Tapping Her (Bad Boy Billionaires #1.5)(21)

“That’s good news.”

“Yeah, it is,” I agreed.

We just stared at one another, lost in my earlier mania and the deeper issues it’d brought to light. A cloud of hurt feelings and harsh accusations hung over our otherwise blissful honeymoon.

“Well…I guess I better go clean up the disaster area. I’ll make us some lunch once I finish, okay?” I called over my shoulder as I walked up the stairs toward our bedroom, hoping to have a few moments to find my way back to five on the emotional scale.

To my surprise, Kline followed me.

He sat on the bed as I started to empty my suitcase. “Come here, sweetheart.” When I looked to him but didn’t move, he gestured for me to come closer.

The second I was within his reach, he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my stomach. His face was pressed against my neck, lips brushing the sensitive spot below my ear. The intimate silence healed half the hurt, but some of it stayed, buried deep.

After a few quiet moments, I whispered, “I’m sorry I went a little crazy before.”

Hot, relieved air coated my skin. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”

I leaned back, gripping his chin and forcing his eyes to look at mine. “Are you really sorry about that?”

“Yes. Of course I am, Ben.” His remorseful eyes stared deep into mine.

“What about my job?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What about your job?”

“Are you going to start being honest with me about how you really feel about it?”

He sighed and gave me a squeeze. “I’m not happy about the amount of time it will demand from you, but I’ll deal.”

“I don’t think saying you’ll deal is a solution, Kline. What if you start resenting me for traveling so much? For being occupied with work too much? Where will that lead us?”

God, the words stung as soon as I said them.

What if my job started to put a giant wedge between us?

We had gotten together in a rush. Too consumed with one another, too deep in love not to dive headfirst into our relationship. We had known each other for a few years, but we hadn’t actually been together, been a couple, for all that long.

What if my job strained my marriage?

The mere thought of that awful scenario caused tears to pool in my eyes.





Seeing tears in her eyes over the possibility of a disillusioned marriage courtesy of a f*cking job was the last straw. I’d wanted to maintain our “eat, f*ck, cuddle, sleep, be nauseatingly happy” bubble for these two weeks, but the bubble wasn’t any f*cking good if it hurt her.

And right now? The compartmentalization on my part was very much hurting my sweet wife.

“All right,” I declared, picking her up from my lap and setting her down on the edge of the bed. Standing in front of her, I tipped her chin up until her pretty, sad eyes met mine. “Real talk time.” She steeled herself for what she thought might come. “First things first, no more tears, okay?”

“Kline—”

“They break my f*cking heart, Benny. I can’t think of a scenario where I like to see you cry, but I f*cking loathe it when I’m the cause.”

She did her best to stop, as I moved on. The important point wasn’t that she actually stop crying; it was that she knew I wanted her to.

“How often am I right while you’re wrong?” I asked, catching her off guard. I could see at first that she wasn’t sure how to answer, but I prompted her to be honest with gentle eyes and a soft smile.

“Not often.”

Bingo.

“So not often,” I admitted. “I’m completely prepared for the inevitable. With me being the man and you the woman, the rightness ratio in this relationship will always heavily favor you. It’s been the way of the world for centuries, but most guys are too f*cking insecure to admit it.” She coughed a surprised giggle. “I’m not. When it comes to you and us, I’m gonna f*ck up more often than I’d like.”

She started to shake her head, but I held up a hand to stop her.

“It’s because you make me irrational.”

Her chin jerked back, and her tears were completely gone. I was halfway there. “You’re one of the most clever-minded, rational people I know.”

“In business,” I agreed. “With you, I lose all sense of everything but us.”

She tilted her head, but I pushed on. “Look at my track record. You know it’s true.”

“Kline.” She reached for me, but I started to pace just outside of her range, before turning to face her again and kneeling on the wood floor in front of her feet.

Her hands reached desperately for mine, and this time I didn’t deny them.

“I don’t want to hold you back.”

“I know you don’t,” she cut in.

“You’re brilliant, and you deserve every facet of success you can get your hands on.”

“Baby,” she whispered.

I smiled and reached out to brush some stray hair from her face, pulling her other hand flat to the pounding beat in my chest. My voice dropped to an intimate whisper as I admitted, “But I thought I was going to be along for the ride. I thought your success would flourish with me. At my company.” I shrugged and finished with the part that bothered me most. “That I’d get to watch.”