SWNOVELS The Temporary Wife: Chapter 59
I check my pocket watch as I walk into Abuela’s house. I’m later than usual tonight, and I hope she wasn’t waiting for me. Her workload has mostly fallen onto my plate, and it makes me appreciate her all the more. Without my wife and the workflows we’ve created, everything takes 10x longer. I’ve never been this overworked, stressed out, or lonely. Even though I see her every day, I miss her more than I ever have before.
It’s been weeks, but she still barely speaks, and she’s refusing to come home. I’m no longer sure if she even wants to see me. She seems entirely indifferent to me, and even though I know it’s just because of her grief, it hurts. My siblings and Grandma all keep coming to see her, and with each week that passes, we’re all growing increasingly worried.
It kills me to know I can’t offer her consolation, and that my presence is essentially meaningless to her. It makes me wonder if I overestimated her feelings for me, and then I immediately feel like an asshole for being so selfish. I still remember how hard it was for me to lose my parents, and to Valentina, this is no different.
I pause in surprise when I find my mother-in-law sitting at the bottom of the stairs. “Mom,” I murmur. Shortly after the funeral, she told me to call her Mom, the way Valentina does, but it still doesn’t feel entirely natural to me. The sign of acceptance, however, is very welcome right now.
“Luca,” she says, her voice strained. She looks up at me, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Please don’t give up on my daughter. I was in the wrong, and I never should have kept you two apart for as long as I did. I shouldn’t have assumed you’d be like Val’s father, or that you’d look down on her. I know I didn’t treat you well at the start, and I have no right to make such a request of you now, but I’m begging you. Please don’t give up on her.”
I kneel in front of her and grab her hands. “I won’t,” I promise. She looks so helpless and desperate that I’m at a loss for words. “What’s wrong? Did Valentina say something that made you worry?”
She hesitates for a moment, and unease trickles down my spine. “You should go up,” she says eventually. I nod and help her up, and she stands aside as I walk up the stairs, the steps creaking underneath my feet.
I pause in front of Valentina’s bedroom, gathering my courage. It kills me to see her so listless, and every day, it takes all of me to act cheerful when watching her wither away kills me inside.
I push her door open and walk in to find her lying in bed, as usual. “Hey baby,” I murmur as I pull on my tie, loosening it.
She doesn’t even look up at me, and it fucking tears me apart. I just want her to smile at me the way she used to. Hell, I’ll take the Ice Queen over this.
I bite down on my lip for a moment before deciding that this can’t continue this way. I pull her blankets off her, exposing her barely covered body, but not even that gets her to turn around and face me. My gaze roams over her, and I take in the old ratty t-shirt she’s wearing. Looks like she hasn’t touched anything I brought for her from home. Why?
“Enough now, Valentina,” I tell her as I reach for her. She gasps as I lift her into my arms, but her gaze remains blank.
It’s only when I carry her into the bathroom and place her in the shower that she responds. “I showered just a few hours ago,” she mutters.
I step into the shower with her and turn it on, my clothes soaking through instantly. “I know,” I murmur. The bathroom is the only place she trades her bedroom for every day, but it’s clear her visits are brief, because her hair is a knotted and greasy mess. I’ve never seen her care so little for her own well-being.
“Luca,” she says, her eyes widening as she takes in my dripping suit, her gaze roaming over me and settling on my socks.
Her wet t-shirt starts to cling to her body, exposing every one of her curves, and I sigh as I tug off my suit jacket, undressing slowly.
“Help me,” I tell her, placing her hands on my shirt.
She looks up at me, her gaze unreadable. For a moment, I think she’ll reject me and walk out, but then she starts to undo the buttons, her fingers moving slowly.
Something flashes through her eyes when my shirt falls opens, and I watch her carefully as I pull on my sleeves and take it off.
Valentina leans against the shower wall and watches me. It’s like we went back to before we got married, because once again, I have no idea what she’s thinking. Once again, I’d give the world to find out.
“Now this,” I tell her as I place her hands on my suit pants.
She hesitates for a moment, but then she helps me take that off too, not a single complaint escaping her lips as I continue to undress, until I’m standing in front of her naked.
“You don’t want me,” she murmurs, her eyes on my cock. For the first time in weeks, I see emotions flickering through her eyes, however brief it may be. Fear. Rejection. Pain.
I smile at her as I grab the edges of her t-shirt and pull it up. “I always want you, baby. It’s just hard for me to be turned on when you look at me like you can’t stand to be around me.”
Valentina raises her arms, and I pull her t-shirt off, leaving her standing in front of me in nothing but a pair of pink boxer shorts. My hands wrap around them, and she looks into my eyes as I push them down.
I move closer to her and cage her in, my forearms on either side of her head. “Let’s wash your hair, okay? I think you’ll feel better if we do.”
She looks up at me and places her hands on my chest. Does she realize that this is the most she’s touched me in weeks? “You want to… wash my hair?”
I smirk and grab a strand of her hair. “You sound disappointed. Were you hoping for more?”
She looks at me, and for a moment, she grits her teeth. “It’s only been a few weeks. Are you getting your needs fulfilled elsewhere already?”
I frown, offended that she’d ask me something like that. I can’t snap at her, but she knows exactly how to push my buttons. “No. Of course not.”
I push away from her and grab her shampoo, taking my time to lather it into her hair carefully. “Turn around.”
She turns her back to me, and I work the shampoo through her hair, massaging her scalp while I’m at it. Valentina remains silent even as I wash out her shampoo and condition her hair, following Sierra’s instructions carefully.
“You can, if you want,” she says, her voice emotionless.
“What’s that?”
“If you want to sleep with someone else, you can.”
I grab her shoulders and turn her back around roughly, at the end of my rope with her. She takes a step back and leans back against the wall, her eyes filled with defiance.
Even now, as she’s breaking my heart, she looks fucking breathtaking, and I fucking hate it. I will never be immune to her. “What did you just say to me?” I ask, my voice soft.
“You heard me just fine, Luca.”
I run a hand through my hair and stare up at the ceiling for a moment, fighting for patience before deciding that it’s a losing battle. I push her flush against the wall, my body against hers and my hand in her hair as I tilt her head toward mine.
“Read my fucking lips, Valentina Windsor,” I snap, my tone threatening. “I will never want anyone but you. For as long as I live, the only woman I’ll sleep with is you. Only you. No one else. I love you, Valentina.”
I see hope sparkle in her eyes, and that’s all I need. Just one sign to tell me she still loves me the same. I’ll hold on for the both of us. I’ll love her harder to compensate for the pain she’s feeling.
She looks away, and I sigh as I take a step back and grab her soap. How could I have lost my patience with her? I should’ve known better. “What is it that’s going on in that pretty mind of yours?” I ask, my tone far more patient as I run my soapy hands over her body.
Her breath hitches as I cup her breasts, my thumbs brushing over her nipples. They harden for me beautifully, and she looks up at me with equal parts desire and defiance.
“I saw the photos,” she tells me, her tone accusatory.
I frown in confusion as I continue to tease her, my cock hardening rapidly. “Which photos?”
“Of you and Jessica.”
My hands dip lower, and I watch her closely as her breathing turns ragged. She’s accusing me of something that’s entirely in her head, but I’d rather have that than her indifference. What she saw was probably a photo of me meeting with Jessica and her team. At no point have I been alone with her, but the press would’ve made it look that way. The Herald has been trying to find out more about Valentina and me ever since the company memo went out, but our security is tight. We aren’t public figures in the way Ares and Raven are, so there isn’t much for them to report on.
“Baby,” I murmur as my hands slide over her thighs. “Just who do you think is doing your job right now? I’m handling the acquisition on your behalf.”
She frowns at me, and I chuckle as my fingers slip between her legs. Her clit is already swollen for me, and I groan when pure desire fills her eyes as I brush over it.
Valentina arches her back for me, silently asking for more. It’s been so long since I saw her look at me that way.
“This pussy,” I murmur, “is the only one I’ll ever want.” I push two fingers into her, and her pussy clamps down on it hard. She’s so fucking tight… if I fuck her now, it’ll be like the first time I took her. She’ll struggle to take all of me, but now that I’ve got her looking at me like that, part of me wants to torment her. I want to see her eyes flash with need.
I pump my fingers into her and curl them, hitting her right where I know she’s weakest. “Luca,” she moans, and it’s fucking music to my ears. It’s been way too fucking long.
Her arms wrap around my neck, and she arches her back for me in a silent plea for more. I don’t think I’ve ever been this consumed with need before. I think I might go crazy if I don’t take her now.
My lips come crashing down on hers, and relief surges through me when she rises to her tiptoes and kisses me back.
“Fuck,” I moan against her mouth. “I’ve missed you so fucking much.”
Her fingers thread through my hair, and I pull away a little to look at her, needing a stronger connection. It’s crazy how deep my need for her goes. It’s more than her body I want.
“Look at me,” I order, and she obeys, her gaze filled with desire and insecurity. “I love you, Valentina Windsor.”
She looks into my eyes as I play with her pussy, teasing her, tormenting her. Not once does she look away as I push her toward an orgasm. I’ll never get enough of her.