Threading my hands through his hair, I can no longer contain the words that have been trying to escape past my lips. And I whisper…
Pain tears through my chest. Twisting and burning, yet freezing me to the marrow. A corkscrew slowly plunged into my heart would’ve hurt less.
My eyes are locked on my wife’s radiant face, on her lips parted in pleasure, as I piston my hips, unable to stop. Each thrust harder, more punishing. Trying to erase the words she just said.
As if I could ever forget.
As if I could unhear them.
I’ve faced many enemies in my life. Fought many foes. Any rival who dared attempt to steal my power, who reached too close, was erased before they could even comprehend their mistake. Anyone reckless enough to come after me didn’t simply disappear. They were dismantled, reduced to a few meager blood stains—the only proof they existed at all. I’ve feared nothing. Thought myself invincible. Believed no force on earth could bring me to my knees.
As it turns out, it was three simple, whispered words.
Three words that sliced through my arteries with more precision than any weapon ever could.
Three words.
A confession that shattered me so completely, I will never piece myself together again.
My wife screams in rapture; her voice more than a little shaky as she comes. I revel in the sound, let my lips drift down along the column of her neck, cherish every beat of her rushing pulse. She trembles in my arms, racked by the aftershocks of her orgasm as I drag my mouth across her perfect breasts, swirl my tongue around each nipple, then head lower, to her sweet center. She’s still shaking when I slide my palms under her ass, lifting her to bury my face in her wet warmth.
Shuddering moans echo through the room as soon as my tongue slides inside her pussy. I inhale her intoxicating scent, surrendering to it. My wife’s essence. Her joy. Her pleasure. I lick her sweet honey. Brutishly. Savagely even.
I need to punish her for her words. The urge is overwhelming, but I can’t bring myself to hurt my Little Iris in any way. So I make her pay by making her come again. And again. And again. With my mouth. Then with my fingers. And, finally, with my cock once more.
I keep her soaring until she is so spent, so exhausted, that she sags onto the white satin sheets. Until she forgets the words she whispered. Until I can pretend to forget.
Then, as I watch her sleep, sitting on the edge of the bed for what feels like days, I wait for that soft knock on the door. The sound that breaks the silence. Fractures my ability to pretend.
The death knell for my make-believe.
Chapter 32
The torrential rain pelts the shrubs outside Bartholomew’s living room window, drumming on the windowsill. Each strike sends a jolt of piercing pain from my temple to the back of my skull.
“…so, obviously, I had to insist they take the treadmill back. Perhaps I entered the speed setting incorrectly, or maybe I’m just too slow these days. In any case, these new machines are not for me. I think I’ll stick to walking around the neighborhood, since having scraped knees at my age is absolutely ridiculous.”
Bartholomew shrugs and snatches the pen from his coffee table. A moment later, the familiar rapid clicking fills the room, amplifying my migraine. “So, what have you been up to lately? How’s Iris? Any new developments in your, um,cheatingsituation?”
My gaze stays glued to the lowest branch of the maple tree, watching the raindrops hit the leaves. Initially, I tried counting them, but with the wind and the rain, I lost count around two hundred and seven. Now, I’m just watching them being flung every which way, barely hanging on to the branch. Barely staying alive in the middle of the relentless storm.
Christ. I’m contemplating the fate of leaves. What else am I going to focus on to avoid thinking about last night? To stop remembering my wife’s whispered words? To get past the searing pain in my heart?
Barty clears his throat. “You know, as much as I love hearing myself talk—something that happens not too often when you’re around—spitting out random nonsense for an hour straight, this early in the morning, is truly tiring. What’s going on with you?”
What is she going to do when I come home later? I left the house at first light, ensuring we didn’t run into each other this morning, but eventually, we’ll come face-to-face. Is she going to pretend that nothing happened? Or will she look me in the eyes and tell me the truth? That she is in love with another man.
“Adriano? You’re worrying me.”
I don’t think I can do this anymore. But I can’t stop, either. It’s killing me, and yet, I can’t find the strength or the will to put an end to this madness.
“Okay. If you don’t want to talk today, that’s fine with me. I’ll just brew some tea and check out the news, something I didn’t get the chance to do with you barging into my home at the crack of dawn. Do you want a cup? No? Fine. Fine. Keep sulking in the corner.”
The hum of an electric kettle soon turns to a roar as the water boils. The pain in my head gets worse. I remove my glasses and pinch the bridge of my nose.
There were times in the past three months, in some of my most desperate moments, when I considered making a move on my Little Iris as myself. As her husband. I would reach out, nearly take her hand, as we passed each other in our home. But I would pull back before touching her. When she’d return after playing with Taffy in the yard, my fingers would itch to pick the grass and twigs out of her pretty hair. But I’d ignore my instinct and turn away from the adorable sight she presented. I’ve stopped myself countless times from licking away the smear of flour on her cheek whenever I found her in the kitchen makingfresh pasta or baking bread. I chickened out every time, just before making contact. Knowing she would pull away from me in disgust is hard enough. Experiencing it for real… I don’t think I’d survive.
“Ah, look!” Barty exclaims between sips of his tea. “The exhibit of Crown Jewels of the European Royalty is heading to Toronto next. It won’t be the same, though, right? Not without theGoccia di Luna.”He sucks in a breath.“Wait. Hold on, there’s an update. It says the famous necklace will be making the trek to Canada after all. I didn’t expect you to allow it to be taken across the border.”
