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But after that, I have nothing.
Alaric goes to work, doing whatever he does—which, don’t even get me started on, since getting anything from that man that doesn’t include a kiss or his cock is futile. I might sleep next to him every night, eat and play together as a family, and do all the things a husband and wife do, yet I hardly know anything about him. I thought time would help, but I’m slowly realizing he’s a closed book that refuses to open. I just wish I knew how to get him to open up to me. He shouldered so many of my burdens, and yet he lets me help with none of his.
Drumming my fingers on the spotless worktop, I look at the clock again. I have five hours until Zoey is finished. What to do? I’ve already tidied and cleaned from floor to ceiling. I like to keep busy, and I’m used to working, but now I have nothing to do and the change is jarring.
When the front door suddenly opens, I jerk upright and rush through the foyer to see Alaric coming in. “Hi,” I greet almost shyly.
He has no such reservations. He grins and yanks me closer, kissing me hard. Once Alaric pulls back, I’m breathless and blinking.
“Hey, baby girl, how’s your day?”
“Good,” I hedge.
He tilts his head and observes me carefully, his blue eyes locking me in place as if he’s pulling back every layer of secrets I possess. “Layla,” he warns.
Sighing, I wrap my arms around myself. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful. I love the house and the life you’ve given us . . .”
“But?” he prompts nervously.
“But I’m bored,” I blurt, wincing. “There’s only so much cleaning I can do and TV I can watch. I’m used to working and being helpful. I just feel lost and a bit useless,” I finally admit.
The slow grin that crawls across his lips has me huffing.
“What?” I snap.
“You could never be useless, baby girl. You want to do something? Then do it. Get a job if you want. You don’t need to, but I understand that drive, the need to work, so do whatever you want.”
“You mean it?” I perk up.
“Layla, you’re not a prisoner here. You’re my wife. I want to see you happy. Hell, go back to school if you want.” He shrugs before wrapping me in his big arms. I melt like always. I may not know all of his secrets, but my body knows his.
“College?” I murmur. “But I didn’t even finish high school.”
“Precisely my point. Get your GED and then apply to college.” He kisses my head and continues to hold me. “Why not? You’re smart enough to get into NYU; I’m sure of it. You are smart enough to do anything you set your mind to, baby girl, and I will support you with whatever you want to do.”
“What about tuition?” I ask softly.
“The day I married you, I told you I would take care of you and your sister’s every need. Why would you going to college be any different from what I offered?” He frowns and pulls back to look at me, seemingly upset about my question.
“I know, I just . . . I don’t want to feel like a burden to you,” I murmur. “You’ve given us so much.”
“And you’ve given me more.”
“I’ve given you nothing.” I scoff, turning and starting to walk away. He catches my hand and yanks me back to him. His chest presses against my back as he wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing. Alaric steals my air, and I wiggle as desire floods my veins at that dominant, confident move.
“You’ve given me a family,” he murmurs, licking up my neck. “A home.” He presses a gentle kiss to my pulse. “You’ve given me your body.” I jerk and he chuckles, licking the shell of my ear until he’s basically all that’s holding me up as my pussy weeps. “You’ve given me a future, given me a life beyond my world. You’ve given me everything, Layla, and you don’t even realize it.”
Kissing me one more time, he unwinds his arms and I stumble forward. Luckily, he catches me and sets me upright. “I forgot something for work. I won’t be back too late though. Think about what you want to do, and remember, you can do anything in this world. I mean it, anything. You’ve got it all at your fingertips, baby girl, you just have to be brave enough to take it.”
He leans in and kisses me once more before he disappears upstairs, leaving me staring after him. My hand drifts to the warmth on my lips as if to capture it forever, his words ringing inside my head.
Is he right?
Can I do anything?
Endless possibilities stretch before me.
It’s both terrifying and exciting, and I turn and rush to the computer.
