Husband By Request
Dominique got to her feet, gazing boldly at him.
“You’ve asked for a divorce. I’ll give it to you. Please tell your pilot to be here first thing in the morning. After I sign the papers, you have my promise I’ll be out of your life forever.”
She felt his searching eyes on her bikini-clad body as she left the patio. Instead of darting away, as she would have done once, she walked with confidence, her shoulders back, secretly glad he was drinking his fill of her.
At least when he sent her on her way tomorrow she’d have the satisfaction of knowing it was this image that would stay in his mind.
She’d made it as far as the door of the blue bedroom when she heard him say, “You’ve gone to the wrong room.”
Dominique hadn’t realized he’d followed her from the pool. She swung around in complete surprise.
He stared at her through hooded eyes. “The master bedroom is at the other end of the hall.”
The breath left her body with a whoosh.
Unbelievably, he’d just announced that their thirty-day trial was going to start tonight.
Her heart hammered so hard she feared it would resonate off the walls. Forcing herself to maintain an outward calm, she said, “I’ll get my things from the guest bedroom.”
Andreas gave her an almost imperceptible nod. “While you do that I have some phone calls to make before joining you.”
“I’ll see you in a few minutes, then,” she said in a husky voice.
“Dominique—?”
Just the way he said her name, in that vibrant male voice, made her tremble. “Yes?”
He eyed her with brooding intensity. “I’m warning you—I don’t give us more than a day before everything falls apart.”
The former insecure Dominique would have risen to the bait right then, proving his point.
“To be honest, Andreas, I thought you would have thrown me off the island by now.”
She watched his teeth grind together as he disappeared to the other part of the villa.
The only reason he’d agreed to her request was because he was convinced it was too late for them. In his mind he wouldn’t have to put up with her much longer.
But for Dominique his capitulation had moved the first giant impediment from her path. Gratified by this much progress, she rushed around the bedroom to gather up her things, euphoric he’d agreed to the temporary arrangement, yet terrified it might all blow up in her face tomorrow, just as he’d prophesied.
But she wasn’t too terrified to be feverish with excitement for the night ahead. Without wasting any time, she hurried down the hall to the spacious white master bedroom, with its splashes of yellow, blue and red color. She particularly loved the arched windows that looked out over the ocean.
It had been a long time since she’d walked across these tiles and inhaled the scent of jasmine coming from outside while she anticipated hours of ecstasy in his strong arms.
Before she did anything else she headed for the shower in the en suite bathroom to wash her hair. After she’d given it a good lather, and rinsed off, she opted for a towel rather than the blowdryer. Once she’d brushed the gleaming strands into a semblance of order, she entered the bedroom.
Many nights in this room she’d known her husband’s possession, but this night was going to be different from all the others.
She reached for her purse. Inside was her diamond wedding ring. She put it on her ring finger, not having worn it since she’d left Greece. All this time she’d felt naked without it.
Purposely leaving a lamp on, she slid beneath the covers without the benefit of a nightgown. In the whole of their marriage she’d never gone to bed without wearing modest nightwear, cut high around the neck. For that matter she’d never worn a bathing suit without a T-shirt.
She’d always insisted that the lights be turned off. If he couldn’t see the scar, then she couldn’t see it in her mind’s eye either. Under the cover of darkness she could pretend she was desirable to her husband.
Andreas had always been understanding and tender with her. He’d never forced her to do anything that made her uncomfortable. But on their wedding night, when his lips had kissed her scar, she had asked him never to do it again. He’d respected her wishes.
Before the wedding Olympia had related what Theo had supposedly told her, that he found Andreas very courageous for marrying Dominique. The implication being that she was a woman whose thin body didn’t have all its parts, thereby detracting from the age-old ritual.
After her meeting with Theo today she knew Olympia had lied, and understood the reasons why. But a year ago that remark had wormed its way into Dominique’s troubled psyche. It had destroyed her underpinnings to the degree that she’d never taken the initiative in making love with Andreas. He’d always been the one to turn to her. He’d been the one who did all the talking.