Page 97 of Married With Lies

“Here?”

“Right here. Right now.”

He can’t mean what I think he means.

Turns out I’m wrong. Because the next thing Cale does is unbuckle his belt. He opens his pants. And he waits for my reaction.

Maybe he thinks I’ll refuse when push comes to shove. He’s already smirking over my hesitation. This isn’t much different than his wedding night challenge in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Except this time I’m not going to run away and lock the door. I’m ready to meet any dare he throws down. He’s about to get a surprise.

Cale’s smirk disappears when I roll one thin dress strap from my shoulder. Then the other strap. There’s a zipper in the back and luckily it’s easy to find. I slide the zipper down slowly, savoring the look on his face.

All I have on underneath is a pair of black panties. No slip. No bra. Once I let the dress fall from my hands I have nowhere to hide.

I’m not ashamed of my body. But it has been a while since I’ve been naked in front of anyone. And the last time a man saw me naked, things didn’t end so well.

With a deep breath, I drop my hands, which had been clutching the loose material over my breasts. The dress falls to a puddle at my feet.

Cale doesn’t move an inch. He does nothing and he says nothing.

The seconds tick by and he just stares. It’s as if he’s watching a mildly interesting sporting event.

This is starting to feel like a punishment.

I cross my arms over my chest but they don’t cover much. I resist the urge to look down at my own body, knowing what I’ll find.

Breasts that developed too early and at times annoyed me with their inflated size.

A belly that will never be flat no matter how many sit-ups I do.

Thighs that could use some toning.

None of that is bad. But it’s also private. The last man I trusted made it all public without my consent.

I don’t know how to completely get over such a betrayal. Maybe it’s not possible.

A tear squeezes from my right eye and rolls down my cheek.

This just makes everything worse. I lower my head in shame.

“Baby, please look at me,” Cale says. There’s nothing harsh in his voice now. There’s only soft pleading.

I shake my head. Another stupid tear falls.

The springs of the chair creak as Cale rises to his feet. He closes the distance between us and takes my face in his hands, giving me no choice but to meet his eyes.

Cale’s big thumbs rub the tears from my cheeks. There’s only tenderness in his face. “Mercedes. Don’t you know how incredibly beautiful you are? Let me see you.”

His initial kiss is so gentle it’s almost reverent. My eyes shut and I lean in. His arms pull me close. He parts my lips with his tongue.

That’s all it takes to set me on fire.

All uncertainty evaporates and now I’m frantic to feel his bare skin. I pull his shirt up, eager for more of him, as much as I can get.

Cale helps by impatiently yanking the shirt over his head, popping a few buttons in the process. His pants are already open and with one shove they fall from his hips, leaving nothing but his dark blue boxers.

I drink in the sight of him with greed and he lets me.