Page 77 of Vow to Hate You

Talie’s eyes widened, and she bit her lip, clearly remembering the night I had her bent over the dining table. Charlotte let out a choking sound before clearing her throat.

“None of my business,” she muttered. “Maybe I’ll go and let you two work out whatever marriage squabble you’re having?—”

“Wait,” Talie cut her off, sounding nervous at the thought of being alone with me. “We were going to have breakfast together.”

“The key,” I said, my voice laced with warning. “You’re not going anywhere until I get it.”

Instead of listening to me, she ran. I lunged forward, catching the hem of her dress for a second before she tore away. The chain swung in her grip as she darted around a table before I could reach her.

“Looks like you can move well with it on,” she taunted as she danced away from me again. “That’s good, since it’s not coming off.”

I made a noise of annoyance as I cut her off when she tried rushing past me. She whirled around, letting out a small yell when she hit the railing. My chest pressed against her back as I reached for the key. She flailed, refusing to give in, and I wrapped my other arm around her waist, keeping her tight against me.

“Stop fighting before you flip over the railing,” I grumbled, trying to snag the key. I was able to get a hold of the chain, and she tugged hard, trying to rip it from my grip.

“Let go of me?—”

Her words caught in her throat as the thin chain suddenly broke. I sucked in a sharp breath when the key slid down, plopping into the water before sinking under the surface. I froze in shock, and Talie didn’t move a muscle, the chain still dangling from her hand.

“That did not fucking happen,” I mumbled, staring at the blue abyss.

She stayed silent. I grabbed her hips, spinning her around. She tilted her face up to meet my eyes, and I could see the truth before I even spoke the words.

“Pleasetell me you have a spare key on this damn yacht,” I said in a low voice.

A tense laugh erupted from her. “Not here. It’s in the city.”

“Natalia,” I ground out, disbelief swarming me.

“You two are drawing attention,” Charlotte said, reminding me that we weren’t alone.

“We don’t want your business partners gossiping about our marriage,” Talie sang out, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

Oh, she thought she was safe. Her grin morphed into a frown when my grip on her hips tightened.

“Gossip about what?” I responded, cocking my head. “We’re here to celebrate our marriage.”

“Damian—”

I didn’t give her a chance to reply before I bent down, throwing her over my shoulder. She let out a surprised cry, writhing in my hold when I locked my arm around her thighs, making sure her dress was still covering her ass. When I turned around, I saw Charlotte staring at us with her eyes wide.

“Tell our parents we might miss dinner,” I told her while striding away.

“People are staring,” Talie hissed. She grabbed my shirt, tugging on it as if that would make me put her down.

“Good.”

“Where are you two going?”

I glanced to the side to see Rhyett standing with a few other men who worked with Talie’s father. She stiffened in my hold, not saying a word as we passed them.

I shot Rhyett a grin. “I’m spending the day with my wife. We have a lot of time to make up for now that she’s home.”

A few of the men chuckled, and Talie grumbled something under her breath as I pushed open the door to the stairwell.

“What are you doing?” she snapped once we were alone.

I slowly went down the steps as she struggled. “You gave me a taste of my new favorite meal, and now I’m insatiable. So we’re spending the day with my head between your legs.”

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