Double Dare (Neighbor from Hell #6)(57)

“So, this is what’s going to happen,” he calmly explained as she giggled so hard that she could hardly breathe, “you’re going to promise never to even mention the word divorce again.”

“Dar-” she ended on a gasp as he suddenly shifted his attention away from her foot, grabbed her by her hips and flipped her over onto her back. Before she could take her next breath he was sitting on legs, pinning her down on the bed and tickling the shit out of her.

“We’re staying married, right, sweetheart?” he asked offhandedly as he went for all the weak spots that he’d mapped out over the years.

She opened her mouth only to giggle uncontrollably as he doubled his efforts. “All you have to do is promise that we’re going to stay married and I’ll stop,” he promised, going for that ticklish spot on her side that he’d learned about when they were fifteen and his hand accidentally brushed against her side when he went to reach for something next to her.

“S-stop!” she cried, laughing so hard that she was crying.

“Are you giving in?”

“N-no!”

“Then I have no choice but to continue,” he explained, sounding amused as he continued his crazed attack as she tried to squirm free, but the bastard outweighed her.

“Y-you’ll p-pay f-for t-this!” she swore, laughing so hard that her sides hurt.

“Aw, is little Marybeth getting mad?”

“Yes!”

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked in a syrupy sweet voice that had her eyes narrowing even as she continued to giggle and gasp uncontrollably.

“Y-yes!” she managed to gasp as she grabbed hold of the bedspread and pulled, desperate to escape this torture so when he abruptly stopped, she was understandably frightened.

She lay there, gasping for air as the last of her giggles died away and common sense demanded that she get off the bed and run away before he could-

“Let me make it easy for you,” he whispered in her ear. “We’re not getting a divorce, sweetheart. I’m not going to lie and tell you that it doesn’t feel like my heart is breaking when I think about never having children with you, because it does, but it would never have stopped me from wanting you. That’s why you never told me, isn’t it?”

She closed her eyes in defeat as she said, “Yes.”

He was quiet for a minute before he asked, “Are you out of your f*cking mind?”

*-*-*-*

“Darrin?”

“I’m not speaking to you. Go away,” he said, shifting to snuggle his pillow tighter when he spotted a lovely collection of snacks on the nightstand by the bed.

Now, he could have grabbed any of the other lovely snacks she’d bought, but he didn’t. He grabbed the small bag of Hershey Kisses and ripped into them all while shooting her a glare that dared her to bitch about it.

“Are you going to tell me what has your panties in a twist?” she asked, sitting on the bed beside him and looking oddly amused when she should be begging for his forgiveness.

Not that he would give it.

At least, not unless she found some inventive and rather satisfying way of making it up to him, that is.

“You know damn well what has my panties in a twist,” he said, unwrapping one of the delicious foiled covered treats and popped it in his mouth as he glanced around the room, looking for something to wash down the delectable chocolaty treat that he refused to share.

Sighing heavily in a manner that he didn’t much appreciate, she climbed off the bed, walked over to the entertainment console. He watched as she opened the bottom cabinet, revealing a mini-fridge, and bent over, giving him one hell of a view. Although he preferred it when she went to bed without panties, he had to admit that he really loved it when she wore a pair of his boxers, mostly because they were too big for her and had the tendency of falling down and giving him the view that he was currently enjoying at the moment.

Before he had a chance to fully appreciate the view or reminisce about good times, she was standing up and walking back over to join him on the bed with a bottle of orange juice in her hand. Without a word, she handed him the bottle of juice and sat down next to him. Although it wasn’t enough to buy his forgiveness, he decided that it was enough to earn a Hershey Kiss or two.

Grudgingly, he handed over the chocolate and took a sip of juice, wondering how a woman as intelligent as Marybeth could do something so f*cking stupid. Apparently she was wondering the same thing, because she asked, “So?”

“So, what?” he asked, handing her the bottle of juice.

“I thought we weren’t playing games anymore,” she reminded him as she took a sip of juice and handed it back to him.

Nodding, he decided that she had a point so he decided to get straight to his. “You’ve known for the past six years that you were going to marry me and instead of cutting out the bullshit and letting me make you the happiest woman alive, you wasted six f*cking years!” he snapped, glaring accusingly down at her as he unwrapped a tasty treat and shoved it in his mouth, needing the chocolaty distraction to stop him from spanking her the way that she deserved.

When she blinked up at him slowly with a slightly bemused frown, he decided that he no longer had to share his juice or chocolates with the aggravating woman. So when she reached over to take the juice from him, he glared at her until she got the hint and pulled her hand away.