Page 13 of Sinful Deception

She pouts. “I’ve had relationships. I’ve dated.”

“You’veknownpeople but remained emotionally uninvested. Until me.”

“Yes,” she drawls. “Because you insisted. Now answer the question. Did she ask about me?”

“No.” I take pleasure in the way my cold answer deflates the woman who, a year ago, would have laughed at the idea of making friends. “She was busy with her stand-off with Fletch. She was otherwise distracted. But I’m sure, if she had the mental bandwidth, she’d have asked about her beloved former boss and friend.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” She drops her head but peeks up at me from beneath long lashes. “She look okay? Happy, at least?”

“Apart from the Fletch thing?” I reach around with the fork and scoop up a glob of potatoes. “Yeah. I think she’ll thrive in her new job. He’s as high as anyone can go in this city, and she’s his right hand. She’ll have the time of her life, just as soon as she can focus on that and not on the man she kinda wishes she could be with and the little girl she misses more than she’d miss her entire leg.”

“Maybe we should invite her here for dinner or something.” She lifts her head and accepts the fork between her lips. “Tell her Fletch isn’t coming—which would be the truth,” she adds when I make a face. “We won’t invite him. So she can come over and be comfortable about it. Then we’ll invite Mia, too. They want to see each other, so we’d simply be facilitating that.”

“Sure. Except Fifi has made her wishes clear on the matter. It’s not that she can’t see Mia. She has all the chances in the world. Fletch would deliver his daughter anywhere if it meant an hour with the woman. But shechoosesnot to see her. You ambushing her at our apartment will do nothing except fracture trust and a relationship you want to keep.”

“You’re being entirely too rational.”

“Just trying to get through without breaking any more hearts,” I counter and press a kiss to her jaw. “It brings me actual, physical pain every time Mia asks for Fifi. But unless Fifi is sticking forever, no matter what happens with her and Fletch, then it’s best she doesn’t come in and out the way Jada does.”

“So she should just abandon her?” She sits tall and straightens her spine. “You don’t abandon the people you love, Archer. That’s not fair.”

So we swing back tonotdiscuss her father, then?

“We don’t get to make their choices for them, babe. Fifi is in a lose-lose situation because Mia isn’t hers, and she and Fletch aren’t nearly stable enough to allow Mia to develop deeper feelings. Jada clearly has problems with Fifi, considering the things she’s said to her in private, so even if Fifi and Fletch end up in a relationship, what do you think Jada will do about it once she finds out? Spite is a motivating factor for a lot of people.”

“So, what? You think Jada will take Mia to punish Fletch for choosing Fifi?”

I shrug and eat faster. Because we have bellies to fill, but a metric ton of trauma rearing its ugly head. “I don’t know what she’ll do. But I know she’s capable of bitterness and shitty decisions. Fletch, too, is in a lose-lose situation. And there’s sweet little Mia, caught up in the middle of it all. There’s nothing anyone can do right now except get through it, day by day. Here.” I offer her a chunk of steak. “Eat this so I know you have enough food in your belly before we fuck.”

Smirking, she glances across at the clock, still set to New York time. “It’s barely even six.”

“Cato’s due home around nine.” I scoop potato in my mouth. “That gives me three hours to fuck you into exhaustion and not worry about him listening while you scream.”

“Oh. Well.” Her cheeks warm, and her eyes automatically jump to the door. “I guess I could go without trashy TV, if you promise to provide better entertainment.”

“Bet.” I set the knife and fork down and grab a glass instead. I fill it with water from the tap and use it to swish my mouth, clearing the food from my teeth and freshening my breath. Then I offer her the same and watch as she grins and follows suit.

“How very romantic, Detective Malone.”

“Getting to the pointisromantic in my eyes.” I take the glass and set it down with a heavy snap. But then I scoop my wife up and revel in her squeal of delight. Her cinching legs and thecathartic laugh rolling along her chest. “Burying my cock inside you as quickly as possible is the epitome of romance.”

“Such a smooth talker.” She wraps her arms around my neck and trembles when I squeeze her ass and nibble on her collarbone. “I do believe this is the same Malone who talked me into his bed less than an hour after meeting him.”

“I save my best moves for you.” I carry her out of the kitchen and past our locked apartment door, then into the hall as Chloe, our snowy white cat with a bad attitude, scampers past and will make me pay for our disrespect tomorrow. “Some would say I’m a crude, unlikable piece of shit.” I step into our room and kick the door shut. “But you seem to love me. Flaws and all.”

She yelps when I toss her onto the bed, her hair flipping up to cover parts of her face and her chest heaving as she sucks in enough air to fill her lungs.

I set a knee on the mattress between her legs, then lean closer and place my fists on each side of her head. “There are plenty of people on this planet who would see me dead and not feel a lick of sadness at the funeral.”

Her eyes darken at my words, her excitement turning into anger. “I’ll bury them long before I bury you.”

“But then there’s you.” I lower and bite her bottom lip. “Despite how unlikable I can be, you love me. And that’s what makes me the luckiest motherfucker on Earth.”

“Funny.” She groans and lifts her hips when I grind my hardened cock over her pussy. “I often think the same, but in reverse. How flawed and weird and unlikable I can be. Yet, I got to marry a man as selfless as you.”

“No. I’m selfish.” I slip my tongue past her lips and moan when she kisses me back. When she circles my hips with her legs and pulls me closer. “My love for you, in itself, is the most selfish thing I’ve ever done. But for you?” I pull back and search her eyes. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy,Minnnka. There’s no one I wouldn’t break if it meant protecting you, and nowhere I wouldn’t go to keep you close.”

“Home.” She guides my head down and whimpers when I latch on to her peaked nipple, even through the fabric of her bra. “That’s all we need.”

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