Page 65 of My Wife

Once Clay empties himself inside of me, he clutches my jaw, using his fingers to work my mouth open. And it is work. I’m not going to make it easy for him, not when my emotions are still a twisted mess, but as soon as he forces my lips apart, he slips his tongue into my mouth. It’s a possessive kiss. Aclaimingkiss. The taste of him is so familiar, and the hint of metallic rust flooding my mouth after I purposely bit the edge of his tongue has me just about coming myself.

And that makes mefurious.

Clay deepens the kiss after I bite him, but as soon as I stop kissing him back, he pulls away. His brow is furrowed, and for the first time since he removed the black plastic mask, I really feel like I’m looking at my husband again.

He’s leaning on one elbow. One leg is thrown over mine, keeping me partly under him as his spent cock slips out of me.

“Baby?”

I spent years wishing I could be his ‘baby’ again. And now…

I grit my teeth. “I don’t get it. If your stupid fucking deal was off, then what the hell was the last five years, Clay? You faked your death. You made me believe you weregone. That I’d never see you again. Because you chose Tommy, notme.”

Lightning flashes across his face. “I told you, Cyn.Never.”

I wish I could believethat—but when the evidence is right in front of me, I can’t.

I shove him away from me.

Clay rolls onto his back; he obviously hadn’t expected my push or he would’ve held firm, keeping me pinned beneath him. Once he realizes that I’m starting to climb up, moving away from him, he shoots out his hand, lashing me around my wrist.

I don’t resist. As he tugs me so that I’m sitting across his lap now, I let him get away with that, too.

“The deal was off. Listen to me… I called him. Said I was sorry, but I couldn’t do it. Shit, Cyn… I was already losing my fucking mind and I hadn’t even left yet. I thought… there were times I thought I should just kill Tommy then and there so I could keep you for myself. He kept saying it was only five years, right? I got five to make you love me. He gets five to win you back. Then I reappear and we both get to have you. But I was like,fuck that?—”

Know what? I can honestly see two horny teenagers coming up with this insane idea. It was so simple, right? If I love them both, won’t I be happy to call them both mine? But I was already so head over heels for Clay by the time we were married, he had to have known that I could never love anyone more than my husband.

“What changed?”

The muscle in Clay’s cheek tics. “You were nice to him. When we went back to Gullhaven after my parents died. You were so happy to see him.”

We’ve got to stop meeting at funerals…

I blink, some of my fury banking a little at that. “Clay. Seriously? He was there to pay his respects to your mom and dad. It was the first time I saw him after I left Gullhaven. It was awkward as fuck, babe, but I was nice to Tommy—for you.”

He fists his hand, almost as though searching for the knife he left near Tommy’s corpse. “I convinced myself he was right. It was only fair. I had my turn. Now he got his… but that meant I had to die. Even for you, Cyn, I couldn’t fake wanting a divorce. To give you your chance with Tommy, I had to fake my death instead.

“What was five years compared to forever? You’d love us both… but it broke me, baby. Watching you live your life without me. Standing outside the window, watching you fuck Tommy… I shouldn’t have blamed you before. If our plan worked, you weresupposedto. But I was willing to share you with Tommy if I had to. No one else.”

I use my thumb to rub off a few of the stray droplets of blood from Tommy’s arterial spray. “There’s no one left, Clay. You killed them all.” Slipping the thumb between my lips, I swipe the dried blood with my tongue. I smile around the digit. “You’re right. You did it all for me.”

“Like I said. I’ll do anything for you.” He holds me tight, clutching me to him. Even if I wanted to get away, I couldn’t. “Come on, Cyn. I fucked up. I fucked up bad. I think I’ve lost my mind, and I only found it when you fucked me just now. It’s you and me. It’s always been you and me. So… forgive me?”

Can I? “Not yet.”

A ragged breath escapes Clay. “Cyn?—”

“Not saying I won’t. Five lives for five years without you… that’s a good start. Proving how much you love me… that’s a better one.”

“I just wanted to give you everything you wanted,” he tells me.

I have my husband back. The mean girls who made my time in high school a living hell? Gone. Anyone who might’ve known my secret? Dead men tell no tales, right? And Chase… the vindictive, remorseless part of me I’ve kept hidden these last ten years can’t help but snicker to think that I pulled the trigger.

Mercy? Fuck that.

I got revenge—and Clay gave it to me.

Helovesme.

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