I Want Your Love

by E. L. Todd

  “I will always listen to my wise father.”

  Amusement was in his eyes. “I know this company is important to you but don’t ever put your family last. They should always go first—no matter what. It was something my dad told me when I started working for PIXEL. And that man is right about everything.”

  “I know, Dad.”

  “Especially when you have kids,” he said. “Do you ever remember a time when I wasn’t around?”

  “No.” He was there for all my dance recitals, cheerleading games, and he was always home for dinner.

  “Just don’t get stuck at the office. Time goes by fast, and before you know it everything is gone. I spent all my time with you and your mother. And even then, I felt like I missed out on a lot.”

  “Thanks for the advice, Dad.”

  “No problem, sweetheart.”

  I picked at my fries. “Are you retiring soon?”

  “Whenever Skye and Conrad are ready. I suspect that will be soon. They’ve been working hard for the past year.”

  “And what will you do with your newfound freedom? You aren’t even old.”

  “What else would I do?” he asked. “I’ll spend every moment with your mom, traveling with her and adoring her.”

  I smiled at the thought. My parents had always been affectionate and romantic. When I was younger it used to annoy me. But now I thought it was cute. “I hope Slade and I are as happy as you guys someday.”

  He gave me a look full of affection. “I’m sure you will be, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Six

  Slade

  “Okay, now what?” The chicken had been pounded and it sat on the cutting board.

  “Now you need to dice it in put it in the oven.” Skye stood next to me while she wore an apron.

  Cayson leaned against the counter and drank a beer, a smirk on his face.

  “Dice it?” I asked.

  “Cut it into quarters,” she said. “When you increase the surface area it’ll cook better.”

  Who knew cooking would be so hard. I grabbed the knife and sliced the chicken. Then I tossed it on the baking pan.

  “What are you doing?” Skye snapped.

  “What?” I asked, freezing on the spot.

  “You always put non-stick cooking spray on the metal or parchment paper.”

  “What’s parchment paper?” I asked blankly.

  She rolled her eyes then opened the cabinet. She grabbed a bottle of Pam then sprayed the pan.

  I turned to Cayson in confusion.

  He shrugged then drank his beer again.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  “Put it in the oven,” Skye instructed.

  I shoved it inside then came back to her.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Skye asked.

  I shrugged. “You tell me.”

  “The timer.” Skye said it like I was an idiot.

  “Oh.” I turned back to the stove and set the alarm. “Now what?”

  “We need veggies,” Skye said. “Wash the asparagus then slice it into quarters.”

  I sighed then got to work. “I have new respect for women.”

  “Cooking isn’t so easy, huh?” Skye asked as she watched me.

  “Let’s just say I’d rather be playing my guitar.” I sliced the asparagus then turned to her for direction.

  “Now oil the pan,” Skye said.

  “What does that mean…?” Where did she learn this stuff?

  “You need to put oil in the pan so the asparagus doesn’t burn,” Skye explained.

  I grabbed the Pam and sprayed it in the pan.

  “No!” Skye snatched it away from me. “This is cooking spray.”

  “What’s the difference?” I turned to Cayson and gave him a confused expression.

  He just shrugged back.

  “Slade, pay attention,” Skye said. “If you want to make dinner for Trinity more often than just tonight you need to think.”

  “Maybe I should have just ordered take out…” I mumbled.

  Cayson chuckled into his beer.

  “Now stir the asparagus,” Skye ordered.

  I grabbed a fork from the drawer then poked at it.

  Skye looked like she wanted to scream. “Never use forks on pans. You’ll scratch the bottom.” She handed me a plastic spoon. “Use this.”

  I was beginning to regret asking Skye for help.

  “Now the bread.” Skye pulled out a loaf and sliced it. Then she put the butter and garlic on it. “We’ll toast this and then everything will be done.”

  “Thank god,” I blurted.

  Skye set the table with candles and linen napkins. “She’ll love this, Slade.”

  “I hope so.” Being a romantic husband was tough work.

  “And now that you know how to make this, you can always make this for romantic evenings,” Skye said.

  I wasn’t thrilled about cooking again.

  After the chicken was done, we put the bread inside. Soon, the asparagus was done on the grill and all the food was hot. I set everything on plates then lit the candles. Then I glanced at my watch. “She’ll be here soon. You guys should leave. I don’t want her to know I had help.”

  “Gotcha.” Cayson clapped my shoulder. “Good effort.”

  I leaned toward him. “Dude, Skye is bossy.”

  He shrugged. “She just knows how to run a show.”

  “Is she always like that?” I asked.

  “A little,” he said. “But I think it’s kind of hot…if you catch my drift.”

  “No, you just think her tits are hot. If she didn’t have those, we both know you wouldn’t put up with her craziness.”

  He cringed. “Dude, she’s your cousin.”

  “And you’re my best friend. I know what you’re into.”

  Cayson didn’t deny it. “We’re going to head out then. Have a good time with the wife.”

  “I will.” I liked it when people referred to Trinity that way, as my wife.

  They walked out, and the candles flickered slightly when the door shut. I leaned against the counter and waited with my arms across my chest. Trinity would be home any minute and I didn’t want to get involved in a game on TV only to be dragged away.

  A few minutes later, Trinity walked inside and left her purse on the counter. A few papers slid across the surface but she didn’t bother fixing them. “It’s good to be home.” She turned to me then stopped when she saw the table. “You made dinner for me?” Her eyes softened in their usual way.

  “Yep.” My arms moved around her waist and I gave her a gentle kiss. She was a perfect fit against me, and the moment I touched her I didn’t want to eat the dinner I slaved over. I wanted to make sweet love to her, make her moan my name and call me her husband.

  Her fingers moved into my air then she rubbed her nose against mine. “You’re so sweet.”

  “Only for you.”

  “I feel special.”

  “You’re my wife. You should feel special.” I kissed her neck then pulled out the chair for her.

  She gave me a smile before she sat down.

  After I moved to the other side of the table I poured two glasses of wine.

  Trinity cut into her food like she was starving. “Slade, this is really good.” She seemed genuinely impressed.

  “Well, I try.” I brushed off one shoulder.

  “I’m glad you’re expanding your talents.” She sipped her wine a few times before she continued eating.

  “How was work?”

  “Good. My dad and I found a building.”

  “Great,” I said. “When are you going to show me?”

  “We can go tomorrow.”

  “Cool.”

  “It’s close to your shop.”

  “Excellent,” I said. “Now we canhave sex dates for lunch.”

  She chuckled. “I guess we can. How’s the shop anyway?”

  “Business is good. No complaints.”

  “Any more YOLO’s?”

 
; I rolled my eyes. “Teenagers by the dozen are getting that etched onto their skin.”

  “Maybe I should get one,” she teased.

  “Well, it would look hot on you. But you’re one of the few.”

  “I’ll stick to the tattoo I have.” She gave me a significant look.

  “Nothing is hotter than that anyway.” I finished my food then stared at my wife, noting her perfect features. She had beautiful blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and luscious lips I loved feeling against my mouth.

  “What?”

  “You’re beautiful.” I’m surprised she didn’t figure that out. That’s what I was always thinking.

  She blushed slightly. “You’re beautiful too.”

  “I prefer hot. But whatever.”

  “Well, since you cooked me this amazing dinner I should do something for you.”

  I tried not to get excited. “I do things for you without expectation of receiving anything in return.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want a nice blow job?” She had a playful look in her eyes, like she knew she had me.

  “Whoa…I didn’t say that.”

  “That’s what I thought.” She rose from the table with a seductive look in her eyes. “Just let me change into something more comfortable.” She sauntered into the bedroom.

  My cock was hard and my spine shivered in excitement. I cooked dinner tonight because I wanted to be the best husband in the world. I didn’t expect anything in return, even good sex. But I definitely didn’t mind it.

  I grabbed the dishes and rinsed them off before I put them in the sink. I fantasized about her big mouth tight around my cock. She gave amazing head. I would have married her for that reason alone.

  I adjusted my jeans because my hard-on was getting in the way. I grabbed her purse off the counter so I could carry it into the living room, but a folder slid out of the bag and fell onto the floor. Papers fell out and scattered.

  I kneeled down to pick them up, but something caught my eye. The title of the paper stated it was a pre-nup between Trinity and I. In the event of our divorce she wouldn’t have any hold over my assets and I wouldn’t have any over hers.

  I froze while I stared at it, a rush of emotions running through me. Did she want me to sign this? Why else would she have it? Did she think we wouldn’t last? Was divorce on her mind? Did I not prove I could be the best husband in the world?

  Did I have a right to be upset? Or was I being selfish by being angry? Trinity started a million dollar company all on her own. Wouldn’t it make sense for her to protect what she worked for? But did she think I would ever try to take it from her?

  The old Slade would storm into the bedroom swinging and screaming. I would yell in her face then storm out and head to the bar. But I couldn’t do that anymore. I had to think this through logically before I reacted.

  I stuffed everything back in her bag and pretended I didn’t notice it. Then I set her purse on the coffee table. Trinity was still getting ready so I thought about that piece of paper that could change everything. Why would she sign it after we got married? Did she just start to feel doubts?

  Should I ask her?

  Trinity opened the door and stepped out wearing black lingerie that pressed her tits tightly together and showed her beautiful long legs. “Husband, would you join me in the bedroom?”

  My cock twitched as I looked at her, and I forgot about the pre-nup she was going to ask me to sign. All I wanted was my wife. I didn’t even want head anymore. I just wanted to make love to her until the sun rose the following morning.

  ***

  “What’s up?” Cayson asked as he sat across from me. He held his sandwich with both hands and took a bite.

  I only had a few bites of my sandwich. Honestly, I wasn’t really that hungry. “I need to tell you something and you better not tell anyone.”

  “When have I ever told anyone anything?” he asked.

  “Fair enough,” I said. “Last night when Trinity came home—”

  “She hated the food?” he interrupted.

  “No. She went into the bedroom so I moved her purse. And some papers came out.”

  “Okay.” Cayson didn’t understand where this was going.

  “They were pre-nup papers.”

  “Oh…” He leaned back and abandoned his food. “Oh.”

  “Yeah.”

  Cayson was still surprised. “What did you say to her?”

  “Nothing. I wanted to tell her off but I managed to keep my cool.”

  “Wow,” he said. “I’m surprised.”

  “So, you think I have a right to be mad?”

  “Well…it’s tricky.”

  “I feel like I should be mad. She clearly fears this might not last forever. But I also understand why she would want me to sign it. She’s doing so well with her company and she’s only going to become richer and richer. A smart person would protect their life’s work.”

  Cayson nodded in agreement. “I understand both sides.”

  “So, what should I do? Should I talk to her about it?”

  “And say what?” he asked.

  “I don’t know…”

  “Are you willing to sign it?”

  “Not sure,” I admitted.

  “I don’t think you should confront her unless you know what you want.”

  I sighed. “All I know is I don’t want to lose her—whether she makes me sign it or not.”

  “I doubt it’ll be an ultimatum situation. If that were the case she would have made you sign it before the wedding.”

  “I guess that’s true.”

  “Take some time and think about it. That way when she asks you to sign it you’ll know what you’re going to say.”

  “I guess I don’t really have an issue signing it. I never want her money anyway. But…I guess I’m hurt there’s any sort of doubt in her mind. Is divorce something she really thinks about? Because I never think about it.”

  “It’s really unlikely to happen but it is a possibility. Wouldn’t you want to protect your shop if Trinity had less than you? What if she cheated on you and you divorced her? Then she came after your shop and ran it to the ground since she technically owns half of it. Wouldn’t that suck?”

  “She would never do that.”

  “But wouldn’t it give you peace of mind if you knew she couldn’t do it?”

  “I guess,” I admitted.

  “Think of it more as a business decision.”

  “But she won’t even take my name.” I got worked up just thinking about it. For some reason, this issue bothered me still. “She won’t take my name and then she prepares herself for our divorce. It’s like we aren’t even really married.”

  Cayson gave me a sad look. “That’s not how it is.”

  “It’s starting to feel like it. How would you feel if Skye didn’t take your last name?”

  “I understand your point,” he said immediately. “But you know Trinity isn’t making these decisions because of your marriage. They are both business related.”

  “Well, our marriage should go first. Shouldn’t it?”

  Cayson played with his bag of chips for a moment. “Well, it looks like you have your answer.”

  I looked away and stared out the window. “I guess I do.”

  Chapter Seven

  Arsen

  I headed to Lydia’s apartment with my hand gripping my phone. My blood pounded in my ears and I felt nauseated. Nancy’s words replayed in my mind over and over.

  Lydia was dead.

  I didn’t know what happened or when it went down. All I knew was I had to get to my daughter as soon as possible. I had to hold her in my arms and tell her everything would be okay. She may have lost her mother but she still had me.

  I got to the apartment then knocked on the door. I tried to remain calm because I wasn’t sure if Abby knew the truth. My feet wouldn’t stay still and I kept pacing back and forth, waiting for the door to open.

  Nancy finally stepped outside and qui
ckly shut the door behind her. Her eyes were red and moist, and it was clear she was doing her best to appear calm and collected.

  “Nancy?” I blurted. I didn’t know what else to say. All of this was difficult for me to understand.

  Her eyes started to water again. “I’m sorry. I know you two were close.”

  We weren’t that but didn’t matter. “I’m sorry too.” I could only imagine how she felt. She just lost her daughter. “What happened…?” I couldn’t process the fact she was truly gone. Perhaps if I understood why I would accept it.

  “She took a cab to Abby’s school and…” She took a deep breath before she continued. “A truck ran a red light and hit her door. The police said she died on impact.” More tears fell down her face.

  I stared at her blankly as I tried to understand what she just said. I imagined Lydia in the backseat as a large truck crashed into her side, taking her life away in a blink of an eye. “I…I can’t believe this.”

  “She was so young…” She sniffed then dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “So beautiful and young…”

  My breathing was haywire and I couldn’t digest everything I was feeling. My eyes darted back and forth like I was on a stimulus then I ran my fingers through my hair nervously. “I’m so sorry, Nancy.” I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. “I’m so sorry…” I held her tightly even though I knew it wouldn’t make a difference.

  She sobbed into my shoulder. “My little girl.”

  I rubbed her back while I stared blankly ahead. My life had forever changed in that moment. Now I had a daughter to raise on my own. That part didn’t scare me. But now my daughter didn’t have a mother. She would have to accept the truth—that her mother was dead.

  How could I get her through this?

  Nancy sobbed in my arms for nearly half an hour. She probably wondered why I wasn’t crying with her. I was just in too much shock to really understand the severity of the situation. I was standing just outside Lydia’s apartment so it was hard to believe she wasn’t around.

  Nancy finally pulled away and dabbed at her eyes. “I’ve started the funeral arrangements.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help? Do you need help with the expenses?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Lydia took care of all that. She was always so responsible.”