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Her turmoil whirled inside of her. How was she going to confront him about Miguel? Should she even bring it up? She thought she needed to leave it alone, but there was no way she could do that.
Chapter 7
The door to her three-story Victorian-style home opened as Vickie walked up the steps to the entrance.
James stood solemnly by the door as she walked in.
“Is George back?” she asked, unsure if she wanted her husband to be home or not. She needed more time to think about how she would proceed in her questioning, but was also well aware that no amount of time would bring her the answers she wanted. The only way to do that was to confront George sooner rather than later. But she wasn’t sure that was going to be a good thing. She didn’t want to set the trust in their relationship back to where it had been a few months ago, and asking about a past lover might do just that. Yet, she couldn’t let it go. There was more going on, and it was causing her thoughts to turn inward on themselves, making it hard to think clearly.
“In his room,” he answered. “He’s expecting you.”
“Thanks.”
She paused. “You told him where I was?”
“With Ruby as you instructed,” said James, a glint of disapproval on his face.
Vickie nodded, then jogged up the staircase, walking straight to George’s bedroom. She paused at the door to his room. In the last few months, she’d spent more time here instead of her own room. But right now, she couldn’t help shaking the feeling of being an outsider and that she didn’t really know her husband the way she thought she did.
She was about to knock when the absurdity of doing such an action caught her. Instead, she opened the door and burst inside. Since they’d rekindled their love and the spice in their marriage, there hadn’t been any door knocking.
George looked up in surprise from the book he’d been reading in bed. “Bit early for you to be back from a night out with Ruby.”
Vickie’s breath caught, and the questions flooded back into her mind as well as the white lie she told George. She quickly reminded herself that she had indeed been out with Ruby, just had omitted her friend had been pretending to be him.
“Didn’t want to keep you waiting,” she said suggestively. He was lying with pillows fluffed up behind him, a black silk brocade smoking jacket wrapped around his body, a casual white shirt poking from underneath, and his dark hair a little damp after his bath. She could smell the freshness of soap as she approached him mixed with his masculine scent that had a way of driving her mind dizzy with pleasure.
George raised an eyebrow. He snapped the book closed and put it down next to him on the bed. “While I do appreciate that sentiment, it was, indeed, me who did the delaying tonight, and so I’m more than a little curious at why you’re back well before midnight.” He took a deep breath. “Have you been smoking?”
Vickie’s heart hammered. “No.” What could it be that he was smelling on her clothes? They had only gone to the Black Hearts Club, nowhere else, and there was definitely no smoking.
“You didn’t smoke a bit of weed, did you? I know you and Ruby like to… let’s say… push the boundaries when out together.”
“I most certainly didn’t do anything of the kind.” Vickie stood by the bed looking down at her husband, legs crossed casually in front of him and a cheeky grin on his face. Did he know what she was up to tonight? Had he found out somehow? Had James lied to her and told George the truth? A coldness went down her spine. Worried, she lifted her arm to her nose to sniff. With a dropping feeling in her gut, she realized she smelled strongly from the incense burning at the Black Hearts Club. That was something she wasn’t about to explain away easily.
“I’m a doctor. You can tell me if you did. I’ll make no judgment. In fact, it might be better if you do, you know, in case it was laced with something more, then I’ll know how to treat you.”
“George,” said Vickie, unimpressed at what he was suggesting. She wasn’t like that at all. She didn’t even like smoking, let alone taking any recreational drugs. There was that incident when she did eat the wrong biscuits Ruby had cooked up, but that was years ago, and the experience had done nothing for her to want to change her ways and open up.
“Come on, Vickie, admit it. You didn’t really think you could fool me,” said George.
Vickie gasped with horror. What had gotten into her husband? To be saying things like this. Did he really know what she’d been up to and that she had tried to deceive him? Guilt twisted in her belly causing shooting pains to spark outward.
George burst into laughter. It took a moment for her to realize he was teasing her. “I had you there for a bit.”
“George,” she breathed. “I should spank you for that!”
“Please do,” he winked at her, still laughing.
Vickie rolled her eyes.
Then, he stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at her. She felt her blood chill.
“Now, tell me the truth, why are you back so early tonight?”
“Ruby wasn’t feeling well. We tried a new place, they burned a lot of incense, and I think it gave her a headache, along with the bubbles she drank.” The lie felt bitter on her tongue, but she wasn’t about to admit to him right now what she’d really been doing, not until she got some answers from him about this Miguel. And looking at George on the bed, casually dressed, a cheeky glint in his eyes, her mind was beginning to think about other things concerning what she could get up to with him.
“That sounds boring,” mused George. “I’m not sure if I believe you.”
