That night, as he again lay alone in their guest room, he realized he’d been playing things wrong. Being lucky enough to find and marry one’s soul mate meant no secrets. However, the idea of coming clean about her brother gave him palpitations, but it was overdue.
Breaking her trust was one thing; not having her in his life was something entirely different. The latter wasn’t an option so Josh made up his mind to pull out all the stops to repair their marriage.
Just because he’d come to a decision didn’t mean he was going to have everything his own way. He understood his wife and by her recent behavior, he knew she was going to make him work for every yard he gained. However, he’d never met a woman he couldn’t seduce to his way of thinking. He understood she needed to punish him for breaking his promise, but he was sure he’d win out because of the love they shared.
Josh knew his timing would have to be right and went to great pains to ensure the setting was perfect. When he was finished, the house looked exactly how he’d imagined with the ubiquitous candles, roses, and champagne.
They both knew he couldn’t cook, so there was no point attempting it. Instead, he ordered in an appetizer of seafood, followed by minted lamb. He left the dessert option up to the chef because he knew as long as they finished with chocolate, Lux would be happy.
Everything was in place as he waited for her. By the time midnight rolled around, he’d long since paid and dismissed the hired waiter.
When she finally came home, Josh was furious. She’d refused to pick up his calls and he’d been out of his mind with worry. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she was still mad at him, he would have been frantic with worry.
“What the hell were you thinking? It’s after midnight Lux, I was concerned about you, and you walk in here as though you’ve just finished having lunch with your girlfriends!”
“As you can see, I'm perfectly fine.” Lux didn’t say another word as she looked around at everything he’d so carefully put in place. “You did all this for me?”
“Who else do you think it was for, some random woman I picked up off the street?!”
“Well, it looks nice, but you shouldn’t have bothered.”
“Nice... nice,” Josh exploded at the use of such an insipid adjective. “I spent hours planning this evening for you, and you stroll in here and call it nice!”
“You have to stop being such a nagging bitch, it’s really unattractive!”
About to respond, he blinked twice and realized how he was coming across; she was right, he did sound ridiculous.
Regaining his swagger, Josh decided to change tact. He got it, he needed to pay for his omission in not telling her about helping her brother, but he’d had enough. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned their evening together, but all was not lost. He still had a few moves left.
Giving her his most beguiling smile, he executed a small bow and looked at her from under lowered lashes. “I did sound like a whiny bitch didn’t I?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Wanna start again?”
“It’s too late for that, Josh. The things you’ve said and your dishonesty are out there, and they can’t be taken back.”
Her words carried a finality that scared the shit out of him, and he knew he would do anything to make it up to her. “What can I do to begin to make things right between us?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Lux shook her head. “I love you so much but I think that may be the problem.”
“You’re making no sense, how can loving each other be a problem?”
“I would always put you first, Josh. When you don’t put me first, it makes me think loving you the way I do isn’t enough.”
Josh didn’t know what to say. In one way, she was right, yet in another, she was so very wrong. He wanted nothing more than to tell her why he’d broken his promise to her, but he didn’t know if she was ready to hear him.
“Lux–”
“It’s okay,” Lux said with a sad smile. “Why don’t I help you clean up the dishes?”
Understanding her all too well, he didn’t push. He knew her feelings were still hurt, just as he knew that before the night was over, he would explain everything and tell her how sorry he was. He just hoped it wasn’t too late.
For some reason, he was finally out of the dog house and back in their room. As he stood in the entrance of the bathroom, the glow of the light picked up every indentation of his muscular body. Josh was a little embarrassed about showing off in this way, but when it came to getting his wife’s attention, he would do this and a whole lot more.
Each step he took towards her was one of deliberation. He knew she watched him. Knowing his naked display of enticement was way too obvious; he decided to keep her guessing on his next move.
Reaching the bed, he flopped down beside her, stretched out his long body, and folded his arms behind his head to show her, he was in no rush to make love. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the reaction of his body telegraphed his arousal.
“Did I ever tell you how I knew you liked me?” Josh asked.