Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (summer beach reads txt) 📗

her. I like your little lady and I don’t want you fucking it up.”

“Where is she now? Like, why are you here with me and not her?”

“She said she had to use the restroom first and I told her I would tell you she was here.”

“Well, she should be out by now.” I button up my suit jacket and move past Adrian to the hallway.

I’m instantly pissed when I find Whitney talking to June. I told Whitney if she wanted to keep her job, she had to leave my wife alone and make no more advances with me because we were done. She’s been listening till now. I glance behind me to Adrian who has followed me out.

“Told you, you should have fired the psycho,” Adrian whispers in a sing-song tone.

I mouth Adrian to zip it.

I step in closer, wanting to hear what these two are talking about, and make my rescue. June is shaking as she grips the edge of Whitney’s high desk and Whitney leans into her.

“I’m sure you’ll remember that soon,” Whitney snarls.

“I’m sure I will.” June’s shoulders drop and she pushes off Whitney’s desk.

Remember fucking what?

Whitney frowns and plops back in her chair. “Well, good.”

I clear my throat and both women’s heads twist to me. Whitney’s cheeks redden and I’m glad for once to see a hint of shame in her normally pretentious face. I swing my arm around June’s shoulder and pull her tight to me, she’s pale and cold. What is wrong?

“What is going on out here?” I narrow my eyes on Whitney.

“Nothing, Mr. Wilks.” Whitney shrinks in her chair.

“Didn’t I tell you to leave my wife alone, Whitney?”

“I did! June came over to me.” Whitney scoffs and slams her hand on the desk. “Tell him, June.”

June touches my cheek and turns me away. “Alex, I just had to ask her something and one thing turned to another. It’s really no big deal.”

“You sure?” I squint my eyes. I don’t believe it.

“Yep. It’s over. I promise.”

I grab her hand and pull her away from Whitney’s desk. “Then what brings you here today?”

“I thought I would just come by…” Her eyes roll around as if she searching for her words. “And say hi.”

“Really?”

She chews on her lip and looks over to Whitney who sneers at her.

“Okay, what is going on?” I wave my finger between her and Whitney. “Don’t say nothing.”

She bows her head and plays with her wedding band. “You’re busy. Adrian said you had a meeting soon.”

I frown and look at my watch. “I—shit. I do, but I might be able to push it back a few if you need me.”

She glances up at me and a little smile curves her lips before she slides her arms around my waist.

My fingers stroke through her hair, and she rubs her nose against my chest as she inhales me. All while I can feel how tense she is. “Oh, June, what is wrong?”

“Mr. Wilks, your team and Peterson are already in the conference room waiting for you,” Whitney calls out from her desk, and I growl at her for breaking the moment.

June slides out of my arms. “Peterson? That’s the one big project you’ve been working on.”

“It is.”

She nods. “I should go.”

“We can talk tonight. We can go riding if you like.”

“Alex.” She shakes her head and then smiles. “It’s really not a big deal. I promise. I should have called, right? I more or less just wanted to surprise you.”

“Did you eat the scones I left you?”

That brings a true smile out of her.

“I did. Thank you. It’s been forever since I had something from Mott’s Bakery.”

“Then I made the right choice,” I say proudly.

“You really did. There’s the crumbs in your bed to prove it,” she says with a sly smile, and I’m sure she says it more for Whitney’s ears than mine.

I cup her face and run my thumb over her pouty lips before leaning in to kiss her. I don’t keep the kiss simple, letting my tongue slip between her lips, trying to consume her, to tell her I care, and I don’t want her to leave. She moans softly, and this response means she’s getting my message.

Adrian hoots softly. “Alright, enough with the office PDA you two. This is a business.”

I’m going to kick his ass.

June pushes off me with her cheeks tinted pink. “I should go. I don’t want you to be late for your meeting.”

“Are you really okay though?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

I touch her cheek and see she is still quite pale despite the little bit of blush. “Adrian said…”

She shakes her head. “Adrian caught me off guard. That’s all. You know me by now. I always think the boogeyman is chasing me, remember?”

I turn to look at Adrian and he waves at me, giving me his signal like he does with clients, to press on.

“June, if you…”

She reaches up and kisses my cheek.

“I’m fine. Get to work. You have a promotion to get.” She spins on her heel and I watch as she disappears into the elevator. Seeing her go leaves me with a twisted feeling inside, like I’m deserting her again when she needs me. Even if she is the one leaving, how many times did she used to tell me I wasn’t there for her because of work? Or all those times she would say she was fine when everything really wasn’t.

I step forward, deciding to go after her, but I don’t make it far when my name is called from across the hall. “Wilks.” Mr. Peterson huffs annoyed, tapping his watch. “There’s not another minute to wait, let’s go.”

I stare at the elevator and then at