âOh hey, I keep forgetting to ask you!â Bri stops me before I hang up our call. âAre you coming tonight?â
âUh, coming to what?â
âThe Christmas party.â
I shift my position, crossing my feet where they are on my desk. âWhat Christmas party?â
Bri put this call on our work calendars, and I thought maybe we had a project that overlapped, but she just wanted to fill me in on some gossip about a guy from another branch whoâs going through a messy divorce.
She groans into the phone. âDid you seriously not get an invite to the company party?â
âNo, but maybe they only sent it to locals this year, and I just became a local.â
âNo, itâs because Tosh in HR is a lazy bitch.â
I snort out a laugh. âIâll take your word for it.â
âAlright, well, it starts tonight at eight. Itâs a whole building thing again, so itâs still in the atrium on the fourth floor. But Iâve heard thereâs a decent buffet this year.â
âOh, a buffet,â I say sarcastically.
âYes, you rich twat, a buffet. The thing we peasants flock to because we like free food.â
âYouâre not a peasant.â I laugh.
She ignores me. âSpeaking of your life being better than mine, bring that handsome-as-fuck husband with you.â
I shake my head, having seen the photos she sent me from her elopement last week. âDonât act like your new hubby isnât attractive.â He really is. Just in a boy-next-door kind of way, not a tatted-gangster kind of way.
Movement at my open door startles me, and I let out a little scream.
Standing against my doorframe, Dom glares at me, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. âWho are you calling attractive?â
Bri says something to me at the same time, but I miss it.
âYou scared the shit out of me,â I tell him, dropping my feet off the desk to ground myself.
âIs that him?â Briâs excited voice cuts through my sudden adrenaline.
âYes,â I tell her, keeping my eyes on Dom. âItâs my overbearing husband.â
He lifts a brow.
âTell him thank you for the sushi.â Bri swoons.
I roll my eyes because I picture her batting her eyes as she says it. âNo. And donât try to flirt with my man, or I wonât bring him with.â
She snickers, and I can see Dom fighting against the urge to smirk.
I donât really want to go to a stupid work party tonight. But I havenât left the house since my birthday party, and itâs been almost a week. Plus, Dom has been⦠different. So maybe itâll be good for both of us.
He hasnât been different bad. Arguably, heâs been even more caring. Constantly feeding me. Gifting me things I donât need nearly every day. But he hasnât touched me like that.
I donât know if he thinks Iâm too emotionally fragile or what the deal is, but maybe a fun night out can solve the problem.
And Iâm not going to overthink wanting Dom to touch me. Heâs my husband. Iâm his wife. And Iâm trying to be all-in.
âAre you free tonight?â I ask Dominic, the phone still against my ear.
âOh please, oh pleaseâ¦â Bri chants.
âFor what and when?â
âGod, even his voice is hot,â Bri groans.
âShut up.â I laugh into the phone, then rotate it away from my mouth. âApparently my company Christmas party is tonight. I know itâs last minute since everyone forgot to tell me. I can go alone if you arenât free.â I add that last sentence to push him.
And it works.
âIâll meet you there.â
Bri squeals, and I know Dom can hear it because the side of his mouth finally pulls up.