Mattheo was exhausted. A week of barely any sleep had left him irritable, snapping at everyone in the office,not that he cared. They were all idiots anyway. After a long day at the Ministry, he returned to the manor, relieved that his wife was nowhere in sight. Socializing was the last thing he wanted. Taking advantage of the solitude, he headed straight for a hot shower, hoping to ease the tension in his shoulders. As the water cascaded down his body, he let out a sigh. It was exactly what he needed, well, that and a smoke with a cold glass of whiskey.

Next weekend loomed over him like a dark cloud. A business trip. With his wife. His coworkers just had to bring their spouses, forcing him into close quarters with a woman he could barely stand. He knew he should feel lucky, she was gorgeous, but resentment drowned out any admiration. She had tried, once. Tried to bridge the gap between them. But he had shut her down, and now all that remained was silence and tension.

Shaking off the thought, Mattheo turned off the water, grabbing a towel and running it through his wet hair before wrapping it around his waist. As he stepped into the en-suite, he halted. She was already there sitting prim and proper at her vanity. Great.