Page 12 of Caged in Desire
Looking up, I see that I’ve upset her in some way. I go back through what I might have said to cause her sudden change in attitude. “I assure you, Potts knows more about this place than I do. She would be a much better guide…”
“No, not that. You’re leaving?Again?I thought the whole point of my waiting to move in was so that you would be home and that we would be here together.”
I release a sigh, becoming irritated as well. “I don’t have any overnight obligations for the foreseeable future, but I had to rearrange a number of things to accommodate our wedding.”
“And what am I supposed to do while you're goneeveryday?” she asks, tossing down the garments she was holding dramatically before crossing her arms. The motion accentuates her cleavage, and I have to will my attention to remain on her beautiful face.
“I don’t know, whatever you want!” I pause, lifting a hand in the direction of the backyard. “The pool’s heated, or you can use the indoor pool. Construction on the fencing pistes is finished. There’s a library, a theater. I assure you, I’ve added any creature comforts you left behind in your old home.”
“I didn’t realize I was leaving one gilded cage just to be trapped in another.”
“For Christ’s sake, you aren’t trapped here,” I say, rubbing my temples in an attempt to prevent the headache I fear will be in full force any minute now. “You have a driver, you’ve been added to all my accounts, go! Go shopping, get a massage, get some brunch.”
“Withwho?You’re the only person I even slightly know, Henry.”
I look down at the petite woman fuming in front of me. If this weren’t such a tedious conversation, her anger would almost be adorable. “Katarina, I’m a very busy man. As much as I would love to putz around with you all day, I have an empire to run.”
“I didn’t expect you to negate your responsibilities,Mr. Sinclair.I just wanted to get to know my husband. I was under the impression that you might share my interest in getting to know each other, but clearly, I miscalculated your intentions. My apologies,sir.”
This is one of the reasons I’ve never committed myself to a relationship, much less marriage. My fluid schedule remains packed, so I enjoy having full autonomy over any remaining free time. Allowing someone in means giving up control of my perfectly sculpted routine.
A glance at the platinum band around my ring finger reminds me that I do, in fact, have a partner. She should be my first and foremost priority as far as responsibilities are concerned. And whether it be pure obligation, or perhaps a desire of my own tospend more time together, I won’t allow my vibrant wife to grow bitter and lonely because I can’t find time for her.
At some point in this disagreement, we’ve managed to close the space between us. Now within my reach, I gently place a hand on her shoulder in hopes of calming the tension around us. “I’m sorry, darling, I know my absence isn’t ideal. My next week or so is packed, but after that, I should be around more often. We can at least start with having dinner together when things calm down.”
She places her hand atop mine and smiles sweetly, accepting my olive branch. Any annoyance in her eyes dissipates as she gazes up at me. “I would love that. Thank you.”
My free arm wraps around her back, and I begin pulling her toward me when the shrill sound of Linda’s voice pierces the air. “Henry? There you are! I couldn’t find you anywhere! Mrs. Potts said you were in your room, but when I checked, you weren’t there. Obviously. What are you…oh! You must be Ms. Taranova. I’m Linda, Henry’swork wife.”
I feel Katarina tense, but she holds her hand out to greet Linda nonetheless. She opens her mouth to introduce herself, but I interject, beating her to the punch. “Linda, this isMrs. KatarinaSinclair. And the only woman to claim the title of my wife. In any capacity.”
We’ve shifted so that I’m standing behind Katarina, my hands resting on her shoulder. Her body relaxes beneath my hold as she beams up at me, and I give her a wink before Linda responds.
“Oh, you know I was only kidding. It’s so nice to finally meet you,Katarina,”she says before turning to me. “Are you ready to go?”
“I’ll meet you in the car in a minute,” I manage to growl out, annoyed at her sudden aggression toward my wife. She certainly has her faults, but professionalism has never been one of them.
As my assistant skips away, heels clicking as she makes her way down the hardwood stairs, I realize I’ve had a death grip on Katarina’s shoulders. She turns to face me as soon as I release her. “You really have to go?”
“I do. I’ll be back tonight, but it’ll be late.” Hurt flashes across her eyes, causing an unfamiliar pit in my stomach. Placing my finger and thumb lightly on her chin, I tilt her head to look at me. “Let me get through this next week, and I promise to keep my schedule as light as possible for a while.”
She nods in agreement, but I can tell she’s still upset. Taking her hand in mine, I kiss her knuckles softly. “I’ll see you soon, Mrs. Sinclair.”
Her pretty smile makes its appearance once again. “Goodbye, Henry.”
Walking away from Katarina, I’m hit with dread for the packed week ahead of me. I’ve never minded the rigorous schedule and extensive travel included in running the Sinclair empire. Still, I’m suddenly craving a simpler existence—one where I’m home every day at a reasonable time to have dinner with my beautiful wife. And perhaps when I must travel, I can just bring her with me. I’m sure she would enjoy seeing the world after being confined to the Taranov compound all her life.
As I make my way to the car that will be taking us to the private airport, I see Linda propped against the back door with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
“It’s about time,” she says, as we both get into opposite sides of the back seat. Like a switch, her attitude is gone, and there’s a plastered smile on her face. “Katarina sure is a pretty little thing, isn’t she? I was a little confused why you would so easily agree to marry such a young girl, but now I understand why you had such minimal objection to this contract. It’s probably a good thing that you have separate rooms. I mean, people are alreadygoing to talk, considering you’re twice her age. Just be careful, you don’t want anyone to think you’re grooming her.”
“That’s enough,” I growl, interrupting her rambling as I fasten my seat belt.
She breathes out a quiet “sorry,” and I sigh, realizing how harsh my tone was.
“Linda, you’ve handled the contracts for every submissive relationship I’ve had since you’ve been my assistant. When have you ever known me to be concerned with what others thought of my proclivities?”
“Just be careful, Henry. This is different,” she says, turning to look out her window.
