Lucien(31)

Even if it meant he had to sleep on the couch and take more than his fair share of cold showers to endure the torture of living in name only with the woman of his dreams.





CHAPTER EIGHT




Luc sucked in a sharp breath. “Dammit. It’s everywhere.” He shoved a hand through his hair and cursed again. “I can’t take this.” The soft fragrance of Elise’s perfume drifted up from his jacket. “Everywhere but my bed,” he growled.



They’d been in Texas for nearly a month and Luc had kept his hands off her. He was stark raving mad. Living in the same house as Elise was torture. Bitter sweet torture. His wife in name only had left her mark on everything in the house. Everything but her husband.



“This is going to end.” Luc stood and threw the suit jacket into his chair. “Now.” He opened the conference room door and, ignoring the confused stares of Intrinsic Incorporated’s employees, stalked down the hallway towards the temporary office his wife had claimed for them. It was time they started sharing more than an office.



He rounded the corner and halted in his tracks. A congregation of workers, all male he noticed somewhat morosely, gathered around the open door of his office. Luc cleared his throat.



The congregation scattered.



His frown deepened and his jaw ached with tension. It was a wonder he had any teeth left at all. Grinding his molars into a fine powder was turning into a habit with Elise around.



“A little higher,” he heard Elise say breathlessly.



A muscle in his jaw popped. Luc covered the distance to the door and froze. His wife was on her hands and knees with her perfectly rounded bottom sticking up in the air for one and all to gawk at. Luc tore his gaze away from his wife’s assets as a man groaned.



A sexually depraved computer geek was holding the desk, lifting it in the air for his wife, and staring down at her bottom with a hunger which Luc would kill him for. No one was allowed to gawk at his wife. No one but him. Dammit.



Jealousy raged through his body until he shook with it.



Elise’s bottom wriggled. “Almost… there.”



“Take your time, ma’am. It’s not… heavy at all.”



Liar. Luc knew the desk weighed a ton. He’d helped one of the maintenance crew carry it into the office. They’d dropped it in the middle of the room and left it. Damned if they’d wanted to pick up the cumbersome thing again.



“Got it,” Elise exclaimed triumphantly. She wiggled out from underneath the desk. “You can set it down now, Calhoun.”



“Yes, Calhoun, by all means set the desk down,” Luc bit out. Then get the hell away from my wife.



Calhoun dropped the desk with a muffled curse.



Elise beamed up at him. “There you are, Lucien. Just the man I was looking for.” She started to rise and Luc managed to unlock his body, moving to her side. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and lifted her to her feet, but didn’t let go.



“What the hell were you doing on the floor,” he demanded.



Elise waved hand, indicating her admirer. “The desk was wobbling and Calhoun graciously offered to hold it while I adjusted the feet.” She turned and pressed a slender hand to Luc’s chest, fiddling with a button on his shirt. “Do you think you feel up to moving the desk closer to the wall? I know it’s heavy and—”



Luc caught her hand and stilled it. “Where do you want it,” he growled. He couldn’t let geek boy, Calhoun out shine him.



Elise smiled tremulously and pointed to the far wall, near the window. “Over there will be fine.”



Luc released her. “Come on, Calhoun. Let’s get this moved so you can get back to work.” And away from my wife. He didn’t like the admiring note in her voice at saying the geek’s name.



“Yes, sir.”



Five minutes later, the desk was positioned in what Elise declared the perfect spot. Calhoun looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion as he meandered towards the door.



“Thank you so much, Calhoun. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Elise beamed up at the overgrown computer geek.



Calhoun smiled with something Luc suspected might charm the ladies and Luc’s fist itched to pound it off his face. “My pleasure, ma’am.” He nodded politely to Luc, then hightailed it out of the office, closing the door behind him.



“Elise,” he began slowly, reigning in his jealousy. “The next time you feel the urge to—”



She halted his words by going up on tiptoes and giving him a chaste kiss. “Thank you, Lucien. The desk will do so much better over there. You’ll see.”