Page 14 of Monster Mistake

“Let’s keep the date,” she said with as much confidence (if not enthusiasm) as she could muster. “I’ll let Khill know.”

Lila sighed. “OK. Seems like a waste of great potential orgasms, if you’re asking me.”

This time, it was Justine who snorted. “Don’t I know it.”

“Want to know what I do when I think someone is holding back information?” Lila asked.

Justine blinked. Did people hold back information from Lila? How was that possible? All it took was one raised brow in her direction and Justine usually spilled her guts. “No. What?”

“Cross examination. Go at them hard, like you’re Olivia Benson and they’re a disgusting perp onLaw and Order. The more they evade, the harder you go at them. Eventually, you’ll get the answers you want.”

Hmmm. Cross examination. Pushing her husband into the corner until he gave up the truth. It was just crazy enough to work.

“Or,” Lila said after a pause, “they’ll cry. Sometimes that happens, too.”

Nowthatwas a chilling thought.

But Justine supposed she’d just have to take that risk, especially when there were so many great potential orgasms on the line.

CHAPTER 9

Sitting outside the courtroom, waiting for the annulment hearing, Khill was sweating like he was facing sentencing for murder. And the worst part?

He’dratherbe sentenced for murder.

Why the hell couldn’t he just tell her he didn’t want a damn annulment? That he’d married her because he loved her and wanted to be with her forever?

Why couldn’t he tell her how he felt aboutanything?

He was still stewing about all that when Justine marched—actuallymarched—across the courthouse hall like she was leading troops into battle, stopped in front of him, close enough to touch, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why do you look like you’re headed to the gallows?”

Because I feel like I’m headed to the gallows. “Do I?”

Her foot started tapping. Khill sat up straighter. Justine’s baseline was a little grumpy and annoyed. But she wasn’t quick to anger. When her temper blew, however, it blew in abigway. And it always started with foot tapping.

“You know you do,” she hissed. “You’ve looked like this every time we’ve discussed the annulment since Vegas. Why, Khill? You do want the annulment, don’t you?”

He swallowed declarations of love and any other pitiful groveling that might trip off his tongue. “I want…what you want.”

She stabbed a finger at him. “No. That’s not going to work this time. Do you want the annulment?”

“What difference does it make? This is your decision.”

Justine looked like she was going to lunge at him and strangle him with her bare hands. It wassofucking hot. “Why is it only my decision? We wereboththere in Vegas, drunk off our asses.”

“No, we weren’t,” he grumbled quietly.

She snorted. “Oh, so now you’re going to deny you were even there? Very fucking mature.”

OK, now he was getting angry. Did she really think he was doing this for shits and grins? That it was all some kind of immature practical joke? “We were both there,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Then why did you just say we weren’t?” She poked his shoulder. Hard. “Huh?”

“Don’t,” he warned.

Another poke. “Tell me, damn it.” Another poke. “What the hell did you mean?”

“Justine, I swear, I’m going to?—”

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