Page 446 of The Christmas Wife

He blows out a breath. “I want you to share the CEO role with Nathan.”

I glance up at Nathan, who’s watching my reaction. He was expecting Arthur to call me, no doubt. I roll my shoulders. Somehow, I’m not as pissed off as I should be to hear this news from my grandfather. Maybe my wife is already softening me up? That must be the reason I haven't lost my temper yet. In fact, the thought of not having to shoulder the decision-making role on my own, having another ear with whom to discuss the daily challenges, is a relief. It means I’ll have more time to devote to my wife. In fact, the thought of not being CEO, at all—nope, notgoing there. You’re not giving up the role you’ve been angling for because a woman, are you? Nope, no way, am I conceding defeat to Nathan already.Not when I know Arthur’s proposing this joint-CEO deal as some kind of test to ascertain who is best placed to be his successor. “Is that all?” I bark into the phone.

“Yes, I wanted to be the one to tell you?—”

I hang up the phone. Yes, I hung up on my grandfather, the Chairman of the company. Yes, I should be more worried about the repercussions of my actions, but given I have him on the defensive, given he went back on his word and decided to make menotthe CEO, but thejoint-CEO of the Davenport group of companies, somehow, I doubt I have much to worry about. And if he’s upset? I couldn’t give a shit about it. Considering all I want to do is get out of here and back to my wife.

Nathan raises the cigar to his lips. "I take it, Arthur told you he’s decided it’s best you share the role with me?”

“I take it, you’re not aware I’ve won this round?” I place my cards on the table, face up. It’s a straight flush. Knox throws his cards down in disgust. Sinclair shakes his head and tosses his hand on the table.

Nathan slowly reveals his. I take in his Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of Diamonds. "Guess it's me who wins." He smirks.

"Guess Iletyou win." I drain my coffee and rise to my feet. "I’m not giving up control of the company without a fight."

"Anything less, and it would be boring." He tilts his head.

I jerk my chin at Sinclair and Knox, then walk out of there and to my car. By the time I reach home, the anger inside me has coiled around my guts and poisoned my veins. I march up the stairs and throw open the door to her room, but she’s not there. I enter, and it feels like I’ve stepped into a garden of apple blossoms. I’m instantly hard. My heart picks up speed. And my mind…

It begins to replay how it was to tie her up and bend her over the bed and fuck her. How it felt to fall asleep inside her and wake up and push my face in between her legs. How it felt to curve my body around hers and hold her while she snored those ladylike snores. I sit on the bed, reach for her discarded blouse and bring it to my face, and sniff.Mistake.Myballs harden, and my pants tighten until I’m sure I’m going to come in them.

I drop her blouse and glance around the space, taking in her cosmetics on the dressing table, the half open door to her closet, the towel she’s slung over the bathroom handle. Her books are on the bedside table, one of them annotated with post-it’s sticking out from between the pages. The drawer below is half open. I walk around and pull it all the way, spying some very interesting gadgets.

Is this why she wanted to move to another room? So, she could pleasure herself…without my knowledge? So, she could orgasm while thinking of someone else? So, she could torture me with images of her moaning herself to sleep with some inanimate objects inside her while I'm harder than a stallion on a stud farm in the room nearby? I snatch up one of the vibrators, something thick and long and veiny, but I’m proud to say, it’s not thicker or longer, or as veiny as my cock.

She could have the real thing; but instead, she’s here stuffing this lifeless dildo inside her pussy… Insidemypussy. I bring it to my nose and sniff, and it’s as if I’m back between her thighs.Fuck.I take another deep breath, when the hair on the back of my neck rises. I turn toward the door and find her standing there. She’s wearing a pink skirt which stretches across her thick thighs, and a matching jacket with a blouse underneath that dips toward the valley of her cleavage. Color flushes the column of her throat, up her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

61

Mira

"Give me that." My handbag falls from my grasp. I cross the floor, reach for the stupid vibrator, but he holds it out of my reach. I jump up, and he extends his arm. I leap onto the bed make a grab for it, but I’m nowhere near close to touching it. "That’s mine," I protest.

In response, he lowers the vibrator, and when I try to get a hold of it, he steps away. He brings the device to his nose again and sniffs, the way I saw him from the doorway. Goosebumps pop on my skin.

"I washed it after I last used it." I tip up my chin.

"I can still smell your cunt on it."

I gasp, "You’re filthy."

"I want to be filthier." He fixes me with that glare that has moisture rushing out from between my thighs.No, no, no. I'm not going to let our mutual chemistry get the better of me.

I walk to the other side of the bed and step down. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking to see if my wife's doing okay."

"I’m well, thank you. You can leave now."

"Not before you tell me what you’re doing with these." He glances from the instrument in his hand to my open drawer.

"You’re infringing on my privacy again," I cry.

He pauses. His shoulders seem to swell. I’m sure he’s going to tell me off, but to my surprise, he nods. "You’re right; I’m sorry."

He eyes the vibrator one last time, then slips it into the drawer with the other implements I have there. He shuts the drawer, then straightens and turns to me. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I came looking for you, didn’t find you, then saw the open drawer and couldn’t resist. I didn’t mean to peek, I swear."

He apologized to me? His features are set in grim lines. His lips are flattened. He seems to mean it.

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