Page 124 of Checkmate
Feeling a little better, she cleared away her mess. There was still time before Alex got home. Surely she could pay someone to make her lobster risotto, right?
Alex never needed to know.
PRESENT DAY
Sophie watched as Alex slept, one hand laid over his chest, the covers bunching up between his legs. This was the only time she saw him like this. Open and vulnerable. Relaxed.
Usually, he had his guard up, all business.
She thought by now they would have made progress in their relationship, but it was just the same as it ever was. All sex, no substance.
Until tonight, that was.
For the first time, Sophie felt like she had some value to him. He had fought for her tonight and let her into his world for just a moment. Really, she should have realised how stressed he was and helped him, instead of adding to the problems.
She was so busy trying to fix their relationship, that she didn’t see that everything else was causing him stress.
She’d used her body to soothe him and tried desperately to please him. Convinced he only liked her when she was naked, she’d done everything she could to keep him happy and sated.
But it wasn’t even necessary!
She felt so silly. What was it he said? He wanted to give her the world. No man would say that just to get laid. No, he made a point of letting her know just how important she was.
It was time to listen to him and trust that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
Which probably meant it was time to be more honest. He didn’t know she was an awful cook because she kept ordering out. She had rehired the maid after telling him she’d take over the housework. He should probably know about that.
She’d worked so hard on creating the illusion of a perfect housewife.
Someone who had it all together and could take care of him while he took care of everything else. She made it so that his home was his sanctuary, with nothing to worry about except relaxing. Truthfully, she had done everything to show him how indispensable she was and how much he needed her.
But now!
Now he’d told her everything she needed to hear. He’d apologised to her for his behaviour. Finally, he realised her value and how much she brought to his life. She owed him the same transparency.
Except…
What if she ruined it by revealing the truth? Would he care if she didn’t cook, if she made sure she fed him? Did he really mind that some stranger tidied up their place?
Could she really afford to let the mask slip and show him who she really was?
She thought back to her marriage with Marcus. Did she ever once cook him a meal, or clean their home?
“No, all you did was spend his money,” she whispered to herself.
Alex would definitely have a problem with that.
He was used to luxury. She had watched enough of his interactions with Erica to know that he expected a certain level of care from his spouse.
Erica was another issue.
Their divorce still wasn’t finalised.
Alex said he had been pestering Erica about the papers, but she had been reluctant to sign.
How pathetic. Especially after she was the one who made a big song and dance over it all on Christmas day by serving him papers in front of her family. Sophie couldn’t blame her, though. Alex had money, and the settlement she received would be huge.
She just didn’t have Erica pegged as a gold digger.
