seemed to have happened gradually over time. Maybe it had something to do with his climbing the ranks at work and now being Mr. Large and In Charge all the time. Obviously, he was simply bringing his work attitude home with him.
Whatever the reason, Jennifer was getting to the end of the proverbial rope. She was starting to hate her entire existence and she was starting to hate Declan. That was something she never would have dreamed could happen, either. Declan had been her reason for living at one point in time. They had met in college during their sophomore year and she had been taken in by his Black Irish looks, those bright green eyes, and that amazing six-pack of abs. His wit, his charm, his relentless pursuit of her her her – he stopped at nothing to have her.
And then there was Declan's tongue.
If there were a “Mr. Universe” award for tongues, Declan would win it year in and year out. Oh, what that man could do to a clitoris with that tongue! He could triple-knot a cherry stem and lob it on the top of his nose. His bar trick had been enough to get Jennifer to go home with him that night they met in a nightclub, and they'd been inseparable until a few years ago.
She might be staying just for his tongue.
But then again, he hadn't gone down on her in sooooo long. TOO long.
Now, all she felt around him was dread. She had given up so much for him so that he could focus on furthering his career. This included her own promising career as an interior decorator. At the time, she had been happy to help her husband get ahead, but now she bitterly regretted letting go of something she had loved so much.
Jennifer looked at herself in the full length mirror in the master bedroom. I still look pretty damned good , she thought, no matter what he says . Her hair was a little boring, and she needed some good facial waxing and new make-up, but she was still under thirty, curvaceous and pleasant. A sudden surge of anger rose up in her.
“What a complete and total asshole!” she said to her reflection. Of course, she didn’t mean her. She was talking about Declan. “I deserve better than this and I’m not putting up with his shit any longer!”
Jennifer was a bit startled as she said those words to herself but she also knew that she meant every one of them. The next time Declan started ridiculing her, she’d have a little surprise for him. He wasn’t God, after all. Just because he thought he was right all the time didn’t make it true.
Yeah, His Royal Highness was about to meet his match.
That night, Declan came through the door smelling of alcohol, which never signaled anything positive for Jennifer. But she refrained from saying anything at first. Then he stopped weaving and bobbing in the hallway long enough to stare at her. He was giving her the look.
“I thought I told you to clean yourself up,” he roared at her.
“Declan, you’re about this side of drunk right now, so let’s not do this.”
“No! I WANT to do this right now! You’re a hag! Do you know that? There is NOTHING attractive about you! I don’t know what I ever saw in you!”
Now he was just getting hurtful with his nasty comments and Jennifer had heard them all before. Tonight, however, they were affecting her a bit differently.
“You know what, Declan? I don’t know what I ever saw in YOU, either! Just because you’re always at the gym working out and you get $150 haircuts and you’re some big wig at work, doesn’t make you a real MAN!” she screamed at him. It felt good. She felt her spine straighten and her temper flare as she dished his shit right back at him. He could eat it for all she cared.
This is what it felt like to stand up for herself.
It felt damn good.
Declan looked at her with a thunderstruck expression on his face. At first, he didn’t seem to be able to form a reply, and when he WAS able to speak, all he could manage was a pouty “Well, so? You’re BORING in bed!”
Jennifer wasn’t sure whether to