The news of William Harrison Montgomery’s engagement to Dr. Connor Daniel Windsor was front page news in the Kingsport Press. A piece of public relations which only could have been crafted from the minds hired by the Montgomery family to put the best spin on their sorted private lives made people from around town send their best wishes. Women cursed the fact that two eligible bachelors were off the market while some men cursed the fact that they hadn’t been smart enough to snag Will. Everyone agreed that their union would be one of the most important since Charles Montgomery married Alison Farrell almost fifty years ago. While some things do change, the fact that society marriages are business transactions trussed up in tulle and taffeta was only known to a few. For everyone else, the gaiety and pomp during the run-up to the wedding day was the result of glitter being thrown into the eyes of those who weren’t privy to the truth.
For India Montgomery, the news of her brother’s engagement to Connor sent her into a tailspin. She wanted nothing more than to get Will out of the way, but she was warned by her father that her antics wouldn’t be appreciated or taken kindly this time around. While she had no intention of complying with Charles’ wishes, she knew better than to make an obvious disruption during Will and Connor’s engagement.
Engagement.
The word coursed through her mind with pure venom. For most of her life, she’d done whatever she could to get rid of Will. Now he was assuming her life by way of marrying Connor. It wasn’t fair. She loved Connor. She had done everything in her power to get him to love her. She had stalked him, obsessed about him, and lied about him in order for him to notice her. Now he was marring Will.
Will.
She hated him from the minute of his birth. One of her earliest memories was trying to smother him with a pillow, but one of the maids stopped her when she came in to change the bedding. A few years later, she pushed him down the stairs of the main house. At least he broke his arm that time. When Will was in college, she paid someone to hack into his computer and leak his nude photos. That was a great scandal which was never traced back to her. However, this was different. Will had gone after the man she loved. Connor was always meant to be hers and hers alone.
As India sat in the quiet of her bedroom in the main house of the Montgomery Estate, a wicked thought took root in her brain. She decided that the best thing she could do right now was to do nothing. Instead of causing a scene, she would do nothing but smile, smile, and smile again. She would tell everyone, “Yes, I am happy for my brother and Connor. The whole family is thrilled for them.” She would tell as many lies as she could to get herself through this horrific moment. And then…when everyone least expected it, she would launch an assault with such venom that no one could stop her. By the time she was done, Will would be out of the picture and Connor would be hers. It didn’t matter how far she had to go. It didn’t matter who got hurt in the end. Connor belonged to her. And, before anyone else knew it, she would become Connor’s wife.
“I really am happy for you,” Warren told Will and Connor over breakfast at his house. “It’s nice to celebrate good news for once.”
Jill Stanhope Montgomery chewed on a bagel with a false smile plastered on her face. “This really is great to hear,” said Jill, coolly.
“Has India given you any grief?” asked Warren.
Will shook his head. “It’s the oddest thing. She seems fine with it.”
“India’s finally got the hint that I don’t want anything to do with her,” said Connor, firmly. “I’m with the man I love.”
Warren smiled broadly. “That’s what I like to hear. I hate to break-up this little gathering, but I have to get to the office.”
“Could you drop me off at the polo club? I have some work to do before we see Connor’s parents tonight,” said Will.
Jill watched as Will and Warren left the house, bonded in their mutual brotherly love. She turned to Connor with disdain in her eyes. For years she had avoided this man. Now she was engaged to her brother-in-law and she’d never be free of craving him with every inch of her being. “You can leave now,” she said, hotly.
“Jill,” cooed Connor. “Even after two children, you look as fit as I remember.” He gave her a dashing smile. “We had fun, didn’t we?”
A nervous sensation coursed through Jill’s body. The sound of his voice – the sound which haunted her dreams – made her wet with desire. “That was a long time ago. I’m happy with Warren.”
“Warren’s a great guy…”
“And one of your friends…”
“But he’s not me. Remember that time you squirted clear across the room at the Kingsport Arms?” Connor moved closer to Jill, his hot breath tickling the hairs on her neck. “I remember how you would masturbated in front of me before going on your first date with Warren.” He leaned into her, his lips just millimeters from her ear. “I can still smell you all over me.”
Jill sat frozen in her suppressed lust for Connor. “I’m happy with Warren.”
“That’s the thing about happy people… They don’t convince everyone that they’re happy.” He let his hand graze her bare knees. “We did have fun, Jill… So much dirty fun,” he whispered. “Well,” he said, his voice returning to normal, “thank you for breakfast. Whoever would have thought that we’d end up married to the Montgomery brothers. We must be lucky.” Connor stood up and began walking to the entryway of the dining room.
“Do you love Will?”
Connor turned to Jill with a bemused smirk. “Yes, I love him.”
“Does he know about us?”
Connor’s gunmetal blue eyes shimmered with menace. “He never will. It was years ago.”
“I could tell him.”
“You won’t.”
“I should.”
“You won’t.” Connor sauntered over to Jill, placed his hand between her legs, and rubbed the sensitive spot on her thigh that always made her quiver. “Don’t ever threaten me again.” His voice dropped as he whispered, “If you don’t want to wind up like India, keep your mouth shut.”
“Connor,” Jill said, her voice quaking with fear and lust.
“Go masturbate, Jill. Oh, and thanks for breakfast.”
Jill sat in her seat for what seemed like hours. No matter how much she hated Connor, she wanted him. Even though she wanted to expose him to the world, she knew he could ruin her life. She felt trapped. She hated this man, but craved him all the same. In that moment, Jill Stanhope Montgomery cried for the first time in years. The tears weren’t because she was afraid, but because she was willing to throw everything away for one more night with Connor. She knew he could be dangerous, but his touch alone made Jill lose her mind. There, in the perfect dining room in her perfect house, Jill Stanhope Montgomery let the tears fall as she rued the day she’d ever met Dr. Connor Windsor.
In our next installment, Nicholas arrives in Kingsport…
Follow Kingsport on Twitter and Facebook.
Email us at Kingsport@SoapKast.com
© 2021; SoapKast, Inc. All rights reserved.