“You jealous?”
I kissed my teeth. “Never.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you a terrible liar?” he taunted.
“I am not.”
He kissed me again before I could argue further, and this kiss felt different.It was slower, kinda triumphant, like he already knew I was slipping. His hand slid down to my waist, then grabbed my hip, and I hated the tiny tremble that moved over me when he touched me there. Okay... maybe not hated. That wasn’t quite true. The truth was, I liked him like this. He was all intense, dark eyes and barely-leashed control.
What would my husband look like if I pushed? If that control snapped?
He walked me backward toward the stairs without breaking the kiss. I stumbled once because my brain had stopped working properly somewhere near the foyer.
“Careful. Wouldn’t wantMrs. Sidorovhurting herself,” he teased.
I opened my eyes slowly.
“I told you I’m Theory Miller,” I whispered.
His expression changed, but it didn’t get angrier, exactly. It got calmer. Somehow, that was worse.
“Okay.”
Something in the way he said it made heat curl low in my stomach. By the time we reached our bedroom, my heart was beating entirely too fast. Targen shoved the door open, pulled me inside, then locked it behind us. The click echoed throughout the room.
I looked back at the door then at my husband as he stalked off, trying to compose himself. I tried to ignore the rush I felt, because it wasn’t fear. Oh, no. This? This was anticipation and he clocked it, annoying ass.
“You nervous,milaya?”
“No.”
Another lie.
He started walking toward me slowly, watching me the whole time, and every step made me more aware of my body. My breathing was shallow. My stomach was fluttering. My legs were weak.
“You danced with him to piss me off.”
“After your woman disrespected me.”
He frowned again. “What are you–”
“She talked to me after y'all's little reunion. She wanted me to think you settled. For me. You wanted her, but you settled for me.”
His eyes tangled with mine. “You think that?”
I didn’t answer because for a moment, some ugly little insecure part of me had wondered exactly that.
Targen reached me finally, backing me against the edge of the bed.
“You really think I crawled out of Siberia and put a ring on your finger because I settled?” he pressed.
“You tell me.”
My voice came out soft, betraying the small doubt still buried in my mind.
His hand wrapped around the back of my neck gently.
“There ain't another woman in this world I've ever wanted to join my life with.”
