Page 1 of Cursing My Cheating Husband

CHAPTER 1

CALLIE

As I assessed my reflection, it was hard not to feel like this was the night that had to save my marriage. Or at least, my sex life.

It was a lot of pressure to put on one evening, but I was running out of ideas.

But I was feeling optimistic about my plan. The weather was certainly cooperating. After a long winter, it was the first gorgeous night of the year. A warm spring breeze drifted in the open bedroom windows. It felt like the universe giving me a helping hand, sending me the most perfectly romantic evening. Which was exactly what Maddox and I needed.

We were still intimate sometimes, but we were down to once every few weeks, and that wasn’t nearly enough. Especially for only three years into our marriage. Our sex life had recently been a casualty of Maddox’s overwork, but I was determined to bring back that spark we’d lost. Because that was all this was. Maddox still loved me. Maddox still wanted to start a family with me. It was just that his job was burning him out. He was climbing the ladder at one of the most prestigious financial firms in the country. He worked hard and came home late and exhausted almost every night.

But tonight, I was going to overcome his exhaustion.

I’d been trying everything lately. Elaborate dinners that took me hours to prepare, only for him to pick at them while checking emails. Surprise date nights at the wine bar where we had our first kiss, where he’d spend the whole time texting Duke about work.

But at last I’d figured out what I needed to do: meet him on his own turf. Tonight was the first game of the playoffs. If there was one thing I knew for sure about my husband, it was that he never missed the final basketball games of the season, even if he was too busy to watch them at home with me.

I admired the outfit I’d assembled. I was decked out in his team colors. The fitted jersey hugged my curves perfectly, cropped just above my waist to show a hint of skin. The matching cheerleader-style skirt was shorter than anything I’d worn in years.

He always said he loved a woman who could appreciate sports. Well, here I was, ready to cheer alongside him, ready to make this night about us connecting over something he was passionate about. There was no way this wouldn’t work. I’d even spent the last week reading sports news so I could really talk to him about it. Even better, his team was the favorite to win. Nothing would put him in a mood to celebrate with me like a victory from them.

The door opened downstairs. He was home!

I arranged myself just so in front of the TV, the pre-game playing behind me. I struck a playfully seductive pose and put on a bright smile.

“I’m upstairs, babe! I have a surprise for you!”

Ugh, that had sounded way more eager than I wanted. Get it together, Callie. You’re going for fun and flirty. The cool wife who gets it. Ready to be his biggest fan in every way.

I checked my reflection one final time to confirm I was giving off the right vibe, and I was. Well, almost. My mascara had smudged just slightly.

Without thinking, I whispered a quick beauty spell under my breath, letting just the tiniest bit of magic flow through my fingertips as I touched the corner of my eye. The smudge vanished, leaving my makeup flawless.

Witches didn’t marry, so I had abandoned my magic for Maddox. Except little beauty spells. They were just too much of a timesaver to give up entirely.

The sound of his footsteps pounding up the stairs sent my heart into overdrive. There were two hundred thirty pounds of pure muscle on that towering six foot four frame of his, and you could hear every ounce of that in those heavy steps. Anticipation melted through me. My body remembered what it felt like to be desired by him, to be wanted. I craved that feeling again.

The bedroom door opened. Maddox strode in, and… damn, he was beautiful. Still, years in, it struck me every single time I saw him. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, the fabric of his dress shirt straining against his powerful biceps. Dark stubble highlighted his sharp jaw. His thick, black hair was slightly mussed from the day. I wanted my hands in it.

And those eyes. Those hazel eyes, flecked with gold and green. I could get lost for hours in his commanding gaze.

He reached up to pull off his tie, the movement causing his shirt to pull taut across his pecs, and lust and hope surged within me. This gorgeous man was my husband. He was about to see me, really see me, and remember what we had.

But then his eyes landed on me. Annoyance sparkled darkly in them.

“Oh. What’s this?”

The dismissive disinterest in his tone knifed through me. All the confidence I had been brimming with a moment ago was gone instantly, nothing but vapor.

“I know you’ve been working so hard.” I hated how pleading I sounded. “The playoffs start in twenty minutes. I got your favorite wings. We could watch together. I even learned about the lineup changes so we could talk about…” The complete boredom on his face sent me trailing off weakly.

“Oh. Huh.”

He couldn’t care less. He couldn’t care less! I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. This was supposed to be his thing. His passion. I’d made myself into the perfect sports wife, and it didn’t tempt him even a little.

“Another night, maybe.” He dropped his keys and phone on the nightstand and brushed past me toward our master bathroom, undressing. “I just came back for a quick shower. Duke and I have to do client drinks tonight.”

“But the game—” I started.