CHAPTER 8
The doorbell went and I hurried out my studio to get the door.
I smiled a greeting and motioned Raheem in.
“Hey Madi,” He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek as he walked in.
“Been ages since we’ve last seen each other.”
“I know.” I closed the door behind him and punched him lightly on the arm.
“Wow. This is where you’re living now?” Raheem’s eyes darted around the foyer before he started heading further down the hallway.
“Damn girl. Dante was right, you’re living large.”
“Ha, ha.” I muttered, embarrassed over his obvious awe.
“Anyway, the studio is at the back. You want something to drink before we start?”
“Nope. Let’s do this.” he replied, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the next.
I led him to the studio.
Again his hazel eyes widened in awe as he rubbed his goatee.
Raheem shook his head while I unzipped my hoodie.
Knowing what a session with Raheem entailed, I had opted for a cut-off t-shirt and leotard over my tights.
When the sweat built up I would ditch the t-shirt.
“So,” I began, sauntering over to the barre to continue with the stretches I’d been doing before his arrival.
“What’s the plan?”
Raheem peered up at the large screen on the wall and the accompanying video and music equipment.
“Well, Dante said you wanted to work on the stilted-”
“Wanted?” I scoffed dryly.
“Huh. He damned near ordered me to get it done. Said I was as stiff as a board and need to get some booty shaking back into my bones.”
Raheem chuckled.
“Yes, that sounds like Dante. When was the last time you did some urban dancing, Madi?”
I had to think about it.
It felt like ages, everything had been ballet, ballet, ballet, for the past 7-8 months.
“A while, Raheem, but I’ve still got it.”
“Hmm,” he chewed his full lower lip.
“We’ll see. I think we should start out slow before getting to the serious stuff.”
“Pfft.” I rolled my eyes, bending at the waist, arms outstretched and one leg resting on the barre.
“Dude. You know I got this.”
“Alright, I’ll sort the music then see exactly what you got.” he laughed as he slipped his bag off his shoulder before rifling through it for his iPod.
“It’s six now, I bet by 7:30 you’ll be complaining.”
I shook my head and stuck my tongue out.
“You’re on.” I would show him my skills.
He rolled his head around his neck and pulled a bandana from his bag then tied it around his head.
“Ok. We’ll start hard, I want to see you move like Ciara. You got that?”
It seemed Raheem had forgotten who he was talking to.
Intense body shaking session?
I could do this with my eyes closed…
“Don’t forget those files in the back, Nathan.” Matt said as he handed Adam a box from the boot of his car.
They had a night of going through a mountain of contracts.
It could have been done at the office but Matt wanted to get home, at least if he was home Madi couldn’t complain about him always being at the office late.
A tired sigh left his lips.
Things were strained between them, had been for the past few days, and he didn’t know how to fix it.
They were nearing the two months mark of marriage and the golden shine was wearing off quick.
Another sigh came from him, one that ended on a grunt.
What did she expect from him?
To spend all his time lazing about with her?
Ridiculous.
He was head of a multi-billionaire pound corporation, along with his elder brother.
Of course he worked long hours.
She did too, but did he complain about that?
No, he simply got on with things.
Adjusting the box under his arm, he locked his car and mounted the steps towards his front door with Adam and Nathan right behind him.
“We can put these in the office.” he told Adam.
“Let me just find Madi and let her know I’m home.”
They walked through the house and a few metres before his office door Matt drew to a standstill as his gaze rested on his wife on the floor with some unknown black man in her studio.
“What in the bloody hell?” he gasped, mouth hanging open.
He wasn’t sure what the man was doing.
It looked like he was helping Madi out with stretches - bollocks to that!
The chap’s hands were all over his wife’s thighs.
Adam made an uncomfortable sound, his eyebrows raised high as he too took in the scene.
“Matty, ah, who is that on top of your wife?”
“Oh my.” Nathan muttered, shocked into stillness.
Matt ignored them both, instead unceremoniously dumping the box he held on top of the one in Adam’s arms.
His eyes widened into something resembling alarm but was actually jealous anger.
One of Madi’s leg was now resting flush against the man’s chest as he leaned into her.
From what he could see the space between their lower bodies appeared non-existent.
Someone was having a bloody laugh at his expense.
The position they were both in was eerily similar to a favourite shagging pose…
Matt had seen enough.
In long strides he closed the distance between him and the studio, pushing the partially door fully open with a force that almost broke the glass.
The cramps in my thighs were getting better as Raheem pressed his body weight against my leg.
“Ok?” he asked with a touch of worry.
I nodded, flashing him a wide grin to ease his concern.
We had spent the last few hours reacquainting my body with some hard-core street dancing moves.
Raheem had pushed at my insistence, but it seemed my body wasn’t quite ready for the intense change in dance styles.
Some moves made me feel like a novice.
And that’s why I was on the floor getting the cramps in my thighs stretched out.
I had pushed myself too far.
The sharp click of shoes across the floor had me turning my head sideways and I got an upside down view of Matt not more than a few feet away from us.
Slowly I wriggled out from under Raheem, shooting Matt a bright smile.
He was home.
The past few days had been awkward.
He knew how I felt about him working so much and us barely spending time together.
I mean, marriage should be easy at this stage.
Weren’t we still in the honeymoon period?
Raheem and I both stood up.
The introduction I planned on making took a backburner when I noticed Matt’s expression.
Oh.
His face was flushed.
Oh no.
What had I done now to earn that look?
With the smile slowly disappearing from my face we stared at each other.
The bottom of my stomach fell out when I noticed the way his jaw was clenched tightly.
Matt beckoned me with a crook of his fingers then spun on his heels and stormed out the studio.
“Give me a minute.” I muttered to Raheem before hurrying after my husband.
I wracked my brain, trying to figure out what grave error I had committed to deserve his anger.
Could it be the mess on my side of the walk-in closet?
I said I would tidy it.
Or was it because I had left the tv on in the entertainment room all last night?
If Matt would let me pay something towards the household bills then he wouldn’t have to gripe about my lack of proper eco-etiquette and the incremental increase in the cost.
“Hey guys,” I said in surprise as I spotted Adam and Nathan loitering in the hallway.
Neither one would hold my gaze for longer than a few seconds.
Instead they looked everywhere but my leotard clad body.
“Ah,” Adam cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Hello, Madi. How are you?”
“Madison.” Matt all but shouted at me.
My head jerked in his direction.
He was halfway down the hall and his strides were fast putting a distance between us.
I frowned at his retreating back before turning back to Adam.
“I’m fine. We’ll talk later? It seems your brother wants to speak to me.”
I gave him a quick peck on his cheek, mindful of the boxes in his arm.
Adam cleared his throat again, flashing me a weird smile.
Nathan glanced at me for two seconds, then his eyes darted to the floor.
What was up with these two?
“Hi, Nathan,” I said pointedly.
“Hello, Madi,” he replied hoarsely, then cleared his throat.
Seriously.
Had they both swallowed something that was still stuck in their oesophagi?
“Madison.” Matt bellowed as he took the corner and disappeared from sight.
I gave Nathan a quick peck hello then scampered down the hallway in pursuit of Matt.
He was waiting for me outside the kitchen.
I took a deep breath and tried to smile.
Matt took my arm, none-to-gently let me point out, and dragged me into the kitchen.
He closed the door and that give me an idea of how serious this was, the kitchen door rarely got closed.
“Can you please explain to me why there is a strange man in my house at this time of night?” he asked in a voice devoid of any emotions.
It was that emptiness that had me freaking out, even though I was perplexed as to his behaviour.
I knew when a good freak out was required and one was needed right now.
“Excuse me?” I tugged and he released my arm.
“That’s Raheem.”
“I don’t give two hoots what his name is Madison. I want to know what he’s doing here, at this time of night, in my bloody house.”
I narrowed my eyes at him with my arms automatically assuming a defensive position as I folded them.
Was he serious?
And what was with all this ‘my house’ crap?
“I think it’s quite obvious what we were doing, Matt.”
“Was it?” came his scathing retort.
“Because it looked like some man was dry humping you under my roof.”
My mouth gaped open, wide open.
He had left me speechless with that comment.
“How dare you bring some stranger in here.” he rebuked me in a low, hard voice.
“This is where we live, Madison. God only knows-”
“Knows what, Matt?” I had found my voice.
“What’s the problem here? Because I can’t see it,” The warm stirrings of anger was building inside me, his continued proprietary reference to the house we both lived in was grating on my nerves.
“And Raheem isn’t a stranger-”
“He is to me.” Matt’s annoyed hiss cut me off.
“And I am not comfortable with strange men having free reign of my home.”
“What?” My arms fell to my sides and I realized exactly what was going on here.
I inhaled sharply and spat out, “You didn’t have a problem when Eddie was here.”
Oh no.
He definitely didn’t have a problem with Eddie being here with me at 11pm, much later than it was now.
He had come in late from work, seen us dancing and given us a small wave before heading upstairs.
I knew the reason why he had a problem with Raheem.
The fucker.
Matt frowned at me, running a hand through his hair before he shrugged off his suit jacket.
“Well, I know Eddie. I don’t know this character.”
I tried counting down from ten to one.
I tried to find my inner fountain of calm, of Zen.
Screw Zen.
“You don’t know, Eddie.” I grated out.
“You’ve spoken to him once, Matt, months ago, for less than two minutes, but that’s not the point, is it?”
My lips twisted into a sneer.
Fuck Zen and fuck Matt.
I glared at him as he stormed past me and tossed his jacket onto the island.
“No, Madison,” he replied with a nasty undertone.
“I will not have strange men traipsing through here.” He tugged at his tie.
“And what the hell were you doing in there?”
“Stretches.” I replied, frigid as the Artic.
Matt gave me a look, a scornful sort of look.
“Really? That’s what you’re calling it?”
The underlying disgust in his voice made my skin crawl.
“Because it looked like you were enjoying it a tad too much for it to just be stretches .” he hissed with a vicious intonation.
I walked over to him, shaking with rage.
The sound of my palm connecting with his face ricocheted off every surface in the kitchen.
Matt grabbed my wrist, painfully hard, and yanked me up against his chest.
“Don’t ever do that again.” He released my wrist and spun around, giving me his back.
I rubbed my wrist, watching his broad shoulders rise and fall as he took deep, calming breaths.
“You know what, Matt?” I drawled in a cold voice.
“Let’s dispense with the pretence. We both know why you’re uncomfortable with Raheem being here and I’m not even going to pander to your irrational jealousy right now.” Glaring daggers at his back, I spat out, “What’s the obvious difference between Eddie and Raheem?”
Matt turned around.
My palm print was startling red against the paleness of the rest of his face.
“I beg your pardon?” he asked, incredulous.
“That’s not-”
“Whatever, Matt.” I was done with this.
“Your latent bigotry is showing.” I let my gaze travel mockingly over his tall frame before returning to his shocked face.
“Sometimes I forget the way you look at people who aren’t from your background, the presumptions you have; but then you always find a way to remind me. Thanks for keeping it real.”
“I’m going to ignore your previous comment and try to have an intelligent discussion with you.” he stated, his grey eyes burned with barely controlled anger.
I just shook my head slowly.
It was moments like these I realized just how ingrained certain perceptions were.
It was moments like these I wondered if a part of me was invisible to him.
Did he not see me?
Did he believe I was one of his public school educated, pissing money, highfalutin friends?
Or did he think he could change me to fit that mould?
Did he think because I didn’t act the way most people incorrectly assume black people acted that I wasn’t in actual fact a black woman who had black friends?
For crying out loud .
“It’s late, I have tons of work to do and I want him gone now.” Matt commanded.
The twin eyebrows were at dictator level.
I nodded once.
“Don’t worry, he’s gone.” I stormed out the kitchen.
Seconds later Matt followed.
I could literally feel his stare boring into my back as I headed towards my studio.
Adam and Nathan were in Matt’s office, I barely glanced into the open doorway.
Was I annoyed or simply too exhausted to care anymore?
Honeymoon stage my ass.
When I walked back into my studio Raheem was in the middle of some complicated steps.
He grinned at me, calling me over with a wave of hand.
I tried hard to force the grimace from my face.
“Are we done?” he asked in confusion, stealing a quick look at his watch.
“Shit. I didn’t know it was this late.”
“Yeah, um, can we pick this up tomorrow at the studio?”
Raheem nodded, walking over to me.
I was very conscious of movement in Matt’s office through that glass wall.
“I’ll give you a lift home,” I continued, unhooking his iPod and handing it over.
“You don’t need to, Madi. I can get the tube.” he declined good-naturedly.
I stretched my arms over my head, unable to forget Matt’s frequent use of the word ‘my’.
He was right.
This was his house.
He paid the household bills.
He bought me an expensive closet, a car, jewellery…
this was his house.
For the first time in a long time, I felt very uncomfortable here.
That wasn’t right.
“Don’t be silly,” I said with a frown.
“It’s no problem.”
Raheem saw I wouldn’t take no for an answer and shrugged.
“Alright, if you’re sure.”
I nodded and started getting my shit together.
Off went my ballet shoes and on went my sneakers.
I pulled back on my hoodie and shorts, grabbed my knapsack and shoved a few ballet shoes in.
After I took Raheem home I would head to my studio.
“Hey, you ok?” Raheem asked quietly as he walked up behind me.
“Yeah, yes. I’m fine, just tired.” I said without turning around.
A couple of deep breaths and I was able to paste a smile on before I faced him.
“Let’s go.”
“Are you going to introduce me to this husband of yours?” Raheem joked.
“I still can’t believe you got married, to a bloody billionaire no less. You know, I always thought you and Dante would,” his words trailed off at my arched eyebrow.
“Maybe some other time, Raheem. Matt’s busy.” I replied and moved towards the door with Raheem on my heels.
I flicked the lights out and closed the door behind us.
“Matt,” I poked my head into his office, studiously avoiding the three pairs of eyes.
“I’m going to drop Raheem home. I won’t be too long.”
The bent truth fell from my lips easily and I didn’t wait for a response, instead I grabbed Raheem by the arm and hustled him down the hallway before Matt could react.
“Where’s the fire?” Raheem asked, slightly alarmed at my haste.
I peeked over my shoulder.
No belligerent hubby as yet.
“Come on, it’s late and we need to go.”
Once we made it to the foyer, I snatched my keys off the little table and made my escape with Raheem in tow.
My breathing only relaxed fully when we were both in the Cayenne.
“Wowzer, this is a nice ride, Madi.” Raheem complimented me and I felt sick inside.
Kind of ashamed actually.
Had I let myself become a kept woman?
“Thanks.” I muttered and started the engine while shooting furtive glances at the front door, expecting Matt to appear any moment now.
I didn’t want to take any chances and screeched away from the curb.
Raheem gripped his seatbelt.
“This isn’t Silverstone, Madi, and there’re speed limits here.”
I kept my foot down, burning rubber.
The need to get away, far away, from the man I loved scared the hell out of me.
Damn it.
Had I made the biggest mistake of my life?
Our differences, something that hadn’t reared its ugly head in a while, were becoming apparent again.
And the manner in which he spoke to me hurt immensely.
I was his wife, not some bloody tenant.
“Asshole.” I muttered under my breath as I cranked the heating up inside the car.
He had a problem with Raheem being in his house when he didn’t with Eddie.
The only difference was the fact Raheem was black while Eddie was white, and I wasn’t playing the frigging race card.
I knew, I knew why he instinctively reacted like that.
Did Matt even see it?
Matt checked the clock on the wall and his scowl deepened.
They’d been working through the contracts for the past four hours.
She still hadn’t returned and that text she sent two hours ago advising him of her detour to her place of work had only served to increase his anger.
“Right, lads,” Nathan stood up, stretching his arms.
“My driver should be out front and my wife is waiting up for me.
Adam looked up from the papers in front of him. “How is Bella?
I haven’t seen her for a while.
”
Nathan grinned in delight.
“Growing rounder every second and suffering from the strangest cravings.”
Matt managed a small smile in response to his friend’s obvious happiness.
“I tell you, Adam,” Nathan continued with a smirk.
“You don’t know what you’re missing out on. Ask Matt, he’ll confirm this marriage thing is bliss.”
Matt couldn’t stop his grimace and they both saw it.
He ignored their curious appraisal and shuffled the papers in his hand before saying, “Yes, it is.” Even he could hear the hollow ring to his words.
“Are you alright?” Nathan asked, reaching for his jacket which he’d discarded hours ago.
“I’m perfectly fine.” Matt assured him as he leaned back into his chair and smiled.
“The left side of your face a few hours ago begs to differ,” Adam drawled with furrowed brows.
“Did you have words with Madi?”
Matt put the papers down and affected a relaxed pose.
He was not going to discuss his marriage.
That was between him and Madi.
Yet they had both seen the evidence of her anger earlier.
Much to Matt’s relief they had ignored her palm print across his cheek then.
It seemed now they wanted to meddle in his business.
“A difference of opinion, Adam.” he said dismissively.
“About?” Adam pressed and earned himself a slight glare, a clear indication that he should drop the subject.
But Adam was Adam and he took his role of elder brother seriously when the occasion suited him.
“She left rather quickly with that man. I’ll tell you, it was quite a shock walking in and seeing a stranger in your house. You need to speak to Madi about the company she keeps.”
“Hmph,” Nathan grunted, fiddling with his watch.
“He looked like a yob if you ask me. Why do they dress like that? If I had come home to find someone like him in my house I’d be calling my friend at the Metropolitan police at once, then I’d be checking my valuables.”
Nathan shared a chuckle with Adam while Matt observed his brother and close friend, hiding his shock.
And shame.
Madi’s words replayed themselves in his head.
Bloody hell.
In all honesty, after his initial anger at finding her in such a suggestive position with the man, he had felt extreme nervousness over his presence in his house.
The thought had crossed his mind…
Matt shook his head.
He was not a racist.
He’d fallen in love and married a black woman for Christ’s sakes.
An uneasy look flickered across his face.
No, he had every right to voice his concerns, perhaps not quite as vehemently as he did.
Privacy was very important to him and having strangers invading the sanctuary that was their home, well, that was simply unacceptable.
Although he belatedly realized his reaction to Eddie and Raheem were polar opposites.
Bollocks.
“He’s one of her dance associates.” Matt said firmly, wanting to end the discussion.
“Are we still on for golf tomorrow, Nathan?”
Nathan raised a brow at Matt’s deliberate topic change.
“Yes, but let’s tee off at a later time. It’s already gone midnight and I’m in dire need of a lie in. I’ll call you.”
“What are we wagering?” Adam asked, thankfully going along with their conversation’s new direction.
“Matt’s secretary.” Nathan quipped with a gleeful rub of hands.
“Rachel is the best and I mean to have her at my disposal. Have you seen how unflappable she is? The way she organizes Matt’s working day down to the last second? I’m tired of this musical chairs I seem to be having with my secretaries. The last one failed to forward my email to HR concerning the ongoing saga with the Union representing our staff in one of the smaller offices. Utterly incompetent.”
Adam drummed his fingers across the desk top.
“Rachel is rude, in my opinion.”
Nathan snorted then laughed at Adam.
“She’s not, she simply sees through bullshit and you’re full of it, Adam.”
Matt rubbed his temples before addressing his friend.
“I’ve told you already, Nathan. You can’t have her. Choose something else.”
Nathan headed for the door.
“I’ll let myself out, be prepared tomorrow, Matt.”
“Give Bella our love.” Matt called out to Nathan’s back before he disappeared from sight.
“Right then,” Adam began.
“I think we should call it a night, Adam,” Matt cut him off quickly and ran a hand through his hair as he stood up.
“You know where everything is. I’m going to get cleaned up then wait for Madi.”
Adam got to his feet also.
“Listen, you know you can talk to me.”
Matt rubbed the back of his aching neck and nodded absent-mindedly, his gaze once again lingering on the clock.
“I know, but there’s nothing to talk about. See you in the morning.” He brushed past his brother without a backward glance and headed out the office.
After his shower, he waited in the front room, nursing a glass of whiskey and staring broodingly at the fireplace.
It was 1am and Madi had yet to return.
Before he realized it, he’d fallen asleep with his last conscious thought one of annoyance at his wife’s behaviour…
“Poppet?” Matt jerked up.
Eyes squinting open as he vigorously rubbed his face.
What time was it?
With a loud groan he slowly uncurled himself from the uncomfortable position he had fallen asleep in on the sofa.
He blinked a few times then jumped off the sofa.
Matt made his way out the room and went in search of his wife.
If she wasn’t home by now there would be hell to pay , he thought to himself as he groggily took the stairs one by one.
Upon entering their dimly-lit bedroom the soft sound of her snores was like music to his ears and her half-dressed sleeping form sprawled over the sheets an oasis for his eyes.
The knot of tension in his stomach, the one he hadn’t even been aware of, dissipated as he quietly closed the door and approached the bed.
Her silk bottoms were on but the matching top lay nestled against a damp towel.
She must have fallen asleep mid dressing.
Matt swept the towel and top off the bed with one hand then gently peeled back the covers so he could get her under them.
He crawled in besides her, slowly manoeuvring her into his arms.
She mumbled something and Matt stroked her arm, trying to lull her back to sleep.
“Asshole.” Came out from her soft lips and Matt stiffened in disbelief.
Did she just call him- “You’re an asshole.” she repeated drowsily and snuggled closer.
“A big (yawn) idiotic asshole.”
He resumed stroking her arm and replied.
“You’re impertinent.”
Madi flung her leg over his with another big yawn.
“Too early for big words.”
Matt chuckled despite the way they had left things last night.
“But not too early to call me names? Hmm, poppet? And how many times do I have to tell you? The word is arsehole.”
“I’m mad at you.” she continued.
“I know and I’m not too pleased with you either.” he countered quickly.
She fell silent, eyes still closed, and after a few minutes he wondered if she’d drifted back to sleep until she murmured, “You know you were a bit wrong, right? Please tell me you-”
“He was on top of you, poppet. I was upset, angry.” he admitted, holding her even closer.
“And I’m still learning. Help me see where I’m wrong. Will you still teach me?”
“Mhmm,” she stretched up to press a light kiss to his jaw.
“You’ll have to teach me too, knight, because sometimes,” she yawned again then tucked her head beneath his chin.
“A lot of the times, I have no idea what you need from me, or want from me. I want to be a good wife. You’ll tell me when I’m not?”
Matt nodded and her wild curls tickled his lower face.
“We’ll learn together.”
He fell silent, enjoying the press of her body against his.
It never failed to surprise him, the underlying comfort between them, even when they argued.
It had been this way since the beginning.
“You’ve been grumpy the past few days.” she spoke up as her hand moved over his chest, then dipped lower until she was able to slip her fingers under his t-shirt.
The initial spurt of chagrin Matt felt at being called grumpy vanished when she trailed her fingers teasingly across his stomach.
“Mmm,” he agreed with a growing smile, understanding her intent.
“And I’ve mentioned once before the root cause of my grumpiness. What are you going to do about it, poppet?”
Madi twisted her body so she half lay on top of him, chin resting on his chest as she finally opened her eyes to observe him.
“Shag the hell out of you? It’s been three days.”
“Yes,” Matt said with a mock scowl.
“You’ve not been attending to your wifely duties. I’m very disappointed in you.”
She stared at him, her brown eyes looked almost black in the dim light as she said with an emotion-filled voice, “Promise me we won’t be one of those married couples who never talk to each other. I know I’m lacking in experience when it comes to relationships, but I’m not stupid and I know if we let things fester…I love you so much, and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Matt pushed his desire aside and cupped her cheek.
“That’s the one thing you never have to worry about. I’m in this for the long haul, ’til death do us part, remember? You can’t get rid of me.”
She beamed at him then the expression on her face changed.
Matt’s guard went up immediately.
He knew his woman and he knew what that look of hers meant.
Trouble.
“Good,” she said in a stern voice as she sat up and folded her arms across her naked breasts.
“Because we need to talk.”
“Ah,” he hedged, rubbing his chin slowly.
“Weren’t you about to shag the hell out of me?”
She nodded quickly.
“Oh yes, I will, but first I want to discuss your behaviour last night. Point number one-”
“There are points?” he groaned in frustration.
“Yep. Point number one: I want to start contributing to the household bills. Your little ‘my house’ remarks really got on my nerves. I don’t like feeling as if I’m living here under your sufferance. We’re married, we should share the bills equally.”
Matt arched an eyebrow at her.
“All the bills?”
She nodded again with a determined gleam in her eyes.
“Agreed,” he said slyly.
“I’ll draw up a list of the running costs and we’ll divide it equally. Of course, we’ll have to include the Surrey estate, the foreign properties -”
“Whoa.” She leaned back, eyebrows high.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, buster. I mean, we have to be realistic. You earn way more than me and…and,” she spluttered in alarm.
Matt laughed out loud, delighted at the consternation imprinted on her beautiful face.
“Christ. You make me laugh, poppet.” He sobered up and reached for her.
“Listen, I’m disgustingly wealthy, as you so often remind me, and I’m your husband. It’s my duty to take care of you and ensure all your needs are met. I’m old-fashioned in that way, don’t take that right away from me.”
Her mouth curled into a pout and his desire returned with a vengeance.
Bloody hell.
How could he want her this much?
“I think you’re right. A 50-50 split is inconceivable, Matt. I’ll probably need to work at a strip club and dry hump people for real!”
Matt felt his cheeks redden and he clenched his jaw.
Self-reproach consumed him.
“Apologies for my crass words earlier, poppet. I,” He ran a hand through his mussed hair and avoided her gaze for a moment before facing her.
“I didn’t mean them.”
She chewed her inner cheeks, trying her best to maintain a serious countenance.
Then she giggled softly and said, “Do you know your nostrils flare when you apologize? It’s as if you’ve caught whiff of some rancid smell. I think you’re allergic to apologizing.”
“I’m not allergic to apologizing,” Matt retorted haughtily, embarrassed over her teasing.
“You don’t like doing it,” she continued dryly.
“No one likes apologizing,” he said defensively.
She was right.
He despised having to apologize.
His previous motto was sod anyone who didn’t agree his actions.
Now, well ever since being with her, he had learnt the art of a heartfelt apology.
Only she deserved his unreserved humility.
“If you do it more often,” she pressed between snickers.
“It will no doubt become easier.”
“Let’s move on, shall we?” he remarked in a pointed manner.
“What’s the second point?”
“Can I have your t-shirt? It’s pre-warmed,” she asked, hugging her arms around her naked upper body.
“And the heating hasn’t come on. It’s cold in here.”
Matt immediately tugged off his t-shirt but instead of handing it over, he flung it halfway across the room.
She frowned at him and he crooked a finger at her.
“I’ll keep you warm,” he advised with arms outstretched.
“Hmph. The t-shirt would’ve been fine.” she groused then wiggled closer so he could wrap his arms around her before pulling the covers over them.
“Point number two?” he asked again.
Madi ran one hand over his shoulder, biting her lower lip.
“Umm, I’ll tell you later, it has to do with your reaction to Raheem but I think it’s time I attend to my wifely duties.”
Matt leaned over to turn off the bedside lamp.
“No complaints here, poppet. I’m in complete agreement with you.”
He would explain his previous behaviour and she would accept it.
Right now he just wanted to make love to his wife.
Later he would reassure her he didn’t truly have racist tendencies.
Yes, definitely later.