Risk It: Paolo's Playhouse, Book 2 Read Free Page B

who doesn’t want me.” His voice had turned cold and hard.
    “What?” She turned to look at him finally, feeling a vulnerability that had nothing to do with her bare breasts. “You’re the one who’s never home.”
    He sat back on his heels, his face in the shadows again. “Yeah, I know I’ve put in a lot of hours lately, but you do the same thing. You never stop what you’re doing and spend time with me.”
    “So I’m supposed to just drop everything the minute you walk in the door?” She lifted her chin in defiance. “Like you dropped everything to get here on time tonight?”
    “I got here as soon as I could,” he said slowly, each word an angry growl. “But you seem to wait until the last possible moment to come to bed at night. What am I supposed to think about that?”
    She opened her mouth to dispute his words, but then…couldn’t.
    “No matter what time I get home,” he went on, “you never slow down, never come to bed until I’m already there. Waiting.” His expression darkened even more.
    There was a challenge in his expression that she wasn’t ready to answer yet. Besides, she knew he didn’t want to hear any excuses either.
    Amy turned around then, back to the couple in the window. What was the blonde doing now? She appeared to be pole dancing around the bed post. She was so graceful, so flexible. Her guy stood there mesmerized, watching her stretch and sway. Tease and tempt him.
    When had she ever done anything like that for Will? How long had it been since she’d put her whole focus on her husband?
    Years.
    Will was right. If he’d lost his desire for her, she had to take her share of the blame. She couldn’t remember when she’d last taken the time to do something to simply please him. She could use the time it took to do the housework after working all day as an excuse. Complain about the hours he spent at work instead of at home. Whine about how tired she was. But they were all excuses. Plenty of people made it work.
    When did they lose that yearning for each other? When did they lose the desire to please each other?
    But she hadn’t lost her desire for her husband. Amy knew that with a certainty that burned inside her. She still wanted to touch him, to love him. And have him touch and love her back. Why hadn’t she told him that? Was it too late for them now?
    Her eyes were still focused on the window. Amy’s breath caught as she watched the young man approach the bed, standing so close the blonde could almost ride him along with the bed post. The expression of love and arousal on his face as he watched his girl dance for him made tears spring to her eyes. When Amy released the breath she was holding, it came out on a ragged sigh.
    “You wish it was you, right?” Will asked from behind her, his voice a dull monotone.
    “What?” Had they always had such a hard time communicating?
    “Come on, Amy,” Will snapped. “The expression on that guy’s face. You wish he was looking at you like that.”
    Amy jumped to her feet and whirled around to stare at her husband. “No!” She swallowed back a sob. “I wish you’d look at me like that.”
    She searched frantically for her shirt and bra, but there wasn’t enough light coming through the window to see where she’d thrown them. “I can’t believe you’d think I was fantasizing about him! You’re such an idiot!” Shit, she couldn’t find her clothes. She’d have to face Will in the cold, fluorescent light. “I’m getting out of here!” She stomped off toward the door in her bare feet and flipped the switch.
    “Amy, wait!” In an instant, Will was at her side, spinning her around to face him. He grabbed her shoulders. The passion in his eyes made her stomach tickle. “You’re not going anywhere.”
    “Yes, I am.” She struggled out of his grasp, but she couldn’t step away. Will’s heated gaze pinned her where she stood every bit as much as his hands had. “I’m going home.”
    His expression darkened