Page 75 of Dark Surrender

Not paying this other woman any real attention, Dark winks and says, “Oh. We’re together. Right, wife?”

Wife.

Wife?!

I’m…

“We have a few king beds this way,” the gray-haired man says, none the wiser of what’s currently happening here. To me. In this moment. With this man.

Without missing a beat, his eyes still locked on mine, Dark rasps, “Thanks, man, but we don’t need that much bed. We cuddle in our sleep.”

The gentleman clears his throat. “Oh. Sure. No problem. I’ve got a couple of those, too.”

“Sounds good. Right, wife? You ready to pick out a new queen bed for us?”

For. Us.

What the hell is happening?

I want to ask, but with the people around, I can’t break this elaborate lie Dark has concocted. Not yet, anyhow.

Keeping the comments to myself, I hum, and with the help of Dark and who I presume is the owner, I pick out a queen bed. Wooden frame. Intricate details. Perfect for my new house.

For the rest of the trip, the tattooed biker’s hands never leave me. Arm. Neck. Low back. Brushing my hair out of my face. Every little touch drives me crazier, so it’s all I can focus on. When the owner points out an old vintage couch he restored, I don’t notice it, even after I’ve agreed to buy it.

The jerk I’m with knows what he’s doing to me. Screwing with my head. Making my heart go berserk.

It isn’t until Dark’s paid for an entire house full of furniture, which is set to be delivered tomorrow, and we’re walking back to my truck, that I can finally get away from him long enough to breathe.

“Fuck you,” I spit as the giant biker opens the passenger door.

Dark steps back and puts his hands up. “What?”

Turning on him, I explode into a ball of messy, girl emotions that I can’t… I just can’t figure out. “You…” I waggle a finger at him. “You… I can hardly… breathe,” I wheeze.

He looks at me, confused as hell. “What are you talking about?”

“You! You…” I gesture to all of him.

“Iris. What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you, what’s wrong me!”

“Sweetheart.”

“No! Don’t you sweetheart me either, or wife me, or any of that.”

“That man wanted to fuck you.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“His nostrils flared. He kept lookin’ at your tits… and his pupils were fuckin’ massive. You turned him on. If I wasn’t there and he didn’t think we were together, he would have asked you out.”

Lies.

“No. He wasn’t. No, he wouldn’t have,” I argue.

Not ready to back down, Dark cocks his head to the side and purses his lips. “Yeah. He was. I’m a man. I know this shit.”