by E. L. Todd
Mike looked over his shoulder and watched her walk away. “Is it just me, or does she not look like the business type?”
“No, she’s not,” Sean said darkly. “But I couldn’t deny her product.”
Mike shook is head. “I’m glad I’m not in the office right now. Cassandra would flip the hell out.”
“I wouldn’t know what that’s like,” Sean said with an attitude.
I let the jab go, too busy thinking about the slut that wanted to steal my husband.
“Well, I’m tired,” Cortland said. “I’m catching a cab and heading home.”
“Thanks for coming,” Sean said.
“Anytime, boss,” he said as he walked away.
Mike stepped back. “I’m leaving too. I got a pregnant wife at home.”
Sean sighed then grabbed my hand. “Ready to head home?”
“Yeah.”
“Everything okay?” He noticed the tone in my voice.
“Yeah,” I lied.
He didn’t press me and we went home.
The next day all I could think about was that woman spending all day with Sean. She wore a perfect dress that accentuated every curve and feature. Her hair was styled perfectly. She laughed at every joke Sean made and rubbed her leg against his under the table. She was constantly trying to seduce him, to make him want her.
Ugh, it was driving me crazy.
What was wrong with me? I knew Sean would be faithful to me no matter what happened. He was an ethical man, and even if he weren’t in love with me anymore, he would still uphold his vows. But he was madly in love with me. I knew I was the only one in his thoughts.
But I couldn’t shake this feeling.
I usually looked past people’s flaws and accepted them for who they were. I knew not everyone was innately good. The world was filled with despicable people. My mother was a good example of this. Usually, I could just let it go and move on. But not this. I didn’t want Sean to be anywhere near this woman. I had the unnatural need to claim him as mine, to tell her to step off.
Without thinking, I grabbed my keys and headed to his office. It was a little early for lunch, but maybe he’d take an early break from that woman. Maybe I could stick around and get some work done…
When I walked onto his floor, I looked through the glass of his office and saw him talking to Aris. She sat across from him, her legs crossed and her shoulders straight.
Ugh. I wanted to knock her out.
I walked to his office and reached for the door.
His assistant stood up. “Mrs. Preston, he’s in a meeting.”
I didn’t give a shit. I opened it and walked inside.
Sean flinched when he saw me. He couldn’t process my appearance for a moment. After the shock passed, he finally rose from his seat. “Baby—”
I sealed my lips against his, silencing him. That whore got a great view.
Sean responded like he usually did, kissing me back with gentle and loving caresses. Then he broke away, a huge smile on his face. “What are you doing here?”
“Want to get lunch?”
He looked at his watch. “It’s only eleven.”
“Oh. I must have lost track of time.”
He studied my face, still smiling. “I’ll be done with Ms. Augustine in about an hour and then we can go.”
“Great.” I gave her a fake smile, my eyes threatening her if she even thought about touching my husband.
She returned the look with a threatening one of her own.
“You can wait in the lobby and I’ll join you in a second,” Sean said.
“I think I’ll wait right here.” I walked to the couch in the corner of his office then sat down, taking out my computer.
Sean smiled while he watched me. After staring at me for a moment, he adjusted his tie then sat down. “Now where were we?”
“I want to see a prototype of the software before I give you full access. I don’t want there to be a possibility that someone could hack into it and steal it.”
“Of course,” he said.
They discussed the implementation of the program, staying on topic the entire time. I listened to them while I stared at my computer. I tried to pretend I was disinterested, but I had my eye on that stupid whore.
“Well, shall we break for lunch?” she asked in that stupid rich bitch accent.
“Yes. I’m going to take my wife out. I’ll meet you in an hour.”
“Okay.” Judging the frown on her face, she was disappointed she wasn’t invited.
Take that.
Sean came to me. “Hungry, baby?”
“Starving. But I’d rather eat you.”
He smirked. “I’m okay with that.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, waiting for Aris to leave his office. When I finally heard the door closed, I ended the embrace, watching her walk away through the glass.
Sean smirked at me. “Someone’s jealous…”
My head whipped back to him. “What? No. I just like her dress…”
“Uh huh.” He kept smiling at me. “I was waiting for you to scratch her eyes out.”
“I’m not jealous!”
“Then why did you come to my office at eleven?” he asked incredulously. “You know I don’t take lunch until half past twelve.”
“I told you I lost track of time.”
“Uh huh.” He nodded his head slowly. “I’m sure… And you always tell me when you’re coming. Interesting how you just dropped by.”
“What? I don’t have to tell you when I’m coming.”
“I never said you did. I’m just pointing out that your behavior is not in the norm.”
I would deny it until my last breath. “I’m not jealous. I just wanted to see you…”
“Admit it.” The look on his face told me he was loving this. “You’ve never sat in on one of my meetings before. You stayed just so you could keep an eye on her…make sure she knew I was taken.”
“No…”
“Yes,” he said with a laugh. “Now admit it, Scarlet.”
My cheeks started to redden. “Okay. I might have been a little jealous. But just a little.”
Victory shined in his eyes. “That made my day.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I just don’t like her. Who the hell does she think she is?”
He shook his head slightly. “Scar, that stick has nothing on you. Believe me, she does nothing for me. When she told me she wanted to have an affair, my dick actually got smaller.”
Now I felt a little better.
“So don’t be intimidated by her. She’s just a brat who always gets her way.”
“Did she bother you in Paris?”
“No. But Cortland went with me everywhere. I made it nearly impossible for her to try anything.”
Good.
He kept eyeing me. “I like it when you’re jealous.”
He was never going to let this go. “I was just a little jealous. That’s it.”
“It’s still hot. You went all alpha there.”
“Well, you’re mine. If she thinks she’s going to dig her nails into my husband’s back, she has another thing coming.”
He laughed. “This is awesome.”
“It’s not funny.” I hit his arm playfully.
“Yes, it is. Now I want more girls to hit on me so you can claim me like that.”
“I don’t.”
He rested his hands on my hips and looked at me fondly.
“So, what exactly happened with her?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, how did this come about?”
“Um…” He rubbed his chin while he tried to think. “Last week we met, and then the next time I saw her, she kept asking personal questions about me. Then she told me she wanted to have an affair and she would keep my secret. That’s about it.”
“Did she touch you?”
“No.” His grin was wider than I’d ever seen it.
“Did you tell her I w
as pregnant?”
“I tell everyone, Scar. Even when they don’t ask.”
Good.
“Then she told me there would be no deal unless I slept with her. That’s when I walked out.”
“Whore.”
He chuckled. “My baby is getting so mad.”
“Well, who’s okay with sleeping with married men? It’s disgusting and wrong.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. But that’s not me.”
“I know.” I rested my head against his chest. “I’m so lucky.”
He kissed my forehead then trailed his fingers down my back. “You got that wrong, baby.”
“No. I really don’t.”
He kissed me again. “It’s impossible to cheat on someone you love so much. I don’t care who shows interest in me. When I walk the streets or go out, I only see you. Little Scarlets are running around, making me wish I was home with you.”
I wasn’t sure what I did to get such a great husband, but I wasn’t going to question it. Instead, I would cherish it.
Chapter 8
Cortland
I picked up the phone and called my mom. My heart was slamming in my chest, making my stomach lurch. I was nervous to reveal my news. I wasn’t sure why. I knew my mom would be happy.
“Hey, sweetie,” my mom said in her Minnesota accent.
“Hey, Mom.”
“I haven’t talked to you in weeks. How’s it going over there in the big apple?”
I smirked. My mom made everything sound funny when she spoke like that. But I liked it. I was a bit of a mama’s boy, not that I was ashamed of it. “It’s good.”
“And how’s work?” I heard the faucet in the background. She was probably washing dishes.
“No complaints.”
“Why are you being so quiet? You usually talk my ear off.”
“Well, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Do you need money?” she blurted.
I’d never asked for money in my life. I even paid for my own education. “No.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“No,” I said quickly. “How about you just let me finish?”
She sighed. “Fine.”
“Do you think you and Dad can come to New York this weekend?”
“I can see if your dad can get off work,” my mom said. “But why? What’s going on?”
I held my breath before I spoke. Every time I said the following words, my heart convulsed in pleasure. “I’m getting married.”
“Oh my god!” My mom yelled and then her voice became muffled. I knew she dropped the phone. “My baby is getting married.”
I sighed and waited for her to pick up the phone and stop screaming.
She finally returned it to her ear. “I can’t believe this. Why the sudden decision? Is Monnique pregnant?”
“No,” I said with a laugh. “I’m just in a hurry. I should have married her months ago.”
“Awe, baby. I’m so happy for you.”
I knew she would be. “Thanks, Ma.”
“I’ll talk to your father. Don’t worry, we’ll be there.”
“Good. It’s important to me.”
“Have you called your sister?”
“No,” I said. “I’ll do that now.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Mom.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I hung up then pulled up my sister’s number. She and I weren’t very close. She was a few years older than me and we never connected. After years of trying to force the relationship, I gave up. But I did love her.
She answered on the fourth ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Cortland.”
“Oh hi,” she said in surprise. “What’s going on?”
“Um…I’m getting married this weekend.”
“You are?” she asked in surprise. “To who?”
My sister moved to Oregon after college so she wasn’t around much. She hadn’t even met Monnique. “This girl I’ve been dating for awhile.”
“Why the sudden announcement? Is she pregnant?”
I rolled my eyes. I wish people would stop asking me that. “No. I’m just excited to start my life with her.”
“Oh. This weekend?”
“In New York.”
“Oh.” Silence ensued. “That’s just really short notice.”
“I understand if you can’t come.” Even though it made me sad, I understood if she couldn’t make it.
“I’ll talk to Jeremy and see if we can work something out.”
“Thanks. I’d like it if you were there.”
“Yeah…you’re my brother.” She said it like that was supposed to mean something. She’d always had an attitude with me, and there were times when I didn’t like her at all, but she was still my sister. She and I would never have the relationship Ryan and Scarlet had, but I would like something more than what she was giving me.
“Well, I’ll let you go.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.” I hung up then returned my phone to my pocket.
Monnique studied my face. “Everything went well?”
I nodded. “My mom is very excited.”
“Good.” She smiled. “I knew she would be. What about your sister?”
I shrugged. “She probably won’t come.”
“I’m sorry,” she said immediately.
I didn’t want to drag down the moment. “Is your brother coming?”
“Of course. He wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
That didn’t surprise me.
She was squirming in her seat in excitement.
“What?” I asked.
“The realtor called…”
We put a few bids on houses in Connecticut. We couldn’t afford anything too extravagant, but there were a few we’d fallen in love with. One was just a few miles from Sean and Mike. Our heart was set on it. “Yeah?”
She clapped her hands. “We got it!”
“What?” I had to admit I was surprised.
“Yep,” she shrieked. She moved into my lap then hugged me tightly. “We got it.”
“That’s great.” I held her close to me, feeling her slight form in my arms.
“We can get the keys in a few days.”
“Wow…we got lucky.”
“Well…I did something a little unethical.” She lowered her gaze in shame.
“What?” I asked.
“I may have told her we had a bun in the oven…”
I smirked. “Well, you got to do what you got to do.”
“I’m glad you don’t find my lack of ethics as unattractive.”
“Just because it isn’t true now doesn’t mean it won’t be.” I rubbed my nose against hers.
A grin spread on her face. “Someone is jumping the gun.”
“Isn’t that what honeymoons are for? To get your wife pregnant?”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “It’s to consummate a marriage.”
“Whatever. We can do both.”
She shook her head. “Your mind is always in the gutter.”
“With you it is.”
As the days came closer, I was a little nervous. I wasn’t sure why. I guess everything was changing so quickly. But I knew it’s what I wanted. It felt right. When I was at work, I kept thinking about the approaching weekend. We were tying the knot at city hall. It wasn’t extremely romantic, but I didn’t care. I just wanted her to be my wife.
Sean came into my office, his hands in his pockets. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” I said. “The software is going well so far.”
He nodded. “I assumed as much.”
“Did that slut back off?”
He smirked. “Yes, she did. But I think that’s because my wife is in my office all the time.”
I laughed. “Looks like she’s jealous after all.”
“Just a tad.” He was practically giddy.
“So
, I was going to submit this in writing, but I was hoping I could have two weeks off for my honeymoon...”
He rolled his eyes. “Because we’re friends you think you can just do whatever you want?”
I shrugged. “Pretty much.”
He laughed. “Yeah, of course. Take as long as you want.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You’re only going to do this once.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Yeah. So…your bachelor party. We’re running out of time.”
I hadn’t even thought of that. “I don’t want to have one.”
“You don’t?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I have too much stuff to do. And honestly, I haven’t been a bachelor in a while. I think a party is a little out of place.”
“Are you sure? You only get to do it once.”
“I’m positive,” I said firmly.
“Okay. Do you need help with anything?”
“Nah. Just make sure you’re there on Saturday.”
“Okay. Scarlet is planning a lunch at the house after the wedding, just so you know. It’ll be a small reception.”
“She didn’t need to do that,” I said immediately.
He shrugged. “You know my wife…she does what she wants.”
“I do know,” I said with a smile.
“Alright. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“Will do.”
A few days later, the house was officially ours. With the help of professional movers, we moved everything inside and unpacked. Everyone came over and helped, with the exception of Scarlet and Cassandra. They weren’t allowed to lift anything—not even their purses.
The house was on a block with a few others, but the neighborhood was spaced out. If our kids wanted to ride their bikes or play football in the street, there would be plenty of room. And there wasn’t much traffic so we didn’t need to be too frightened of a horrible accident.
Monnique loved the house. It had four bedrooms and two living rooms. Hard wood floors lined the house, and mahogany furniture accentuated the white walls of the house. It was only a few years old so we didn’t need to restore anything. And even if we did, I could tell Monnique wouldn’t change a thing. She loved the house more than the first one we had.
After I thanked everyone for helping, she and I were finally alone in the house.
“You like it?” I asked.
