Free Retribution by K.A. Robinson Page A

thought I’d check in here.”
    I smiled at him. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to fall asleep anyway.”
    He took another tentative step toward me. “I thought we could go downstairs and maybe watch some television. I picked up pizza on the way home.”
    “That would be nice,” I lied as I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stood. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to come home or not.”
    “You said you wanted me here, so I came back. I can leave if you’d like,” he said.
    “No, I meant what I said today. I want you home with me.”
    I followed him out of my room. He took my hand in his and led me down the stairs and to the living room. A pizza box was sitting on the table, and the TV was already on. We sat down on the couch together. Our hips touched, and I forced myself to stay where I was.
    He opened the pizza box and pulled a slice out. He handed it to me before grabbing one for himself.
    “How was work today?” he asked.
    I shrugged. “The same. Becky has me filing most days or running errands. I spent the whole day in the basement today. I’m pretty sure I’ll be filing in my sleep.”
    He chuckled, and for a moment, I was transported back in time. Hearing him laugh again made me remember all the times we’d laughed together before everything had turned to shit. Robert had a rich laughter, one that made me want to laugh right along with him. But like everything else about him, his laughter hid what was lurking just beneath the surface.
    “Unfortunately, paperwork is a big part of the job. Even I get stuck with my fair share of it.”
    “Don’t you have someone to handle stuff like that for you? An assistant?” I asked.
    “I do, to an extent, but I have to handle some things myself.”
    An idea formed in my mind. “Can I help you?”
    It would be the perfect excuse to be in his office more.
    “Thank you for offering, but I have it handled. My secretary and my assistant take care of most things, but some, I have to do.”
    “Oh, okay,” I said.
    “I appreciate the gesture though, Claire. And I appreciate just how hard you’re trying to make this work. Most women would have fled, but you decided to stick by me and ride this wave out with me.”
    It was more than just a wave. It was a tsunami.
    I couldn’t do anything but agree with him. “I love you, and I love the life you’ve given me. I don’t want to just walk away from all of that because of one drunken mistake. I’ve been shuffled around from broken home to broken home my entire life. I don’t want that for myself or for you. If you truly love me, we can make this work.”
    He smiled at me. “I do love you, and I can’t imagine not having you in my life, Claire. You’re absolutely perfect for what I need in a wife.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean exactly?”
    He seemed caught off guard for a moment, obviously realizing that he’d slipped up a tiny bit with that last remark. I was perfect for what he needed in a wife—what he needed, not what he wanted.
    “I just meant that you fit here—with me, in this house, at the firm. You’re perfect.”
    Smooth, I thought to myself.
    “I don’t feel very perfect right now.” I gently touched my swollen cheek. “I feel pretty broken actually.”
    He pulled my hand away from my face and clasped it tightly in both of his. “You’re perfect .”
    He didn’t apologize or even glance at the swollen and bruised part of my face. I wanted to smack him. He’d been so sincere about it in his office, but now, it was like he was pretending I wasn’t black-and-blue.
    I was so lost in my anger that I didn’t even realize that Robert was moving toward me. By the time I noticed, his lips were crashing against mine. I tensed for a moment before I forced myself to relax. I had known that forgiving him would include kissing him. I wasn’t blind, but I hadn’t expected to feel the nausea rising up in my throat as he continued to kiss me. I forced it away and tried to