Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 173: The Morning After

Wyla opened the car door for me the following morning, but I was reticent to get in. After the night I had with Alec, just putting one foot in front of the other was challenging. Bending to fold myself into the back seat would work so many sore muscles.

Alec had promised to claim me as his own an inch at a time, and he did exactly that. He marked me as his and left his prints all over my body. Alec and I tried out new positions and perfected old ones. He didn’t let me rest until most people turned off their alarm clocks and dressed for work.

Now, I was paying for it. Sure, it was worth it, but still, how to get into the car without crawling was beyond me.

"Need help?" Wyla asked.

"Would you mind?"

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. "All good. I overdid it a bit last night. I’ll be fine."

With Wyla’s help, I got into the car with my dignity intact. My luck ran out when we arrived at Crazy Code simultaneously as Stiff. There was no way I could let him see me suffering. He’d never let me live it down.

So, I gritted my teeth and forced my aching body to cooperate. Alec owed me big time. I expected him to run a hot bath for me tonight and hand-feed me like a princess if he ever expected to touch me again. But first, I had to leave the car without needing a tissue to wipe away my tears.

I really needed to work out more before Alec killed me.

"Good morning, Stiff. How are you?" I asked with a smile.

Stiff took his eyes off Wyla long enough to look me up and down. "Better than you, or not. It depends on how you look at it. My hat off to Alec. I didn’t know he had it in him."

Damn, it hadn’t worked. Stiff knew me too well. He could see through my fakery. "Fine, since you know so much, help me upstairs so I can die peacefully at my desk."

Stiff chuckled. "You know, you could have said no before you got in this condition."

"And admit I wasn’t up to it? When was the last time you saw me back down from a challenge."

"Good point, but based on your condition today, I recommend you learn when to say no. Have you considered setting up a safe word?"

I smacked Stiff on the shoulder. "Shut up! I hate you, Stiff."

Stiff dodged as I went to swipe at him again. "Okay, okay. You win."

I winced as pain shot through my shoulder.

"Aw, Teela, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t rile you up when you’re miserable already."

Stiff picked me up in his arms and rushed toward the door. "Allow me. Save your strength for that beast you married."

"Married?" Wyla said as she rushed ahead of us to open the door. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Too tired to speak," I said.

"Now it all makes sense," Wyla said. "I was concerned Alec physically assaulted you. Well, he did but in a good way. Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Wyla’s face was red as we passed her on the way to the elevator.

Stiff sat me on my desk chair in my office, then sat on my desk across from me. "So tell me, what did Wyla say?"

"Huh?"

"When you asked her to go on a date with me?"

"Stiff, do I look like I’m in any condition to matchmake for you?"

"You promised."

"I did, but I need time."

Wyla tapped on the door before coming in carrying a tray of coffee and pastries. "I thought you might need a pick-me-up."

I looked over the tray of goodies while Wyla poured my coffee and mixed in cream and sweetener. "These look divan. Sit down and join me. Stiff, what about you?"

"Um."

What happened to my mouthy partner, who was now at a loss for words?

"Wyla, you’ve met Stiff, right? I introduced you?"

"I don’t think so. Of course, I know who he is, but we’ve never officially met."

"My bad. Wyla, this is Stiff, more formally known as Michael Allen. We’ve been friends since I was a teenager, and Stiff was a pervy old man hanging out with kids too young for him."

"Hey, that isn’t nice. I did nothing pervy. It’s not my fault I like to hack with the best, and the best was a snot-nosed kid."

"Whatever. Either way, I’d be lost without him. He is my partner in crime, and I trust him implicitly. He can do anything I can except give birth to children." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"There is no evidence showing you can either," Stiff said.

"Hush."

"Yet," Stiff added. "If you keep up the activity from last night, you might be knocked up before the ink is dry on the marriage certificate."

"Come closer so I can smack you again."

"You don’t have the energy."

"Wyla, smack him for me."

Wyla said, "I respectfully decline to get between the two of you."

"Spoiled sport. Oh, wait, back to the introduction.

"Wyla, Stiff is in need of a date for my formal wedding in a few weeks. Do you think I could bother you to accompany him for the evening?"

Stiff’s face fell when Wyla said, "Do I have to?"

"No, you don’t have to, but I assumed you’d be going too, so I thought you could keep each other company. Or are you seeing someone? I’m sorry. I didn’t ask."

Wyla looked uncomfortable. "I’m not. I mean no disrespect to either of you, but I don’t date. I haven’t in a long time. I wouldn’t know how."

"It doesn’t have to be a date," I said. "Think of it as two coworkers going to an event together."

Stiff said, "Yeah, and since we will both be important to Teela going forward, we can use the opportunity to get to know each other better."

Wyla said, "I don’t know. It sounds a lot like a date to me."

"Think about it. You have time."

Wyla nodded. "Can I go now before you ask me to hang glide or something?"

"I don’t foresee any hang gliding in your future, but sure."

As soon as Wyla closed the door behind her, Stiff turned to me. "Do you think she likes me?"

"Is that what you got out of the conversation?"

Stiff shrugged. "I don’t know. I don’t speak woman."

"What I got was she is terrified at the thought of dating. What are you going to do about it?"

"I don’t know. What do you recommend?"

"How about you start by making a point to speak to her every day. Maybe bring her a coffee or something?"

"I could buy her a car. No, a villa."

"Yeah, that won’t scare her off."

"Too much?"

"Too much. Keep it small."

"I can do that."

"Can we discuss business now? I need to go to the hospital to relieve Ben and Min."

Stiff shrugged. "Come on, Teela. I filled you in late yesterday, and I walked in with you this morning. I haven’t even booted my computer yet. How would I know anything new?"

"Smart ass."

Stiff threw up his hands. "Sorry, I’ll go to work now. Call me if you need me to carry you back down to the car."

"Stiff, get out of my office. I’m not useless."

When I was alone in the office, I mumbled, "Never again, Alec Crest."

The man in question texted.

Alec: How are you?

Teela: You left before I woke up.

Alec: I had an early meeting, and I had to arrange King’s room.

Teela: Oh, good. Is everything set?

Alec: I’ll send an ambulance to pick up King when you are ready.

Teela: Give me an hour and send them to the hospital.

It might take me an hour to walk back to the car. I’d have to call ahead to Ben.

Alec: You didn’t answer my question, Teela. You were groaning in your sleep every time you moved. Are you okay?

There was no good way to answer that. I didn’t want him to baby me in the future or feed his ego, but I couldn’t lie either.

I couldn’t lie won out.

Teela: I’m sore. I’ll be fine.

Alec: Is it wrong that I’m not sorry?

Teela: I’m not either, but you owe me a rubdown and a long soak in a hot bath tonight.

Alec: Deal.

Alec: Go home and take the day off if you need to. I can handle King’s arrangements with Ben. The rest can wait.

Teela: Moving around will help me more than lying around in bed. Don’t worry.

Alec: Then I will leave you to it. I love you, wife.

Wife. Alec called me wife. My smile threatened to split my face. I was Alec’s wife.

Teela: Love you too, husband.

That sent me into a fit of giggles like a teenage girl noticing boys for the first time.