I'd expected Dirk to press into Nina's bare and blatantly wet snatch, but instead I stared in appalled horror as he let his own spit drip from his lips onto her back entrance. Using the tip of his dick, he smeared it around before leaning his weight on her lower back with his other hand and shoving himself roughly into her exit. Nina's muffled shriek came from where her face was buried in the coverlet, but other than the slapping of skin on skin, that was the only sound she made while Dirk pounded into her.
With a hand over my mouth to stop any bit of my heartache from spilling out, I ran back to retrieve my shoes and slammed the door to the hall before heading directly for my own room. Soft exclamations came from the direction of Dirk's bedroom as I fled the scene of my wrecked marriage.
"Shelby, darling, is that you?" Dirk's voice rang out.
Calm and collected like he wasn't balls deep in that bitch. I didn't bother to reply as I continued into my dressing room to pull an overnight bag from a shelf. I'd just dumped the first armful of clothing in when the betrayer and the harlot appeared at the open doorway of my closet.
"Shelby, what are you doing?" The confused concern in his tone was so sincere I almost believed it.
Instead of answering him, I set my sights on Nina. "Is there something I can do for you, Nina?" My own tone was decidedly less sincere.
"Yes, I came by to go over your progress with Mr. Hamilton and to go over your schedule for next week."
Two cool cucumbers, aren't they?
For once, I didn't bother to shush or argue with the voice. I knew the smirk, paired with the disgust in my eyes, made it clear that they hadn't escaped with their little tryst, but just to make sure... "Do those lessons include 'How to be sodomized by your employer,' or were you going straight for 'Homewrecking Whore'?" Her snooty ass default expression faltered for a moment. I had to give it to the bitch; she had a mean poker face. Dirk, on the other hand…
"Shelby, you'll watch your mouth! I don't know what's gotten into you—"
"Fucking can it, Dirk. Did you even wash the shit off your dick before you tucked it away? Even if I hadn't caught you fucking my chaperone in the ass, do you think I wouldn't have noticed the scent of sex in your room?” I snapped my fingers as I tsked at him. “Oh wait, that's right, I'm not to go in there without your express permission. Fuck you, you cheating asshole," I screamed at him, voice breaking at the end. I'd badly wanted to hide how much I was hurt, but as I railed at him, my anger peaked, and I couldn't hold on to my composure.
At a gesture from Dirk, Nina left, and a moment later, I heard the door to my room close behind her. Suddenly, I was scared to be enclosed in the same space with my husband. He hated outbursts.
Grow a backbone, girly! He just fucked that woman in your house.
Right. He did.And the anger helped to burn away the fear. I was better than this. I deserved better than this.
"I'm leaving. You-you just— how could you?" I shook my head when he came at me, hands out to show he wasn’t a threat. "Don't you dare touch me. I'll clear the rest of my things out later, but right now I just need to go." I grabbed my partially packed bag and rushed past him to set it on the bed so I could zip it. And yell for help from Carter if it came down to it. Not that I was sure he’d go against Dirk.
Dirk followed me with a sigh, and when I chanced to look his way, his features had hardened into a mask of anger and disapproval. "You're not going anywhere. You're my wife! I should have kept my indiscretions away from our personal rooms, but don’t test me, Shelby. You’re mine."
Was he kidding? "Indiscretion? Are you drunk? You cheated on me, you bastard! In what world would I stay here?" I couldn’t believe he thought he was going to pull that crap. What he was going to get was a prenup right upside his head.
He actually appeared frustrated in the face of my incredulity. "In my world, Shelby. You signed on for this. You accepted me as I am. Now you want to go back on that?"
I seriously had to be in an alternate universe. "I didn't sign on for my husband to fuck other women. It's definitely not something I can accept! What is wrong with you?"
"Do you not listen to anything? Wives aren't for that! Yes, I should have been more discreet, and for that I apologize. But you don't get to walk out on your commitment. You're my fuckingwife!"
My mind reeled. How did I turn into the bad guy here?He was in the wrong, not me, but only silence greeted me in my head. "Apparently, there's a serious lack of communication if you ever thought I'd be okay with you having a side piece. I get that your family is fucked up, and I’ve been dealing with being excluded from the business side of things, but that's not on me. You decided to dip your dick in that whore, and I won't have it!" He flinched with each expletive, his cheeks darkened with fury.
"Watch your mouth, Shelby! And you can't leave me. I won't allow it!" He’d advanced on me until the backs of my knees hit the bed, and I lost my balance to sprawl awkwardly across my open bag. My heart raced in fear when he loomed over me, hands balled into fists at his sides as his chest heaved in and out. "I love you. Tell me how to fix this," he demanded.
Fix it? How do you fix a cheating spouse? But I genuinely began to believe he didn't see anything wrong with his actions, and while I was still petrified, confusion warred with the anger and betrayal. I didn't even know where to begin explaining something I took as being so fundamental to a relationship, to a marriage— faithfulness.
"Shelby," he barked, pulling me from my racing thoughts and maelstrom of emotions.
"You're scaring me, Dirk. Back up, please." One of us had to be the adult, and for once it was up to me. He frowned harder but took several steps away until I felt comfortable enough to scoot over and sit up on the side of the bed. Quietly, so as not to rile him up further, I asked, "Do you really not understand that what you did is wrong? Or is this a game you're playing?" Even if it pissed him off, I couldn't help the last part.
"I already said I was wrong to bring her to our rooms." He either didn't get it or he was a great actor. Unfortunately, I didn't know what to believe, and all I really wanted to do was get away from him.
And where will you go? You have nothing without him.
I really don’t have time for you right now. But, again, I couldn't argue with her. There really was nowhere, but how could I stay?
"Dirk, you face fucked another woman, a woman I'm supposed to learn from because I'm not good enough for your uppity circles. And not only that, she was hired as my chaperone to make sure nothing hinky happened before we were married! Did you make her my assistant just so you could put your dick in her ass? Because today is only what I caught you at; who knows how many other times there were? And don’t think I believe your bullshit lie about Rafe and underwear. I saw what she was wearing. To be extremely clear, I find that behavior unacceptable in my husband. I'm disgusted with you, and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to get over something like that." I shook my head helplessly and straightened the contents of my partially packed bag, wishing that for once I'd buried my head in the sand and not snooped.
"I understand that my...proclivities aren't something you can accept, but I respected you by not forcing them on you. I have needs that a wife shouldn't be exposed to, but now you demand that I not have an outlet for them. What would you have me do, Shelby?" He actually sounded broken up that I wouldn't let him fuck Nina, and things started to click in a horrifying way.