Page 28 of Wed to the Devil

My lips thin. I draw in a breath to bolster myself.

“Working at the bookstore provides me with the security of knowing that I am making sure that my Aunt Minnie doesn’t lose her shirt. And Hope House… The kids need someone to be in their corner. They make me feel like I’m… being useful.”

“Useful?” He huffs out half a laugh.

“Yes.” I can feel my cheeks beginning to burn. “It’s important to be of service to people that need you.”

Dare snorts. “That sounds like crazy talk. I thought you would just take up a quiet hobby. Collecting art, maybe. Or be a patroness of the arts. My friend Calum owns a ballet company. Maybe he can get you started supporting some ballerinas.”

I can feel my heart sink and all the air leave my lungs. All the joy I have found in the last few days disappears in an instant as Dare's words hit me like a punch in the chest.

He looks at me, expecting me to acquiesce to his demands. But there is no way I'm giving up what has become so important to me. Each week, I go to Hope House and work with those kids, helping them through their crisis; it brings me incredible satisfaction and peace of mind. Besides, Aunt Minnie desperately needs me working at the bookstore.

She won’t hire anyone else to help around the store.

"You’re wrong," I reply firmly, meeting Dare's gaze head on with a confidence that surprises even myself. "I am not going to give up my job at the bookstore or volunteer work at Hope House. You may think I should be some fine lady of Harwicke, but that is not who I am and what I want."

Dare's eyes flash with anger and disbelief.

I stand there, unable to believe what I'm hearing. Dare wants me to give up my job at the bookstore and join charity boards? What kind of life is this? After all that I've done to make it here - working hard, getting into college, supporting myself - he expects me to just throw it away?

I can feel anger rising within me but before I can say anything Dare continues. "It will be good for you," he says. "You'll have more free time and won't be so tired from work."

He doesn't understand my passion for books or volunteering with children in Hope House. It brings me joy and a purpose that I can't get anywhere else. How can I possibly give that up?

I want to tell Dare all this, but I can't bring myself to. I just stand there feeling helpless and a little lost, not sure what my next move should be.

"I like volunteering with children in crisis at Hope House. What is your issue with it?" I ask. He says, "I don't have a problem with it, but you need to think bigger. As the wife of a billionaire, Talia, you have the ability to sit on the boards of charities. You can effect changes at a much higher level."

Maybe if I'm lucky I'll find something else here in Harwicke - something to fill the void left by giving up my job. But right now, I can only stare at Dare in silence, wishing he could understand how much it would mean to me if he just let me keep doing what I love.

But I guess that won't be the case for now. All I can do is take a deep breath and try to move forward, even when it feels like my heart is breaking in two.

"Dare..."

He looks up at me, his eyes scanning my face and his mouth tightening slightly.

"I can see you working up the nerve to say something. Spit it out."

Tossing my hair, I frown. "You don't even realize it, but you are taking something from me. Telling me to set my sights higher than merely volunteering at Hope House takes away the joy I get from being there with the kids. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Dare arches an eyebrow. "I don't. But maybe..." He stops for a second, his lips pressing together. "Show me."

I sit on the corner of his desk, crossing my legs. He puts his hand on my leg, sliding it up my thigh. I blush and bite my lip, trying not to squirm at my husband's touch.

"Really?" I ask.

Dare's lips twitch. "I can almost guarantee that I won't like it nearly as much as you do."

My heart flutters as I realize this could be my chance to do something meaningful. Dare's giving me a single tiny crack in his otherwise impenetrable shell made of wealth and privilege. I would be crazy to push him away now.

"Okay," I say softly. "Let's do it."

Dare smiles knowingly and squeezes my leg gently before releasing me.

“Just like that?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on his face.

He shrugs. “If it will make you stop nattering on about your life’s purpose, I can give you one afternoon.”

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