“No. You don’t need time.Thisis what you need.” And suddenly his arms were around her, his hands everywhere on her body, on her breasts, on her buttocks, between her legs; his mouth in her hair, on her neck, on her lips.
She tried pushing his hands aside, twisting out of his reach.
“Thisis what you need. You know it is.”
“No!” she said, louder this time, pushing him away with all the force she could muster. “Stop! Please…”
“Please, please, please,”he mimicked, stumbling back against the ottoman. “That’s the whole problem in a nutshell. Isn’t it, Chloe? You don’t knowhowto please a man. If you did, do you think these other women would be necessary?”
“Oh. God.”
“You’re pathetic, Chloe.”
“Get out of here.”
“I remind you that this is my house, too.”
“Get out before I call the police.”
“You bitch…” He raised his right arm into the air, his hand a fist.
“Daddy!” Sasha called from upstairs. “Josh is being mean to me.”
“Josh,” Matt called back, his arm returning slowly, even reluctantly, to his side, his eyes never leaving Chloe’s. “Stop being mean to your sister.”
“Mommy!” Sasha said seconds later, appearing in the entrance to the living room. “Josh!” she yelled toward the stairs. “Mommy’s home.” She ran to her mother, throwing her arms around Chloe’s hips. “Grandma’s sleeping,” she announced.
“I know, sweetheart,” Chloe told her. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“I thought she was dead,” Josh said, entering the room. “I didn’t know where you were, so I called Daddy.”
“You did great, sweetie.”
“Daddy said we could watch TV till you got home.”
“And now I’m afraid that Daddy has to leave,” Matt told him.
“Where are you going?” Josh asked.
“I have work to finish up, slugger,” Matt said, tousling his son’s hair. “But don’t you worry.” He smiled at Chloe. The smile sent shivers down her spine. “I’ll be back.”