6: Acceptance

SOPHIA LANCASTER

I expected an explosion. I expected Ethan Calder to lash out at the woman who had just admitted to treating him like a pawn.

But he didn't.

Ethan stared at me, his chest heaving slightly from the exertion of the moments before. The heat that had been radiating between us began to cool slowly, his fingers, which had been gripping my arm to keep me from bolting, loosened. He didn't shove me away, nor did he pull me closer. He just let go.

"Go," he said. His voice was rough, stripped of the seduction that had been there only seconds ago.

I scrambled back, clutching my dress together, my fingers fumbling with the fabric. I couldn't look him in the eye. I felt small and dirty. "Ethan, I..."

"Go, Sophia," he repeated, turning his back to me to walk toward the bar. "Before I decide not to let you leave."

I didn't wait to hear another word. I grabbed my purse and fled.

When I got into my car, my hands were shaking so hard I could barely grip the steering wheel. I sat there for a moment, and a wave of nausea rolled over me. After a while, I finally had enough energy to move the car.

I parked the car and took a deep breath, smoothing down my dress. I unlocked the front door quietly and walked up the stairs, assuming foolishly, that whoever Daniel was with would be gone. He wouldn't be so brazen as to...

"Fuck... yes, just like that."

I froze, my hand tightened on the banister until my knuckles turned white. I forced my feet to move, walking toward the master bedroom. The door was ajar, "God, you're so tight," Daniel groaned, his voice thick with a hunger he hadn't shown me in years. "So much wetter than I remember."

"Daniel... oh God, harder! Don't stop!"

"You like that?" came the wet smack of skin against skin, followed by a harsh gasp. "You like taking it in my bed? In her bed?"

"Yes... Yes, I love it! Fuck me on her sheets, Daniel!"

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Look at you," Daniel growled, "Taking every inch of me. You know exactly how to please a man... not like that prude."

"Does she make you feel this good?" the woman panted.

"Not even close," Daniel grunted. "She doesn't have a clue. Now lift your legs... I want to go deeper."

I couldn’t believe this was the man I was feeling guilty for, I cleared my throat and Daniel froze mid-thrust.  "Sophia?" he panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Jesus Christ! You scared the hell out of me."

"I see you're busy," I said, my voice dead.

Daniel looked at the woman, who was peeking out from behind the sheets, looking terrified, then back at me. He didn't look ashamed but annoyed, like a parent whose child had walked in on a private meeting.

"We were... occupied," he said, reaching for his boxers on the floor and pulling them on. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon. Give us a minute, would you?" Daniel snapped, gesturing toward the door. "You're making this awkward."

"Take your time," I said, my lip curling slightly. "I'll be downstairs."

I turned and walked away. I walked calmly back down the hallway into the dining room. I sat at the head of the long table. My hands were trembling from pure rage.

I grabbed a notepad and a pen from the sideboard. I clicked the pen open and began to write, I wrote furiously and ten minutes later, I heard footsteps on the stairs then the front door opened and closed. He had sent her away.

A moment later, Daniel walked into the dining room. He was wearing a silk robe, his hair still messy, looking relaxed and utterly unbothered. He walked over to the wet bar and poured himself a brandy. "You know," he said, taking a sip and turning to look at me. "That was incredibly rude, Sophia. You frightened the poor girl, you could have knocked."

I didn't look up from the paper. "I didn't realize I needed to knock to enter my own bedroom."

"It's our bedroom," he corrected, walking toward the table. "And since we agreed to an open marriage, I assume I have the right to use it as I see fit. You really killed the mood, you know."

He sounded so casual. So entitled and truly believed he had done nothing wrong. I stopped writing ripping the page off the notepad, "We need to talk," I said, finally looking at him.

Daniel sighed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, God. Here comes the waterworks. Sophia, I told you, I'm not doing this emotional merry-go-round with you. If you're going to cry about how much you love me…”

"Shut up, Daniel," I said.

He blinked, stunned into silence. I had never spoken to him like that. I stood up and slid the piece of paper across the table, it stopped right in front of him.

"Read it," I commanded.

He looked at me, wary now, then looked down at the paper. He picked it up, squinting slightly. "What is this?"

"Rules," I stated. "If you want this open marriage and you clearly do, since you're fucking strangers in our bed then these are the terms."

He read aloud, his voice amused. "Rule one: The matrimonial home is a sanctuary. No sexual partners are allowed inside the premises ever."

He looked up. "Seriously? You're banning me from bringing dates home?"

"I'm banning you from disrespecting the roof over my head," I said icily. "You can screw whoever you want, Daniel. You can do it in hotels, in your car, in the office for all I care but you will never, ever bring another woman into this house again. This is where I live, it is off-limits."

He scoffed but turned back to the paper. "Rule two: Discretion is mandatory. No public scandals that could damage the company's reputation."

"Keep reading," I said.

"Rule three: No emotional attachments that interfere with business assets." He chuckled, tossing the paper back onto the table. "Is that it? You want to regulate my fun?"

"I want to regulate my life," I replied. "Do you agree?"

Daniel looked at me, a slow, arrogant smile spreading across his face. He walked around the table until he was standing right in front of me. "You know what this sounds like to me?" he murmured, leaning in close. "This sounds like acceptance."

I held my breath, refusing to flinch away from him. "You're finally getting it, aren't you, Soph?" he said.

"Do you agree to the terms?" I repeated, my voice flat.

"Sure," he shrugged. "If it stops you from storming in like a banshee every time I'm trying to unwind, then yes. No women in the house, I can afford a hotel suite. It's a small price to pay for my freedom."

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, the same gesture Ethan had done an hour ago where Ethan's touch had felt electric, Daniel's felt like slime.

He leaned forward and pressed a wet kiss to my forehead. "I'm going to take a shower then I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep, you look exhausted."

He patted my shoulder and walked out of the room, whistling a low tune. I stood there in the dining room, listening to his footsteps fade. I waited until I heard the water running in the pipes upstairs and walked into the living room. I sat on the sofa, pulling my legs up under me. I stared at the phone in my hand.

I called Ethan, it rang once twice then, the line clicked open. "Sophia?" His voice was deep, laced with surprise and a hint of wariness. He hadn't expected to hear from me again tonight.

Maybe never again.

"Ethan," I said.

"Are you alright?" he asked immediately. "Where are you?"

"I'm at home," I said. "I'm safe."

"Why are you calling? Did something happen?"

"I need to apologize," I said. "For what I said earlier. For running away, it was... childish."

There was a pause on the other end. I could hear the faint clinking of ice against glass, he was still drinking. "You don't need to apologize for having a conscience, Sophia," he said quietly. "I told you. I don't want you if you're just reacting to him, I don't want to be the tool you use to smash a window because you're throwing a tantrum."

"I know," I said. "And you were right. I was conflicted earlier, I was holding onto something that didn't exist."

"And now?"

"Now I'm sure," I whispered. "I'm not conflicted anymore, Ethan. And you said you wanted me willing.”

"That is the only way I will have you," he confirmed.

"I'm willing," I said, a small smile touched my lips.

"Sleep well, Maami," he murmured. "You're going to need your energy."