Page 104 of Vow to Hate You

“No,” I answered, keeping her stare. “I wasn’t suspicious. I was curious.”

“Really?” she mused. “You seemed pretty intent on finding out where I was tonight.”

I sighed. “It’s been a fucking night. This just made it better.”

“Better?”

I stalked forward, pressing my hand on the door next to her head. “Seeing you happy? I fucking love it, Talie. Music is what you love. I understand why you didn’t tell me when you first came back. But you want to explain why we had the conversation about making this marriage work weeks ago, and I’m just learning about your career tonight?”

She raised her chin, defiance gleaming in her eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t be happy in this life being a little housewife.”

“I agreed with you,” I reminded her. “So why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was scared.”

My stomach dropped. “Of me?”

“Of what you’d say.”

Her eyes searched mine when I put my knuckles under her chin. “You really thought I’d be angry?”

“I had no idea how you would react,” she said stiffly. “I was going to tell you tonight, but then you sent me away from your club.” She pushed my hand from her jaw before glancing at my watch again. “I have to go.”

“This conversation isn’t over, Talie.”

“I know. I’ll see you at home.”

She reached for her mask, and I grabbed her wrist, stopping her as I dropped my head, pressing my lips to her. When she let out a small gasp of surprise, I deepened the kiss, letting out agroan as I tasted her. She pulled away far too soon, and I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to take her right here.

“I won’t see you at home,” I said roughly. “I’ll see you when you’re done?—”

“It’s not even eleven. I’ll be here at least another four hours.”

“I’ll be sitting on that couch, watching my sexy-as-fuck wife work until she’s done.” I brushed one more kiss across her lips before she lowered the mask. “Then I’ll take you home and get on my knees to show you how much I enjoy seeing you do something you love.”

She giggled as she opened the door. “Dosomething I love?” she repeated, her muffled voice teasing. “Are you talking about music or you? I think I enjoy being in your bed as much as my music.”

She scurried away, disappearing around a corner. I leaned against the doorframe, a smile forming on my lips when the song mixed into a faster beat. The entire issue with my father was the furthest thing from my mind right now.

Because my wife admitted she wanted to be in this marriage. When we were kids, she loved music more than anything in this world.

Her words proved she wantedmejust as much.

CHAPTER 42

talie

“Wake up, wife.”

Heat rushed through my veins when his warm tongue trailed lightly over my lower stomach. I let out a groggy moan, slowly waking up when his lips brushed the fabric of my panties. I slowly blinked my eyes open to see Damian nestled between my thighs as he continued to kiss my stomach. All he had on was boxers, and his hair was a tousled mess. My eyes dropped to his muscled back as he wrapped his arms around my legs.

My attention cut to the nightstand when my phone vibrated. The screen was full of missed calls and texts, but before I could reach for it, Damian let out an annoyed groan.

“Ignore it,” he ordered between kisses. “I already put my phone on silent.”

“What if it’s an emergency?”

“It’s not. If it was important, my mother would have called.” He slowly moved upward, his tongue tracing my ribs until he reached the side of my throat. “It’s my father who is calling incessantly, meaning it’s about work.”

---