I look into his eyes, my heart heavy. I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember, yet even though I’m married to him, he still isn’t mine. “Does it matter?”
His gaze hardens, and he pulls me closer. “Of course it does. We promised each other fidelity when we got married, Raven.”
I put my arms around his shoulder, his jacket falling to the floor in the process, leaving me standing in front of him in nothing but an open robe. “I didn’t cheat on you, Ares. I’d never do that. I’m not that kind of person.”
He looks into my eyes as though he’s trying to ascertain my truthfulness. “Do you two have history?”
I look away and huff involuntarily. “Nothing like what you share with Hannah.”
His hands move around my waist, and he tightens his grip. “Rave,” he whispers, his forehead falling to mine. Ares inhales shakily and my heart wavers. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I really am.”
I push away from him, but he refuses to let me go. “Listen to me,” he pleads. “You’ve been ignoring my calls all day. I can’t take this, baby. This is not what I want our marriage to be like, okay? Didn’t we promise to communicate? Our situation is already so unconventional… the last thing I want to do is complicate it any further. Listen to me, please.”
I nod at him. “Fine,” I whisper, uncertain anything he has to say will diminish my pain.
“She never should have come to our home, and I never should’ve said what I did. I don’t feel trapped, Raven. Not with you. The situation is tricky, and I feel like I’m either hurting Hannah or I’m hurting you. That’s all I meant. I didn’t for a single second mean that I feel trapped in this marriage with you, you hear me? I’ve never been happier, Rave. I just know that hurting Hannah will put additional strain on your relationship with her, too. I don’t want to be the reason you argue with your sister, baby. I just… I just want you to be happy.”
I nod, unsure what to make of his words. “I get it, Ares. I’m just not sure that it matters. What are we even doing? You’ll go back to her once our three years are up anyway, so why are we…”
“I promised you that I’d always be yours, didn’t I? What is it going to take to convince you that I mean it? I swear to you, Rave, when I look at you, it isn’t Hannah I see. Not ever. You told me you want happiness of your own, and I swear that I’ll try my best to give you that, if you’ll give me a chance. Will you, Raven? Will you give me a chance?”
My heart skips a beat as my eyes find his, nothing but sincerity in his gaze. “What does that mean, Ares?”
He cups my face, his thumb brushing over my lip gently. “It means that I want more than just your body. I want a chance to prove that I truly do want it all with you, the past be damned. I want a chance to win your heart,” he whispers. “Because with each passing day, you’re stealing a little bit more of mine.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Ares
I glance down at my phone, ignoring Hannah’s text messages as I walk into my house. Ever since I asked her to leave, she’s been texting me incessantly, wanting to see me and talk things through. I suppose she’s finally realized that things truly are over between me and her.
I wonder what she was thinking. Did she truly believe nothing would change between us, even though I married Raven? I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s always been self-centered, but I just never realized it before. Or perhaps I did, and I just chose to ignore it.
I pause in the doorway to the living room, my gaze dropping to Raven. She’s sitting on the sofa with her tablet perched on her knee, drawing something that I’m sure is nothing short of magical. Fuck. She truly is fucking beautiful, and those nightgowns she loves to wear are pure torture. She’s wearing a red one tonight, and it contrasts with her skin beautifully.
There was something in her eyes when she told me that she never even stood a chance with me, something I don’t dare define, yet it set my heart ablaze. I have a feeling my wife knows exactly what she’s doing to me. This thing between us… it’s always been there.
I walk into the living room, and she looks up, her lips tipping up into a smile. Her gaze roams over my body leisurely and I bite back a grin. I love how she’s taken to blatantly checking me out.
“You’re home.”
I nod as I sit down next to her, stealing a glance at what she’s drawing. She’s so insanely talented, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll accomplish.
“How was your day?” I ask, my voice soft. I’ve never had this with Hannah. She and I have never really sat together, just chatting about our days. I don’t think I’ve ever truly wanted to know what she’d been up to either — asking had just become a formality. It’s different with Raven. I want to know what makes her tick, what inspires her. I want to hear about every little thing that made her smile throughout her day. It’s strange.
“Today’s shoot ran much longer than I expected, so all of my meetings ran late. I’m happy about the way my new collection is coming together, though. I’m lining up some of my friends to model for me. The marketing campaign I’ve got in mind is going to be amazing.”
I loosen my tie a little, hoping she’ll lean in and pull it off for me. Her eyes follow my hands, but she doesn’t move toward me. Raven has been distant with me lately, and I’m surprised by how much I miss her playfulness. I only have myself to blame for it. I never should’ve said what I did.
“How was your day?” she asks as she turns back to her tablet, continuing to draw. I’ll never get used to her asking that question. Hannah never asked. All we’d ever talk about was her work or our wedding. The only times she’d ask me about my day was when I was working on something for her.
I watch her draw as I tell her about the boring meetings I’ve had and the work I’ve put in for the merger. She glances up at me every once in a while, nodding along to my stories.
It’s such a peaceful evening. I never knew I craved this at all. I move closer to Raven, until her thigh brushes against mine. This nightgown of hers doesn’t cover up anything at all, and her body is a thing of beauty.
Raven looks up at me, her eyes widening when she realizes how close I am. Her gaze drops to my lips, but then she moves away from me, putting some distance between us. Ever since Hannah showed up at our house, upset about our wedding photos, she’s been distant. It’s like weeks’ worth of progress between us disappeared.
I rise to my feet with a sigh, lost in thought as I make my way to our dressing room. My eyes land on a pair of gray sweatpants and my mind turns back to that night Raven sat in my lap, telling me how much she likes me in them. I grin to myself as I take off my suit and put on my sweatpants instead, leaving my torso bare.
When I asked her if she’d give me a chance, she said she would… but she hasn’t. She’s been on guard, scared to get hurt. I can’t take away all her fears at once — only time can do that. I can, however, prove how much I want her.
She looks up from her tablet when I walk into the living room and then does a double take, her eyes widening as her gaze remains glued to my sweats. Fucking hell. Perhaps this was a bad call after all. If she keeps looking at me like that, I’ll be the one getting seduced.