Page 19
talie
I stood in the foyer, running my hands down the skirt of my navy-blue cocktail dress.
Char went shopping for me, and she was in the study, waiting for dinner to start.
We were supposed to hang out today, but this business meal messed it up, so she decided to join.
Everything was set up and ready. Excitement buzzed in my veins when the front door opened.
Damian stepped inside first with his father right behind him.
“Welcome home, sweetheart,” I purred, walking up to him.
Confusion flared in his eyes, but he still leaned down to give me a quick kiss on the lips, playing the doting husband in front of his dad. His arm went around my waist, tugging me closer.
“Did you have a good day?” he asked, keeping his arm around me.
“Of course. Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. We’ll be eating on the back patio.”
“Perfect,” Christian spoke up. “The Kellers should arrive any minute.”
“Charlotte is getting the drinks ready in the study,” I said, keeping the smile plastered on my face. “I’m sure you men would like to chat before dinner starts.”
Damian stared at me. “Charlotte’s here?”
“We had plans today, but of course, your needs come first.” My words had suspicion sweeping across Damian’s face, but he didn’t say anything with Christian standing next to him. “The restaurant I catered from is one of the best.”
“Which one did you choose?” Damian asked.
“Don’t worry yourself over that. You need to focus on the important things, honey.”
His fingers dug into my hip, not a crack in his pleasant smile.
The doorbell rang, and Christian opened the door, inviting in Mr. and Mrs. Keller.
The woman stepped forward first, shaking Christian’s hand firmly.
Her black hair was pulled into a strict bun, her posture and aura demanding attention.
Her dark brown skin was flawless, and the only makeup she had on was mascara.
She was wearing dark blue slacks and a jacket with a silky blouse underneath.
A polite smile was on her face as she greeted us.
Her husband stood behind her, not making a sound. He was in a suit, dressed the part of a rich businessman. But it was clear he wasn’t the one in charge. His wife was. I watched, my interest rising when Mrs. Keller sought me out, shaking my hand.
“Georgia, this is my wife, Natalia,” Damian introduced us. “She’s the one who planned this dinner for us.”
“Nice to meet you, Natalia,” Georgia said, her intense brown eyes sweeping over me. “Do you work in the business with your husband?”
Christian laughed. “Of course not.”
I barely stifled my amusement when Georgia’s gaze snapped to Christian, her lips pursing. “Is a working woman funny to you, Christian?”
“No, no.” Christian quickly fixed his expression. “Natalia isn’t cut out for it, that’s all.”
My joy at seeing Christian scolded by a woman evaporated in an instant. Damian held me close, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek as if we were madly in love.
“My wife is very capable. She went to a prestigious university in England and has traveled to many countries.”
Georgia smiled in approval, studying me in a new light. “Join us for drinks, Natalia.”
“I’d love to, but I need to check on dinner.” I pulled away from Damian. “Please enjoy some drinks.”
Christian motioned for the Kellers to follow him out of the foyer, and I moved toward the kitchen until a hand wrapped around my upper arm, tugging me back.
“Not so fast, my scheming wife,” Damian murmured, spinning me around. “What did you do?”
My eyes widened. “I’ve done exactly what you wanted. Put on a perfect dinner. I can see why you’re having so much trouble with the Kellers. Your father must hate having to suck up to a woman.”
He chuckled. “I think you’d actually like her.”
“I do like her. She doesn’t seem to care for your dad much.”
“We’re hoping they invest tonight,” he said in a low voice. “This dinner is important.”
“I figured.”
He brushed his lips over my cheek, speaking in a whisper. “Do I have to worry about you poisoning my food, Talie? Because you are in a much better mood than I was expecting.”
“Maybe I’m enjoying being a housewife.”
“Bullshit.”
“I need to go check on the food.” I twisted out of his hold, rushing away before he could grab me again. “Enjoy your drinks.”
He muttered something under his breath I didn’t catch, but I didn’t look back before stepping into the kitchen. The caterers were rushing to get everything in place, and even though it was such short notice, they were all in great moods because of the massive amount of money I’d given them.
“Thank you all so much,” I said, watching them carry all the trays to the patio.
“Of course, ma’am.” The manager smiled at me. “Anytime you need catering, please remember us.”
“Oh, I will. I think my husband is going to love your food.”
The next twenty minutes went by fast once Char came to the kitchen to keep me company.
Our father arrived, but he went straight to the study without talking to me or Char.
Soon, their voices came closer as they all headed toward the patio.
My heart thumped when I caught sight of Damian through the windows.
“He’s going to kill you,” Char informed me with an amused grin.
“Not tonight, he won’t. He needs this night to go perfectly.”
Char and I exited the kitchen into the cool night air. Everyone was already seated around the large table, and Damian stood up to pull out the chair next to him. His eyes darted toward the covered food, but his mask of pleasantry didn’t slip once.
“Hello, girls,” my father greeted us, barely taking the time to look at us. “It’s good to see you both.”
Char slipped into the chair across from me, her black dress as conservative as mine.
Damian sat back down once I was seated, his shoulders tense even as he smiled, speaking with Georgia and Christian.
The caterers served plates before going to the table they had set up on the other side of the patio.
“What are we eating tonight, Natalia?” Christian asked as he poured wine for everyone.
I smiled. “I hope you all like seafood. This restaurant is one of the best in the state.”
Damian went rigid next to me, and I stifled my glee as the caterers began serving the food. I’d ordered everything. Caviar. Lobster. Escargot. White truffles. Oysters. Even frog legs. There were also a couple of sides like bread and grilled corn.
“This looks absolutely delicious,” Georgia exclaimed after thanking the server who filled her plate. “Tell me, Natalia, what countries have you visited?”
My stomach twisted. I felt about as unhappy as Christian looked. He wanted to focus on business, not on me. I didn’t want to spill anything about my past that could mess up my lie about being in college the entire time.
I licked my lips. “I absolutely loved Japan.”
I didn’t share how I’d been there much longer than for a visit. But it was a safe topic instead of talking about England, where I’d spent almost no time at all. Damian’s eyes were trained on me, clearly not wanting to miss anything related to my past.
We chatted about Tokyo while the rest of the food was served, and I bit back a laugh when Damian inspected his plate. His face was already tinged green, and he hadn’t even taken a bite yet. I’d told the caterers he loved seafood and to not give him any of the sides.
Soon, Christian steered the conversation back to their company. I stayed quiet as they spoke numbers and marketing. Damian hadn’t taken a single bite, pushing his food around with his fork. Silence fell over the table while everyone ate as I picked up my spoon, scooping up some caviar.
“This is the first dinner I’ve hosted in this house,” I said with a loving smile as I caught Damian’s eye. “I wanted it to be special. Being apart for so long was difficult.”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. “It was. I’m happy to finally have you home, sweetheart.”
I couldn’t detect a note of deceit in his voice. He was good. Putting on the perfect show for his father and their guests. Raising the spoon, I leaned a bit closer to him.
“I ordered from your favorite restaurant. Is the food not good?” I asked with a slight pout.
“It’s delicious.” This time, his words came out slightly sharper. A warning for me to stop.
“You haven’t taken a bite,” I said in a small voice.
“The food is amazing,” Georgia cut in, giving me a smile. “Your wife worked hard for this dinner, Damian. You should support her as she does you.”
I hadn’t been expecting her to jump in, but this made it even better. Damian couldn’t disappoint her. Not if they wanted her business.
“I always support her,” Damian responded, his eyes flashing with the tiniest hint of annoyance.
“Try the caviar.” I lifted the spoon to his mouth. “It’s so good.”
It took everything in me not to react. He was so tense and I wondered if I was the only one who noticed it. When he opened his mouth slightly, amusement smothered me as I pushed the spoon in.
He chewed slowly, his face completely blank as he tried to keep it down. He swallowed thickly, forcing the food down his throat. His eyes watered, his nostrils flaring as he kept his composure. He grabbed his wine glass, downing it in one go, making Christian glare at him.
“Good?” I asked, filling my voice with hope.
“You know me so well,” he murmured, his hand dropping on my thigh. “This food is exactly what I wanted.”
His fingers tightened on my leg, silently telling me this wasn’t over. Right now, I couldn’t be bothered to care. The look on his face would live rent free in my head for weeks. Since Georgia had commented about him eating, he couldn’t walk away with his plate full.
The rest of the dinner went smoothly for everyone except Damian. He forced more of the seafood down, making sure half of his food was gone by the time everyone else finished. He looked like he was about to heave everywhere. Georgia seemed to open up more, which pleased my father.
She asked me more about myself, and I found myself enjoying her company. This was probably the best dinner I’ve had with my father here. Char talked about college, and time flew by. Soon, it was time to end the evening, and I stood up along with everyone else.
“I hope to see you again,” Georgia told me as she gave me a hug goodbye. “Seeing as I’m entertaining going into business with your husband, I’m sure we will.”
“Natalia would love to host another dinner,” Christian jumped in with a wide smile.
“Or we can eat out, so she doesn’t need to work all day,” Georgia retorted briskly. I bit my tongue, realizing she still didn’t care much for Christian or my dad.
Damian and I escorted everyone to the front door. The second we were alone, he whirled around, his eyes blazing. Nerves swirled through me, but I didn’t show it as I stared back at him. I slipped off my heels, letting out a sigh, hating how badly they hurt my feet.
“I’d say the dinner went well,” I said casually. “It sounds like she wants to work with you.”
“Did you enjoy that?” he asked in a low voice.
“Very much. Although, I did think you were going to throw up for a moment there when you ate the lobster.”
He lunged for me, but I was already running. My bare feet slapped against the wood floors as I darted down the hall and then up the steps, racing for the guest bedroom I’d claimed as my own when I first arrived here.
“You had to know I wouldn’t sit back after you served me that,” he called out from behind me.
“Worth it,” I panted, not looking back. “I think I’ll order seafood every time we have a dinner party. Since it’s my job to choose the food and everything. Am I being the good little submissive housewife you want?”
I let out a shriek when Damian’s fingers gripped the back of my dress. I ripped away, my feet hitting carpet as I got to the second floor. I flew into the room, slamming the door, twisting the lock just as Damian hit it from the other side.
His loud laugh had me tensing as I leaned against the door, catching my breath.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Natalia,” he yelled through the door, the amusement in his voice putting me on edge.
There was no doubt he was going to pay me back for this, but right now, I didn’t let it bother me. Tonight was too much fun.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19 (Reading here)
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58