Page 7 of It Hurts Me

“The Skull King?” the man asked. “You thought that was a wise contract to take?”

“This was before he was the Skull King. Game has changed a lot since then.”

He gave a slight nod. “I accept your fee.”

“Then it looks like we have a deal.”

We arrived at our villa, and my husband left his coat on the rack before he walked inside, his muscular arms covered in thick tendons. He was tall and muscular, so his physique was well suited to his line of work. He was a handsome man, and that was the first thing I’d noticed when I’d met him. If he weren’t so handsome, I probably would have been smart and left the relationship when I’d had the chance.

But now, I was stuck.

Sometimes I liked being stuck, but I hadn’t liked it in a long time.

He poured himself a drink right away and didn’t offer me one.

I didn’t know what to say. Now, when we were alone together, it was tense and not tense with sexual tension and desire, but with awkwardness. I sat on the couch and slipped off one of my heels.

He moved to the armchair and set his glass on the coffee table. His arms were on his knees, and his hands came together. His eyes found something else to stare at for several seconds before he looked at me. “If you’re ready to start a family, I’m ready.”

I slipped off my remaining heel then stilled when I let the words sink in.

“I know your window is closing, so let’s do it.”

It took me a moment to find the words, because we’d been fighting and ignoring each other for the last few days, and then he said this. “This came out of nowhere.”

“You’ve been wanting to discuss it for a while.”

“I know, but this is the moment you choose to pursue it?”

“What’s wrong with this moment?”

“I—I don’t know. We haven’t been happy lately.”

He looked away for a moment. “That’s how marriage is. It has its highs and its lows. It’ll come back.”

I kept myself busy with work, but I’d rather keep myself busy with my children, growing a family and building a legacy. But once it was placed on a pedestal before me, I didn’t want it. “I-I don’t know.”

His eyes found mine, a hint of surprise there. “What don’t you know?”

“Are you going to leave the business?”

He answered without hesitation. “No.”

“Well, I don’t see how that will work.”

“I disagree.”

“You could be killed?—”

“I’ve been doing this a long time, Astrid. No one is a match for me.”

“What if someone comes after us?—”

“We’ve been together for three years. Has anyone come after you?”

I blinked several times. “No.”

“Because no one is dumb enough to fuck with me.” Now, his voice deepened, growing angry at my provocation. “I would never let anything happen to you or our children. You can leave the gallery and raise them.”