Free His Stand In by Rebecca K Watts

blinds and faced her again. “Egypt I’m so sorry about this. It isn’t like it shows you in a bad light. You’re a married woman not some whore. Tomorrow someone else will do something and the world will be looking at them. So you see it’ll blow over shortly.” He reached to pull her into his arms.
    She pulled away from him. The last thing she wanted him to do was touch her.
    “ You don’t understand. My mother didn’t know about us and what will all of your employees think?”
    “ What? Why didn’t you tell your parents yet?”
    Right now her mother’s concerns weren’t the top priority. She instantly regretted letting it slip that she failed to inform her. Hot tears burned the backs of her eyes. It was happening again. She was played for a fool. This time she’d walked right into it with her eyes wide open. How could she have been so stupid? Marrying him wasn’t one of her brightest ideas.
    She needed to get away. Her bank account already had a nice sum in it. She could leave and just start over. Maybe she’d start using her middle name and with a hairstyle change she can apply for jobs elsewhere.
    Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t do this. Christian, I don’t’ think it’s a good idea for us to continue this rouse.”
    *****
    Christian couldn’t believe his ears. He reached for her hands. “Egypt don’t do this. Take some off and think about it.”
    She lifted up tear stained eyes to him. “I’m not just talking about the job.”
    He reached for her again. She couldn’t be serious. He held her close, ignoring her trying to push away from him. So what there were pictures of her on the news? They were a married couple. Yes, he never planned on being intimate with her but now he’s glad and can’t get enough of her. There was no need for them to pretend. He wanted her and she him or so he thought.
    “ Egypt, it will blow over I promise.”
    She broke free of him.
    “ How can you guarantee that?” she challenged.
    “ Because that’s what media is all about. You can’t just run away from this.” His heart threatened to burst from his chest as it pounded hard against is rib cage. “You can’t run away from us.”
    She trembled before him and sucked in a breath. He could see the wheels turning in her head as she mulled over his words.
    “ We may not have started out right, but I believe this…we can work.” His mind flashed back to how great he felt when their bodies were one. It wasn’t just the sex it was so much more. He felt her energy. She was a powerful woman yet fragile at the same time. Egypt stood before him scared and exposed and it made him want her more.
    He pulled him to her once again and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a shield of protection. Her breathing slowed and she finally relaxed against him. “It’s going to be okay.”
    Reality set in for him. What was it in her past that made her so afraid? Was she ready to lace up her track shoes and leave him the dust? He pushed the thoughts away because now wasn’t the time, but he would get to the bottom of things later.
    “ Will you stay and allow us to work through this?” He had to hear the words. In the short amount of time he gotten used to her being in his home. And, on their return last night she didn’t retreat to her room. He couldn’t bear to walk in the door and she not be there.
    “ Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
    Christian released a breath. “Good.” He planted a kiss on her lip gloss tinted lips. He didn’t care if his lips would now be shimmery as well. “Now my darling. I need you to be strong because you are a Bradley and walk back out there with your head high.”
    Egypt straightened her clothes and nodded. Christian held her hand and opened his door. To his surprise, she turned and planted another kiss on his lips for all the office to see before walking confidently down the hall.
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    Egypt adjusted her body in her chair and stretched her stiff