Chapter 17 - Ari

Knowing Vivian was waiting at home or busy at the stable while I went to work every day made the days feel longer in anticipation of getting to see her again. As the week came to an end, I was looking forward to the moment I could be back with her, spending the weekend doing whatever we wanted.

I never thought I'd be the kind of man who couldn't wait to get back home just to be graced by his wife's affection and the comfort I'd learned to appreciate more than anything, but it seemed I did change for the better.

Being married and having someone like Vivian in my life was making me want to reach my full potential, and to never be like most husbands and fathers in the organized crime world. I wanted to prove to her that I would always be there regardless of what happened and that I always kept my word.

As I sat in traffic, I was starting to lose my patience. I was itching to get back to her and to connect with her more. With two free days at my disposal, I intended to take full advantage of them.

The time spent alone at my cold, lonely desk needed to be rectified as soon as possible.

I may have done something nice by buying her the ranch and letting her go out even while I wasn't around to make sure nothing happened, but I knew it wasn't all I could do. I wanted to establish more trust between us, and for her to feel she could depend on me.

I wanted to get to a place where I could have her unwavering loyalty, and she would have mine just the same. To do that, I needed to prove she could trust me first. The foundation had been laid, but with more time and effort, I wanted it to be even stronger.

I pulled Vivian from her old life, whether that was for the greater good or not, and in return, I couldn't let her down by providing a lifeless, loveless marriage. Given how she grew up, she needed to know she was deserving of so much more, I was determined to show her the lengths I was willing to go to prove it to her.

I refused to let her feel like she was nothing more than a release for my anger like her brothers did. I wouldn't make her think she was nothing but a bargaining chip—like something that could be sold off for the highest bidder like her dad did.

I wouldn't let her feel the cold ache of an empty, unforgiving house again. She was at the top of my priority list, and I needed her to know that.

With ample relief, I pulled into the garage and found myself getting antsier with every passing moment keeping me from feeling her and reacquainting with her lips. At the very least, I just wanted to feel her warmth and how easily she could soothe me without even knowing it.

Vivian was the relief I craved, and I couldn't tell if she was aware of how much power she had over me because of it.

Finally, I went inside and found her in the living room, curled up with a book in her lap.

Letting out a deep breath, I could already feel myself reaping the benefits of being near her—of knowing nothing else could stop me from taking full advantage of our time together.

When she noticed me walk in, Vivian smiled. That was enough to put me at ease.

"How was work?" she asked, setting the book aside.

"It was work," I said, always choosing to keep the details to myself. I approached the couch and stood behind her, gently putting my hands on her shoulders. "But I'm glad it's behind me for the weekend."

Carefully massaging her shoulders, I watched as Vivian relaxed into my touch. She hummed her approval. "Shouldn't I be the one doing this for you?"

"I'm sure there's time to arrange that," I returned with a chuckle. Lifting a hand to brush a finger against her cheek, I took great satisfaction in how she leaned into the caress like a cat would. "Two days, to be exact."

I felt her face move with her smile, and I leaned in, leaving a kiss there before I rounded the side of the couch and scooped her up. She laughed, caught off guard by it as I swung us around and sat down, placing her in my lap.

"Speaking of, what would you like to do this weekend?" I asked, taking in how comforting the presence of her arm wrapped around the back of my neck was while she perched there. "I'll be at your disposal the entire time."

Vivian seemed surprised by the proposition, but there was no doubting her pleasure in hearing it as she leaned into me. "You're leaving me with a lot of choices here…and they're all very tempting."

"What's the first thing on your list?"

She thought to herself for a moment as I pressed kisses against her neck, causing her to giggle. "I've been practicing my serves while you're at work, so I wouldn't mind playing some tennis together."

Pausing my ministrations, I tried my best to conceal my grimace at the idea. A part of me cursed whoever installed the net since I was never skilled at the sport. But since it was something Vivian wanted to do, and I'd offered the decision to her, I didn't want to be difficult about it.

Leaning her back so that she was suspended in my arms, I kissed along her jaw until I reached her lips, hovering there as I murmured, "First thing tomorrow morning, we'll head out to the court. You can decide the rest as we go."

Vivian smiled at the idea, accepting the kiss against her lips before having to deal with the many small affections I peppered around her face.

"Ari!" she squealed, giggling as I doted on her.

Unable to hold back my amusement, I laughed and soaked in the addictive sound of her happiness, and I found myself looking forward to what was ahead of us.

***

Following through with my promise despite how much I was dreading the activity itself, I got myself ready in some athletic shorts and a black compression shirt, at least glad for the chance to get a workout in.

I was already down at the court to make sure everything was in order when Vivian came out wearing a perfect tennis ensemble with her hair in a high ponytail.

The skirt fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves and leaving little to the imagination. I knew the distraction would only work more in her favor.

Cracking a smile for her, I handed her a racket. "Tennis suits you."

She mirrored my expression, and I didn't miss how she seemed to take me in completely, too. "We'll see if it suits you."

Taking it as a challenge, I cocked a brow at her and started stretching. "Don't set your expectations too high, sweetheart."

She laughed at that and joined me.

It didn't take long to see just how skilled Vivian was, and how I could hardly keep up with her.

She had been practicing, given how strong her serving arm was. She maintained an impressive amount of focus as she returned every one of my swings, moving with ease around her side of the court.

I may have been built with a strong frame, but I was hardly coordinated enough to go toe-to-toe with Vivian's evident experience.

I spent more time chasing the ball around than I cared to admit, and as hard as she tried to be supportive, Vivian couldn't help but get a kick out of it.

Once again, I felt completely out of my element, but given how happy it made her, I didn't mind nursing my bruised ego in the meantime.

She was wiping the floor with me, and as much as I wanted to maintain that competitive air, I was more impressed than anything else.

"Mercy, please," I said, bracing myself as I caught my breath.

Vivian smiled as she walked beneath the net over to my side and grabbed two water bottles I had waiting for us. She handed one to me with a grin on her face. "A break wouldn't hurt, I guess."

Letting her be smug, I snickered and took a swig of water. "Can't say I didn't warn you."

"You just need some practice, that's all."

While I appreciated her encouragement and support, I knew it would only be a lost cause, anyway. But so long as she wanted to keep playing, I had to just suck it up.

"Did your brothers ever play tennis with you?" I asked, remembering how I needed to get some insight on her family, given how the current situation with them was growing more concerning with every report I got back.

Sadness moved through her eyes as she recalled whatever memories she had associated with them, and she shook her head. "I only ever played with friends and my trainer. They tended to do things on their own."

"That's a shame. They could've learned a thing or two from you," I murmured, regaining my bearings again. "A part of me wishes I had more practice."

Vivian smiled faintly and capped her water again before asking, "Ready for another round?"

As much as I didn't really want to, happy wife, happy life, right?