Page 93 of Married with Mayhem

Instead, I break the silence by saying, “I can throw your clothes into the washer with mine.”

Pathetic. Maybe I should hire a flirtation coach.

“Thanks,” Monte says and opens his pants.

“No, wait!” I wave my arms around to stop him from undressing in the kitchen. “You can just leave your clothes in the bedroom. I’ll throw them in the wash with mine while you’re in the shower. Then we can go to bed. Together. Or something. Maybe. If you want to.”

Normally my verbal skills aren’t quite so terrible.

Monte is no longer about to drop his pants. His eyes linger on my lips. His voice is low and magnetic, humming with seduction. “Of course I want to. I’ve been waiting to be with you all day.”

Rather than await another of my awkward responses, he saunters out of the kitchen and down the hall. I remain frozen at the sink with my heart racing as I mentally kick myself for all the things I should have said.

Sexually charged banter is something Monte and I excel at when we’re together. Why should I get nervous now?

Because now it’s for real.

I twist the wedding ring on my left hand. Normally, I don’t wear much jewelry and the only reason why I’ve been wearing the ring is because my mother expects to see it on my finger.

Mama walks into the kitchen while I’m still brooding. She’s holding Janie and asks me to grab a bottle of Anni’s carefully pumped breastmilk from the fridge.

“Where is your husband?” Mama asks.

I’m still not used to that word.Husband.Sounds so…domestic. Cozy. Intimate.

“In the shower,” I tell her as I hand the bottle over.

“Are you going to bed now?” she asks.

“Soon.”

She gives me a knowing smile. “Good night.”

When my mother leaves the kitchen with Jane, I have a choice. I can either continue to have angst here beside the sink or I can go see what Monte is doing.

The bedroom door is closed but the shower is still going and the bathroom door is open a crack, just in case I change my mind about joining him.

His dirty clothes have been left in a folded pile just outside the door. I really do need to throw in a load of laundry so I gather them up, along with the bag containing my own dirty clothes, and carry them to the laundry room at the end of the hall.

Monte is out of the shower when I return. He wears only a pair of black shorts as he stands in the middle of room and scrolls through his phone. He looks up, smiles, and tosses the phone on the bed.

When sees me lock the door, his grin gets a little cocky. “Come here, Gamer Girl.”

Without waiting, he reaches for my hand and pulls me close. He wraps his arms around me. I’m always taken aback by the size of him. He’s a foot taller and built like a muscled citadel. He needs to bend his neck forward to press his forehead to mine.One of his hands flattens across my back and the other slides up to stroke my hair.

I need to stretch to hang my arms on his shoulders. He moves his hand to the small of my back and cradles me closer, close enough to feel him hardening against my belly. My head swims and his breathing accelerates.

“Ready for bed?” He slides his thumb under the hem of my shirt.

“In a few minutes. I need to change.” Despite my attempt to sound casual, my voice squeaks.

His thumb rolls over my skin in slow circles. “Want my help?”

Cursing my own skittishness, I disentangle from him. “I’ll be right back.”

Monte watches while I push my entire suitcase into the bathroom. I’m sure I look ridiculous but I don’t know what to wear to bed. I need options.

Standing in front of the mirror above the sink, I confront my flushed reflection. With no warning, I hear the echoes of a voice I’ve tried so hard to silence.

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