CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Dani
It had been two days since my dinner with Talen’s parents. They weren’t at all what I’d expected. While I knew Talen’s father wasn’t a nice person, I expected him to be at least somewhat curious about me. After all, I was his son’s wife. We were married, and that was exactly what Jacob wanted. Or at least, I thought it was. From the way he looked at me, I wasn’t sure. He seemed to want nothing to do with me. Until I called him out for working at the dinner table at least.
I knew it was stupid, even as I did it, but I couldn’t hold it in. Watching him tap away on his phone infuriated me. Victoria and Talen were both right there, right in front of him. His wife and his son. Still, Jacob showed no interest in them. It filled me with a rage I didn’t understand. I popped off more than I should have. Neither Talen nor Victoria said a word about it, but I could tell Jacob knew what my intention was. The way he watched me after that was evidence enough. I made it clear I wasn’t just Talen’s arm candy.
The one good thing that came from my introduction to Jacob Gaston was that it gave me a new understanding of Talen. When we first arrived, I had been so angry with him. He treated me horribly on the car ride over to his parents’ house, and I was livid. Then, as I talked to his mom and watched his dad, I began to empathize with him. He wasn’t trying to be rude. He was just nervous. He seemed about ready to pop out of his skin when his father pulled him aside to talk. The look on Talen’s face was enough to make me forgive him.
It didn’t hurt that he went down on me later that night. Another sexual encounter with Talen was the last thing I expected, but it was surprisingly welcome. He never said it, but I knew he was sorry for how he acted. He felt guilty, and that was his way of making it up to me. Part of me knew it wasn’t the best way, but my body took control, and I gave in to my desires. Talen’s tongue felt too good to deny, and I didn’t want to try. When I went to bed that night, I dreamt of that tongue.
The next morning came too early, and reality set in painfully. Now, it was Wednesday, and Talen woke me up to inform me that we would be going out that night. He had some big plan.
“Tonight?” I asked sleepily. “Another show?”
“No,” he said, pushing my hair back from my face. “Just to a casino or two. I want people to see us out. It’ll be like a date night.”
I went through my mental calendar. “I waitress tonight. My shift is from six to midnight.”
A pained look crossed his face. “Quit your jobs,” he said. “I’ll take care of all your expenses and deposit twenty thousand in your account for sundries. When you run out, just ask for more.”
I blinked at him, stunned. When I ran out of twenty thousand dollars? I barely made more than twenty thousand dollars in an entire year.
“Talen...”
“Yes?”
“We never talked about the exact amount I’d, um… well…” Why was talking about money so hard?
“How much I’ll pay you for being my wife?”
I felt myself grow hot, and I sat up in the bed. “Yes. I just, well…” Shit.
His expression was soft when he looked at me. “It’s a good question, and I’m sorry we hadn’t talked about it before. I’d like for you to quit your jobs so you’re available to me fully, during which time I’ll provide for all of your expenses. We’ll be attending additional shows, so we’ll go shopping for additional clothes.”
I smiled. “Like Richard Gere and Julia Roberts?”
He bobbed his eyebrows. “Will you buy me a tie?”
My stomach twisted at the thought. “Maybe.”
The bed shifted as he leaned closer to me. “Can I tie you up with it?”
I pressed my thighs together, imagining being at his mercy. “We shouldn’t.”
His eyes flicked down to my lips. “I know.”
Then he was kissing me, and I was taking his weight as he pulled my gown up my legs. “Fuck. Condom,” he muttered as his cock nudged my entrance.
I lifted my hips, needing him. “I’m on the pill.”
He looked down at me and muttered something that I thought was worth the gamble, but I wasn’t sure because, with a growl, he was inside me, both of us crazy with need as our bodies rocked together, our lips and teeth at war. It was hard and fast and perfect when he came inside me, both of us breathless as we clung to each other.
He kissed my lips, my nose, my cheek. “God, why do you feel so good?”
The question didn’t require an answer and made me smile as I held him close. He groaned and raised onto his elbows. “I need to get to work.”
“Okay,” I said and ran my hand through his hair. “But do you think I could spend the night at my place tonight? I know we need to keep up appearances, but I should really get some painting done. My art is still important to me.”
He frowned. “I don’t know, I—”
“Talen, I’m quitting my jobs to make sure I’m available to you whenever you need me,” I reminded him. “I can’t give up my art too.”
“Okay.” He kissed my nose. “You’re right. That’s fine. I’ll drop you off after our date tonight.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
He pushed himself to his feet. “Yeah.” I knew he needed to get to the office, but I hated being alone all day.
“I want to visit my mother,” I said, going through my options of how to get there. A cab would cost a fortune and my little car was at my apartment.
“Sure. You can use one of mine. Just call the valet and ask them to bring one around for you.”
One of his?
“Um… what are my choices?”
He grinned. “I’ve got a sweet little Porsche. Can you drive a stick?”
I shook my head.
“Then your two options would be the Jeep Wrangler or Land Rover. The Jeep is fun.”
I brightened. I’d always wanted a Jeep. “Does the top come off?” I asked hopefully.
“Yep. Ask the valets to do it for you.”
Once Talen was gone, I showered and dressed, and soon was driving happily down the road, the wind whipping through my hair. Mom was having a good day, and we cooked her meals together. It was almost like she wasn’t sick at all until she asked me about Perry.
“We broke up, remember?” I said gently.
She looked concerned and confused. “When was that?”
It became harder to breath. “After my art show?”
She brightened. “You had an art show?”
My eyes burned. “Yeah. It was great.”
And just like that, her illness reappeared, making it harder than ever to leave her again. I didn’t mention the assisted living facility Madison and I visited. It would be several more weeks before it was even an option. I just tucked her into bed for a nap before I left.
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, D…” She looked at me, confused. “D…” She blinked hard.
“Dani,” I said softly. It was the first time she’d forgotten my name.
After I left, I stopped at both the diner and the bookstore to give my resignation, yet another tether broken from who I was just a few days ago.
The drive back to Talen’s apartment didn’t carry the same joy that it had earlier.
***
I stressed more than I should’ve over what to wear to dinner. Talen was right, I did need to go shopping. I had a few good pieces, but not near enough to last the week, let alone the month.
I settled on a colorful maxi dress that fell to my toes, but added a wide belt to give my waist some definition. I looked casual, but still like someone who could be on the arm of a millionaire. Or billionaire. I still wasn’t sure exactly how much money Talen’s family had.
When Talen got home from work, he changed and we headed out for dinner. Talen chose a sushi place that was delicious. I ate more than my share and enjoyed every bite.
“If I’d known you liked sushi, I would have brought you sooner,” Talen said, laughing as I shoved more into my mouth.
“It’s so good,” I mumbled. My mouth was full, but I didn’t care. The food was too good for manners.
Talen laughed and watched me with amusement. I liked seeing him that way — easygoing and lighthearted. It was rare that he actually relaxed, so I reveled in it whenever he did. The more I ate, the more entertained he became, and the more entertained he became, the more I ate.
By the time we left, I was miserably full and loving it. We climbed into his car, and I groaned loudly. “God, I think I ate an entire aquarium in there.”
“Probably,” Talen agreed and stroked my hair back from my face. “You were really shoveling it in.”
“Shut up,” I teased. “I’m a lady. Ladies don’t ‘shovel’ anything.”
“Oh, I beg to differ,” Talen said with a wink.
I laughed. “You’re terrible.”
“But fun,” he argued.
“Surprisingly, yes,” I agreed. “You can be fun sometimes.”
“Why is that surprising?” he asked as we pulled out of the parking lot.
“Well,” I began. “Because when we met, you were a world-class asshole.”
Talen laughed. “Damn. Don’t hold back or anything.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to insult you, but it’s the truth. You weren’t exactly ‘fun’ then.”
“Oh, come on,” Talen said. “The night we met was fun.”
“I’m sure it was,” I admitted. “Too bad I can’t remember most of it.”
We both laughed at that. It was crazy how this whole thing began between us. Our drunken marriage was still fresh in my mind and slightly embarrassing, but the more time that passed, the more I saw the hilarity in it.
When we arrived at the casino, Talen held the door open for me. I didn’t know what caused his change in attitude this time around, but I wasn’t complaining. I knew I would be spending a lot of time with Talen over the next few weeks. If we could get along, maybe even be friends, then things would progress smoothly. I hated the idea of fighting with him the entire time.
“Where to?” I asked as we stepped onto the casino floor.
“Blackjack.”
I rolled my eyes. “Typical.”
He shoulder checked me. “What?”
“Such a guy.” I grinned to show him I was kidding. I loved blackjack. It was my favorite table game at any casino, but I didn’t want to let Talen know that. Already, I was picturing his face when I won.
We sat down at the table and laid down our chips. The dealer dealt our cards, and the game began. Talen and I were the only two people at the table, so the game went quickly. Talen busted. I hit twenty-one perfectly. With a grin, I pulled my winnings toward me and laid down my next bet. Talen laid down his chip and waited.
After I’d won five hands in a row, Talen’s annoyance was beginning to show. Three other people joined us at the table, and I continued to win.
“Hey,” he said, nudging me with his shoulder. “What happened to blackjack being a ‘guy’ thing?”
“I was kidding.” I smiled so wide I was sure every tooth in my head gleamed at him and tapped the table for a hit. The dealer laid down my card. “Twenty. That’ll do.”
Talen just shook his head and continued to play. He poked me in the ribs each time it was my turn as a way to throw me off. It never worked, but it was cute of him to try. We were both laughing and having fun. I walked away with a good amount of money. Talen walked away with nothing, but he didn’t seem upset by it. He just grabbed my hand and pulled me to the roulette table.
“I’ve never played,” I said with a frown.
“Thank god,” Talen joked. “Maybe I’ll beat you this time.”
I lifted a brow and crossed my arms over my chest. “Not likely.”
Talen and I spent another hour at the roulette table. He won all his money back, and I lost half of mine. Still, I was happy to leave a little richer. We were still laughing, and I was slightly tipsy when we finally left the casino and made our way to Talen’s car. He held the door open for me, and I crawled in.
“Are you okay to drive?” I asked as Talen slid in behind the wheel.
“I only had the two, and that was over an hour ago. It takes a lot more than that to get me drunk.”
“Well, you have had a lot of practice,” I teased.
“You would know,” he said, poking me in the side again.
I giggled and leaned back against the seat. As we drove toward my apartment, I felt myself begin to fall asleep. Try as I might, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I wasn’t drunk, but I’d consumed just enough alcohol to make me drowsy. That, plus the sushi, was enough to make me wish I was already in my bed. I imagined climbing beneath the familiar sheets and drifting off to sleep. It had been days since I slept in my own bed.
Talen parked and walked me to my door. The cool night air woke me as we walked, but I still couldn’t wait to pass out peacefully.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Talen said as I stuck my key in the lock.
“I’d like to visit with my mother again tomorrow. Why don’t I just come to your place tomorrow night?”
Talen nodded. “Okay. That’s fine. I just need you to come with me on Friday. To the office.”
“I can do that,” I promised.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Talen asked. “To your mom’s place?”
I blinked. Suddenly, all the exhaustion faded from my body. I was wide awake. Talen’s words took me by surprise, and I had no idea how to respond. On one hand, it was sweet of him to offer, but on the other hand, I couldn’t imagine introducing Talen to my mom. What would I even tell her about him?
I bit my lip. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Talen looked strangely hurt, but nodded. “Maybe next time.”
“Talen, you’ll probably never meet my mother. I don’t want her hopes… you know, when…”
Divorce. Why can’t I just say it?
Talen’s face fell for a split second, but he recovered quickly. His expression returned to normal, and he smiled at me without emotion. “That’s fine. Good night.”
“Look,” I said quickly. “It’s nothing against you, okay? It’s just, our arrangement isn’t normal. I wouldn’t even know how to explain it to her. We’re not really married, you know? She would just get confused, and I don’t want that. Her life is already hard enough right now.”
“I understand,” Talen said, and this time, I thought he meant it. His expression softened slightly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dani. Good night.”
“Night,” I said. Talen walked away, and I stepped inside my apartment. I was here to paint, but once inside, the inspiration to do so fell away.
It was nice — or at least less stressful — to be home, but I felt strange as I undressed. I slid on some old pajamas and climbed into bed. The sheets were comfortable but now felt slightly itchy. I thought about the sheets in Talen’s guest room. They were soft and silky. As I laid my head down, I found myself missing Talen’s apartment. I didn’t think I would ever feel that way, but I did.
Despite my earlier exhaustion, it took me almost an hour to fall asleep. I couldn’t get comfortable, and my mind raced. The more time I spent with Talen, the more confused I became. He wasn’t the man I once thought he was. I wasn’t sure who he was, but I knew I wanted to find out.