Page 25 of Guilty as Sin

“For stealing from me, of course.” I’m tempted to thwack the hanger again to see if her blush deepens, because I’d like to test my theory. Later, I promise myself. Later.

“And the dress?” she asks. “I suppose that me wearing it is… punishment too?” Her pause tells me everything, and I have to focus to keep my blood from rushing to my cock.

“If you prefer to think of it like that, by all means.”

“It’s a little clichéd, don’t you think?” Her voice squeaks, and she has to clear her throat. “Forcing me to join you for dinner, insisting that I wear a dress you picked out. It’s been done. Belloq, Barbossa, Blofeld—they all did this exact thing.”

“Friends of yours?”

“Movie characters,” she snaps. “And do you know what they all have in common?”

“Enlighten me.”

“They’re villains.”

“Good,” I say. “You’re getting it.”

I toss the wooden hanger back on its pile, and it clatters like applause for me. I turn my back on my wife, leaving her speechless as I stride toward the door.

“Car will be here at six,” I call over my shoulder.

* * *

I open the car door for my wife. It’s Peter driving tonight, one of the guys that helped move her stuff this afternoon.

“Hey, Pete,” Cora says as she slides across the backseat of the town car. Her voice is a happy chirp, unexpected to say the least. She was furiously silent with me in the elevator. Now all of a sudden she’s friendly.

“Miss Cora.” Peter nods respectfully at her, then at me. I’ve never heard him go by Pete before.

“Wait,” she says to him. “Isn’t Gloria’s recital tonight?”

“Oh, it’s not until eight,” he says.

“Alright, good.” Cora buckles her seatbelt. “But don’t pick us up tonight, okay? We’ll find our own way back.”

Peter looks at me in the rearview, waiting for my confirmation.

Is my wife seriously issuing orders right now? Maybe it’s her version of rebellion. Since she’s in that red dress like I instructed and coming to dinner like I instructed, she’s probably testing my limits. Interesting. For entertainment’s sake, I let her have this one.

“What the lady said,” I tell Peter. Or Pete, apparently.

But seriously, what the shit? Cora’s known Peter for a few hours. I’ve known him for practically my whole life. Hell, I went to Gloria’s baptism.

“Tell Natalie I said hi,” I add.

Peter pulls us into traffic, and there’s a heavy pause before he replies.

“Will do,” he says stiffly.

Cora catches my eye and smirks at me. Fucking smirks. What the hell happened with Natalie? And is Cora suddenly a general now, making sure to relate to all of my men? It’s an impressive tactic, I’ll give her that.

But a tactical mind in that body is fucking dangerous.

I think back to the way she stole from me, blatant and unapologetic. This is a woman who’s unafraid to pursue what she wants. I’ll bet she uses whatever tools in her arsenal to achieve her ends.

And now she’s got the O’Sullivan name behind her. Without a doubt, she knows the power that comes with that.

Very fucking dangerous.