He pulls me in close as we stop in front of another painting. “Love, not for long, not after you’re my wife. I’m going to spit all over my cock, get it nice and gooey and wet, then slide it deep into your?—“
“Cut it out,” I hiss at him, which makes him laugh. My heart’s racing as I struggle to compose myself. It doesn’t help that the supposedartlooks like a fingerpainting of a literal vagina, or maybe they’re flowers and this is some kind of O’Keefe homage, I really can’t tell, not that it matters. “I know you’re just having fun with me, but my father’s very conservative. He’ll be livid if he gets word that we know each other already.”
“What’s it matter? You really care what Daddy thinks?”
I glare at him grimly, remembering all the times my father expressed his deep displeasure with me over the years, and the thin scars I still have on my shoulder blades from the worst of it.
“Yes. I do.”
Liam looks flustered for a moment, but recovers himself. “It’s fine. Don’t worry. I’m not interested in blowing this up.”
We move on, ringing around the edges of the gathering, taking in the art. “What are you interested in exactly, then?”
“Your ex-boyfriend, for one.”
I try not to react. He grabs a glass of white wine for me from a passing tray. I take it gratefully and drink, covering my discomfort. “Why are we talking about Kieren again?”
“He’s still a problem. Have you spent any more time thinking about what he might’ve taken from your father’s company?”
“Not really. That’s your job, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately.” Liam doesn’t look happy. This might be the first time I’ve ever seen him without his customary cocky smirk. I like it. “You know what I keep wondering? Why that Vera girl?”
“Seriously? You’ve seen her, right?”
“Blond. Prim. Too fucking skinny.”
I snort an undignified laugh. “She’s gorgeous. Tall, willowy, with that hot Russian figure.”
His nose wrinkles. “You sound like you want to fuck her too.”
“I’d rather fuck her with a knife.”
“Wow, didn’t know you were into the blade play.”
“Just saying, I hate her guts, but at least I can admit she’s beautiful.”
Liam waves that away. “She’s not my type. I’d break a woman like that in half.”
“What is your type then? Oh god, don’t look at me that way. I swear, if you sayit’s you, I’ll dump this wine down your shirt.”
He shrugs and wags his eyebrows. “I won’t say it then.”
“Idiot.” I lean into him and decide to take his question seriously for a second.Why Verais something I’ve wondered a lot since it all happened. Yes, she’s pretty, but there are a lot of pretty women in New York. Kieren could’ve cheated on me with any of them but somehow he ended up in bed with Vera Baranov.
It can’t just be a coincidence. There’s no way they bumped into each other at a coffee shop and somehow ended up fucking like sweaty animals over tea. They reconnected for a reason.
“You’re thinking,” Liam notes, leaning in close. “I can see the data crunching.”
“Stop that.”
“You get this look, your mouth goes all—“ His lips pull down comically.
“I do not! Are you always like this?”
“I am what I am, love.”
“Annoying and wise, what a great combination.” I talk quickly before he can say anything else. “I’m trying to figure out the Vera angle too. It’s been bugging me. I mean, we knew her back in the day, but I don’t think they were ever close. I doubt he had her number from high school.”
