“Okay, I’ll see you later,” I tell him, or tell the sink, when I pick up his cup and wash it out as well. His lips touch the top of my head then he’s gone. Letting out a breath, I set the dishes in the drainer then head up to my room and plop myself down onto my bed, covering my face with my hands. I don’t have body issues. I’m totally comfortable in my skin. My parents may not have been the best parents, but there was never a time I was made to feel less beautiful than my sister, even though I was a few sizes bigger than her. We were taught there was beauty in all shapes and sizes, but Sven seeing me half naked wearing close to nothing isn’t something I’m exactly okay with, especially when I didn’t have the courage to look into his eyes to see what he thought. Groaning against my palms, I get up and go to the bathroom in my room and get into the shower, figuring I can beat myself up about it later after I go to the grocery store.
PUTTING AWAY THE groceries I picked up, I hear the door open and boots hit the marble in the entryway, and I know Sven is home. By the time I got out of the shower, Sven was already gone and had taken my car keys, something he had started doing recently so I wouldn’t drive it. Without any other option, I took his SUV to the store and got the items on the list I made yesterday, along with a few steaks for him.
While I was out, I also called Eva to see how things were going at the club, since neither Sven nor I would be there tonight. After talking for a few minutes, she asked if I had plans for the evening. I explained to her about Sven’s friends coming in to town, but then she shocked me and said she had a friend she thought I should meet and asked if tonight was a good night to have dinner with him. My first response was to say no, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered, Why not?
I haven’t dated anyone since my breakup with Wyatt, and my feelings for Sven were starting to confuse me. Living with him and working with him meant we spent most of our time together, and I was starting to more than like him, meaning the lines of our relationship were beginning to blur, and that wasn’t good. Even though he gets on my nerves and has a tendency to piss me off, the good outweighed the bad. He is the kind of man a girl could fall in love with, without ever knowing she was doing it. And that’s the exact reason I agreed to go on a date tonight.
“Oh good, you’re here. I got all the crap you asked for,” I tell him, shutting the door to the fridge as he walks into the kitchen.
“Meat is not crap, Mags,” he replies with a smile.
“Stop calling me Mags. It’s Maggie for the millionth time,” I say, then regret it when I see his smile leaves, but I need to keep strong. I need to separate. “And meat is gross.” I shake my head then turn to look at who just walked in.
Holy cow.
Sven is gorgeous, but the man who is standing in the kitchen right now looks like some kind of Hawaiian warrior, and the whole scary look definitely works for him in a big, big way. “You have zero manners,” I say, turning to look at Sven then back to the man, only to realize there is another older gentleman with him wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and a lot of, probably too much, gold jewelry around his neck and on every one of his fingers.
“He’s rude. Sorry about that. I’m Maggie, this guy’s assistant. Nice to meet you guys.” I take the big man’s hand, noticing he doesn’t return his name, then place my hand out for the other guy, who takes my outstretched hand and pulls me closer.
“Nice to meet you, Maggie,” he says, lowering his lips and brushing them over the back of my hand.
“Aww, you’re so cute.” I pat his cheek then step back and look at Sven. “I’m going to head out. I have a date tonight,” I tell him, ignoring the way his jaw tics and the shake of his head.
“You need to work tonight,” he grits out, narrowing his eyes.
“I don’t work weekends.” I laugh, trying to cover up the nausea I feel turning in my stomach. “Nice meeting you guys,” I tell the two men, who are both looking at me curiously, then walk over to the counter, pick up my bag and my key Sven dropped when he came in, and head out of the kitchen before he can say anything else. Shutting the door behind me, I make it down the stairs, only to hear a loud bang that has me spinning around.
“You go on a date tonight and you’re fired, Maggie.”
“Wh…what?” I stutter out as he prowls toward me, eating up the distance separating us.
“You heard me. Go to the club. I’ll let Teo know you’re on your way.”
“You can’t be serious.” I whisper taking a step back.
“Deadly,” he snarls. If his tone didn’t tell me he was serious, his body language would have spelled it out for me. I have seen Sven mad before, but right now, he is completely enraged. I just don’t understand what set him off.
“Fine, you win,” I breathe out, feeling my throat get tight but fighting it, not wanting to cry in front of him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sure,” I agree then watch his jaw clench again before he turns away from me and walks back toward the house. Standing in the driveway, I look up at the house and pull out my cell phone.
“Maggie, what’s up?” Eva asks on the second ring.
“I need to work tonight, can you please tell your friend I’m sorry, maybe we can meet another time.”
“You we’re supposed to be off.”
“I know,” I whisper, dropping my eyes to the concrete below my feet as I swipe a tear off my cheek.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Sven,” she whispers, and I lift my head and look up at the house, my fairytale house, the house I would have picked if I ever got married, the house I would want to raise kids in.
“He’s a jerk,” I tell her then turn and head for my car.
“It will be okay, Maggie.”
“Yeah,” I agree, “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“See you,” she says, hanging up. Getting into my car, I drop my phone in the cup holder then my forehead to the steering wheel for a moment before turning on my car and backing out of the driveway heading toward the club.
*
I WAKE UP with my head pounding, the feel of a bare hairy leg over the top of mine, and a hand wrapped around my breast. I open one eye and close it immediately when I see dark golden hair, a nose, and lips I know too well.
Sven.
I try to recall last night, but my whole memory is blank. My heart starts to beat more rapidly as I notice I’m completely naked—and so is the man asleep on top of me.
“What have I done?” I whisper as I recognize the space between my legs is sore.
Tears fill my eyes as I realize the thing I promised myself I would only give to my husband has been given to a man who has had more partners in and out of his bed than he can even count. And the worst part is I don’t remember anything.
“Why are you crying?” Sven asks, pulling his hand from my breast and moving it to my face, where his fingers slide over my cheek, swiping away a tear.
“What happened?” I ask, opening my eyes as he gets up on his elbow, his eyes travel from mine to my breasts, and I pull the sheet up, covering myself.
“What do you mean what happened?” he asks, looking confused.