Atlas scratched at his ridiculous fauxhawk. “Because she’s your wife, dude! Like, even if it’s just for her visa, or whatever, do you really think it’s a good look that she’s going viral while she goes to town on herself with a massive dildo?”
Heat unfurled on my neck, creeping up my cheeks. But it wasn’t embarrassment. It was rage.
“You suppressed my wife’s content because you decided I shouldn’tsupport her career?” My knuckles were white with how tight my fists were.
“Do you want other men seeing her? Do you think that won’t be a question you get asked when it comes time to apply for her partner visa?” Atlas reasoned.
I swallowed. Because in all of this, I’d somehow managed to forget that other people would be consuming her content. I couldn’t think about it though. I had no right to be jealous, and I’d promised her that I would never be possessive, or controlling.
And after two years … when we divorced … she may well wish to continue to make money on Tickle. As was her right.
“She’s not with other people in her content. Not one single person could try to claim that she was being unfaithful to me.” I forced my fingers to relax, taking a long breath. “I want her to continue to make money in a way that fulfils her.”
Atlas chortled. “Oh, it fulfils her, alright!”
The urge to throw a punch at his smirking face had never been so difficult to ignore. “She may enjoy toys,” I rumbled. “But at the end of the day, I’m the man she comes home to.”
If only that were true in the full sense of the words.
Atlas threw me a baffled look. “So, you’re telling me that you have no issue whatsoever if there are thousands of men around the world pulling their dicks while your hot fake wife plays with herself?”
“Who’s to say I don’t get off on knowing men watch my wife come?”
Atlas raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”
I shrugged, not trusting my voice, tapping at the keyboard to delete the mess Beau had made for Ri. “I’m removing this code, but I won’t make a scene about it with Beau. This time. I’ll be setting systems in place to monitor her profile for tampering, and if I find any in future …”
“You’ll what?” Atlas asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.
“Just don’t tamper with her profile. And don’t ask the junior coders to do it, either.”
“Okay, fair enough. Now, about that TechRaker article. I know you think I had a?—”
“Henry!” Liv called excitedly as she rounded the doorway. “Irina’s here!”
My face heated, and I didn’t miss the smirk Atlas threw my way as I muttered, “This can wait until later.”
I strode from the room while Liv bounced ahead of me, practically skipping.
“Why are you so excited about this?” I asked. “You’ve met her before. You were at our wedding!”
Liv grinned back at me. “But this is the first time everyone in the office is getting to meet her! Henry …” she paused until I caught up with her then lowered her voice. “It’s like your hard launch.”
“My what?” I was mystified.
“You know—like when celebrities officially attend a public event together? They’re hard-launching their relationship, it’s like … making an undeniable statement that you’re a couple.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, scrubbing my suddenly clammy palms against my jeans. It was one thing to play the husband around strangers who weren’t scrutinising me, but with all my employees watching avidly, anticipating the moment they would see us together for the first time.
Would they be able to tell that I was walking a tightrope of feelings, longings that were threatening to overwhelm me? Would I make a fool of both of us in front of everyone?
Then, with a chorus of, “Congratulations!” and the horrendous honking of those party blowers, I rounded the corner into the bullpen.
And she came into view.
My breath caught in my chest. Her hair, loose and glossy, falling down her back and over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her smile when she saw me lit up her face, and her eyes, like two sapphires, twinkled joyfully.
All the noise and commotion faded into insignificance, and in three strides, I crossed the room, cupped her face in my hands and tugged her closer until her lips met mine.
