Victoria let the water fall down on her in the shower, silently cursing at herself. She wanted to lash out but there was no one to blame. Not this time.
She didn't know why she even cared so much. She never did before. But this year she cared even if she didn't know why.
Today was Conrad's birthday. And she forgot it. Things weren't going smoothly between them for a long time. She could have ignored his birthday for that reason alone and yet she couldn't drop it. She needed to make up for it. She needed to make it up to him.
Perhaps it was because regardless of how off far their marriage had derailed, he always pulled out all the stops on her birthday. The Manor would be filled with flowers and presents and a card with a sentimental note.
Of all the times she had hurt Conrad, this would be the only time it had been unintentional. Maybe she truly was the ice queen that everyone thought she was.
As she rinsed herself off, a wicked idea slipped into her head. There was one thing that Conrad had wanted for what felt like an eternity. He had killed for it, broken the law for it and still couldn't seem to capture it.
Her.
She was the one thing he couldn't seem to keep. She groaned loudly, knowing what needed to be done. She felt a wave of butterflies at the idea of giving herself to him. It had been years, decades even. What if the memory outweighed what she could offer? What if he wouldn't like what he saw? What if he rejected her?
She shook her head, removing all insecurity. He'd still want her. After all, she still wanted him...
The realization made her dizzy. No, she couldn't be interested in Conrad. They hated each other. They fought constantly. The banter back and forth. The sexual tension? She dried off, suddenly seeing everything in a different light.