Page 59 of Terms + Conditions
“What?” She yawns.
“Georgie pretending everything is fine with her and Noah when it’s very obvious it’snotfine.”
“What are you talking about? Everything is fine. Why would you—”
“I know, Liz. About the affair and the baby.”
Elizabeth starts to question how, but I interrupt her.
“Noah mentioned it earlier when we were having coffee.”
Elizabeth sighs, rubbing her eyes. “Gi is trying her damndest to fix it, but I don’t think it’s working.”
Should I tell her the truth? Tell her she’s right, that all of Georgie’s “efforts” aren’t working? No, I can’t betray Noah’strust like that. And if I do tell her, she’s going to tell Georgie. That’s where her loyalty lies, not with Noah. But is that where my loyalty lies? This feels like Nick and Nina all over again, except at the end of the day I don’t have stakes in what happens to either Georgie or Noah.
“It’s not.” Those two words slip past my lips without my realizing it. Shit, I shouldn’t have done that. Noah really wanted to wait until the end of this weekend, and it’s not my place to upend his plans. Looking up from my feet, I meet the burning gaze of my wife.
“What?” Elizabeth stands in the threshold of the bathroom, gripping the doorframe. “What did he say to you?”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Josh, what did he tell you?”
Chewing on the inside of my lip, I know I’ve already crossed the line. She knows too much and whether I tell her everything or stop right now, she’s going to tell Georgie. “He’s already contacted a lawyer.”
Elizabeth sighs. “This is going to crush her.”
“Then maybe she shouldn’t have cheated on him.”
“Oh, that’s rich coming from you.”
Her words make my stomach sink. Does she still think I cheated on her? Does she forget the promise I made to her?
Elizabeth shakes her head and starts to walk back into the bathroom, but I follow. My hand reaches out to grab hers, stopping her. “I never cheated on you, Elizabeth. Juliet never showed up that day. Why won’t you believe me when I saynothinghappened in Wichita?”
She won’t answer me; hell, she won’t even look at me.
“Listen, Sugar, if thisfriendshipis going to work, we have to be honest with each other.” She still refuses, and when I grip her chin to pull her gaze to mine, I find a new level of hurt in her brown eyes. “Never. I would never do that to you. Do youremember what I said to you in the kitchen that morning all those years ago?”
There’s a small tug on her lips, bringing a smile to my own.
“Let me remind you…until we sign those damn papers in five months, I amyours. Whether you and Ryan are together—”
“We’re not.”
“You’re not?” There’s a sudden flutter in my stomach.
“I mean, I don’t know. We’ve kind of talked, but…I don’t think—I don’t think he’s the one.”
My heart picks up speed hearing those words—he’s not the one. How did we go from wanting to work things out to saying he’s not the one? I don’t know, but right now I don’t really care.
Stepping closer, I tilt her chin, holding her stare. “Until we sign those papers, you are mine.”
A shuddering breath escapes her lips.
I glance from her eyes to her lips before meeting her gaze again. Pupils blown wide. She sticks her tongue out to wet her lips, and she doesn’t wait, she pulls me to her as I stoop down to capture her lips in a hard kiss. My body vibrates with anticipation but also awareness. This could make things so much worse, but with her body pressed against mine, I can’t bring myself to care. All I can think about is the feel of her lips against mine. The way her body fits against mine like we were made for each other. Like we’ve always been meant for each other.
I ease her backward until the bed presses against the backs of her thighs, and a soft squeal falls from her lips when I lift her onto the white duvet without an ounce of difficulty. The sound squeezes my heart and makes me smile. She sits on her knees at the edge of her bed, pulling me to her by the hem of my T-shirt before lifting it over my head and letting it fall. Her perfectly manicured fingers run up the grooves of my chest, her lips following close behind. Each kiss against my skin sends another shock straight to my dick. She sits back on her thighs and meetsmy gaze as she slowly grips the hem of her sweatshirt and lifts it above her head.
