Husband By Request

“Do you think that’s wise?” she asked, before she could stop herself.

“What do you mean?”

She averted her eyes. “Can’t you see she’s becoming more and more dependent on you? Every time you do something for her, she’ll turn to you the next time she needs something else. That’s how people are. If Olympia is going to make it in this world, she has to work through her problems by herself until she becomes strong.”

“She doesn’t have your inner strength, Dominique.”

“Andreas—as long as someone has always been there to make certain she got picked up the second she stumbled, she hasn’t had an opportunity to find out what she’s capable of on her own.”

“But with a sick aunt and a new baby on her hands, she needs help.”

Paul had been right. Olympia had played the victim so long Andreas wasn’t aware how deeply he’d bought into it.

She didn’t bring up the subject of Olympia again until later, after they’d eaten souvlaki and cheesecake in bed. Once the news on the TV was over, there wasn’t anything Andreas wanted to watch. He turned it off and removed their trays.

Then he flashed her a smile that turned her heart over. “We don’t want any accidents like we had last time.”

She chuckled. “No, we don’t.”

“I’ve been looking forward to this moment since you deserted me at the office,” he said, climbing under the covers. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm as a prelude to making love.

Normally she would have reached for him, but she’d made up her mind they had to talk about Olympia. This situation with her couldn’t go on another day. Discussing everything with Paul had given her courage.

“Darling?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we talk for a minute?”

“Of course.” He rolled on his side next to her and propped his head in his hand. “I can tell something important is on your mind.” His other hand continued to caress her arm and shoulder.

“I want to tell you about the conversation Paul and I had today.”

“Sounds like it was a long one.”

“Not really. Do you remember how you and I promised there would be no more secrets between us?”

“What do you think?”

“I mean not any?”

He stopped the motion of his hand and simply rested it on the inside of her elbow. “This sounds serious.”

“It is. Very. I believe our marriage is doomed if we don’t address a certain issue right away.”

He made a protesting sound in his throat.

“I realize you don’t want to talk about this, but we have to.”

“For the love of heaven, Dominique—just say what you have to say.” In the next breath he’d levered himself from the bed and had shrugged into his bathrobe, which had been lying over the footboard.

“It isn’t that easy. You’re already defensive and I haven’t even told you anything yet.”

“Except that our marriage is doomed,” he lashed out emotionally.

r /> “Only if we don’t resolve a problem that’s been staring us in the face since I first met you.”

He sucked in his breath. “I’m listening.”