Chapter 1

In the third year of my engagement to Michael Goldman, he pursued a college student with fervor and made sure everyone knew about it. He also allowed her to sit on his lap and kiss him while I watched.

He laughed and told his buddies, "Women are always better when they're wilder. Carissa is just too obedient."

Later, his youngest uncle, a soldier who had always kept his distance from all women, shared a story on his Instagram. It was a photo of me with my arms around him as we made out passionately. He captioned it, "She's wild enough for me."

Michael came knocking on my door, drenched from the rain and looking crazed. His uncle answered the door, his neck covered in the hickeys I'd left behind.

"It's not exactly nice to try to disrupt someone's married life, Michael."

…

It had been three months since Michael started his high-profile pursuit of a college student. When I went to look for him at a bar, I saw her sitting on his lap and sweetly saying, "Mike."

He laughed while boldly caressing her waist, which made the college student giggle and kiss him. They made out passionately and without a care for their surroundings—I could even see their saliva.

Michael's buddies whooped and cheered. "What's going to happen to Carissa now that you have a new girlfriend, Mike?"

"It's always better to date a woman who can be wild. Carissa's too obedient. If not for my grandfather forcing me into this and her refusal to leave me alone, I would've kicked her to the curb ages ago," Michael said.

I entered the room at that moment and heard everything he said. Silence immediately descended upon the room—the people who'd been messing around earlier settled down.

One of Michael's buddies got up to smooth the situation over. "Mike was just having a bit of fun, Carissa."

I ignored him and looked at Michael. The college student was still perched on his lap with her arms around his neck. She gave me a challenging smile.

I asked Michael, "Are you serious about her?"

He didn't seem bothered by my presence. He kept his arm around the college student and smiled at me. "Quinn is great, but you don't have to worry about anything. I'm only having some fun with her. You'll still be Mrs. Goldman."

Quinn Lane wasn't too happy to hear that. She pinched his waist, which only pleased Michael more. He looked down at her and comforted her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

I bet having two women fighting over him was such an ego boost. In the past, Michael had messed around with celebrities, college students, and even female employees in his company. I'd never interfered in his matters because they'd never provoked me.

Quinn was different, though. She'd sent me photos of her and Michael being intimate and presents he'd bought her. Today, I'd gone to the bar to catch Michael and Quinn red-handed because she'd texted me.

I watched their public display of affection and looked around at the people watching the show unfold.

Michael said he liked wild women, but he and everyone else had probably forgotten how no one in Nord City dared to piss me off when I, Carissa Johnson, acted wildly.

I grabbed a beer bottle from the table and emptied it all over Michael and Quinn. The cold liquid poured over them, making Quinn scream. Michael was pissed off.

"What the hell are you doing, Carissa?" He glared at me. How could a goody-two-shoes like me dare to pour beer all over him?

Chapter 2

Michael and Quinn looked disheveled. Quinn grabbed a napkin to wipe herself while clinging to Michael and being coy with him. "Look at her, Mike. How could she do something like that? She's dirtied my new dress!"

Michael kept his arm around her as he snarled, "You'd better apologize to Quinn, Carissa. How can you be so petty?"

I'd always been obedient before Michael. He couldn't believe I'd had the nerve to pour beer over him and Quinn.

It was apparent he didn't care about whether I'd feel humiliated or ashamed—he was defending his lover while shaming me, his fiancée.

Well, it didn't matter. The affairs Michael had had over the years were enough to humiliate me.

"Let's break up, Michael." I threw the beer bottle on the floor, allowing it to roll to his feet.

He was slightly taken aback. Then, he looked at me with mockery. "You've lost your mind, Carissa. You're breaking up with me?"

He didn't believe I would do it. After all, I'd pursued him back then and begged for this engagement. No matter how much trouble he'd caused over the past three years, I'd never clamored for a breakup. Today, I was demanding one over a college student. He didn't believe I was being serious.

I nodded and took off my diamond engagement ring, throwing it at him. "Yes, I'm breaking up with you. You and I have nothing to do with each other from today onward."

After that, I grabbed my bag and left. Michael stared at me, then shouted, "We'll really be over if you step out that door, Carissa!"

I ignored him and left without another look back.

Michael's friends tried to appease him. "Carissa seems really mad this time, Mike. Maybe you should go talk to her."

He snorted. "Talk to her? Is that even necessary? She'll come back to me in two days, begging me to take her back."

To Michael, I was a goody-two-shoes who couldn't bear to be apart from him.

I left the bar and headed to the hospital for my night shift. The news that I wanted to break up with Michael soon spread through our social circle. Everyone texted me to comfort me.

"Mike only made a mistake in the heat of the moment, Carissa. You're still the one he loves."

"No one can usurp your status as Mrs. Goldman. We're rooting for you, Carissa."

My best friend was the only one who sent something different. "Pay up."

I ignored all the messages, only transferring money to my best friend, my heart aching.

When my shift was almost over, there was an emergency—two men in military uniforms showed up. One looked young and was probably a rookie, while the other looked about 30.

His skin was tanned, perhaps from years of training. That didn't take away from his good looks, though. He was sexy and wild, and his lips were pursed tightly. They made one want to pry them open.

In other words, I wanted to kiss him.

This was the first time I'd met a man who made my mouth go dry. By the time I realized I was staring at him, he was appraising me, too. Our gazes met, and we observed each other.

I couldn't help finding him familiar, but it only hit me when I saw his name on the patient's details form.

"Caleb Goldman."

It was such a small world—he was Caleb Goldman, Michael's youngest uncle. He was Michael's grandfather, Stephen Goldman's youngest son. He'd enlisted in the army and was away from home around the year. I'd only seen him once throughout my three-year engagement with Michael.

He'd taken a day off and returned to celebrate Mr. Goldman Senior's birthday. I'd only met him once in three years, but he'd left an impression—he was too good-looking not to.

I didn't expect to run into him right after breaking up with Michael.

"Doctor, Captain Goldman has been injured at his waist. Could you help him with it?"

"Of course. Mr. Goldman, please come with me," I told Caleb.

He hadn't said a word so far and followed me into the treatment room. I grabbed the tools I needed and pointed at the bed, telling him to lie down. Then, I told him to take his clothes off.

"Everything?" he asked seriously.

Chapter 3

I was taken aback and hurriedly said, "No, no. Just your shirt is enough."

Caleb glanced at me before grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. He threw it aside.

I put on my gloves and helped him clean and bandage the wound. It wasn't deep but was very long. I disinfected it before doing the sutures. When I was done, I admired Caleb's strong and trim body.

As expected of a soldier—his muscles were tough and chiseled. I almost wanted to poke them.

The thought formed in my mind, and I put it into action. I prodded his abs, then smiled and said, "Nice muscles."

I thought Caleb would be flustered or angered by my teasing, but he was neither. Instead, he said calmly, "Thanks."

He was serious and composed—as expected of a soldier. After that, he grabbed his T-shirt and put it on.

I reminded him of what he needed to pay attention to before he and his rookie soldier left. After a while, I packed my things, changed, and prepared to leave.

I received a few texts from Michael.

"If you apologize to Quinn and me and bring us breakfast, I'll consider forgiving you."

"This is your last chance, Carissa. I won't forgive you if you don't come and apologize to me right now!"

What a nuisance. Michael had too much confidence in himself. I deleted the texts and blocked his number. Did he really think I'd die without him?

I went to the parking lot after leaving the hospital. There, an offroad vehicle in camouflage honked at me. I looked at it to see Caleb in it.

He lifted his jaw in my direction. "Get in."

I pondered the matter for two seconds before getting in. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he asked, "Should we head to your place or mine?"

"What are you talking about, Uncle Caleb? I don't get what you mean." I looked at him innocently.

He kept one hand on the wheel as he leaned close to me. "You told me to take my clothes off in the hospital. Now, you're telling me you don't know what I mean?"

He blew the smoke at me, his warm breath fanning over my ear. I chuckled and wrapped my arms around his neck, deliberately teasing him. "You're Michael's uncle, and I'm his fiancée."

In truth, Michael and I had already broken up. Caleb didn't know that, though.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him. He was as strong and tough as he looked. "You seduced me despite knowing I'm Michael's uncle. Have you always been this wild, Carissa?"

He nibbled my earlobe. "I've waited for you for two hours. Come on—your place or mine?"

He gripped my waist, a little impatient. Men in the army probably didn't get much action—he looked like he was aroused from my seduction and raring to go.

"Let's head to Goldman Manor. Would you have the nerve to do that, Uncle Caleb?" I gave him a provocative look.