Page 8 of Vintage

I shrugged, biting my smile, and tried hiding my blush. It was hard.

“Someone’s dressed to impress,” he said with a grin, whistling, and suddenly, I felt like I could conquer the world.

I swayed my hips in a sultry dance, moving closer, and crawled onto our bed, straddling him with a daring flair. His hands instinctively found my waist, giving it a gentle squeeze that sent shivers down my spine.

In that intoxicating moment, I leaned in for a kiss, but suddenly froze. I watched as he pulled back, resisting my touch, and it felt so... strange.

That unexpected shift dampened my boldness, and the confident woman I was just moments ago seemed to vanish. He studied my face with a serious expression, swallowing hard as I forced a smile and pulled away.

"I didn’t mean to, Mrs. Rowan," he said, clearing his throat as we stepped out of our room.

The lump in my throat grew heavier. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting.

Ro used to revel in my advances, appreciating when I shed my shyness to take charge. Sure, it never ended well for me—he always overpowered me—but the joy he found in my attempts was pure bliss.

He was a towering man, muscles rippling beneath his skin, standing at 6'2". Those mesmerizing baby blue eyes made my heart race, and his ghostly pale skin was a rarity that drove me wild. The way his nerves danced under his skin was my ultimate weakness.

He was my man, the one who showered me with love both in and out of our bed, who made me feel beautiful in those captivating blues. I used to feel that way.

"Mrs. Rowan!" He grabbed my arm, pulling me against him, my back glued to his solid frame, his arms trapping me, holding me close.

I struggled to break free, but he just wouldn’t let go.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear, and a pathetic whimper escaped me.

I loathed my body for craving his touch, for obeying his every command. It infuriated me how effortlessly he could manipulate me just by being there, and yet, I was left alone, abandoned in my need for him.

I failed to make his affection mine alone.

I failed to secure my forever with the one man who meant everything to me.

"I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere." His deep voice cut through the chaos in my head, and I swallowed hard.

"It's fine..." I lied through clenched teeth. I was far from fine, but he knew better than to push me when I was on the edge. Another conversation would only dig the knife deeper.

"We'll talk when we get back from wherever this is," he said flatly, his authoritative tone leaving no room for argument, and I couldn’t even muster the strength to refuse.

I slipped from his loose grip, put on my heels, and turned to face him. Those baby blues I craved, the very features I wanted in our child.

I wanted to get pregnant, but with his job and my schedule, finding time to discuss a child felt impossible.

Now it seemed pointless. No need for a conversation.

"I never said we were going anywhere together." A petty way to express my anger, but whatever.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking, and grabbed my hand, dragging me out of the house. Who needs to lock up anyway, right?!

No.

"At least turn on the security system before we leave," I snapped, and he rolled his eyes, still complying with my request.

Sure, our house was rigged with a digital security system, but that didn’t mean I was going to let my guard down! Better safe than sorry, right?

Sitting in the passenger seat of his Jeep, I watched him tap his fingers on the wheel like he was some kind of genius.

"Where to?" he asked, all smug.

I clenched my jaw and spat out that Darius invited us to the bar tonight. His grin was infuriating as he mumbled about how I was the one who said we shouldn’t be leaving together.

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