Taking Chloe (Vaughn)

“You’ve been working around the clock. You deserve a break. I’ll take care of everything. Have fun.”

Fun? When was the last time he’d had fun? “Thanks, sweetheart.” As they were about to hang up, he thought of something else. “Hey, have you talked to Blade today?”

“Yeah, he’s at home. He’s working on a bid for that big strip mall.”

“Thanks, talk to you later.”

“Merrick, if you see Blade, tell him to call me. I need him to pick up some things from the store.”

Merrick laughed. His brother Blade and Candice had started dating about the same time he’d married Chloe. Now they were happily married themselves and talking about kids. “My brother grocery shopping? That’s so messed up.”

Candice’s laughter filled his ear. “I aim to domesticate that Neanderthal if it’s the last thing I do.”

Merrick snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“Are you saying he’s beyond help?”

“I’m saying I know my brother. You’ll never housebreak him, but watching you try has been damned interesting.”

Candice made a tsking sound. “You should have more faith in him. He’s done very well since we tied the knot. He even cooks dinner a few nights a week.”

That shocked him. “Really?”

“Well,” she hedged, “I admit it’s only macaroni and cheese and frozen dinners, but it’s a start.”

“Candice, if anyone can bring that man a measure of civility it’s you.”

“Thanks.”

“No, on behalf of the Vaughn family, thank you for bringing Blade into the twenty-first century.”

They said their goodbyes and ended the call. Merrick went to the bedroom and pulled a pair of jeans out of the dresser drawer, then grabbed the black t-shirt he’d flung over the back of a chair the day before. While he dressed, he started making a mental list. Get advice from Blade. Pick up flowers. Coax his wife into giving him a second chance. Jesus, he was pathetic. For a man with a master’s degree in business and a million-dollar company, he sure didn’t have much of an imagination. He needed to figure out why Chloe felt their relationship was beyond repair. He’d need to convince her that working things out would be the best route. The only problem with that plan? Chloe’s stubbornness. Once she made a decision, there’d be no changing her mind. He loved her decisiveness and goal-oriented attitude, but at times that trait could prove annoying as hell.

As he slipped into his work boots and grabbed his keys, he glanced around the living room. His chest ached. There were signs of Chloe everywhere, in the mauve couches she’d picked out and the matching wall hangings. The fluffy rug in front of the fireplace had been her idea, too. She’d claimed it would prove romantic. As he stared at it, he realized he couldn’t remember the last time they’d spent time together on it. He’d been burning the candle at both ends; as a result, his marriage had suffered. What a joke. He’d worked to give them a better life, but he’d been too damn busy to enjoy the life he already had.

Merrick closed the door and locked it, determination settling into every fiber of his being. The next time he looked at the damn fireplace, it’d be from the floor, with Chloe naked and riding his cock and taking them both to heaven.

t

“You and Chloe separated?”

“Temporarily,” he reiterated for the third time. “It’s not a permanent situation.”

“Yeah,” Blade said as he went to the fridge. “Want a beer?”

Merrick frowned. “I thought Candice didn’t like alcohol in the house.”

Blade shrugged and grabbed two light beers, then handed one to him. “Candy knows I’m not a big drinker, so she doesn’t mind.”

Four years ago, a man she worked with had raped Candice. The bastard had slipped something into her drink. Since then she never touched alcohol. After she’d met Blade, everything changed, for the better. It thrilled Merrick to see her so happy. The difference in her attitude and appearance had been nothing short of miraculous.

Merrick twisted off the cap and took a long swig, then sat at the kitchen table. “I don’t know what the hell happened. One minute I’m a happily married man, the next I’m waking up to an empty house. How is that even possible?”

“You want the truth?”

“Yes,” Merrick answered as he squared his shoulders for the assault that would surely come. Blade was all about confronting an issue head on.

“She got tired of being a widow.”