Page 141 of Temporary Vows

The hallway feels longer than usual. Every step toward my office feels like a step toward something I haven’t prepared for. My chest does something unfamiliar—a mix of nerves and anticipation. I don’t usually get like this for anything. This woman has me twisted again. And I haven’t even seen her yet.

Finally, I reach my office door. I pause for a beat, just long enough to gather my thoughts.

Then I open it. And there she is.

My wife stands by the window, her shoulders set, her back straight, her chin lifted just so. At the sound of me entering, she turns to face me.

For a moment, I get lost in how beautiful she is, then I swiftly thinking about how ruthlessly I owned her body.

The ache of need courses through me and just for a split second I wonder if I could get away with bending her over my desk, and losing myself in her.

But the muted expression on her face throws me out.

She looks exactly like she did on our wedding day, filled with fury, and edged with something colder.Emptiness.

And just like that day, I don’t have to wonder what’s wrong.

Me.

She’s pissed because I didn’t contact her.

“Lamb, how are you?” I try for pleasantries anyway.

Her face remains a stony mask. “I’m fine. I have something important I want to discuss.” The businesslike tone in hervoice is unstable. Like she’s put up a wall between us and she’s speaking from somewhere behind it. She also sounds too rehearsed.

It’s the art of detachment. I recognize it better than most.

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask.

“I was just given a new opportunity at the school.”

I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn’t.

“That’s great.” It would be, if that were really why she was here.

“We need to discuss the baby situation. When we’ll be planning. I need specifics.”

My brows lift. I really look at her now. “You want specifics?”

“Yes. I need to schedule it on the calendar so I can plan for my future. We need to pick a day when we’re actively trying.”

Holy fuck. This is far-fetched, even for me. I bite the inside of my lip, but really it’s my cock that needs calming. “You want to schedule sex?”

She doesn’t flinch. “Yes.”

This is definitely a new one. But I realize something more. This isn’t just about us.

She’s gone back to business. And rightly so. She talked about her career before we signed the contract. This is her securing that path.

Still… something feels off. Her presence here doesn’t feel like it’s just about me. “How about we talk about this properly when I get back?”

“As long as it’s done.” She folds her arms under her breasts.

“Lamb, you do know you could’ve waited until I got back to talk about this.” There has to be a reason she didn’t.

“I didn’t want to risk any delays. Who knows when I’ll see you? I surely don’t.”

Yeah. Something else has definitely happened.