All Strings Attached

Chapter Twelve

"Asshole."

"You're begging for a spanking at this point," he warns, causing me to gasp audibly.

"I'm not sleeping in the same room as you," I declare, getting off the bed and turning away to button my shirt.

"Leave this room, and you'll see."

My jaw drops for the fiftieth time in just this conversation. "Are you threatening me?" I ask him, folding my hands over my chest as I look at him. "How dare you? Do you know who I am?"

"My wife," he answers, without a second's thought. "Which is why," he says, "you will sleep here. In this room. Next to me. If you want sex, you'll ask for it. If you want me to take you out, you will still ask for it. Anything and everything you want."

It takes all of my energy to restrain myself from walking over and punching him in the face. "Ugh!" I grit my teeth, trying incredibly hard not to let Dhushyanth get to me, but good fucking god, he's infuriating. "I hate you."

"You certainly have an interesting way of showing it," he comments, his eyes scanning the messed up bed with barely withheld complacency.

I clench my jaw, holding back the curses that spew in the back of my head for my husband. "Don't be crude," I tell him. "You're too old for these jokes."

Dhushyanth's smirk satisfyingly falls off of his too-good face. "You think you're a baby, do you?"

I shrug, accepting it. "I do. I am a baby, I'm exactly what you think I am."

"Certainly have a different kind of sucking skill for a baby."

"You bitch," I seethe, climbing the bed to reach Dhushyanth and finish him tonight. "Do you not know how to talk to a girl?"

Dhushyanth laughs, holding both my hands that reach out to choke him and twisting them behind my back. "Enduku chichubuddi laaga egurthunaav?" He asks, grunting with effort as he tries to keep me still. "Sita," he scolds, "egaraku." [(Telugu) why are you bursting out like a firecracker? Sita, stop jumping around.]

"Egaradaaniki nenu emaina kothinaa? Ammaayini," I retort, trying to kick him, but he expertly dodges my move. [(Telugu) I'm not a monkey to be jumping around. I'm a girl.]

"Thanthunaav enti?" He asks, with a mix of surprise and amusement. "I doubt you are a girl." [(Telugu) Why are you kicking me?]

"Ninnu!" [You!]

"Nannu?" He teases, when I take too long to complete my threat. "Malli pelli cheskuntaava enti? Oka saarike jeevitham thalakindhulu ayindi. Inkokasaari nenu thattukolenu." [Me? Will you marry me again? I'm suffering enough from the first time, I can't handle a second.]

"You think you're so smart," I scoff, giving up on my empty fight. "Repu podduna isaka lorry guddhesthe naa baadhyatha kaadu." [If a lorry kills you tomorrow, I'm not responsible.]

"Is that how you and your dad deal with people?" He makes fun of me. "You have them hit with lorries?"

"I'll use your dad's lorry, don't worry," I retort, snidely.

Dhushyanth laughs fondly, causing nervousness to fill my head. Why is he being like this?

While basically holding you hostage? My subconscious mocks.

I click my tongue with annoyance. "Let go." I twist my wrists as he holds them together, conveniently for him.

"First, apologise," he demands. "I don't mind some scratching and biting in bed, but you need to keep yourself in check otherwise."