by Anne Rainey
“Okay.”
Merrick’s smile wasn’t at all comforting. “There’s one catch.”
Well, of course there was! She should’ve seen that one coming a mile away. A man didn’t build a million-dollar company from the ground up and not have a few tricks up his sleeve.
“What are you thinking?” she ground out. “Out with it.”
“You do everything I say. I’m in charge of our fun in and out of the bedroom while we’re there.”
She quirked a brow at his choice of words. “Our fun?”
“You do as I say. Exactly as I say. You’ll turn yourself over to me completely.” He leaned close as he murmured, “The last day is yours to do with as you wish. You can order me to suck your toes if you want and I’ll do it. I’ll be putty in your hands, baby.”
The idea was way more appealing than it should’ve been. “You’ve never let me do that. You like to have control.”
“And you usually like me in control. But this is a special occasion. Besides, I don’t think it’ll be too much of a hardship.”
“Are you certain you won’t get cold feet?”
He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, dark promise in his heated gaze. “Try me, baby.”
Chloe’s pussy flooded with liquid warmth.
Chapter Four
Merrick shifted in his seat as he watched the hotel Chloe had run off to. He’d been watching over her since they’d left Sal’s. His instinct was to charge in there. He could easily rip the door off its hinges, toss her over his shoulder and bring her ass home. That would be the easy thing to do. The barbaric thing. Instead, he gave her the space she needed and silently kept watch, making sure she stayed safe. Hell, it wasn’t like he was going to get any sleep without her anyway. He might as well stand guard.
In the restaurant, she’d looked so pretty sitting at the table with her long, dark hair hanging past her shoulders in soft waves. The pink blouse she’d worn hadn’t been able to hide her full, round breasts, either. Chloe’s curvy body never failed to stir his libido, but the sadness in her eyes had stopped him cold. He wanted that look gone.
His cell beeped, dragging him away from thoughts of Chloe alone in a cold hotel bed. Merrick grabbed it off the middle console and flipped it open. “Yeah,” he grumbled.
“You’re not still there. Tell me you’re at home.”
It was the third time Blade had called to check up on him, as if he were a snot nosed kid. “I can’t leave her alone,” he explained yet again, barely holding onto his temper. “She’s never been alone. Even before we met she had a roommate.”
“It’s a nice hotel, bro. Hell, she’s not staying in some fleabag in the south end. She’ll be fine. You need to get some sleep.”
“Not without Chloe,” he reaffirmed. “I’m not getting back into that bed without my wife tucked in beside me.”
He heard Blade sigh, then mumble something, probably to Candice. “We’ll come and take over guard duty,” he announced, as if it were a done deal. “Candice is worried and it’s pissing me off. You need to go home and get some rest, and I want my wife to stop worrying, damn it.”
He hated this. At three in the morning, Blade and Candice should be sound asleep. Instead they were awake and stressing over his dumb ass. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn’t sleep anyway. I’m fine, okay?”
“Tell that to Candy,” he snarled.
Merrick heard what sounded like sheets ruffling around, then Candice’s soft voice filled his ear. “Merrick, I wish you would try and get some rest. Blade and I don’t mind coming over to watch out for Chloe. Really.”
Merrick pushed a hand through his hair, wishing like hell he’d never let his life get so twisted up. “Candice, I love you for offering. I just can’t leave her. If sitting in this car, watching her window is all I can have of my wife right now, then I’m going to take it. Does that make sense?”
“Of course it does,” she said softly. “If you need us for anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”
God, he had a great family. He didn’t know if he deserved them, but he was damn lucky to have their love and support. “Thanks, hon. Get some rest now, or else Blade’s going to kick my ass.”
Candice laughed. “He wouldn’t dare. He’s much too gentle.”
Merrick nearly choked. “Gentle?”
“You heard the woman. I’m as gentle as a lamb.”
“Right, you and Genghis Khan.”
“Damn straight. Anyway, like Candy girl said, you need us, call.”
“Will do. Thanks, Blade.”
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Merrick moved the seat back and stretched out. In his mind, he kept hearing the dejection in Chloe’s voice as she told him she was tired of playing second fiddle to his work. The company didn’t mean more to him than she did, but he couldn’t really blame her for coming to that conclusion.
Changing the situation wouldn’t be easy. He didn’t just work at Vaughn’s Business Solutions, he owned the damn place. He did work fourteen-hour days and he had been spending his weekends at the office just as Chloe claimed. The insane schedule had become routine. The only way to fix it would be to delegate some of the responsibility. He needed to lessen his load so he could spend more time being a husband. He would work it out, no matter what. Chloe was his world.
Damn, it was going to be a long night.
t
It’d taken three days to wrap up everything at the office and rearrange his and Chloe’s schedules. In her capacity as his Administrative Assistant, Chloe saw to it that his meetings were either rescheduled or handled by Jackson. At the end of the third day, Candice had ushered them both out of the office with orders to have fun and relax. Merrick had made the plane reservations and called the hotel to reserve a suite. Their bags were packed. The only thing left was the drive to the airport.
Lacey called and announced she’d be dropping them at the airport. She’d claimed it wouldn’t be safe to leave their car at the airport for a week. Merrick knew she had a point, but he also knew Lacey wanted to give Chloe a pep talk. The drive was only a means to an end.
“If I’d known what a crazy driver you were, sis, I never would have let you take us.” Merrick scowled as Lacey took the curve too fast and pulled into the airport lot.
“You’re welcome,” Lacey grumbled as she pulled up to the curb at the drop-off spot.
Merrick smiled and flung open the car door, then moved to retrieve their luggage from the trunk. He could hear murmurs from inside the car. He wondered for a minute what Lacey was saying. He shuddered. Hell, it was better not to know. When he noticed Chloe hugging his sister and leaving the car, he breathed a sigh of relief.
As she came around to the back to help him with the luggage, Merrick said, “I’ve got these.”
When she tried to grab one of the heavier suitcases, Merrick handed her the shoulder bag instead. Chloe didn’t argue. In fact, she wasn’t saying much of anything. Was she nervous about the trip? Christ knew he shook like a damn leaf in a fall breeze. You’d think they hadn’t been married for the last two years, the way his heart pounded and his palms sweated. He was fighting for his life here, though. She was giving him a shot to prove himself. If he screwed it up, she’d leave and there’d be no changing her mind. Fuck, no pressure there!
t
Several hours later, Merrick’s hopes were steadily falling. The plane trip had been annoying as hell. Chloe either sat quietly and read a magazine or slept. Her subdued attitude worried him. Any time he tried to draw her into a conversation, she’d talk in short sentences, never saying more than necessary. He’d really made a mess of things.
He had a solution though; at least he hoped he had a solution. After sleeping in his car outside her hotel two nights in a row—he still had an annoying crick in his neck—he’d finally come onto a plan. The alone time had allowed him a chance to work out a way to relieve himself of some of his duties so he could spend less time at work. The way he saw it, the bigge
st problem was all the social events he attended after hours. They were necessary, but majorly time consuming. When he returned from their trip, Merrick would need to talk to Jackson to find out if he’d be willing to take them on. For now, he only wanted to concentrate on rekindling the spark in his marriage. He only hoped he hadn’t missed his chance.
Chloe had always pushed him to his limits. Since the first day she came to work for him, she’d stretched the walls of his comfort zone. She had a quiet way about her that made him want to just sit and watch her. She drifted around his office as if on air, getting things done with a slow but steady pace. He’d noticed her efficiency, then he’d noticed her curves. Chloe was the type of woman a man would kill to possess. Every man in his company had drooled over her the instant she’d glided through the doors. She made a man want to sit up and beg. Her smiles alone made him want to drop down on all fours and pant like a damn dog in heat.
After a few months of denying their mutual attraction, Merrick had asked her out to dinner. He’d gleefully broken one of his own cardinal rules: never get involved with an employee. Halfway through the filet mignon, he’d figured out there’d be no ignoring the chemistry arcing back and forth. A dinner invitation had turned into an entire weekend spent in bed together. Merrick hadn’t fought, he’d dived head first into love after that. It’d felt right when he’d proposed marriage. As corny as it seemed, he’d known deep down in his soul Chloe was his other half.
Now, as they sat side by side in the taxi heading to the hotel, a new determination rose up. He’d win his wife back, one way or the other. She was the only woman he would ever love. There would be no divorce. No splitting up the pans and towels. If he had anything to do with it, Chloe would be his again, inside and out.
As they arrived at the hotel, the same one they’d stayed in for their honeymoon, he heard Chloe gasp.
He reached across the seat and took her hand in his. It was so automatic; Merrick hadn’t even thought to stop himself from comforting her. As she clutched onto him, he let go the tension that had dogged him during the plane trip. “Are you okay, baby?”
“I can’t believe we’re really here.”
The breathless voice and small note of surprise seemed like a good sign, and Merrick wanted to hold onto it with all his strength. “Believe it. I aim to pamper and pleasure you this week. Nothing negative from this moment forward, agreed?”
Chloe looked over at him for the first time since they’d arrived in Honolulu, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Agreed.”
Now they were getting somewhere. He could practically see the walls coming down. Or at least cracking a little around the edges. By the end of the trip, he’d have her, body and soul, and she’d have him.
If he didn’t screw it up.
After he paid the driver, Merrick opened the door and stepped out, then reached in to help Chloe. She took it without hesitation. When she emerged from the dark interior, Merrick had to stifle the urge to kiss her. She was so beautiful. Her long, straight, dark hair shone in the Hawaiian sun. The red t-shirt and blue jeans she’d worn for the long plane ride lovingly cupped her curves. How long had it been since he’d made love to his wife? Jesus, he couldn’t even remember. He’d been such an ass! It was no wonder she’d left him. Chloe wasn’t about to be a doormat, and that’s exactly how he’d treated her. Some women might put up with being second fiddle, but his Chloe had too much self-respect. Merrick was ashamed he’d put her in the position of having to choose between their marriage and her happiness. They should be one and the same.
“It hasn’t changed,” Chloe murmured. “Not one bit.”
“No,” Merrick agreed as he watched her face light up with delight. “Still as beautiful as ever.”
Chloe’s gaze rested on his. He was surprised to see her cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. God, it was like their honeymoon all over again. This had been a good idea, no doubt about it.
“Come on,” he urged as he placed his palm at the small of her back, “let’s get checked in, then we can shower and go out for some dinner. Remember that little restaurant we’d found the first time we came here? The one with the open fire pit? I thought we’d go there tonight. You liked their lobster, right?”
“Yes, it was heavenly. I can’t believe you remember that.”
As the bellhop gathered their suitcases and loaded them onto the trolley, Merrick turned to Chloe and whispered into her ear, “I remember everything, baby.”
“Do you?”
He cupped her chin and said, “I might’ve had a moment of stupidity, but you’ve got my attention now. I plan to spend the week showing you just what I remember. Who knows, maybe we’ll even manage to make a few new memories.”
“I’m afraid,” Chloe admitted.
That surprised him. “Of me?”
She shook her head and looked away.
“Then what?” When she held back, he prompted further. “You can tell me.”
Her gaze held a wealth of pain when she looked at him again. “It was hard to make the decision to separate. It’s not something I wanted and I’m afraid of being hurt again. Of being vulnerable to you, Merrick.”
He understood that feeling well. Still, how could he have made her so unhappy? Why hadn’t he seen it? He’d been so damn selfish. Merrick cradled her face in his palms and murmured, “I will not disappoint you. Never again, baby. As God is my witness I’ll do everything in my power to prove myself to you.”
For long seconds Chloe simply stared at him, then she softly said, “I never needed you to prove anything to me. I love you, and that hasn’t changed. I only need you to be my husband.”
Merrick leaned down and kissed her, light and teasing, then whispered against her lips, “By the end of the week, you’ll see that I’m still and will always be your husband.” Chloe started to speak, but Merrick stopped her with a finger to her lips. “We’re gathering an audience.”
She looked around. When she noticed several people staring, her eyes grew as round as quarters.
“Come on,” he urged, as he dropped his hand. “Let’s check in and see about dinner.”
Chloe started forward, the sway of her hips capturing his attention. It seemed as natural as breathing to let his hand drift a little lower, just barely grazing the top of her ass. When he caressed her there, she missed a step and stumbled. Merrick caught her before she could fall forward.
“Merrick,” she chastised.
“Just a little reminder.”
“Of what?”
“That you’re mine.”
Chloe’s spine stiffened, but she didn’t deny his words. They went to the check-in desk and retrieved their room keys. On the ride up in the elevator, she talked to the bellhop about his job, the weather, the lovely hotel, and completely avoided her husband altogether. Merrick was on edge. When he caught sight of the youth checking out Chloe, his blood started to boil. If he looked at her tits one more time, Merrick would gladly wipe the lecherous grin right off his face. With his fist.
As Merrick glanced at Chloe, he could see she had no clue that the guy she continued to chat up was all but salivating over her. Was she too nervous about their time together to notice the attention? Good, that meant they were on equal footing. He was nervous, too. Nervous this week wouldn’t be enough to convince Chloe that they were meant to be together, not apart.
As they reached their floor, Merrick let Chloe go before him. After she walked a few feet down the hall, he leaned toward the bellhop and gritted out, “Do you have worker’s comp?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess so, why?”
“Stare at her chest one more time, you’re going to need it.”
The kid’s eyes grew wide and he started to stammer. Merrick cut him off. “How about you just stick to doing your job.”
He nodded vehemently. “Y-yes, sir. No problem.”
As they caught up to Chloe, she frowned and asked, “Was there a problem?”
Merrick smiled and patted her back. “Nope, I jus
t had to set a few things straight. We’re all good.”
Chloe shrugged. As they reached the door to their suite, she let out a shuddering sigh and closed her eyes tight. “I still can’t believe we’re really here.”
Merrick heard the desperation, the longing, in his wife’s voice, and for the hundredth time that day he wanted to kick himself in the ass for letting things get to this point. He pulled her against his body and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight as he opened the door.
Their room was a corner suite. It wasn’t the most private area of the resort, but on such short notice it was all that was available. The balcony gave them a beautiful view of the beach and ocean beyond. Chloe would like to have breakfast there, he thought. The bellhop opened a set of double doors to his left, and Merrick’s libido roared to life. He knew what awaited them. A spacious bedroom with a king canopy bed complete with goose down duvets. He imagined Chloe surrounded by all that soft cotton, wrapped in his arms as the morning sun slowly brought them awake. The living room held all the luxuries of home. A desk and even high speed Internet access, which he wouldn’t be using considering this wasn’t going to be a working vacation. The refrigerator and personal bar might come in handy, though. He remembered their honeymoon night. He’d stocked the fridge with bottles of merlot and plates of cheese. Hell, they hadn’t even bothered leaving the bed that night.
The bellhop left their luggage at the end of the bed and practically ran from the room before Merrick could tip him. Smart kid.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” Chloe said again.
Merrick held her tighter. “Believe it, baby. This is only the beginning. Everything is going to be different from here on out.”
“I hope you’re right, Merrick. I really do.”
For the first time he noted a tinge of hope in her voice instead of emptiness. As far as he was concerned, it was a step in the right direction.
