Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Slipping inside the fitting room, I tried on a set of lacy black lingerie and a matching cover. As I was checking out the side view, stiletto footsteps clacked nearer and nearer.
“Mrs. Carter?” The manager knocked on the door.
“Yes, Miss Turner?”
“Another security guard has arrived,” she said. “He claims that his name is Benny and he’s here at the request of Mr. Carter. Can I let him inside the store?”
Oh my god!
“Yes. You can let him inside.”
“Thank you, Miss. I’ll be out here when you need me.”
I waited until I couldn’t hear her clacking stilettos and called Travis via video chat.
“Hello, my gorgeous wife,” he said, his voice far too sweet. “How are you this afternoon?”
“I’m very upset.” I waited for his face to appear, but the screen remained dark.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He paused. “Before you tell me why, you should know that I’m in the middle of an important business meeting, and although I can’t see you, you are on speaker mode.”
“I don't care.” I seethed, annoyed that he categorized grabbing a coffee with Ralph and Madeline as a ‘business meeting.' “I need to get this off my chest.”
“Should I clear the room first?”
“No, you should let your team hear how insanely psychotic you are about your wife’s recent security precautions.”
"I don't see anything wrong with protecting the things that mean a lot to me."
"You mean, you can’t handle the mere thought of another man coming onto your wife.”
“That, too.” There was a smile in his voice. “I’ll never apologize for that."
“You weren’t like this before we went to New York.”
“You’re right.” He admitted. “I think getting a certain laundry room reminder made me realize that I need to guard what belongs to me a lot better.”
“Okay, look.” I shook my head. “It's hard to have a true video conversation when I can't see you, and you can’t see me. Turn on your camera."
“As you wish.” He appeared onscreen, and I immediately realized that he wasn’t lying about his business meeting.
My jaw dropped as I saw a group of suits seated around a conference table.
Travis blinked slowly, parting his lips as he took in the sight of my lingerie.
“Miss Carter,” the fitting room attendant slid an arm through my door, showing off a dark lace bustier. “I wasn’t able to find the matching thong for this one, but I can have someone from our other location bring it over ASAP if you’re willing to wait. Just let me know.”
“I…” My cheeks burned as Travis’s business partners stared at me.
“Can you all excuse me and my wife, please?” Travis recovered, smirking. “She clearly intended for our conversation to be private.”
They shuffled out of the room, and Travis leaned back in his chair.
“Thank you for saving me from a boring session I should’ve cancelled,” he said. “What were you saying about the permanent security precautions?”
I said nothing.
“Mrs. Carter?”
I was still speechless, embarrassed, and livid that he found this funny.
“You should get that lingerie set in red, too,” he said, smiling. “That’s always been your best color. I’ll send over another guard to hold your bags since you seem to be purchasing quite a lot today.”
I hung up in his face.
THIRTY
TWENTY SIX DAYS SINCE THEY SAID “I DO”
MADELINE
Andiamo Steakhouse
Las Vegas, Nevada
Text from Miss Brave:
Can you ask my husband to pass the salt?
“Mr. Carter, can you pass the salt to your wife?” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Instead of working on the ins and outs of their upcoming schedule, I was playing the role of “telephone” for what had to be the umpteenth time.
The ongoing tension between them was driving me to the brink of insanity, and why they couldn’t behave like adults remained a mystery to me.
I held out my hand for the shaker, but Mr. Carter picked up his phone instead.
Text from Mr. Carter:
I will pass the salt to my wife if she uses her mouth to ask me for it. It’s been a full day and she hasn’t said a word to me.
Text from Mr. Carter:
Tell her we’ve previously agreed to at least say hello to each other from here on out.
Text from Mr. Carter:
Feel free to say, “New York laundry.” She’ll understand the reference.
I signaled for the check. Then I leaned over and grabbed the salt, sliding it to Miss Brave.
“There,” I said. “Can you both do me a quick favor and smile at each other? The people here are watching you.”
“That’s nothing new,” Miss Brave smiled in my direction instead of his. “At this point, I’m shocked Mr. Carter doesn’t have his security guards watch me whenever I go to the bathroom.”
“Don’t tempt me to start,” he said.
“You know what?” I set down my fork. “You two can drop the smiles for the night. Before this dinner hits the press, I’ll let them know this was a post-workout dinner instead of a date.”