‘What time do you finish?’ Taylor asked when he pulled the car to a stop outside the building that currently houses the Solace daycare center."Five," "Five o’clock," she answered shortly. Wait for me to call—I might be late.’I’ll be here at five o’clock and you will be ready."Not bothering to argue or say goodbye, she shrugged her shoulders, grabbed her bag and got out, slamming the passenger door behind her. She might not be able to see his face, but she could easily imagine her handsome husband’s wince at her treatment of his precious car.When they’d first met, her manners had been somewhat rough around the edges. She’d been taught to say please and thank you, and not speak with her mouth full, but that had been the extent of it, and those few manners had been drilled into her by her primary school headmistress, not her parents. Her mum had been too busy holding down two jobs to find the energy to write, while her dad had hardly been there, flitting in and out of their lives as
He was pulled out of his reminiscences when a dark blue minibus drove into the grounds and pulled up beside him. He paid little attention to it until he caught the figure getting out of the driver’s side.While he was processing the image of Dianne driving a minibus, she spotted him and, unsmiling, held up a hand and mouthed, ‘Five minutes.’He shoved his door open. We need to leave now. You’re late enough as it is.’""I did warn you," she replied with a casual shrug. I need to drop the keys back in and sign off. I won’t be long.’She hurried off on her jeans-clad legs and disappeared through the double front door.He could still hardly believe his wife was wearing jeans. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her in a pair before.When he’d refused to take her back to her house the night before, although promising to get her to work on time that morning, she hadn’t argued. He'd been quietly satisfied that she was adapting to his authority well, right until he discovered her missing. She’d r
Dianne froze, keeping herself ramrod straight, and swallowed the moisture that filled her mouth.How did he do this? How did he make her want him so much while simultaneously making her want to scratch her nails down his face?“I’m not yours until Friday,” she reminded him in a strangled voice. ‘No touching until then.’"I don’t think you’ll make me wait that long."‘I hate you.’‘I know.’ His breath whispered through the strands of her hair, heating her scalp. It must be awful for you, hating me so much but wanting me even more.’‘I don’t want you.’‘I never realized when we married what a liar you are.’ The tip of his nose nestled into her hair. If I hadn’t been so blinded by lust, I would have known your words of love and your promise of a child were nothing but lies to access my fortune.’His tone was playful, but when Dianne spun round to face him, she saw the darkness in his eyes.I didn’t lie to you and I didn’t marry you for your money.’ She hated that he thought of her as a g
Taylor flexed his fingers and took a deep breath.The past four days had been like living with a sullen teenager. He’d given her a little leeway, which had been decent of him under the circumstances, but from now on he would not put up with it.Tomorrow, the deeds would be signed and she would be indebted to him.Curiosity made him look at the papers sprawled over her desk.A few moments later, he sat on the chair, still warm from her body heat, with a frown on his face.Peering more closely through the stack before him, he saw she’d taken each room of the new building and committed to paper her ideas for the renovations. Each drawing was done to scale.Dianne had said she’d made these plans.Had she been lying in an attempt to impress him?But no—the notes in the margins, the numbers indicating the measurements, these were all in her girlish writing.He rubbed at his temples, his chest tightening as he imagined her sitting in that tiny study in the tiny home she’d been living in, wor
Dianne was out of the center before Taylor’s watch registered her being even one minute late. She hurried to the car, her excitement tangible. She’d been the same that morning, unable to keep still for a second, downing coffee as if it were going out of fashion but unable to eat a morsel of the eggs his chef had cooked for them.She pulled the passenger door open. “Is it done?”‘Yes.’She punched the air. ‘Thank God.’You’re welcome. But Taylor will suffice.’She pulled a face at him and laughed. Right now, I’m so happy and grateful that I’ll call you anything you like.’He bit back the quip forming on his tongue, not wanting to break the moment. Seeing the delight on her face lightened his blood.It had been a long time since he’d seen that smile.A skinny, balding man poked his head out of the building. Abandoning Taylor, Dianne hurried over to him, hurled her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. The man disappeared back inside with a beaming grin of his own.She rushed back
Looking back, Dianne struggled to understand how she’d allowed herself to suffer such self-inflicted torture. She’d thought nothing of wearing five-inch heels for a full day at work.But it had been expected of her. She had been the wife of Taylor Moore, and she had been expected to dress and act the part, including cultivating friendships with like-minded women.The only real friendship she’d made had been, funnily enough, with Audrey, Taylor’s sister, who was an incredibly smart and amusing woman.The strange thing was, while they’d been eating last night, she’d noticed so many new things: the way Aria picked at her food as if scared to consume a calorie more than was good for her, the way she deferred to her husband before offering an opinion...all the things Dianne had once done. And just like that, she’d seen all the insecurities running under Aria’s surgically lifted skin. Being the trophy wife of a successful, rich, handsome man wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Dianne should
I am not a team player, Dianne. I don’t deal with collaboration. You will get your centre but you will not have the opportunity to mess up the renovations.’"I am not going to mess this up!" she shouted.He gave her a measured stare. Control your temper. It is most unattractive.’"Do you think I care what you find attractive?"You should, considering the project hasn’t even started yet.She knew exactly what he meant. "Are you seriously serious? If I don’t toe the line, then you’ll pull the plug. ’‘If necessary, But as I’ve said numerous times, if you fulfill your side of the bargain, then I will fulfil mine.’You lied to me.’"No." You made assumptions.’ He rose from his seat and rested his hand on the desk, leaning forward. ‘I made it very clear that I would be taking control. I will be in charge and you will be by my side. Look at it from a positive perspective—this time you’ll see how a project is conducted properly all the way to its conclusion.’The anger inside her had risen s
‘You said I could do whatever I liked.’And you can. But that doesn’t mean I have to participate or enjoy it.’He tugged her hair back and stared into her insolent eyes. Anger flooded through him at the confirmation of the game she was playing. But he tempered it.She wanted to play?Nothing would give him greater pleasure.And she would learn that whatever game she played with him, she would never win.He released his hold on her and swept his fingers over her shoulders and down over her breasts, lightly pinching those gorgeous nipples, already hard with the arousal she wished to deny, in the way that had always made her moan.There were no moans this time, but her lips parted a fraction, her cheeks heightening with colour. The defiance remained.“Sit on the chair,” he commanded, indicating the armchair in the corner of the room.“What?”‘Sit on the chair. You said I could do whatever I liked, and what I would like is for you to sit on that chair.’She swallowed, looking at the chair