Husband By Request

She rubbed his chest. “Obviously no one did. That’s usually the way. When we married, you didn’t know what a challenge I was going to be.”

“Dominique—” He covered her hand and squeezed it. “Stop taking on the whole blame. It requires two people to make a marriage. I was so besotted with you. I wanted things perfect and willed them to be that way. In the process I tried to remove every stumbling block before you came to it. But there was one I couldn’t avoid, because Olympia swore me to secrecy.”

She rested her head on the pillow next to him. “When you’re ready to talk about it, let me know. Right now I want to love the daylights out of you.” So saying, she hungrily covered his mouth with her own.

Once again this new wife who gave and gave drove every thought from his head. What remained was their mutual sensual need, which seemed to grow stronger even as it was being appeased.

“I’m coming,” Dominique muttered as she entered the penthouse with her arms full of groceries. She rushed to answer the kitchen phone, causing a box of strawberries to fall from the bag. Several of them rolled across the tile floor.

“Hello?” She stooped to pick them up.

“Dominique?”

“Yes?”

“It’s Olympia.”

“How nice to hear from you.”

Dominique couldn’t say she was surprised. It was Friday—the start of the weekend. The other woman had said she’d be coming back to Athens and would call. But this soon?

“You sound out of breath. Aren’t you well?”

“I’m fine.” She brushed off the comment like she would any small irritation, recognizing Olympia said things like that to undermine her confidence. “I just walked in from the market and had a little accident. Are you still in Zakynthos?”

“No. I flew in on the helicopter with Paul this morning, and am back at my aunt’s house.”

“I bet she missed Ari.”

“They were both glad to see each other. That’s why I’m phoning. If you don’t have any special plans this afternoon, would you like to go shopping with me?”

After the way Andreas had spoiled her, Dominique didn’t need to shop for at least a year.

“Another time and I’d love it, but we’ve invited Andreas’s parents over for dinner this evening. I’ve got a lot of cooking to do.”

“Where’s Maria?”

“She’s available for major parties, but tonight I wanted to fix an American meal for them.”

“How interesting.”

Olympia was waiting for an invitation. Making a split-second decision, Dominique decided not to disappoint her. “Would you like to join us?”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“You won’t be. Come—and bring Ari. I’m sure Andreas’s parents will enjoy seeing both of you.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Of course.”

“What time?”

“Seven.”

“We’ll be there. Thank you.”

The minute they clicked off Dominique phoned Andreas at his office. His secretary put her straight through.