Page 52 of Beau

“I like skin and bones. The skeletal look is highly appealing.” He grinned when she glared at him.

Abandoning his perch on the desk, he strode over and dropped down in front of her. “How can I convince you that I am here to stay? That I cannot look at another woman, much more be with one except you?” Taking her hand in his, he held it against his jaw.

“You are going to make yourself crazy if you continue like this. I am going to have to leave the house, are you going to be thinking that I am going to some place I am not supposed to be?

Trust in a relationship is very important, and we both know that.” His expression softened. “I know your emotions are all over the place, but you don’t need to worry about me being unfaithful. It will not happen.”

“You love sex. A lot.”

“That I do," he agreed.

“And we haven’t–”She shrugged. “It’s been weeks.”

“I know how long it has been. I have the blue balls as proof," he reminded her wryly.

Her fingers gripped his. “We can–” She took a deep breath and could not believe she was this person. “We can- I am feeling stronger–” She tailed off when she let go of her hands and rose lithely.

“Desperation does not become you," he said tightly as he walked back to his desk.

“How dare you–”

“How dare I?” he spun around, eyes blazing. “You are the one offering yourself up as a sacrifice. You were at death’s door these past three weeks and you are thinking of using your body to barter. What? You don’t think I can my libido in check? You think I am so hard up that I would take advantage of you being in the state you are in?”

“That’s just it," she blazed. “You keep referring to ‘my state’. As if I have a terminal illness. I am pregnant and I feel unattractive. I feel damned ugly compared to–”

She stared down at her hands that were gripped together tightly.

“Miriam," he said heavily. “You are comparing yourself to my ex.” He went behind his desk and lowered himself wearily. “I cannot help you. I don’t know what else to do or else to say it. I know I am not unfaithful, have never been.”

“Things are different," she muttered.

“Because you are pregnant.”

“Yes. I am a mess. I don’t feel like myself. I have lost weight, and I was not big to begin with. I no longer have a career; I am just a wife. I feel worthless and useless. I cannot go anywhere; I have to stay home and recuperate. I just want you to understand what I am feeling.”

He stared at her for a moment before picking up a paperweight in the shape of a duck, she had given him a few months ago. Rolling the crystal in his palm, he continued to stare at her.

“You had a very lucrative career that you chose to give up. I never asked you to. In fact, I begged you to reconsider, but you made up your mind.

You have been through hell and back and the doctors are advising you to take it easy for a couple of weeks. They also said to try and avoid undue stress. The way you are behaving, that’s not going to be possible.

As for feeling useless, I can assure you until kingdom come that you are needed, it will not make a difference, because you have to believe it. I have obligations that I must fulfill. I am going out tomorrow night and there are some things lined up that require my attention. Are you going to wonder if I am screwing around?”

Her eyes flashed.

“Will you be?”

Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes. “Go to bed Georgie. I have some more calls to make and if it puts your mind at ease, leave the door open so you can hear my conversation.”

Without a word, she picked up her plate of fruits and flounced out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

Beau pushed forward, his face buried in his hands and took several deep breaths. The constant fighting was getting to him. She did not trust him and that was breaking his heart.

He loved her so damn much; he could hardly function. For the past three weeks, he went through hell, wondering if he was going to lose her. He had to drink himself into a stupor in order to get through the night.

Being away from her, not having her sleep next to him was the worst experience he had ever been through. It forced himself to see what life would be like without her and it waves of fright through his heart.

The phone rang just then, and he answered automatically.