I sashayed towards him and helped him take off his jacket. I calculated every movement to arouse him, seduce him. My fingers traced his arms as I slowly removed the suit coat and laid it over a living room chair neatly.
As I walked around him to face him, my fingers did not leave his upper arm. Standing in front of him, I met his dark-eyed gaze with my own sultry green. I put on my best runway stare, never breaking eye contact as I undid his tie slowly. Making sure my fingers touched his bare flesh, I watched for signs of excitement and desire.
I saw uncertainty instead.
“You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”
“It was no trouble. Henri did the cooking. Plus, I know all your favorites.” A smile emphasized my pleasure in making the night special.
As I pulled the tie through his collar, my effort pulled me into him, and he shocked me. A hard-on pressed against my thigh.Fuck!
He pulled back slowly. Not quickly.
I hoped my limp-dick cocktail would work.
“Do I smell chicken cacciatore?”
“Yes you do, darling.”
I took his hand and led him to the table where he sat down. “Let me grab your salad. Henri prepared Caesar salad too.” I trailed my hand across the back of his shoulders as I left him to go to the kitchen.
The dining room and kitchen were only separated by the large food prep island where the sink and dishwasher took up one side and a bar like eating area the other. I grabbed two salads from the refrigerator and returned to the table. My hips swayed as if I walked down the runway in New York and Dirk’s eyes swayed with my own movements.
He ate his soup, and I picked at my salad as an uncomfortable silence hovered over us like an early morning fog from the ocean. I observed as he devoured the soup and drank half of his glass of wine. I savored the lemon blossom and Asian pear, along with the slight honey taste of my wine.
“So, how was your day?” I asked, showing interest in his life, which was always defined by his business.
“A challenge. Lawyers and regulators, which are just lawyers for the government, are determined to make me work for every part of this deal. They dig into everything. The European lawyers are the worst. They don’t take kindly to an American company buying out a European counterpart.”
“If we only scrutinized politicians to the same depth…” I let that thought trail off. It sounded smart.
He smiled in reply. His eyes had lost that haggard look.
“So, when do you think the merger will go through?” If Dirk wasn’t a billionaire yet, this merger with Arsenault Security would make him one for sure.
“It could be ready in a week or it could take six months. Everyone has an opinion on how to answer the many questions and how to fill out all the legal paperwork.” He sighed heavily.
I didn’t want to divorce Dirk—my life with him had been any girl’s dream. My monthly allowance added up to more than most women ever had to spend in a year’s time, and I’d accumulated some money over the five years we’d been married. Of course, that was because some ventures I got him to invest in were simply ways for me to squirrel away money. But if he forced me into a divorce, I intended to get as much from him as I could.
In my sick way, I loved Dirk Baxter with or without his money. Loving him with his money had been so much easier, though. If I couldn’t stay married, I intended to get as much as I could from him during the divorce.
“I’m sure you will get it all worked out. You always do.” I imagined my grandmother and her loving smile as I always did to evoke that feeling of supportive love. I tried to paint my face with that same look.
“Yes. I will.” His jaw tightened, a tell that he was determined to win an argument or contest of wills.
“You know I’ve always admired you as well as loving you. I just hope we can get back to the feeling and fire we had in the beginning.”
“We will see, Scarlet.”
“Come on, Dirk. Loosen up a little. Where’s that carefree man who swept me off my feet and adored me?”
“He’s not as sure right now.”
“Not sure of what? His love for me? Or his own masculinity?”
“Of you,” he answered quickly. His eyes darkened. His jaw set even tighter.
“I’m sorry, Dirk. I didn’t mean to upset you. Since the doctor recommended we do this, I have been looking forward to this night.”
