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“And are you going to discuss this like an adult?” he went on.
“Yes,” she blubbered through her tears.
He put the spoon aside and lifted her into his arms. He could tell that she was struggling not to wrench away from the tender gesture.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say.
“That didn’t sound very enthusiastic.”
“I’m supposed to be enthusiastic too?”
“If you want to avoid another blistering round with the spoon, you might consider it.”
“How am I supposed to be happy about this situation?” she asked, in an honest appeal for his understanding.
“You’re not. And the truth is, neither am I? You realize that it’s nearly eleven o’clock. From six until nine this morning, I stewed about it until I finally decided that I couldn’t turn down the offer. You know yourself that it’s important to me, and our future. And when haven’t you supported me with my work?”
“I always have. But just this once I don’t want to. It doesn’t even feel right you’re going now. Besides, what am I supposed to do this week with you abandoning me?”
“Go anyway,” he suggested.
“Go anyway? You’ve got to be kidding, tag along with Jocelyn and Reg, like their kid sister? Thank you, no. Those two lovebirds have their own plans. Jocelyn’s hardly had time to be with Reggie since their honeymoon. She’s not going to want to be buddy/buddy with me.”
“Then maybe you can book yourself into a spa, and just go solo?”
She considered the thought. Getting pampered for a week wouldn’t be all that bad, but no…
“I guess if that was my original plan it would be something to look forward to, but it’s only going to be laced with disappointment. No, I’ll probably just cancel and go to work. Then, if you ever do get some vacation time we’ll plan something else.” Her resentment still showed in the tone of her voice.
“Don’t start again,” he warned. She was hardly placated, that was obvious.
“I’m not going to start anything else,” she said. She took a deep breath and tried smiling.
“There. That looks better.”
“I’m bluffing,” she said, looking into his eyes—ones that definitely wanted her approval of his plans before he left. Even as demanding and controlling as Will could be, he still wanted her to be happy. “In fact,” she started again, though not angrily this time, “I’ll probably be throwing things against the door just as soon as you walk out of here.”
He shook his head, no. “Bad choice, Alex. I’ll just have to come back in here and paddle your bottom again.”
“Is that the only answer that you have for our disagreements?”
“It’s the one you want to respond to,” he said. “Besides, you and I both know that half this confrontation today was because there were still unsettling things from last night.”
“I won’t disagree with that,” she said. “I’m feeling vulnerable.”
“Oh?”
“Pink Flamingo thoughts,” she said.
The familiar old bar came to Will’s mind, a springboard for Alexandra’s initiation into her wildest sexual fantasies; it had been a symbol of everything she was scared of most.
“I don’t believe there’s anything left lurking in your psyche. But I do think that the sooner I get going on this assignment, the sooner I’ll be back, the sooner we can get nasty the way you want, maybe clear out any cobwebs that might still be hanging around. Until then, you keep your hand at your cunt and your mind on me and you’ll be fine.”
“Those are neat solutions for you, aren’t they?” she quipped.
“No. But they’re the ones I want you to accept. Plan something with this time, something productive. And don’t stew around. It’ll go by faster than you think.”
She wiggled off his lap and he let her go.
