Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

True love had nothing to do with a wife's culinary skills. A man who truly loved a woman would still find her attractive at her
worst.
Alyssa was too focused on cooking and did not notice Jasper creeping up to her.
She gasped when he pulled her into a hug, his masculine scent enveloping her senses.
He grumbled, "Why are you moving around when I'm not at home? You're injured and need rest." He tightened his grip on her
waist with desire, but she kept quiet about the discomfort.
Instead, she placed her right hand on the back of his hand and patted it. She allowed him to hug her for as long as he wished.
His heavy breath on her neck sent electric shivers through her.
Suddenly detecting a faint tobacco scent, she questioned, "Did you smoke?"
"Sorry, Lyse. I couldn't resist," he rasped, resting his chin on her shoulder. Rubbing his chin against her skin, he vowed, "I won't
do it again."
"Anything troubling you?" she wondered, feeling worried when she sensed his low mood.
"Nothing."
"Did Javier give you trouble at work?" she mused wittily, as observant as ever.
Smiling bitterly, he teased her, "I'll need to perform a body scan. Did you put a hidden camera somewhere on me?"
"Yeah. It's here." She turned, poking his heart. "Did he confront you about Sophia?"

"I hosted a meeting and stripped Sophia of her role in the company. He didn't seem pleased about it. I think he wanted to protect
her." Jasper sounded flat. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, reassuring her, "Don't worry. I will not let him win this
time. Sophia Kirkman must go."
"Nah, Javier didn't confront you to protect Sophia. At the end of the day, he was trying to protect his reputation. Everyone was
talking about the tragic fates of the women associated with him. I bet there are lots of conspiracy theories out there," Alyssa
bluntly expressed her thoughts in front of Jasper.
He agreed, "I know. My dad is a selfish man." Feeling uneasy, he let out a frustrated sigh, worried that he had let her down
again.
He promised, "Don't worry about it. We'll move out of Seaview Manor when we're married and get our own place."
The talk of marriage made Alyssa blush. Her heart raced.
"If you prefer more time with your family, I'll stay in Belbanks with you. If you're worried about Grandpa, we can buy a villa at
Crescent Bay to stay close to him." Jasper smiled as he pictured their future
together.
"Grandpa called me two days ago to check on my injury. He told me that he was fed up with Solana City and its petty people. He
would much prefer the down-to-earth nature of the Belbanks natives, and he thought of moving to Belbanks with me," she
sweetly revealed.
"Anything you like." Jasper, defenseless against her charm, kissed her passionately. Their breaths mingled as their tongues
danced.

A while later, she pulled away, face flushed. "Living in Belbanks might be troublesome for your job. You'll spend four hours on the
commute."
"Well, I can always take the helicopter. Xavier sucks at driving one, but I can do it myself. What matters is keeping you happy,"
he declared, undeterred by any inconvenience.
Her eyes misted over, feeling touched by his declaration, but somehow, she felt as if there was some unresolved issue deep in
her heart.