“You know her?” Sissy gasps. “Seriously, Xander, an affair with staff?”
“As I said, I don’t work here.” Cora rolls her eyes and moves to the adjacent room. She starts putting on her shoes.
“Sissy, stop insulting my wife.”
Cora pauses with one shoe on and looks at me, and then at Sissy, who is white as a sheet, and for the first time ever speechless. For a brief moment. Too brief.
She glances at Cora’s hand, searching for a ring, and frowns. “Your wife? You married a maid?”
Cora snorts, and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad for me. She walks over to Sissy. “I’m Cora Winslow…” She pauses, glancing at me. “Winslow-Stone, and I’m a small business owner. I live here, and I think it’s time for you to leave.”
Sissy blinks so hard, I worry her fake lashes may fly off. She looks at me, gaping, and then she huffs. “Why wasn’t I invited to the wedding?”
Cora snorts again, and I question my sanity, because I used to spend time with this woman.
“I’m sorry, Sissy, your invitation must have gottenlost. The postal service these days,” Cora says, and fuck, I want to kiss her.
“What a shame.” Sissy jumps at the opportunity to save face. “Well, my apologies, Cora,” she says with zero sincerity. “Have a nice life.” She marches out of the room, the door slamming behind her.
Cora’s shoulders shake, her head bowed.
“Cora,” I rasp, itching to take her into my arms, but not sure it wouldn’t cost me my balls.
She looks at me, her lips twitching, and I realize she is trying to stifle a laugh.
“You’re not mad?”
“Oh, I was really mad, but while I waited, I realized that I can’t be mad you had a life before this arrangement. I knew how colorful that life was, so I can’t blame you for that.”
The fact that she calls our marriage an arrangement makes me want to bend her over and teach her a lesson, but this is not the best time. I’m relieved she’s laughing off the whole situation.
“Thank you. I don’t understand why she would just show up like this.” I shrug.
Cora sighs. “After I stopped being mad, I killed time thinking about all the women you used to date.”
I wince.
“I don’t look like them. I will never be as young or as put-together as they are. I sat in that roomfilled with insecurities. And then, I remembered what Saar and Celeste told me.” She pauses, and I try to regulate my heartbeat. “You chose me.”
How does she always surprise me? When I expected a scene, I got a heartfelt confession, her vulnerability forcing me to vow I’d never put her in this position.
“You were jealous.” I grin, lightening the load.
She rolls her eyes. “Until I talked to her. I don’t understand how you could have dated her.”
“We didn’t date.”
Cora snorts. “Okay. How could you have spent time with her?”
“Fair point.” I finally crowd her and snake my arms around her waist, inhaling her scent. “I missed you.”
She wraps her hands around my neck. “That’s good.”
“My cock would disagree.” I wink, and she narrows her eyes. “Too soon?” I kiss her forehead. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
“I might not be mad, but in light of this unfortunate encounter, I have a condition to add to our arrangement.” She plays with the hair on my neck, a mindless gesture I’ve grown to love.
“Name it.”
