“Then tell them I caught you fucking the intern in our bed. We’ll see howthataffects the stock price.”
That shut him up cold.
“You’re going to have to continue handling everything while I’m gone,” she emphasized. Not without a certain sadistic relish.
He inhaled deeply, exhaled.
“Okay. Whatever you need.”
Damn straight, whatever she needed.
She said nothing.
And neither did he.
But neither one of them hung up just yet.
“So, Corbin... Are you in love with Grace?” It was really just rank curiosity. She needed some context for the destruction of her previous life.
Silence.
“What?” He was purely astounded. “Why on earth would... GoodGod, NO!”
Suddenly a little red screen of rage appeared before her eyes.
“Silly me, imagining you’d bang someone out of love rather than random impulse and opportunity. You know, the way you always grab a handful of M&Ms off the receptionist desk. Because they’re there.”
“That’snotwhy I...” He stopped.
“Then wh...”
Did shereallywant to know why? Would it matter at this point? Would it change who he was or who she was or what he’d done?
She couldn’t get the word out of her mouth.
She could hear him breathing. She knew that sound well. It was somehow peculiarly comforting in its familiarity, and yet she couldn’t help fantasizing about covering his face with a pillow.
“You and I haven’t had sex in almost two months,” he said carefully. His voice lowered as if they were in danger of being overheard.
She waited for more.
But nope, that was apparently it.
“Wow. Two months? It’s a wonder your dick didn’t dry up and blow away. Good thing you found some place to stash it before that happened.”
“Jesus, Ava!” He said it faintly. Genuinely shocked.
Which was funny because that wasn’t even remotely representative of how mean she felt or how mean she thought she could be.
But... had it really been two months? Somehow she hadn’t missed it.
Or...
Had she avoided it?
Something that might have been a twinge of guilt pinged inside her.
“I mean... you couldn’t just discreetly... self-pleasure... in front of some internet porn, Corbin? Wouldn’t that have been simpler?”
