I’m not afraid of him.
And maybe, just maybe, if I can focus on making him pay for what he’s done to me and my family, I can hopefully stop wanting to climb into bed with him.
By the timeRonan’s car pulls up outside at six p.m., I’m finally finishing the last chapter of the book I’ve spent most of the day reading.
The sound of the front door slamming shut makes me jump in my seat at the kitchen island, and I brace myself for his imminent bad mood as I listen to his footsteps heading toward the kitchen.
When he enters, I glance over my shoulder and try to keep my expression neutral as I spy his tight jaw and tense shoulders.
He looksfurious.
I watch him under my lashes, trying not to focus on how well his dark pants hug his muscular thighs or the white shirt stretched tight over his back as he stalks over to one of the drawers and pulls out a stack of takeout menus.
“Pick one.” He tosses them on the counter without looking at me.
I arch a brow as I close my book and set it down. “I’m sorry, were you asking or commanding?”
Ronan’s eyes darken as he finally looks at me.
Part of me was curious to see how he would act after what went down last night, but he’s as indifferent as he always is. It’s my cheeks that burn as I remember how I finished myself off last night while thinking of him.
“It’s food. Don’t make it complicated.”
My mouth is suddenly painfully dry, so I force myself to look at the menus instead of Ronan. Though as I sift through them, I can feel his eyes boring into me the entire time.
“I want pizza. Extra pepperoni.”
Ronan says nothing as he pulls out his phone and dials the number. For some reason, sitting at the counter while heorders my food makes me feel more like a child than a grown adult.
How am I this man’swife?
I used to dream about getting married one day, spending my mornings wrapped in someone's arms as the sun came up and evenings spent on the couch watching movies and eating pizza. It’s so far from what I have in front of me that my eyes start to sting.
This is yet another thing Ronan Sullivan has taken from me.
After he hangs up the phone, he grabs two crystal glasses from one of the cabinets as well as an expensive bottle of whiskey and pours us both a glass. He slides mine across the island without a word before taking his own and downing half of it in one swallow.
He looks around the kitchen. His eyes land on my empty coffee mug beside the sink. “Thought you might have tidied up a bit.”
I blink. “Excuse me?”
His lips twitch as he looks at me over the top of his glass. Those soft, warm lips that brought me such intense pleasure that I haven’t been able to get them out of my mind…
“I’m just saying, you’ve been here all day.”
My eyes narrow, the thoughts of last night vanishing. “What am I, your maid?”
“Wife.” He takes another sip of his drink. “But same difference.”
“Maybe you should have saved us both a lot of trouble and hired a housekeeper.”
“I did. She’s just mouthier than I expected.”
“You’re such an ass.”
He smirks as he sets his empty glass down on the counter. “Relax, Ciara. I’m just messing with you.”
“That seems to be turning into your favorite pastime.” I slide off the stool and snatch up my book.
