Page 121 of Wild Side
“No.” The single word comes out even and calm, like second nature now. Without guilt. It’s as though I’ve figured out who I am and who I want to be. And it isn’t someone who compromises on their morals. Sure, I’m an actor, but it’s still my life. And while I signed a contract, my lawyer, who I checked with earlier on the drive, assured me it doesn’t mean I have to follow every demand they make.
“Noisn’t an option! Follow through. You will win—you’re welcome for that—and Elle will present you with the belt. You will kiss, and then you will let her peel your mask off.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
“I don’t care what you want! This isn’t about?—”
I glance down at my phone, lips twitching as I my eyes land on the total lack of reception bars. I can imagine Anthony losing his shit now, thinking I hung up on him. It’s satisfying, actually.
I run through the match in my head for the rest of the drive, determining if I’d do anything differently. Trying to decide if I’m being unprofessional somehow. I may not be a man of many words, but I am a man of my word, and I told Anthony I’d do whatever storyline he wanted when I asked for the extra time off.
I just didn’t think he’d do this one. And it’s not like I didn’t express my concern before stepping into the ring. He knew damn well how I felt, and he tried to force it anyway.
No, I feel comfortable with my choice. Elle and Anthony can do whatever they want, and they’ll get head pats. from me.
I pull up in front of Tabitha’s house about an hour after my call with Anthony dropped. Light glows from the windows. I know she worked tonight, and Milo is staying at her parents’ house. The thought of removing him from this place now, after all these months, twists something deep inside me. His family, his entire support network—I could never.
No, Milo belongs here in Rose Hill.
And so do I.
That’s why I’m back. Unannounced.Again.
I couldn’t stay away. The travel is long and grueling and worth every second. I’ve never been in love, but I’ve also never felt like this. So it seems reasonable to assume I just might be in love with my wife.
Bag over my shoulder, I stride up to the cozy craftsman and enter through theunlockedfront door. I lock it behind me.
“Tabby?” I call, not wanting to waste time looking around.
Footsteps rush across the floor upstairs, and her head pops down from the top landing. “Rhys?” She hurries toward me, eyes bright, hair damp.
She’s wearing the same tiny shorts and tank top pajama combo she wore the day I treated her burn. It had been a herculean effort not to look up her shorts. Today, I don’t worry about that. They won’t be on for long.
“What are you doing here?”
“Surprise?” I reply, watching her spring down the stairs before launching herself at me.
I lift her up, hands on her ass as she wraps her arms around my neck. “The best surprise,” she says. “Careful. I’m going to expect that you come home every week.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She grins, dropping her mouth close to mine. “On the weeks you can’t, I’ll watch you on TV and slip a hand down my shorts. Pretend you’re here.”
“Fuck, Tabby,” I growl out before she presses her mouth to mine. My fingers grip her tighter, pulsing against the globes of her ass.
“That’s what I did last night after everyone left.” Her lips drag over my cheek, nipping at my ear. “Went to bed. Pulled your entrance up on my phone and fucked my fingers until I came. Thinking about riding your cock.”
I’m hard now, cock rearing up toward her. I don’t even kick my shoes off before I carry my wife straight down the hallway like a caveman and plunk her on the kitchen table. I shrug off my duffel bag, shoving it across the smooth expanse next to her.
She watches me, looking amused by how frayed my patience has become at the drop of a hat. Her lips quirk, and she bats her eyelashes, taunting me. It reminds me of the smile she’d hit me with the first day I met her. She’d used her looks like a weapon then, and today nothing has changed. She knows exactly what she’s doing to me.
“Are you feeling okay? You seem verydistressed.”
“Tabitha, wipe that smirk from your mouth, or I’ll fuck it off.”
She smiles wider, reaching out to trail a finger over the waistband of my jeans. “Maybe you’re just tired?”
I push her back gently, so she lands on her elbows. She looks pleased about the development. “Tired of listening to you talk when I’d rather hear you choke on my cock.” I hook my fingers in her shorts and roughly tug them down, groaning when I see the smooth expanse of skin down her stomach to her perfect little cunt.
