Sister-in-law.
I lean back in the chair and wrap my hands around the warm mug. For a minute we sit there in silence while the crowd shuffles around us.
Livvie blows on her coffee and studies me over the rim. “So… how’s married life with Bronx?”
“Fine.”
Her eyebrows drift up.
“C’mon, Tierney, don’t hold back on me. You bought that squirrel monstrosity to piss him off because you enjoy sparring with him.”
I glance toward the window, watching a cab crawl past the curb. “I bought it to make a point. You’re reading way too much into it.”
Livvie tilts her head, unconvinced. “You know, fighting him won’t make the feelings go away.”
Every muscle in my body locks.
“What feelings?” I ask flatly.
“Fine.” She pulls at the croissant and pops a piece in her mouth, chewing as she considers me. “Answer me honestly. Have you two had sex yet?”
A laugh escapes me, and my cheeks flush for some weird reason.
“What is this?” I roll my eyes. “You taking interrogation lessons from the Wicked Witch of the West? At least his ma’s a little more discreet.”
Livvie smirks. “You’re deflecting, Mrs Viacava.”
I sit forward, setting my coffee down with a gentle thud. “I’m keeping my sex life private. End of story.”
“Which means you have a sex life to hide… and there’s nothing wrong with that, by the way.”
“It was just once,” I shoot back. “And it’ll never happen again.”
Her brows pinch together.
“Really? Was it an anticlimax, or was he just not that good? I mean, I’d find it surprising if he was bad in bed since Kingston is...”
Her gaze drifts with her words as if she’s fallen into a memory that she doesn’t want to forget.
“It was fire,” I admit in a low voice, glancing over my shoulder. “And that’s why it can’t happen again.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“I told my da I’d give the marriage six months. Then I’m out,” I tell her. “And I’m not naive enough to think Bronx wants forever. So I want to walk away with my feelings intact.”
She reaches across the table and places her hand on top of mine. There’s pity in her blue eyes, or maybe it’s more than that. Either way, I hold my breath, waiting for what she’s about to say next.
“I think it’s a little late forthat, don’t you?”
My stomach twists. Because the worst part is, I knew she was going to call me out.
“You two look good together,” she continues. “Even if you’ve put an expiry date on the marriage, you can still enjoy having him to yourself. Half the single women in New York had their hearts broken when Bronx finally picked a wife.”
“Yeah… a fake wife, Livvie,” I correct. “He’s playing along.”
She cocks her head. “Do you really think a man like him needs to play his part… in his own home? If he didn’t want you near him, you wouldn’t be living in his penthouse. Bronx Viacava shares his bed with you, Tierney.”
Livvie finishes her coffee and stands.
