The Wrong Wife by Maya Alden

Chapter 10

Declan

She made me breakfast again. I wanted to leave early to avoid her, and had woken up at five, worked out and here she was with a smile on her face and crepes.

“Thanks.” I put some syrup on the crepes and rolled them. They were delicious and could easily compete in lightness and texture with what you would find a creperie in Paris. “But you don’t have to do this. Calliope cooks and if I leave early, I get something in the office.”

“I have to eat as well; and I like to cook,” she assured me pleasantly.

She was wearing a yellow maxi sundress with a thigh-high slit. She’d just taken a shower and her hair was damp, curling softly around her shoulders. She wore a silver anklet on her right leg, and it had small bells. Had she always worn that? She smelled of jasmine—something earthy, not like Christian Dior or Chanel as Viv did. Her glasses were metal rimmed and suited her.

We sat next to one another at the kitchen counter. Viv and I never had breakfast together. If she didn’t have an early meeting, I did.

“Do you have a busy day today?” she asked like I hadn’t called insulted her the night before.

“Every day is a busy day.” I drank some coffee. “My assistant will set up time for you to talk to the Knight Foundation—”

She beamed at that and interrupted me. “I know your mother doesn’t want me to work for Keck or any other…well, I talked to a friend of mine, and she runs a foundation that focuses on women’s health. I can work there. I told my father, and he thought your mother would be fine with it.”

I glared at her. “You told your father? You and I are the ones who are married. You talk to me first.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry. He came here last night. It wasn’t intentional.”

“He was here?”

“Yes.”

What the fuck was Julien doing in my house? He knew I played poker Thursday night, which means he wanted to talk Esme alone.

“What did he want?” We were not going to pretend that he wanted to check in on his daughter—not this daughter for certain.

She took a deep breath. “He wanted to talk about the job. He also mentioned that Viv will be at the dinner tonight with Senator Rivers and…” she paused for a moment as if trying to figure out how to say what she needed to say, “I’m a straightforward person so I’ll just tell you what he said, and you can tell me what you want to do. I’m fine either way so please don’t think I’ll be upset or anything. I won’t be. I’ll be fine.”

“Why don’t you tell me what he said and then we can decide how you feel?”

She flushed and I smiled at her. She looked about eighteen right now with her fresh make-up free face. I felt like a goddamn pervert for thinking about her sexually. That slit on her thigh was tantalizing and I wondered how she’d react if I put my hand on her smooth brown thigh.

“He said that he’d prefer it if I didn’t come for dinner tonight. Make an excuse so that you and Viv…that you were the ones to present the plans of what you’re working on to Senator Rivers. And it makes sense. I know nothing about your business or—”I raised my hand, and she became quiet.

“Your father told you that he preferred if I went with Viv to a dinner with Senator Rivers?”She nodded unsurely. “He said it wouldn’t be a bad thing if I made an excuse. And I’m happy to do that.”

I felt something move within me. Her family had taught her to put up with such abhorrent behavior that she didn’t expect anything from anyone. Instead, she was happy to find ways to live her life; and as she said, make the best of it. So, even though I hurt her, she’d made me breakfast. She’d agree with her father and my mother. She wasn’t a flake, I realized, no, she was a shadow who had put up walls around her to survive because the people who were supposed to love her didn’t.

“I would not prefer that, Esme.” I reached out and covered her small hand with my large one, startling her. “You’re my wife. For whatever time we have together, you’re my wife.”

She bit her bottom lip, and I felt a spark of desire and something else, something akin to affection flow within me.

“Okay. I’ll tell my father—”

“I’ll tell him.” No way was I going to let Julien intimidate her any more than he already had. It was obvious she was afraid of her father.

“Thank you.” She gave me a sweet smile and I didn’t resist the urge to lean across and kiss her softly on her cheek.

She pulled away and I saw her fear and mistrust. I didn’t like that at all.

“What was that?” she asked.

I thought about it for a long moment. “You’re sweet and I wanted to let you know.”

“Oh.” She was self-conscious now.

“Esme, I want you with me tonight and even if I didn’t, Senator Rivers is going to want to meet you.”

“Why? No one knows me.”

Oh, but they’re going to.

“The press release about our wedding is going out this morning and I’m certain he’ll be curious. Now, can you tell me more about this foundation you found a job with?”She shut down immediately. “It’s the Caruso Foundation. It’s very respectable.”

“Esme, if you want to work at Keck, tell me and I’ll make it happen.”

“You would?” she could hardly believe that I had a decent bone in my body. Couldn’t blame her. I’d been a fucking jackass.

“Sure. Do you want that?”

“No, that would get complicated. Mark’s sister, Maria manages the Caruso Foundation which supports a women’s shelter in Skid Row.”

“Skid Row? What the fuck, Esme? Do you know how dangerous that place is?”She shook her head. “It’s not dangerous, Declan. It’s poor. I can help people there. I want to. Please, please, please—”

I raised my hand to stop her again. I hated that she was begging—that I had made her feel that she had to. “I’m not going to stop you. But you’re probably going to have someone with you to make sure you’re okay.”

“Like whom?”“A bodyguard.”“No. That would scare the women and children.” She stood up alarmed. “Please, don’t do that.”

“Calm down. Even you won’t know they’re there, okay? It’ll be discreet. You’re a Knight now. Do you understand what that means?”She shook her head.

“It means that you’re free game for media and anyone else who can get access to you.”

“Viv was always in the media.”

“Yes.” Viv didn’t mind it and even appreciated the attention. My guess was that Esme would hate any media interest.

We just finished breakfast when Calliope arrived. She insisted she’d clean up and patted my shoulder affectionately. She liked Esme and the way Esme talked to Calliope I could understand it. Viv behaved as if Calliope didn’t exist. To her she was just staff. To me, she was someone who took care of me, and I never took her for granted. It appeared that Esme had the same values.

She was in the kitchen laughing with Calliope as I was leaving. I paused and focused on her—she looked like a sunflower in that yellow outfit, and she shone just as bright. I walked up to her, unable to resist and leaned down to brush my lips against hers, softly.

“Have a nice day. I’ll pick you up at six.”

Her breath caught and her eyes widened. Calliope was grinning as I left, a genuine smile on my face for the first time since Viv told me she married someone else.