Page 21 of Fearless Sinner

“I spoke to Seamus about our possible marriage and I thought I’d get a head start.”

I walk over to my desk and set my stuff down. “That’s not the way things work with me.”

“Well, how do they work with you?”

“I contact you when I wish to see you.” I sound like the asshole I am but I don’t give a fuck. I don’t have time for shit or games.

“Wow, testy, testy. You’ll be a fun husband.”

I laugh without humor. “You and I haven’t said I do yet, so please don’t call me your husband.”

“God, it’s been ten years and you still blame me for Erika, don’t you?”

It’s hard to believe so much time has passed because it feels like yesterday.

“It’s best I don’t answer that question. You know what you did.”

Erika was going through the roughest time of her illness, and it was clear we were going to lose her. I used to drink to forget.

The night before Erika died Jessica waited in my bed for me, naked. She knew I’d been at the bar drinking and I’d be drunk when I got home.

I mixed the twins up. Even if it was just a kiss. I still mixed them up, and Erika saw me kissing her sister. Jessica planned for Erika to come by my place, just at the right time to catch us.

The next morning she broke up with me even though I told her what happened, and she understood. She said it was her way of setting me free. No matter what I said, she stood by her word. By nightfall she was dead. Her mother found her in the bathtub surrounded by all her pills.

Jessica gives me an emotionless smile. “Erika was on her way out. I was simply trying to open your eyes to who you should have been with. But it’s funny how things work out. Here I am.”

“And I still don’t want you.”

She moves closer and stops in front of me, unfazed by my rejection. “You and I fit, so I still have faith that you’ll warm up to me.” A seductive smile spreads over her face.

She must think I’m an idiot. “I won’t and it’s not because of what you did. It’s just you. If I decide to marry you, it will be business. That is all.”

“But it’s something, because I’ll still be your wife.”

The buzz of my phone on my desk interrupts us.Looking at the screen, I see it’s Luann, my secretary. I press the button to talk to her but keep my eye on Jessica. “Yes, Luann?”

“Hi, Cillian, I have a Miss Chloe Ricci here to see you.She doesn’t have an appointment.Can you fit her in? She promises she won’t take up too much of your time.”

Well, damn. That was faster than I thought. I also thought that I would be the one to see her first.

My interest should be piqued at the possibility that she could be here with news of Harlan, but it isn't.

It’s piqued because of her.

I also gather that if she’d seen Harlan, she’d have called me.

“Send her in.” I keep my tone purposely flat so Jessica can’t detect any emotion from me.

“She’s on her way.”

“Seriously, don’t you even want to arrange to meet up or something?” Jessica flashes me a look of indignation.

“That won’t be necessary.”

A moment later Chloe approaches the door. She stops in the doorway when she notices Jessica.

Jessica and I both look at her.

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