Page 25 of A Monster's Obsession

“Céile? What’s that mean?” Yohan asked his head cocked to the side in question.

“Wife,” I responded. The softness that replaced Sawyer’s glare was instant. I know he figured I didn’t know what the Gaelic word meant, but I haveGoogle.

“Wife?” Yohan responded, looking down at my ring finger. I wore a simple gold band on my ring finger. I hadn’t taken it off since we had our courthouse wedding. The ring was uncomplicated, unlike our relationship, but I loved it.

Yohan seemed to deflate a little at the news, and that was definitely for the best. I thought his flirting was harmless, but Sawyer absolutely didn’t see it that way.

“Yes, wife. Are you finished? Or do I need to wait in your office?” Sawyer smiled at me, and I automatically smiled back. Although his expression was no longer blank, his eyes didn’t reflect the monster, so I was at a loss as to what he was thinking.

“Umm, yeah. You can wait in my office. I promise I won’t be long.” Sawyer strolled over to me slowly before kissing the top of my hair.

“Take care of your business, but don’t make me fuck the hippy up.” Sawyer’s voice was low, so Yohan didn’t hear him. He shot one more glare at “the hippy” before turning and walking toward the stairs. I was glad he didn’t threaten my newest client directly, but I knew it wouldn’t take much for Sawyer to keep his promise. I rolled my eyes, but I still couldn’t resist taking a moment to admire the magnificence of my husband.

Damn that man is fine as hell!My brain refused to get out of the gutter whenever he was around tempting me. Sawyer walked with the confidence that simply exuded “big dick energy.” His short curly hair was gelled out of his face today, and it drew attention to his striking green eyes. The tailored suit he had on was dark gray with a light blue dress shirt. The combination should’ve clashed, but he made it look stylish. I had to hold back a girlish sigh when he turned around and caught me staring. He threw me a wink and a sexy as sin smirk before disappearing out of sight.

“So, I didn’t realize you were married.” Yohan frowned, and I put on my bright business smile before answering his question.

“Yes, I’m married. We hadn’t done much catching up, and we’re not here to talk about relationships, we are here to discuss business.” I replied, getting back to the subject at hand. Yohan was ready to sign on the dotted line before Sawyer came in, but this was a smart business move for both of us. Hopefully, he could see that.

“You’re right. This is about business. And I admire all of your business skills.” I’m not sure what Yohan meant by that, but I won’t give power to the statement by asking.

“So, does this mean you’re ready to do a show here at Premier Illusions?” I was doing my best to hold back my excitement, but I could see it on his face that he was going to give in.

“Yes! I would love to show my work here!” Yohan agreed with a wide smile that showed all of his pretty straight white teeth.

“Great! I’ll get the contracts together, and I can have Bambi send them over to your agent before the end of business.” I smiled as I reached my hand out to shake his, but instead, he tugged me in for a hug.

“You know I’ve always been a hugger,” Yohan, who clearly had a death wish, smiled mischievously. I shook my head. Yohan was obviously a thrill seeker.

“Well, I suggest you tamp down on that urge in the future because I call my husband, Monster, for a reason.” I smiled at my old friend.

***

After Yohan left, I decided to go speak to Bambi so she could prepare the contracts. She was sitting at her desk, sketching when I knocked on the door.

“Hey, Bambi! We landed Yohan!” I exclaimed with a bright smile.

“That’s awesome! He will pack this place without question.” Bambi returned my smile. She was one of the most genuine people that I knew, and I was so happy she was on board. She made it easy for me to run the gallery and continue with my art.

“Hey, I meant to tell you. The other day Jack told me the alarm was tripped.” I furrowed my brows in confusion. Jack is our night guard. He only works until midnight, and then we let the high tech security system monitor the property. We only have round the clock guards if we have a show. Otherwise, the pieces are locked in a special vault that was built when the building used to be a bank.

“Why didn’t he tell me? When did this happen?” I asked, growing worried. The last thing I needed was a break-in right before a famous artist signed with us.

“It was a false alarm. A rat or something chewed through a wire in the basement. I called the exterminator, and they set some traps. We should be good.” Bambi responded, calming my nerves.

“Okay, well as long as it’s been taken care of. Thanks for telling me, and keep me updated on the exterminator.” I smiled as she nodded her agreement.

After we hashed out the information for the contracts, I headed to my office. I knew Sawyer was waiting, and after our heated exchange, I have no idea what to expect. However, I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine at the thought of the last time I made my husband upset. He ended up fucking me on the dining room table.

I know that a married couple can’t solve all of their arguments with sex, but it sure was nice to try. We hadn’t had another conversation about Abbott, the money, or the gallery since that night. The deed to this building with my name on it, showed up on my desk the Monday after we were married. I was the outright owner of the gallery, free and clear. I thanked Sawyer profusely when I arrived home that night, but he acted as if it were no big deal.

I used the money that I had saved to repay my parents, and now I am working on a business plan to be able to pay back Sawyer. Now that I’ve landed Yohan, it will happen much sooner than I was anticipating.

Hopefully, I can get myself out of this mess by paying back all of the people I borrowed money from. I have definitely learned from my mistakes, and I won’t be so stubborn that I won’t ask for help from the right people next time.

Once I arrived in my office, Sawyer was standing by the window with his back to me. His muscular body had me licking my lips. I often found myself ogling my husband, I should feel ashamed, but I didn’t. It’s my right as a wife, no matter how weird our marriage is.

“Sorry, I kept you waiting.” For some reason, I could feel butterflies fluttering around my stomach. The realization that my husband still made me nervous after six weeks of marriage made me flush.