley which means they're all looking out for her too. It's okay to think about yourself too" he moved from the sleeping child slowly making sure not to wake her.

"Love you mom" she said in her sleep not knowing that only made her mother cry more.

"See" JR pulled her in to his chest muffling her cries. "Even in her sleep she still knows you're there for her. Now stop crying I hate seeing you sad" running his hands up and down her back Hayley took comfort from the fact that he didn't agree with her assumptions. It felt nice to have someone reassure her that she wasn't failing at being a mother. It was the one thing she couldn't allow herself to fail in.

"I think this is where am supposed to say yes to your proposal" she said and even though her words weren't so clear he heard her.

"And is that a yes then?" JR asked hopeful

"No"

"Damn. That was so close" he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and breathed in.

"It's a maybe" Hayley said hoping he would let it go.

"Okay. I can work with a maybe" Like he was ever going to give up. He'd found her. Well technically his dad had but she was the one for him and he was going to do everything in his power to keep her. He wouldn't let her slip from his fingers ever. Which meant the wedding was still on.

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Done. Thoughts?
Hayley is reluctant to marry him and with good reason. You don't go through what she did and open yourself up again easily. I say she's strong enough to even consider getting married again.

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