Chapter 1

"It is past ten, Mrs. Valdez."

Elena Rios kept her voice low, her eyes fixed nervously on a spot on the floor just past Ervin's expensive shoes. The housekeeper stood near the edge of the massive Persian rug, her hands folded neatly in front of her apron.

Kelsey placed the heavy porcelain bowl of French beef stew onto the center of the marble dining table. The heat radiating from the dish was already fading.

She stared at the two unlit candles. Her chest felt tight, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her ribs. A sour taste coated the back of her throat.

A sharp click echoed from the entryway. The security system light turned from red to green.

Kelsey's head snapped up. Her heart skipped a beat, a foolish flutter of hope hitting her ribs.

Ervin Valdez walked through the heavy oak door. The crisp, biting chill of the Manhattan autumn clung to his dark wool coat.

He shrugged off the custom-tailored jacket and handed it to Elena without looking at her.

Kelsey took a step forward. The air shifted around him.

It hit her instantly. A thick, suffocating wave of sweet vanilla and synthetic jasmine.

Her stomach violently cramped. The acid burned its way up her esophagus. It was Sylvia Vance's perfume.

Ervin loosened his silk tie. His dark, cold eyes swept over the elaborate spread on the dining table. He did not look impressed. He looked annoyed.

Kelsey dug her fingernails into her palms. The sharp pain grounded her. She forced the corners of her mouth up and reached for the decanter. She poured a glass of red wine and held it out to him.

Ervin did not raise his hand. The glass hovered in the empty space between them.

The silence in the penthouse grew thick and freezing.

Ervin let out a low, harsh breath that sounded like a laugh.

"What new trick are you playing tonight, Kelsey?"

Kelsey's fingers trembled against the smooth crystal stem of the wine glass. Her knuckles turned stark white.

She forced air into her lungs.

"It is our three-year wedding anniversary, Ervin."

Ervin's jaw ticked. He reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt with a rough, impatient tug.

He closed the distance between them in two long strides.

His massive frame cast a dark shadow over her. He backed her up until her spine hit the hard edge of the marble table.

His large hand shot out. His fingers clamped around her jaw like a steel vice.

Kelsey winced. The pain shot through her cheekbones.

He leaned down. His face was inches from hers.

"You called me back to Manhattan just to satisfy your physical needs?" he sneered.

Heat flooded Kelsey's eyes. Her vision blurred. She brought both hands up and pushed hard against his solid chest.

Ervin's eyes darkened at her resistance.

Before she could blink, he wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her off the floor.

Elena flinched almost imperceptibly, her hands tightening against her apron before she turned and disappeared silently toward the kitchen.

Kelsey gasped. The sudden loss of gravity made her stomach drop. Her fingers slipped.

The wine glass shattered against the thick carpet. A dark red stain spread across the fabric like blood.

Ervin carried her down the long hallway. He kicked the heavy carved wooden door of the master bedroom open with his leather shoe.

He threw her onto the center of the massive bed. The mattress bounced under her weight.

He followed her down instantly, pinning her beneath his heavy body.

His mouth crashed down on hers. It was not a kiss. It was a punishment. His teeth scraped against her bottom lip, brutal and devoid of any warmth.

Kelsey could not breathe. Her lungs screamed for oxygen. She shoved her hands against his broad shoulders, twisting her face away.

Ervin grabbed both of her wrists with one hand. He slammed them into the pillow above her head and held them there.

"Fulfill your duty as a Valdez wife," he ordered. His voice was ice.

Kelsey closed her eyes. A single tear broke free and slid down her temple, disappearing into her hairline.

Her muscles went completely slack. She stopped fighting. She lay there beneath him, staring at the ceiling like a hollow, broken doll.

Her dead silence irritated him. Ervin let out a frustrated growl. He grabbed the neckline of her silk nightgown and ripped it down the middle.

The sound of tearing fabric sliced through the quiet room.

Kelsey's eyes snapped open.

Her chest heaved. Her voice shook, but the words came out sharp and clear.

"Ervin, let's get a divorce."