Page 27 of Perfect Satisfaction

Damn him.

Being alone is better than trusting my heart to another bad liar. I’d rather be without love than writhing in agony for enduring it despite the fact my husband has no such qualms.

Dani stomps her foot which sets off more jingles, I note. “Dosomethingto distract him!”

My hand drops to her stomach. With the honor of being family, I whisper, “Hello, little one. I’m your Aunt Sula. I love you, your mom, and your dad. And for you, I’ll wear a green elf hat.”

Dani makes me grin when she informs me haughtily, “Green’s not your color. Em made yours in red. Said it would set off your coloring better.”

“Well, thank goodness for designers with taste, small favors, and huge miracles.” I give Dani’s hand a quick squeeze.

“Oh, to hell with it. I have to tell him.” Dani grabs me by the hand and drags me from the leaded-glass window into the huge salon where the Christmas tree stands twelve feet in the air. JB’s helping Brendan shake all the gifts.

“She said it was small, but precious,” Brendan’s complaining.

My voice carries to the centuries old rafters as I declare, “Both of you are morons.”

Beside me, Dani’s booted foot jingles impatiently. “You can’t let me surprise you for once?”

JB’s head swings in our direction. “Oops. Busted, brother.”

Brendan has the good grace to appear abashed.

Dani slowly slinks in her husband’s direction. Even after all these years, the heat between them is palpable.That’s what I deserve—a love that can ignite with a look or be a safe haven. Lord knows Brendan and Dani’s relationship has had its ups and downs. But from the moment they met, it was always just them in their relationship. No one else existed.

Unlike me and Arek.

All the heat we conjured between us was a mechanism used for my ultimate destruction.

Refusing to allow memories of him to sully this moment, I place my cup down and cross the room to stand next to JB. Slipping my arm around his waist, I curl into him as Dani reaches inside the tree to pull out a long flat package and slap it against Brendan’s chest before demanding, “Open it.”

He winces. “I can wait.”

“No, you can’t. And now”—Dani flings a smile over her shoulder at me which I return—“I don’t want you to. I’m ready for our holiday festivities to begin.”

“She’s talking about making us all wear elf hats,” I warn JB.

“Over my dead body, love,” JB starts just as the box clatters to the floor and Brendan sweeps Dani up in his arms.

“Your corpse is going to look great in silk and bells because there’s no way Brendan isn’t going to do everything his wife asks of him,” I taunt. I feel JB’s arm tighten around my shoulder, but he doesn’t protest. I didn’t expect he would once he saw the joy on our family’s faces. I even know what he’s thinking because I feel the same emotion.

I wish I had someone who loved me that way.

Maybe some of us were meant to just be satisfied with the life we’re given and not expect more.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

In case you’re wondering, Brewster, New York is where Cinderella’s true castle is at.

Despite XMedia’s Michael Clarke bleeding money to his victims left and right, it’s not the Hamptons for Angela Fahey Burke’s happily ever after. Apparently she and her husband escape to her grandparent’s home when they can no longer stand the pressure of the city.

The sleepy little town offers little in the way of amenities but does explain how Angela was able to hide in plain sight for so many years. Word on the street from the local residents is she frequented such stores such as the Thrift Shop before marrying the almost-billionaire.

**Looks up real estate in the Tonetta Lake region.** Hmm, not bad.

—StellaNova

Three days later,I fling off my elf hat in a fit of fury. “Tell me I’m not reading this.” StellaNova just posted online outing Angie and Ward’s weekend getaway in Brewster. I keep scanning the article. “The rat bastard even references the case. Oh my god, Joshua. Are you reading this?”