Chapter 12 Kat
Chapter twelve
Henry stands from his seat when I finish my dinner and holds out his hand. For the past week, he’s been waiting for me so that we can leave together to do our nightly crosswords. In fact, since our walk last weekend, he’s been doing a lot of things differently.
Blushing, I think back to a few days ago…
A perfunctory knock and my bedroom door flies open, startling me out of my pain-sleep haze.
“Katarina? Are you alright? Why didn’t you come to the pool this morning?”
I look up from my nest in bed to find Henry, still in his swim trunks.
Based on the time glowing from my bedside clock and the fact that he appears to be dry, it seems he waited around ten minutes before coming to find me.
Wincing, I sit up as he catches my facial expression and takes a quick step forward to try to figure out what’s hurting me.
I decide that trying to be discreet will be useless. After all, we are married…
“I’m okay. But I started my period last night, so I’m bloated and I have awful cramps.
Usually, my first day is the worst, and then I’m back to mostly normal by tomorrow.
So I don’t think I’ll swim today, or get up to much at all, honestly…
” I look up to see if he’s grossed out or mad that I’m making a big deal out of it.
He sits on the edge of my bed-nest and takes my hand, kisses my knuckles lightly, and toys with my wedding band.
“What helps?” he asks, and his gray eyes look so intense in the darkness of my room that I’m confused by his question.
“Wha?”
A knowing smirk tells me he knows I’m distracted by his shirtlessness and warm presence in my bed, even only at the edge.
“What helps your cramps? Have you taken ibuprofen? Do you have a heating pad? Chocolate?”
My face must show confusion at which woman in his life he’s taken such care of to know period remedies because he laughs and immediately dispels my jealousy.
“You forget, I have spent a little time around my sister, as she experienced such things, particularly when home for the holidays. And I assure you, prior to menopause, my mother was never shy about making sure we boys knew exactly the pain that women go through. She thought it was very important that we all know how to ‘cherish and care for our future goddesses,’ as she would say,” he finishes quietly, still holding my hand and waiting for me to tell him what I need.
“Heat always helps the most, but I can’t find where I packed my heating pad.
It might have ended up in a box destined for storage, I’m not sure.
My ibuprofen in the bathroom has expired.
And yes, I’m craving chocolate. Specifically, the variety bag of truffles and dark chocolate, and hot chocolate with peppermint sticks.
And truffle fries, although that’ll be more of a lunchtime thing.
I can get all this later after I sleep just a bit longer, though—” I’m cut off by another kiss to my knuckles and a no-nonsense glare.
“Stay here, see if you can rest a bit more before the sun comes up. I’ll make sure you have everything you need today.”
And he did. I dozed a bit, waking up to find different sizes of heating pads, chocolates, my favorite gummy candies, and a mug of hot chocolate resting on a warmer on my bedside table.
Henry’s voice carries from the hallway, head poking in as he sees I’m awake again, and smiles at me. Holding up one finger, he goes to end his call.
“Nope, Linda, I won’t be in today. I don’t care what you tell people.
Tell them I have the flu, very contagious, too tired to call in from home.
I’ll probably be back tomorrow. We’ll see.
” Ending the call, he tosses his phone onto the bed before helping me sit up and adjust my heating pad.
He hands me my mug, placing a peppermint stick in as he does.
“You didn’t have to do all this or stay home with me. But I really, really appreciate it,” I say, inhaling the rich aroma of the hot chocolate.
Sitting next to me on the bed, he hands me the remote. “You’re welcome, although I disagree. I think I absolutely had to do all of this, as you are, in fact, my responsibility these days. Now, take this ibuprofen and show me what your unhinged reality TV favorites are up to.”
My smile at the memory turns into confusion as we arrive at the study, but there’s only one paper laid out on the coffee table. Henry picks it up and pulls out the crossword to hand to me.
“Here, you can do it tonight. I’ll finish reading where I left off this morning,” he says, taking his seat and flipping through the pages.
I sit and look down, moments passing as I stare at the empty puzzle. I look up to see Henry still lost between the pages of today’s news. My first thought is to share this with him and work on it together, but there isn’t a good seating arrangement to make that comfortable.
The idea to sit in his lap springs into my mind. Two weeks ago, I wouldn’t have considered acting on this, but things have been changing between us. Deciding to just go for it, I get up, round the table, and plop down sideways on his lap.
“Katar…what…”
I can feel him tense. This is pushing the boundaries of our relationship, but if we’re ever going to become more than friendly roommates, someone has to do it. As much as he’s flirted with me lately, he’s never taken physical touch this far. Smiling, I interrupt his rambling with a soft, “Hi.”
Still tense, he sets the paper down beside him and smiles, “Hi…erm, what are you doing?
“I thought we could do this together,” I say, holding up the paper. The longer we sit here staring at each other, the more I lose my resolve. I want to be bold and stand, well, sit my ground on his lap. But the silence is uncomfortable, even for me. “I’m sorry, I’ll get up…”
“No, wait…” Henry finally relaxes, wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me a little closer. “I would say get comfortable, but you finish so fast, I don’t think it necessarily matters.”
“I would imagine comfort directly correlates to how fast I finish, but then again, I’ve never tested that theory.” I wink at him and wiggle slightly on his lap as I settle in, feeling him grow hard beneath me.
“Christ, Katarina,” he murmurs, barely audible, as he adjusts himself as discreetly as possible in our position.
Feeling accomplished that I’ve successfully rattled my husband, I lift my wrist to start the timer on my watch. “Shall we get started?”
“Eight minutes and twenty-two seconds!” I squeak, “My fastest completion time yet!”
Henry sets the completed puzzle down beside us. “Well, you did have help. I’d like to take partial credit for your victory.”
“Our fastest time yet.”
My excitement quickly dies as I realize I have no good reason to be sitting on this man’s lap any longer. As if he can read my mind, Henry pulls me closer to him. “When did you get so good at crosswords?” He tightens his grip, letting me know he wants me to stay.
“Lots of time alone in my ivory tower, I suppose.” I pause when he flinches, forgetting how uncomfortable it makes him that I was contained for eighteen years, largely because of the threat of his mother, real or not.
“No, really, I’ve just always liked puzzles.
Sasha used to read the comics to me when I was young.
When I asked him what the crossword was, he told me it was a game.
And I loved games. I obviously couldn’t complete them at first, so I asked almost everyone I came across for help.
It became such a routine for the staff that they would seek me out to help before starting their work for the day. ”
Henry laughs, an action becoming less and less rare as of late. “There’s still so much I don’t know about you.”
“Me? You’re the one who’s a mystery! I feel like I hardly know anything about you,” I say, nudging him. “Except how poor a chess player you are.”
“What would you like to know?”
“Anything? Everything? Just start from your first memories and keep going.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t lived a very exciting life.
My role was predestined from the moment my father found out he was having a son.
As far as first memories, I don’t remember much about life before my brother.
I was four when Ledger was born, and I quickly adapted to the role of big brother.
We had a normal childhood until I was around nine.
Within two years, Jack had moved in with us, Ledger had started school, Margot was born, and I was preparing to attend boarding school.
“I never objected to leaving for England, and I was able to come home often, but my family’s life carried on while I was away, so I felt like an outsider.
Still, I enjoyed being around them when I was home.
I know you’ve only met them briefly, but they’re a great time.
Mom certainly never showed any bias toward my siblings, even with my long stints away, and I was, without a doubt, the pride of my father. ”
As I sit, listening to Henry recount his life, realization hits me like a train.
I’m not the only one of us who grew up in a cage.
Henry’s walls might have been invisible, but he knew his bounds, and he never dared to cross them.
At least I was able to discover who I wanted to be within my confines.
I caress his face, my hand small against his cheek. “What are some of the happiest moments you can remember?”
I expect him to have to think about that question after such a strictly regulated life, but he answers immediately.
“Fishing with Father and Ledger, holding Margot for the first time, winning back-to-back championships in college.” He places his hand atop mine.
“Dancing with my wife on our wedding day.”
My breath falters as my eyes shoot directly to his, where he’s staring at me with a gaze so sharp it could cut glass. This is your chance, Kat, I keep hearing over and over in my mind. He clearly wants you. Make a move. Do something.
Hopping off his lap, I walk to the record player in the corner of the room, then start flipping through the vinyls stacked beside it.
I sort through a variety of rock bands and a handful of classical options before landing on one with the song we danced to at our wedding.
When I go to take it out of its sleeve, I realize it still has the plastic on it.
I make quick work of opening it, placing the disc on the platter, and setting the stylus on the track before walking back over to my husband.
“Dance with me?” I ask, holding my hand out in invitation.
Henry accepts my hand and stands, pulling me with such force that I crash into him.
The moment my body meets his, I feel peace I’ve only ever felt in his arms. He’s by far the most attractive man I’ve ever seen, and his body exudes sensuality.
There is no denying my sexual desire for him.
But when he’s holding me against him, it’s not only the physical aspect of a relationship I crave.
When I’m wrapped in his arms, I find myself comforted in ways I never imagined this arranged marriage would allow.
He takes my hand in his, his other arm wrapped snuggly around my waist, and leads the dance. Placing my free hand on his chest, I continue to ask about his life. “Alright, so…back-to-back championships? What did you play?”
“Football.”
“Do you mean soc—”
“American football.” He clarifies before I can ask the question.
“I played quarterback pretty much all my life. When I had breaks from school, I would play on travel teams here in the States, and Father had the best coaches training me while I was in England. I could’ve easily gone pro, but I had more important things to do.
The day of the draft, Father gifted me with ownership of the team most adamant about recruiting me.
‘Why play for a team when you can own it?’”
“Oh, that's…did you want to continue playing?”
Henry smiled down at me. “I wouldn’t know. It was never going to be an option, so I never opened that door.”
Now that’s something I can relate to. “And what about women? Have there been any special girlfriends in your life? Were you with someone when you found out you had to hitch yourself to me?”
His laughter startles me. “God, no. I don’t know if you’ve realized it or not, but I stay pretty busy.” He pauses, a huge grin growing on his face as he winks at me. “More than that, I’ve never had the time to focus on a relationship the way someone deserves.”
“You’ve been great with me lately.”
“You’re my wife. It’s my responsibility to take care of you.”
His voice drops, and suddenly, thoughts of him taking care of me in more intimate ways cross my mind. “So you’ve never been in a relationship?” I ask, trying to clear my head before I completely overheat.
I feel Henry tense up slightly. “Well, yes. I’ve been in relationships.”
“Okay…explain.”
“My relationships have been more contractual by nature, and not in the same way ours is.”
“You mean, like, Fifty Shades BDSM contractual?" I’m only half serious, but that’s the only situation I can think of that would require a contract.
“Yes,” he deadpans.
I’m at a loss for words. There's an emotional warfare going on inside me where jealousy, curiosity, and arousal are all fighting for control. “Oh. Well then…”
Picking up on my change in posture, Henry pulls me toward him. “Katarina, if you ever want to know more, all you have to do is ask. I’ll tell you everything. But that's all my past. And no woman I’ve ever been with holds a candle to my wife.”
As if his words weren’t enough to make me blush, the look in his eyes causes me to shy away from his gaze.
Henry gently takes my chin in his hand, lifting my attention back to him. “Why do you always deflect my compliments? Don’t you know you’re the most stunning woman in the world?”
Henry smiles softly when I shake my head. “You are, Kitten. Inside and out. Both the most beautiful and most fascinating woman to have ever walked this planet.” He pauses to push a strand of my hair behind my ear, his hand still supporting my chin. “And you’re all mine.”