Page 65 of Dearly Betrayed

“Speaking of the heart wanting…” Her eyebrows raise and she gives me a mischievous look over her glass. “How’s married life?”

“Oh, you know, aside from the attempted murder? It’s not too bad.”

“Come on, forget about the nearly-getting-killed thing. Tell me about the good stuff. You know, like how physically satisfied you are?”

“Ah, no thank you, I don’t want to discuss my sex life with anyone. What Jayson and I do is our business alone.”

“You have a sex life with him then?” She leans closer, getting excited. “I knew it. I knew it! I saw the way you two looked at each other and all that stupid bickering?—”

“We do not bicker?—”

“Oh, mygod,you two bicker like you want to freaking hate-fuck each other to death. It’s so hot.” She fans herself, grinning, and I laugh from the sheer absurdity of this conversation. “Seriously, I wish Adler would be a little bit meaner to me, you know what I mean? So I can try to pull his hair and he can pin me down and?—”

“Can we not do this? I mean, I’m just coming to grips with nearly getting killed and I really don’t need my relationship gossiped about.”

“I would never gossip.” She raises a hand and puts the other over her heart. “Except with Hellie and Isabel. We’re the Costa wives, we have to talk. You understand. But this is like a sacred sisterhood you’ve entered. The four of us are all we have, right?”

I groan, rubbing my face, and take a long drink from my glass. “Just go easy on me, okay?”

“You have my word. But seriously, you two are starting to like each other.”

“There are some fond feelings.”

“And lots of raunchy sex. Spanking? Dominance? Dirty talk? Oh, did he handcuff you?”

“Ah—”

“I bet he handcuffed you to the bed.” She sighs, leaning back with a wistful look on her face “Adler, for our first anniversary, he had these silk ropes?—”

“Please do not tell me about your bondage escapades.”

“It was just a little light bondage! Nothing to be ashamed of. Although I’m pretty sure he got me pregnant that night. Whoops. Bondage baby.”

“Oh, god.”

“Hey, don’t worry! We were actually trying for baby two anyway.”

“That’s… good? Right? I have no clue how to feel about this.”

The waitress returns and we order. Once she’s gone, Casey talks all about her life as a Costa wife, being much more candid than I ever imagined she would. It’s honestly a bit raunchy and my ears are burning the whole time, right through until the waitress offers us dessert and we both politely decline.

As Casey finishes a story about changing diapers and sneaking quickies in during baby naps, her eyes widen as she stares at something over my shoulder. I frown and follow her gaze, and spot Jayson’s mother walking through the crowd, headed straight to our table. I feel speechless as she approaches and stops right next to me, looking down like a matriarch, her graying hair beautifully styled, wearing a lovely pink pantsuit as if she were the descendant of New England royalty.

“Fallon,” she says, and for a moment I think she’s about to tell me off for almost getting myself killed in her casino. Instead, she reaches down and takes my hand. “I’m happy you’re okay.”

Casey covers her mouth like she’s holding back a squeal of delight.

“Ah, erm, thank you, Mrs. Costa.”

“Call me Nessa. I’m so sorry you were nearly hurt on our watch. It’s shameful, and I will make sure my sons do not let it happen again.”

“It’s, um, it’s okay. Nessa.”

She nods once then does the impossible—she bends down and gives me a hug.

I hug her back, totally bewildered, as Casey stares on in complete shock.

Once the hug is done, Nessa Costa steps back, nods a hello to Casey, then walks away as if that was completely normal.

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