Til Debt Do Us Part (Married At Midnight #4)

Chapter 10

Ten

Dare

I 'm not sure what to expect as I show up at our loft with a closet full of new clothes for Talia. But I am certain she won't be pleased with my gift. And I'm right - her anger swells as soon as she sees the boxes and bags filled with everything from dresses to lingerie.

"What have you done?!" She shouts, her eyes blazing. "You burned my stuff? All of it?"

I shrug nonchalantly, but inside guilt swirls in my stomach. It's true - I had taken all her old clothes and had them incinerated without consulting her first. But it didn't seem chic enough, and I wanted to make sure she was wearing the best quality.

"It's no big deal," I say, trying to sound casual. "I'm just trying to help you look your best."

She glares at me before finally giving a sigh of resignation. "Fine," she mutters. "But this doesn't mean I'm going to like it."

Despite her initial protests, I can tell deep down that Talia is excited about all the new clothing options - it's evident in the eagerness of her eyes as she paws through everything. When she finishes admiring each piece of clothing, I clear my throat and speak up:

"Now that you've seen everything, why don't you get dressed? We're going out for dinner tonight."

Talia's eyes widen and she looks up at me in surprise. But to my relief, there isn't any anger this time - just a small smile playing on her lips.

"Alright," she says softly before turning to head off to the bedroom. "I'll be ready in no time."

And with that, Talia begins getting ready for our evening out - an evening where I know we'll have a bit more fun than usual, thanks in part to the new wardrobe I've so thoughtfully provided. Sure, it might not make us best friends anytime soon - but at least it will be a start.

I look over at Talia, who is staring out the window as we drive to dinner. She looks so peaceful and beautiful at this moment, she really takes my breath away. Lucky for me, I have something special planned for just this moment.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a silky bag. Within the bag is a stunning necklace encrusted with diamonds. The second I laid eyes on it, I thought that its beauty can only be matched by hers.

Plucking the necklace from the bag, I wait until she faces out the window before I slip it around her neck.

Talia's eyes widen in surprise when she feels me fastening the clasp behind her neck. She turns to face me, touching the necklace with awe-filled fascination. "It's heavier than I thought it would be."

My eyebrows fly up. "That's all you are going to say? No, 'thank you, Dare, I love it'?"

A deep crimson floods her cheeks. "It is a gorgeous necklace. And I am thankful for it. But what is it for ?"

I smooth my touch around the back of her neck, causing a shiver to slide down her spine.

"It has no value beyond the fact that I knew it would look beautiful against your collarbones."

I run a single fingertip in a tiny arc across her bare skin. Talia looks me in the eye and her whole body shudders. Sweeping the copper hair off of her shoulder, I bend down and place a burning hot kiss against the base of her neck.

The sudden, shocked inhale I hear satisfies me on a primal level. I chuckle as I sit back.

I gave her a smirk as I watch her eyes flick over the necklace. She’s intrigued, but she’s trying to hide it. “You know plenty of women would be falling all over themselves for this?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.

Her response comes quickly and with fire in her voice that tells me she isn’t going to be one of those nameless, faceless women that came before her. “I am not like them. I don't need your gifts to make me happy," she says

I cock my head. "You make a good little wife, Talia. I didn't expect it, but I'm beginning to enjoy having you by my side."

She rolls her eyes and looks away, shaking her head. But I see a pink flush creeping across her cheeks.

We arrive at the restaurant and she steps out wearing her dark gown and a heavy fur coat. It's coupled with a dark frown, refusing to look at me at all. I grab her hand and tug her forward across the sidewalk and into the bistro.

At the restaurant, a suit-wearing maitre d’ shows us through the loud, dimly lit restaurant. Every table is full. White-shirted waiters artfully twirl trays full of drinks, dodging around the tables full of restaurant patrons.

We are shown to our table, which is a large circular booth at the center of the restaurant. The company clients I agreed to meet with are already tucked into the booth and sipping their cocktails.

As I greet them, I tug on Talia’s hand, needing her to sit down and move inward toward the clients first. It’s all about power. I chose this booth at this restaurant for a reason.

She gives me a puzzled look as she does it, her lips pinching and her eyes flashing.

“Go ahead, darling,” I purr. I flash a smile that’s as sharp as a knife.

Her eyes tighten but she slides into the booth. I smooth my tie down as I seat myself. I slide a hand into her lap and grip her knee, pasting on a smile. Talia does the same after I give her knee a hard squeeze.

I address the clients, who look like cookie-cutter versions of the same Wall Street businessman. Three expensive white or blue shirts, rolled up at the sleeve. Three dark wool jackets tossed into a pile separating Jamal from Talia. Three tumblers of liquid courage clutched in their hands.

“Gentlemen. May I introduce you all to my new wife, Talia? And Talia, meet Gus, Ken, and Jamal. They are clients that require quite a bit of finesse…” I gesture to the restaurant around me. “To be content.”

“Congratulations, Dare,” Ken says, looking at Talia like some prize-winning horse. “Never thought you were much of the settling down type.”

Talia’s mouth pinches. I pat her knee under the table.

“She convinced me,” I lie blithely. “Didn’t you, darling girl?”

If looks could kill, I would be dead from Talia’s toxic glance. She doesn’t make much of an expression, but her eyes are angry.

Pulling my hand off of her knee, I direct my attention back to the three clients. “Should I order a round of gin martinis for the table?”

“Damn right,” Jamal says. “Let’s toast how well our two companies are doing right now.”

“The market is literally ravenous for our products,” agrees Gus. “It’s a beautiful time to be young and ambitious. It seems like the sky's the limit. Hell, maybe I should get my own woman.” He wiggles his eyebrows at Talia. “Do they have more of your model at the store where Dare bought you?”

Talia’s smile vanishes. Her mouth bunches up and for a second, I think she’s about to expose Gus to her razor-sharp tongue. But she just looks at me, scooting toward me.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try to find the lavatory.”

I stand up, offering her my hand. Talia ignores the gesture and struts off toward the bar. As she walks away, her ass looks amazing in her little black dress.

“Jesus, man. All that red hair. She must be a real firecracker in the bedroom,” Jamal says.

My lips tip upward. “You have no idea.”

Talia is gone for quite a while. I sip my martini and try to pay attention as the men take turns telling crazy stories of going clubbing and hooking up with wannabe-models. After a while, I see Talia heading out of the restaurant, putting her head down in a failed attempt not to attract any attention.

I fold up my napkin and excuse myself from the table. Weaving my way between patrons and waiters, I catch up with Talia just as she slips out the door. Snaring her hand, I pull her to a stop just outside the restaurant.

“Talia.”

She looks back at me and pulls her hand free of my grip, exasperated. “What?”

I can feel my neck growing hot. “Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving.” She tosses her head, her jaw locking. “Away from this macho ‘I own the world’ bullshit. It’s gross.”

I snort. “Just because the guys are a little douchey?—”

“They are awful .” Talia crosses her arms, shivering against the cold night air. “And the fact that you expect me to sit there like a complacent sex doll while you all talk about how much money you have… It’s totally immature.”

My mouth falls open. This was not the reaction I expected her to have. I don’t know exactly why I brought her; her feelings were an afterthought.

Talia looks at me, shaking her head. “Honestly, Dare. I expected more of you.”

“You expected more of me? That’s a ridiculous thing to say. You didn’t marry me because I’m perfectly respectable. You married me because I could pay your bills. And I married you because you are pretty enough, meek enough, and you happen to be carrying a child with my DNA.”

She clenches her jaw, eyes flashing. “I’m not some pretty trinket that you bought. You can’t just bring me out on special occasions to amuse your friends. I’m a person, Dare. I can hear and I have feelings.”

I open my mouth to defend myself, but she holds up a finger.

“I really hate that you think of me as meek. You have some old-fashioned notions of a biddable, quiet little wifey. And I’m here to tell you that I’m not going to fit into that mold.”

I grab Talia by the shoulders, snaking one hand up behind her head, and shut her up by sealing my mouth over hers. At first, she makes a muffled noise, protesting as I kiss her. Then she opens her mouth to me, her tongue sliding against mine. She tastes so fucking sweet that I growl into her mouth.

But she wrenches herself away from me, her chest heaving. Her eyes are sparking like bottled lightning.

“No.” She wipes at her lips as she drags in a breath, her color high. “You don’t even know me, Dare. How can you kiss me? How can you act like you want to fuck me?”

“You’re my wife,” I grit out. My hands clench the fabric of her dress at her waist. “How can I pretend that I don’t want to rip your dress off and?—”

She pushes at my chest with such force that it almost hurts. “Let me go, Dare.”

She looks disgusted with me. I clench the fabric of her dress in my hands tightly for a second. Then I ease my grip and allow her to wriggle free.

“You’re handsome. I’m sure you know that. But you know what else you are?” She pulls up the hem of her top. “You’re not a good human being, Dare.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask.

She points a finger at me. “You are selfish. And you’re self-obsessed. And if you’re not careful, you’re going to tear our marriage into pieces.”

Talia gathers her skirts and spins toward the street. As she heads toward the curb, I scrub a hand across my mouth.

What does she want? What could a girl like Talia even expect from a guy like me?

I watch her receding figure, a note of insecurity lodging itself in my chest.

Should I be different?

Looking at the bright lights of the city, I admit to myself that I don’t know.