Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
TRULY
“What the hell,” I grumble, pissed all the way off.
I was looking forward to this evening. Blake and I are going to a charity event.
I was excited to get dolled up and go out with him.
Blake has been working like crazy. He still gets home at a decent time, but I can tell that he is preoccupied with work.
I’ve yet to speak to my parents, which I'm sure is driving them nuts. Oh, they can go months without bothering to check in, but the second they want contact with me, they better have it or they begin to lose their minds. I know I need to talk to them. Mabel’s words from the other day are still bouncing around in my head.
When Blake is away working, that's when the doubt bleeds in.
The second he's through that door, it's washed away by how sweet he is.
He can't keep his hands off me. He'll even take me in the middle of the night, hungry for more.
Blake's touch and words are always so possessive.
Those are the things that have me believing and trusting him.
My day was going pretty well until I got an email from Blake’s assistant.
Now I find myself annoyed. How does she even have my information?
I guess Blake gave it to her. The email is only confirming my schedule.
There are a handful of people that will be coming today for nails, makeup, hair, and even wardrobe.
All of them will be coming directly here.
I still haven't ventured out much. Blake and I do, but I never go alone. If I am to leave, I must alert him.
I'm sure that man has alerts that are set up all on their own when anyone opens or closes that front door. Right now, however, I want to pop in on my husband. Is it childish? Likely, but it could give me a clue on how much I should trust him.
I'm so freaking aggravated that he had his assistant handle anything when it comes to me. I don’t need her help.
I can do my own stuff. Those are the thoughts bouncing around in my head as I change and get myself ready to leave the house.
There’s something about that girl that doesn’t sit well with me.
It's terrible, but I slip out the door on the side of the converted warehouse.
I don't know if there is an alert on that door or not.
I grab a car to take me over to Blake's office.
This time when I enter, the security guards don't try to stop me.
It's not until I step off the elevator that I realize I didn't bring lunch.
I spot Emily, and she sees me too. Now I can't turn around and head back home to grab one. She's standing in the doorway of another office. I walk toward Blake's and give her a fake smile as I pass by. I can tell she is not happy that I’m here, which only makes me more glad that I dropped by.
"Truly," she calls after me, and I stop.
"Mrs. Lockheart," I correct. Emily's lips purse.
"Can I help you with anything? Blake—”
"Mr. Lockheart," I correct her again, not liking how comfortable she is with calling my husband by his first name. This time she can't mask her dislike and anger for me. It flashes across her pretty face, but she manages to reel it back in.
"He has a full schedule, as do you." Her acting as though she knows more about my husband's day-to-day really gets under my skin. She probably does, but that’s beside the point.
"I don't care." I start walking again. I barely make it to his office before he's pulling open the door for me.
"Wife." He gives me a smile, pulling me in to him to drop a kiss on me. "Is there something you need, Ms. Parker?" Blake says over my head. I turn to glance over my shoulder and see Emily standing there. Her entire demeanor has suddenly shifted now that Blake is here.
"No, sir." Her tone is so soft and sugary sweet for him.
“I am not to be disturbed,” he tells her before guiding me into his office and closing the door behind me. We don't get far because the next thing I know, I'm pinned up against it.
"You left without telling me." There is a heed of warning in those words. I lick my lips. It shouldn't turn me on, but it does.
"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise. I wanted to bring you lunch."
"I don't like being lied to." Blake steps back from me, making my stomach drop.
He, however, doesn't release his hold on me.
He leads me over to the long couch he has in his office.
When he sits, he pulls me down so that I'm straddling him.
I don't miss how his desk is overflowing with a million files.
"Okay, maybe I forgot the food."
"Do you want me to order food?"
I shake my head no.
"What's going on? You snuck out and came here to bring me lunch but forgot said lunch."
"I wanted to see you."
His face softens but only marginally.
"I miss you too, but something has set you off. Your cheeks were flushed red before I pulled you into my office." I press my palms to my cheeks. They are warm. Blake grabs my wrists and pulls them back down from my face as he waits for my response.
"Why is your assistant emailing me about all my afternoon appointments?"
"What?" His brows rise, making it clear he didn't think I was going to say that. "Emily, Ms. Parker, emailed you?"
"Yeah, confirming my schedule."
"Not going to lie to you, but I reached out to Rachel, and she helped me find the people we hired to come to the house."
"Rachel?" Lovely, there's another one.
"My real assistant. She's on maternity leave. Emily is a temp at best. One of my executives retired as Rachel was going on her leave." All of this has me relaxing and feeling crazy now.
"That was nice of Rachel to do."
"Glad you see it that way because I had to agree to dinner with her and her husband so that she can meet you in the future."
"I would like to meet her," I tell him. It was my understanding that Blake was breaking away from here, but maybe he'll keep her on for other things.
"I'd like you to meet her too. She's heard enough about you."
"Really?" That perks me up.
"I've been a grumpy asshole since you went off to college. Rachel had to set my ass straight a few times."
"You two are friends."
Blake pauses for a moment like he’s contemplating this. "I suppose we are. I would never speak to my employees the way I do to Rachel, and no employee would get away with how she speaks to me."
"Is that so?" I might want to see this.
"She's called me more than a few choice names. Rachel is honest and straightforward." I really like the sound of that. See, why can't Emily be that way? "Honey, is there more than just the email?" I shrug, and he lightly smacks the side of my ass.
"Hey!" I hiss at him. Blake places his hand on my thighs to push my sundress farther up, almost revealing my panties.
"I'll bend you over the desk."
"I'm going to call that bluff. Your desk is overflowing," I tease.
"Fine, I'll do it in my lap." Now I know he's not bluffing on that one. It sounds fun, but he's clearly busy, and I have an appointment to make. I'm not going to drag the matter out, knowing Blake won't stop until he has the answers he's looking for.
"I don't have a solid reason, which is why I kept quiet, but that woman”—I nod toward the door—“doesn't like me, and she more than likes you."
"I'll handle it," Blake says, not missing a beat. He’ll easily check that off his list of things to do today.
"What does that mean?"
"I think you know." He lets out a low chuckle.
"You can't fire her. Look at your desk." I point it out again. The man appears swamped.
“I can have her moved. It’s not only you that she makes uncomfortable.”
“Wait.” That gives me pause. “You know she’s into you?”
“No, but she has done a few odd things and questions me about orders I give her. I thought maybe she believed it was okay because she did train under Rachel for a few weeks. Now, with you telling me she has a thing for me, I’m piecing together that her behavior shift really started when you showed up.
” Blake takes a deep breath. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I should have paid better attention."
"As annoyed as I am, I also find it endearing that you don't notice when a woman is into you." It goes right over his head. I've seen them check him out more than once, and he's oblivious.
"How would I know until they jumped into my lap?" Blake starts playing with the end of my ponytail, wrapping it around one finger and letting it go.
"You don't know how people hit on each other?" He shrugs. "Seriously, Blake?" I roll my eyes. He did go to college.
"Those things don't matter to me."
"Well, yeah, now they shouldn't."
"Ever," he corrects, his eyes searching my face.
"Truly, you do know I have never dated or been with a woman, right?
" I open and then close my mouth. Now it's me that’s shocked by what he's saying.
"I have always been loyal to you." Tears sting my eyes.
"Honey, please don't cry." He cups my cheeks and places kisses all over my face. "It's always been you."
"It's always been you too," I tell him, hoping that for once, my best friend is completely wrong about Blake.