That doesn’t answer my question, which tells me she does still care. Probably always has. I understand that; after all, I’m with Marcus, no matter how awful he can be, because I love him so deeply.
I don’t think that will ever change.
CHAPTER 23
NOW
Katia
After my mother leaves, I take the time to process what she’s said. I have a strong feeling my father will, in fact, show up and try for my time. A part of me wants to tell him to get lost, but the other part is curious. After all, he didn’t know about me. It’s not like he just decided to exit my life. Besides, what if I have siblings?
I’m interrupted by another knock at the door. Sighing, I go over and open it to face the same woman who was in the office clinging to Marcus earlier in the month. Ginger Barbie. She stares down at me, flicking her hair over her shoulder and running her fingers down it. Great. Just what I need. Crazy Barbie here looking for trouble.
And she’s looking for trouble. It’s written all over her face.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
She flicks her gaze inside, then back to me. “Sorry, who are you?”
“The question is,” I mutter, crossing my arms. “Who are you?”
“I’m Yasmin, I’m here to see Marcus.”
“He’s not here.”
She narrows her eyes. “He said he would be.”
Ouch. My chest tightens but I keep my face impassive.
“He’s not.”
“You’re her, aren’t you?” she mutters, studying me. “His wife?”
I’m sure she already knows this, but she’s decided being a bitch is more fun.
“And you’re her, aren’t you?” I retaliate. “The whore.”
She flinches. “You know, he told me he doesn’t even love you. Makes me wonder exactly why he married you.”
I flinch.
She laughs. “When I was here last, I asked him about you and I asked him if he loved you. He said no, then freaked out because he knew what he’d done.”
If it wasn’t for the fact that things have been so bad lately, I wouldn’t believe her. But things have been bad, so my chest clenches.
“Why are you here?” I hiss.
“I told you, he called me.”
“And I’m telling you, leave.”
“He’s interested in sleeping with me again,” she says, smiling slyly. “We had a good time together.”
“He’s fucking married,” I bark. “Now leave!”
“It must hurt,” she says, swinging her eyes back to me. “To be the woman in his bed that he’s the least interested in.”
Her words sting.
So much I have nothing to say back.
“What must hurt more,” she continues. “Is that your husband would rather fuck me, then come to you.”
“He wouldn’t cheat on me,” I whisper.
“He hasn’t,” she leans in close. “But he will.”
I lose it. The events of the past few days get the better of me and I lose it. I lift a fist and I swing it into her face. I hit her right in the nose and she screams, stumbling backwards. I stand in shock. I’ve never hit someone in my entire life. My shock has me stuck to the floor, unable to move, it also gives her the chance to swing back.
She punches my eye, hard. Who knew she had it in her? I stumble backwards, head spinning. I reach up, pressing my hand over my eye. Jesus. I think I’m going to pass out. She hit me fucking hard. She’s still clutching her nose, blood pouring through her fingers. “You’re going to pay for this,” she screams.
“Get the fuck out,” I hiss.
“You’ll pay. I’m going to charge you with assault, you crazy bitch!” She cries again before turning and rushing off.
Tears burn under my eyelids as I turn, stumbling into the house. Fucking Marcus, once again this comes down to him.
~*~*~*~
“She hit you.”
I glare up at Marcus. Still slightly dazed. My eye is swelling, to the point it’s half closed and I can’t see anything out of it.
“Katia,” he growls. “Answer me.”
“Yes, Marcus,” I snap. “She hit me. After she told me you told her you didn’t love me. Then she told me you called her over. Then she told me you want to sleep with her, again.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Fuck.”
I’m hurt, I’m angry and I’m confused. I don’t understand a damned thing about what’s going down and Marcus has spent his days running off, not letting me know what’s going on. Now he’s had a crazy woman show up, telling me things that...hurt. We can’t keep going on like this; I know it, and I hope to God he knows it too, because it’s wearing thin.
“We need to talk,” I say standing and walking into the kitchen.
His eyes flash to mine. “I didn’t call her here.”
I flinch. “You expect me to believe that?”
His face hardens. “Yeah, I fuckin’ do. I expect a lot of things from you, and believing that bitch isn’t one of them.”
“Jesus,” I cry. “I just had the worst night of my life. My mother knows about my father. That bitch came to my door and laid one on me. Despite all this, you just can’t fucking speak to me normally, can you?”
He flinches, so much so that he’s forced to take a steady step back.
“I didn’t call her here...”
God he just doesn’t get it.
“We both know that isn’t the issue. You’ve been disappearing for days at a time, not answering my calls, not telling me where you are. What the hell did I do to you?”
His hard mask comes back over his features and he turns into the kitchen. “Nothing.”
I lose it. Tired of all the bullshit, tired of feeling second in his world, and tired of not mattering, I start screaming so loudly he jerks and turns, his eyes widening.
“Fuck you, you selfish son-of-a-bitch!” I scream, my hands shaking. “I do everything for you. I fucking adore you and you don’t give a God damned fuck about me. You push me away. You treat me like a sex toy. You never fucking ever tell me you love me. I’m sick of it. Do you hear me? I deserve more than this. I love you, God, so fucking much, but I’m deserving of the same back. I will no longer be your fucking toy, Marcus Tandem. You either pull your head out of your fucking ass or I’m leaving. The decision is yours, because I’m done!”
With that, I turn on my heel and disappear into my room.
Fuck him.
Fuck it all.
~*~*~*~
MARCUS
I’m pacing.
The ice pack in my hands is freezing my fingers.
The torment in my body is fucking killing me.
To go to her, and show her whatever the fuck it is growing in my chest.
Or to leave her there.
Fuck.
What the hell do I do?
~*~*~*~
KATIA
I press my face into my tear-streaked pillow. My head is pounding, my eye is swollen shut, and my heart hurts. It’s been an hour, and he didn’t follow me. Of course he didn’t fucking follow me. Where did I go so wrong? When did I let myself become such a puppet? He doesn’t love me. I’m just a convenience. He’s proved that tonight.
Where does that leave me?
Tomorrow, I’ll have to pack my bags, go back to a horrible, long job and continue with debts that are out of my control. Giving him up, just the very thought, burns my heart. It burns so bad. My body breaks out into another fit of sobs. I love him. I don’t even know why sometimes, but I do. I love him so fucking much and he doesn’t—
The door creaks open.
My heart stops beating.
The floorboards creak as he nears my bed and I hold my breath as the covers are pulled back. Is this really happening? The bed shifts, and a cool pack is pressed to my face. I start crying harder, and his arm circles my waist, pulling me into him as he holds the ice to my eye. Swallowing down my tears, I let myself feel everything h
e’s giving me.
God, it feels so good.
Slowly, he turns me to my back. I can’t see him in the darkness, but I can feel his hot breath against my cheek. He says not a word as he lowers his lips to mine and kisses me, so softly, so passionately, I struggle to breathe. His fingers move over my body in the gentlest, softest way, torturing me with beauty.
“Marcus,” I breathe. “You’re destroying me. You’re taking everything I am and twisting it. You’re...ruining me.”
“I know, precious,” he whispers.
God.
He kisses down my body. His mouth moves over my flesh and his hands caress me in a way I’ve never felt. It’s so gentle. So unlike him. My heart aches at the beauty he’s showing me and I want more. So much more. When his mouth settles between my legs over my panties, I moan his name and arch up into him.
He pulls back just slightly, and breathes over my pussy. Bliss. His fingers hook into my panties and he tugs them down before settling his mouth right back between my legs and sucking deep. So deep I’m screaming his name in a matter of minutes. With a shuddering body, I spread my legs for him as he moves over me. Then he’s sinking deep inside.
“Marcus,” I moan.
He starts fucking me . . . slowly? I blink in surprise. Marcus never fucks slow. He’s always going deep and hard, almost brutal. And that’s hot, but this . . . this is some kind of fucking wonderful. I reach up, sinking my fingernails into his back and moaning his name as he carefully slides his cock in and out. His hands come up and he cups my face, pressing his lips against mine as his body moves.
I realize, with sudden clarity, that Marcus Tandem is making love to me.
Something in my heart explodes and my body goes instantly warm. Everything comes alive all at once, and with his hands cupping my face, his body moving in mine so gently, I come. I come hard and long. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. My back arches and instead of screaming his name like I usually would, I whimper it. Like a desperate plea. He moans, deep and long, and then moments later his body shudders with his own release.
We both lay in the darkness, silent. He still hasn’t spoken a word to me. He drops his forehead to mine and his breath tickles my lips as we come down from what was the most amazing moment of my life. Then, ever so gently, he rolls off me and pulls me into his side.
And finally, for the very first time . . . Marcus sleeps with me the entire night.
CHAPTER 24
NOW
Marcus
The lamp in my hand soars across the room, smashing into my door. Clenching my fists, I drop down onto the bed, pressing my face into my hands. What the fuck am I doing? When the hell did I change from not giving a shit about her, to feeling something? This isn’t meant to happen. It’s not, because I’m Marcus Tandem.
And I’m falling in love with my wife.
What the fuck am I going to do?
~*~*~*~
KATIA
I feel amazing.
There’s just something awesome about the way my body is humming right now. After all, he stayed with me the entire night. The. Entire. Night. I can’t wipe the silly smile off my face as I walk into work, throwing my purse down onto the desk and flopping back into my seat. I’m sure the customers are going to love me today; after all I’m so damned happy they’re going to be getting some seriously amazing service.
I find myself daydreaming about my own husband as I answer phones and punch keys during my work hours. When he walks in, our eyes meet, and God if I don’t feel it right to my bones. His mouth tips up at the corner—a half smile. Fucking beautiful. The first real smile he’s ever given me. I didn’t realize it until that very moment, but that smile, the way it transforms his face¸ is one of a kind.
When lunch rolls around, he sweeps past me, dark chocolate eyes burning into me. He’s on the phone, but when he reaches reception he leans down, cupping my jaw, and he kisses me. Fuck. Yes. Then he pulls back, still listening to the phone, and he holds my gaze. He stares into them for a solid few minutes before stepping back and leaving.
Marcus Tandem.
Heaven.
After lunch, work slows down, so I do some filing. Candy is away today, and that sucks because I’d really love to talk to her. My eye is still throbbing from last night, but it’s not black. Besides, I’m in too much of a happy haze to care. Marcus is gone for the afternoon, and the office is quiet, so I potter about until the day is up. Then I rush into the house to prepare dinner.
Marcus comes in after six and drops his briefcase on the table. His eyes scan over me as I stand at the sink, washing the mess I just made to prepare the awesome roast cooking in the oven. His eyes flash and there goes that half smile again. “Goin’ for a run,” he murmurs.
“I made dinner,” I smile, leaning my hips against the counter.
“I see that.”
“Are you going to have some with me?”
His eyes crinkle as he unfastens his tie. “Yeah, precious.”
Yippee!
~*~*~*~
MARCUS
My feet pound on the pavement as I work to clear my head. Happy. Light. Airy. That’s how I feel today. It’s been a good day. Everything has gone perfectly. No arguments. No tension. For the first time in my entire life, I’m content. It’s a feeling I’m yet to process; after all I’ve never felt it before.
Is it because of her?
Fuck.
My heart is dragging me in two different directions. One of those directions is right into the arms of my wife, the other is out of her arms and out of her life. I’m not stupid, I know exactly what would happen if she found out about the contract. If she knew what I have done. She wouldn’t love me. So there really is only one question I have to ask myself.
Am I willing to let her fall harder?
Because if I continue on like this, and she finds out, her world will shatter.
Perhaps being a bastard is best.
CHAPTER 25
NOW
Katia
“Argh!” I cry, tossing my purse onto the bed and stomping my foot, yes, stomping it.
My favorite handbag just broke. The handle snapped right off. It’s the only bag I’ve ever had that I love and I’m devastated. I throw myself forward onto the bed, landing on my stomach. I’m pouting and I don’t care.
“What’s wrong with you?”
I lift my head to see Marcus leaning against the door frame, bare chested, looking fine.
“Hello husband.”
He smirks. “What’s wrong, Katia?”
“My handbag broke.”
He quirks a brow. “And that calls for this,” he waves his hand at me, “tantrum?”
“I am not having a tantrum!” I protest. “It was important to me. Special. I loved it.”
“Go buy another one.”
“I would, except I don’t know where it’s from.”
His eyes scan my face.
I let mine lower to his man V. Mmmmmmm.
“Any chance you can come in here and just let me lick you a little bit?” I murmur.
He snorts. “Katia.”
“Come on, Marcus. You can’t walk in here like that and expect me not to want to lick you.”
He takes a step forward. My heart begins to pound. Things between Marcus and I have been good for the last week. I wouldn’t say it’s great, but there’s no tension and we’ve even had moments where we talk. It’s been...refreshing. He stops in front of me and I’m faced with his man V. Yes please.
“You really have a great man V,” I murmur, reaching out and running my fingers over it. He flinches.
“What the fuck is a man V?”
“This,” I say, tracing it. “Hot.”
“Are you goin’ to touch me, Katia, or are you going to make me coming in here worth it.”
I grin up at him. “Oh, I’ll make it worth it.”
And I do.
~*~*~*~
MARCUS
“Just find it, I don’t ca
re where, I don’t care how much.”
“Dude,” Mack mutters. “Are you sick?”
“Fuck up, bro. I need you to get your girl onto it, yeah?”
“Seriously?”
“Does it sound like I’m fuckin’ joking?”
“Marcus Tandem,” he snorts. “Are you in love?”
“Fuck you, Mack.”
I hang up the phone and lean back.
Fuck love.
Fuck this.
What the hell is happening?
~*~*~*~
KATIA
After work the next day, I pad into my room.
I stop dead when I see something sitting on my pillow. It’s a gift.
I look around, but no one is here. Unable to contain my excitement, I rush forward and throw myself onto the bed, reaching out for it. I lift the note and read it.
K,
Just because.
M
I can’t help but smile as I drop it and tear open the paper. I gasp and then squeal with delight. A brand new handbag, exactly the same as the one I broke, sits in my hands. Marcus got me a handbag. The one I wanted. The one I love. Happiness swells in my chest and I can’t help but whoop loudly.
Then I get up and run down the halls and back into the office. Marcus is just entering with some clients, but I charge towards him. His eyes flash to me and he catches me as I lunge, wrapping my arms around him. I kiss his cheeks, his lips, everywhere then I pull back. “You got me a handbag.”
“You broke yours.”
“You’re the best, Marcus!”
“Katia,” he leans into my ear. “I’m working.”
Right.
He lets me go and I step back, waving sheepishly to the men who are smirking at my little performance.
“I’ll thank you later,” I grin.
Then I rush off.
Nothing can kill my happy vibe.
CHAPTER 26
NOW
Katia
“God, this day is taking forever,” I moan to Candy as we sit at the reception desk, doing some filing.
“Tell me about it.”
“We need to go out, do something this weekend,” I say, shoving some paper into a file. “Maybe Dusty can come?”