We have seen each other every day for the last month. It never fails that we end up fucking, but then she sends me on my way. Most guys would love the arrangement, but not me and certainly not from the woman I love. I want it known to the world over that she is mine. My brothers got me drunk last night after I left her. They know something is up, but I haven’t told them just what. I can’t.
After they left the office, I wandered around town. I ended up at Queen of Hearts Ink that is down the street from my office. I’m not exactly sure what made me do it, but I got her name elaborately tattooed on my side. It was done with little peonies surrounding it, her favorite flower. The ink connects to the back piece I have of the Knights of Crusades in a battle scene that Kitty did. I had Dex do this one. It only seemed right, now that I am a married man.
I want my wife by my side every night. We haven’t spent an entire night together save the first one when we got married. Now, I think I should have savored it more. But I thought I’d have a million nights like that with her.
For the first time, I wonder if I am too old for her. I have thirty-one years to her twenty-four. Although she doesn’t seem to mind when I am deep inside of her. What if she has noticed that I am different is my biggest fear, and doesn’t want to come right out and say it? Fuck, why does it have to be so hard?
“Son, you’re different than your brothers,” my dad, Thor says. No one calls him that, but it’s a fun name, nonetheless. He is an OB/GYN, so I feel like he knows women. I took a chance and told him about Vegas and Missy.
“I know that dad. But I am one thousand percent in love with her. I don’t have any experience with this kind of thing,” I say burying my head in my hands. I hate how indecisive this has made me.
“It’s not easy Hagen. Marriage takes work. Even after all these years, your mother and I still have a date night. You are going to have to win your wife over. You did things out of order. Date your wife first,” he says chuckling.
“Thanks, Dad.” I say leaving his office.
His idea has merit. She needs to get to know the real me without the sex. Fuck, this will be the hardest thing that I have ever done, but I have to if I want to make our marriage work. Twenty minutes after leaving, my niece, Hailey, calls to congratulate me. I should have known that my dad would tell my mom and my mom would tell everyone we know. I suppose on some level that is what I wanted to happen. If I truly had wanted discretion, I would have told my brother, Om.
Missy has barely left my apartment, except to go to the store and work. She found a waitress position at Carl’s. On our first night together, I remember her telling me that she wants to run a diner one day. A fifties themed diner to be exact. She said those were a dime a dozen in Vegas. Bleak doesn’t have anything like that. Moosehead either for that matter. Come to think of it, I think St. Cloud is probably the closest place that has anything like that.
I head over to Carl’s, the only diner in town. I know he’s thinking about selling, so I make him an offer he can’t refuse. For a little over $10,000 I bought her dream. I selfishly did this to tie her to Bleak and to me. Sue me. I will use every weapon in my arsenal to get her to stay with me.
Chapter Two
Missy
One Month Later
What the hell was I thinking? I mean, seriously? I have no clue where my head was, besides being in the gutter. First of all, who in their right mind marries a man after knowing him only a few hours? Then leaves the said man after jumping on a plane and flying across the country with him? That would be me. This girl right here as I am rolling my eyes at myself.
To be fair being that sexy should be a crime. I have never been attracted to the whole Viking look before. But when this behemoth of a man walked in, all ‘Timothy Olyphant’ Justified and shit; his head is shaved on each side making a long mohawk, and a face full of hair I knew would leave rug burn on my thighs. I was a goner. But when he stood up for my honor and threw that drunk piece of muck out of the bar, I literally came on myself right there. You won’t find that many men protecting the honor of a waitress in Vegas.