Lover (Betrothed 3)

In a deep blue suit with a matching tie, he stood tall and muscular, with his hands in his pockets. His eyes glanced at the men in their seats before his gaze settled on me. He gave me that dark and dangerous stare, like I was his next victim.

But I wanted to be his next victim.

We still hadn’t said more than a few words to each other. It seemed like our relationship had solidified so words were unnecessary for us to communicate.

As the men filed out, they shook hands with Hades and exchanged a few words. They congratulated him on the baby and made small talk about golf and wine. Once the last man was out of the room, Hades slowly stalked to me.

I stacked up my things and placed them on the edge of the table. I actually avoided eye contact with him sometimes because that stare was too potent. It made me feel like I was under a magnifying glass.

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. His hands rested on my small stomach, and he pressed a kiss to my neck.

Bumps formed on my arms, and I suddenly felt hot and cold at the same time. My nipples pierced through my bra and dress, but I also felt the sweat start to bead on my skin. My physiology was completely different because of him. His love had changed my chemical composition, made me into a whole new woman.

His hands moved to my hips, and he slowly turned me around. When we were face-to-face, he pulled me closer and placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth.

Just that simple touch made me want to rip off his clothes and take him on the desk. He made my thoughts irrational, made everything sexualized. I’d always been satisfied with our physical relationship, but now it felt so much better.

He looked into my eyes with that masculine stare. “Have dinner with me.” He never asked me questions anymore. He just told me what to do.

But the odd thing was, I liked it. That wasn’t me at all. “Alright.”

He grabbed the materials sitting on the desk and carried them for me. It was easy for him to hold the binder and laptop in a single grasp so he could hold my hand with his and guide me back to my office.

After he placed everything on my desk, we went outside and got into his car. He always opened the door for me and helped me inside, even before I was pregnant. Then he drove to the restaurant.

We went inside and were seated at a private table off to the side. It was European cuisine, a French-style menu. The waiter was at attention instantly, and Hades ordered a glass of wine for himself and a water for me.

After glancing at the menu, he set it down and stared at me.

My eyes roamed over the selections, but I was aware of his hot gaze. I could feel it burn into me, feel that mix of possession and obsession. It was so distracting that I lifted my gaze to meet his. “Know what you’re getting?”

He didn’t answer.

I looked at the menu again and decided on a salad. Once I put the menu down, the waiter ran back over. He took our order and our menus and then disappeared.

Hades returned to his favorite hobby and stared at me.

I wanted to hold his gaze just to prove a point, but I couldn’t match his intensity. My eyes trailed to the watch on his wrist. Every day when he got ready, he put it back on instead of making a different selection. He normally wore a different watch every day, just the way women wore different necklaces and bracelets to match their outfits. “You don’t have to wear it every day…”

He absentmindedly adjusted the watch on his wrist. “I know.”

I lifted my eyes to meet his.

“It’s my favorite.”

“Why?”

He moved his hands back to the table and pulled his wineglass closer. “Because my wife gave it to me.”

I felt a flush in my cheeks, the first time I’d showed a visible sign of embarrassment. My own husband made me feel like a shy schoolgirl. Which was ridiculous because I was having his son. There were no secrets between us. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it.”

We hadn’t told each other we loved one another since that night. It didn’t seem like he regretted it; he was just selective when he said it. I stared at his fingers for a moment before I lifted my gaze to meet his again.

“And I love you…so fucking much.” He kept his voice low so no one could overhear our conversation. His eyes showed his masculine intensity, like he was reminding me that I was his.

As if I’d ever forget. I’d never said those words out loud to him. I’d never said them out loud to anybody. I said I hated marriage and didn’t believe in love, but now I was head over heels in love with my own husband. I felt like a whole different person. “I love you too…” It felt strange to say those words out loud, to let that confession leave my lips. But it also felt so right. “When I gave you that watch, I was so scared. I wasn’t sure if you would feel the same way.” We used to have long conversations before his birthday, but lately, it’d been nothing but kisses and sex. It seemed like we were ready to move forward in this new relationship.