The Marriage Mistake(71)
As if realizing she forgot to tell him something unimportant, she cut a hand through the air. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’m quitting.”
He rocked back on his heels. “What?”
She pushed a hand through her curls and a flash of red paint speared random strands. “Sorry, I meant to tell you earlier. It’s just not working for me any longer. I’ll speak with Michael tomorrow. I’ll stay as long as you need until you get a worthy assistant.”
Shock held him motionless. When had she decided this? Since they arrived home from Vegas, she’d continued to work at the office, but had cut back her hours. She completed her work to full capacity, but he knew her usual enthusiasm had diminished. His insides lurched at the idea of not seeing her in the office, but combined with a sense of pride. The image of their night together mocked him. Naked and in his arms, she confessed her emotions in a way that made him feel treasured. Now, she made her own decisions without a thought. A deep longing washed through him but he didn’t know what to do about it. “What are you going to do instead?”
Carina grinned, her eyes lit with excitement. “I’m going to work in Alexa’s store, BookCrazy.”
“Interesting. I knew Alexa needed help with the second baby coming, but had no clue you’d even been to the bookstore.”
“I stopped by early in the week to give her some help. Her accountant sucks and really screwed things up. I told her I’d take a look at her financials, but after working a few hours, I realized I love the place.”
A smile curved his lips at her enthusiasm. She consistently surprised him with her ability to move from controlled executive to an openhearted woman full of life and love. “I’m not surprised. Bookstores are the perfect blend of business and creativity.”
“Exactly! I’m going to train with her for the next few weeks and give it a trial run.”
Pride burst through him. “You’ll rock it like you do everything else.”
“Thank you.”
They stared at each other. He wanted to close the distance between them—both physically and emotionally. After all, they were married for the long haul. Their connection during sex was earth-shattering. Why should they deny that part of their relationship?
Sensual awareness zinged to life, and she dragged in a breath. The tension twisted and he grew rock hard and ready to roll. The idea of tumbling her on top of that work desk and sinking into her wet heat made him want to stomp and snort like a stallion. He took a step forward, his eyes darkening with promise.
She turned her back on him. “Thanks for checking on me. Back to work.”
Max smothered a curse at her obvious dismissal. How long was this going to last? Would she punish both of them because of a forced marriage? Perhaps he needed to show her what she was missing, how right they were for each other in bed.
Perhaps, it was time to seduce his wife.
He waited but she had already moved on and attacked the blankness with a few sharp strokes. He left her in the sunlight, alone, and wondered what he was going to do.
• • •
What was she missing?
Carina peered at the image in front of her. Technically, the shadowing and structure were solid, but the unknown element was missing. The It factor.
She rotated her neck in tiny circles and glanced around. What time was it? The sun was long gone, and the last time Max checked on her had been around dinnertime. Her watch confirmed she’d been painting for several hours.
Frustration nibbled on the edge of her nerves. It was hard plunging into the craft after several years of no practice. Her painting had been something she had had no time for once she committed to business school and had hoped a solid career path would still the inner voices that screamed for her to create.
Nope. The voices were back—big-time. But now her skills were rusty and her usual profiles were flat. The art class she’d finally signed up for helped reconnect with the basics needed to springboard off of. Between her new job at BookCrazy and her art, her life finally seemed to turn in the right direction. About time.
Except for her marriage mistake.
The memory of Max in her workroom burned behind her lids. All casual sexiness and steam concentrated full force. She’d barely been able to turn around, but dismissal was crucial. If he believed she was his sweet little pup ready to beg at the first crook of his finger, he’d learn the truth. Chasing him her whole life was exhausting. Time to regain her foundation and decide how she wanted to navigate this relationship—this time on her terms.
Carina sighed and looked down at herself. Yuck. A complete mess. Rocky lifted his head from his long hours of sleep and yawned. She laughed and dropped to her knees to pet him, scratching his upper belly till she hit the sweet spot and his leg began to thump in doggy ecstasy.