Page 195 of Severed Heart

“Oh, no question?” she counters sarcastically.

“Noneat all,” I reply swiftly, glancing over at Barrett, who seems equally confused by her sudden hostility. “What’s wrong? Where is this coming from?”

“Because I asked you to come to bed anhourago, and you said you would beright in. And I lay in bed, waiting for you tocome and fuck me, and where are you?”

Barrett immediately sprays the two of us with the beer in his mouth as I do my best to keep the threatening laughter from bursting out of me. Laughter that she can clearly see I’m fighting as she narrows her eyes even further, crossing her arms in a dare for me to release it.

God, how I fucking love her.

As predicted, fighting with her when we do, which is rare, is as fun as I thought it would be. The sexalwaysfuckingfire, after or during.Always fire, period. Maybe because, as it turns out, she’s highly sexual and a little high-maintenance and has been since we got physical. A job I take great pleasure in taking seriously.

“And where are you now? Laughing like a hyena and talking with thisimbecile.” She stops herself instantly, regret clear in her eyes at her lash out, and immediately addresses Barrett in a rush ofRegina Jennings’s brandof therapeutic apology. “I am sorry, Barrett, you are not an imbecile. I am angry withTylerand should not take it out on you.”

“No offense taken, sweetheart,” Barrett immediately replies, doing his absolute best to maintain his composure as he begins to inch toward the driver’s door of his Ranger. “I think we’re good, cousin. I’m going to—” he thrusts a thumb over his shoulder. “It’s getting late, so I’ll be taking my leave now.” He turns to me, his whisper low and goading. “You better, uh, get to tending to your woman.”

I nod and turn back to my tiny, agitated, and apparently sexually frustrated terrorist, my love for her brimming as the fire brewing in her eyes ignites mine. Closing in on a year back in one another’s lives, every day confirms what I’ve always known—she’s my match, my soulmate.

A match who narrows her eyes at me, muttering under her breath low enough that she knows I can’t hear it before she turns, and the storm door slaps closed behind her in her wake. Unable to hold my grin, I lift my chin to Barrett, who’s full-on belly laughing now that she’s safely out of earshot as he takes the driver’s seat of his Ranger, shaking his head. “You’re a lucky son of a bitch,” he chuckles. “Always have been. God, what I wouldn’t give to have Charlie coming out of our housedemanding dickin front ofotherpeople.”

“Eat your heart out, fucker,” I taunt. “See you tomorrow.”

Firing up, he gives me a salute as he takes off. I eagerly stalk toward her, managing to catch up with Delphine before she attempts to shut the door in my face. Unable to help it, I burst into laughter as I block it with my boot, and she all but growls at me. “Get out, imbecile. You have ruined my good mood.”

“I have, huh?” I glance around to see candles lit on our dresser and nightstand and that she’s recently changed the sheets—the room smelling clean, the ambiance purposefully romantic. It’s then I truly take her in, recognizing she’s wearing the silky white robe I got her for Christmas and suspecting the matching negligee beneath. “Shit baby, I’m sorry. I got distracted going over the spray schedule with Barrett and didn’t realize what you were cooking up in here.”

“Save your stupid metaphors,” she snaps. “I don’t like being ignored.”

“That’s obvious, but I assure you, you have my full attention now.”

“Well, you get no more ofminetonight,” she says. “I’m going to bed. You can go sleep with your stupid new horse.”

Pressing my lips together to hold my smile, when the fucker breaks through, she instantly picks up a paperback and hurls it at my chest. It hits me square in the stomach as my cock hardens further and further at the sight of her. So full of fight. Olive skin tinted by the spring sun, curves full now that she’s at a healthy weight and looking like every damned thing I’ve ever wanted. It’s the strange energy coming from her that has my apology coming again. “I’m sorry,really.I didn’t realize you were setting us up forthis kindof night.”

“No, you didn’t because I wanted to surprise you and went to great trouble for you. I went to see Layla for a fresh wax yesterday, did my hair, painted my toes, and put on the lotion you like so much, only for you to ignore me.”

“Your efforts weren’t for nothing,” I say, taking visual notes of everything she listed, “I assure you.”

“Well ... now I’m not in the mood.”

“Liar.”

“Get out, Tyler. Go back to Barrett. I am fine,” she sighs.

“Not a fucking chance,” I retort.

“I’m warning you, Tyler. I’m not in the mood for jokes at my expense.”

“I can see that now, so I plan on kissing and making it better.” I lift my chin in prompt. “Now, unhook that robe and show me what a fucking fool I am.”

“Non,” she replies instantly.

“Baby, I swear I just lost track of time and missed the signals. Can’t you forgive me for that? I’m ready to make it up to you.”

“It is obvious that...” She gestures between us and rolls her eyes up slightly, the shake in her voice unsettling. Her stunted silence telling me she’s thinking of the right verbiage, which she confirms when she speaks up. “That period of time where everything is new... the phase isover.”

“The honeymoon phase?”

“Yes. That’s what it’s called. Ourhoneymoon phasehas ceased, and you don’t desire me as much anymore.”